Natasha Lands Down Under by Katherine McCaughan

Natasha can no longer live in China because of the communist takeover. Her family decides to move to Australia where a family member is willing to sponsor them. There is one major problem with that: only Natasha's mother can speak English. Natasha, her father, Babushka, and sisters speak Russian. When they move to Australia they are treated harshly by the others. Even in school, Natasha is thought of as an outcast. While learning English and adjusting to their new surroundings, Natasha and her family become integrated with the people and liked by those who accept them. If only that were the end to their problems...
I enjoy learning languages and reading about different cultures. This book was a wonderful example to me of two--if not three--different cultures. Natasha was Russian at home, Australian at school, and missed her Chinese home. The vocabulary was decent and portrayed the character's emotions well. The only slight problem that I found with the book is that Natasha is very young in the story, and she is very mature. Realistically speaking, I think that she was too mature for her age. With her experiences, however, Natasha would be more mature than most children. I recommend this book to people who enjoy cultures or stories of fitting in.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Untamed by P.C. & Kristin Cast (two reviews)

Zoey started off on the wrong path. Her friends won't talk to her, some mysterious ghost-like thing is out to get her, and the one friend who does talk to her has visions of Zoey dying. Zoey has been marked; she is a vampyre. She's living
in the House of Night school. Zoey is trying to pull everything together again like it used to be, but it's hard when she starts disagreeing with everyone about having war with humans, and when she starts seeing her old friend Stevie Rae again. Zoey just needs to calm down and try to deal with everything at once.

Untamed is okay. It didn't capture my attention right away. Since it is in a series, I had no idea what had happened or was happening at the time. It was difficult to
follow along with but I often found myself drifting off while reading this book. Some of this book kept me entertained or was exciting, but overall I didn't really
enjoy reading this book. I would not recommend this to anyone who hasn't read the first three books because the beginning is hard to understand
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Midlothian, VA United States


I read the book Untamed, the third book to The House of Night series. In this book, Zoey's friends have become angry with her and she has to befriend her once mortal enemy, Aphrodite. Aphrodite has visions of terrible things that will happen in the future and when she sees Zoey dying because she was alone, she has to make up with her friends. Everything starts to go wrong when vampires start getting killed and Neferet, who just might be evil, declares war on humans. Neferet calls on demons from long ago to rise and Zoey and her other "gifted" friends have to use their affinity for the 5 elements to save the human race.

This book was enchanting. I couldn't put it down, the characters where so realistic and the plot hooked you right in. This book would be a good read for anyone because it has mystery, romance, fantasy, friendship, you name it. Move over Harry Potter make way for a new series of books! The only bad thing about these books is the cliff hanger ending it keeps you wanting more.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Grand Island, Nebraska United States

Alvor by Laura Bingham

Twins Erin and Bain were out exploring in the hills by their home when they found a mysterious cabin. They slowly went inside to investigate the beautiful cabin. Once inside they are introduced to many creatures that people never thought existed! Erin and Bain discover that they were picked to be the chosen ones for the land called the Kingdom, and they needed to start training right away. After they train they discover they have many gifts that allow them to do various things, that's when they find out about the evil forces in the Kingdom. Bain and Erin must decide whether to leave their normal life or their new magical life, it's a hard decision, what will they decide....

In Alvor, the setting is in the summer time in the hills of the North East, Bingham described this setting with such words that made it seem that she was there herself to experience the beauty of this region. Mrs. Bingham also made the mood of the book very user friendly so that it was hard to not stop reading the book when I should've returned back into real life. Erin and Bain are some of my most favorite characters in the world! They are so real and vivid that I thought I could call them up and talk with them, but they are fake so they don't have a number. The voice of the narrator's voice had a tone that was very magical in it's way of sharing the story. It was really cool that the voice was like this.

I thought the author did everything that this book was ment to do. Bingham described the world of Alvor with such detail that I couldn't hardly believe that is wasn't true. Alvor has many strong points to it, such as the amazing characters and the bond that Bain and Erin share. But this book had very minimal flaws, the plot seemed that it wasn't done when she finished writing the book. Bingham was hopefully leaving it off so she could write a sequel, hopefully! I've read many fantasy books and this is one of the best I've ever read! I thought that Mrs. Bingham could've given Bain and Erin more powers and explained them. I would definitely recommend Alvor to anyone that loves a wonderful fantasy and that enjoys just a good book. This has been one of my favorite books to read and I can't wait for a sequel

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Paynesville, MN United States of America

Burning Skies by David J. Williams

The dark future of The Burning Skies, in 22nd century is a reality to United States counterintelligence agent Claire Haskell. Having been altered by the leader of an advanced organization called Autumn Rain, doesn't make her life any easier. Haskell is wanted by the Rain whose intentions are not only to control all the world, but to rule humanity itself. If these fiends are to be stopped, Haskell must fight back with her advanced technological abilities to control the zone, which is a variation of the Internet. Will Haskell be able to succeed when the enemy might be a few steps in head of her and her companions... or is there a greater scheme to be played?

The Burning Skies by David J. Williams was a decent book. The characters had personality, the plot had twists, and the action of the book was never ending. But out of all those things, the book didn't really excite me. There were various vantage points all through out the book that really threw the reader off if they didn't know what each symbol at the beginning of the next perspective ment. There were six symbols all in total. Also, the book didn't set a nice pace, it was pure action and violence for the first three quarters of the book, which moved at a snails pace, then the ending propelled to the conclusion. Although the ending was quite unexpected, you could guess some of the plot. Science fiction is a wonderful genre to write with, you never now what the future holds, but even though The Burning Skies didn't have a good plot, the setting in which it takes place looks like a very accurate guess to a possible future. Williams created a piece that many Star Trek and Matrix fans will love. Sci Fi is wonderful and David J. Williams gave us a taste of this world with The Burning Skies.

The Burning Skies has adult content in which young readers might find unpleasant. Parents/teachers probably should read the book first before letting their kid/student read this book.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Paynesville, MN United States of America

Airs of Night and Sea by Toby BIshop

Airs of Night and Sea by Tony Bishop, the third in the Horsemistress Saga, is about the hardships of several characters as they oppose the Duke of Oc. The characters get kidnapped, are forced into refuge, and illegaly flee the school all the while worrying about final exams. An intruiging story with twists and turns. The story is told from the point of view of each character.
The book is great. Although I didn't get to experience it to its full potential, as I did not read the previous books and it being girl-oriented, I still enjoyed it. The extra attention put in to build a new world compliments the author's meticulous attention to details. The characters are memorable and it's easy to see whose talking. Something most people forget. My favorite parts were Amelia's and William's side of things. I have no qualms with this book and can find no faults. Let's hope Toby Bishop continues to write books.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas U.S.

Pirouette: Ballet Stories by Harriet Castor

The Pirouette is a collection of fiction short stories
based on ballet life. Harriet Castor has chosen the
stories for the book. The book has sixteen short stories
meant for teens. The focus is the different problems and
achievements made by young girls in the ballet world.
Harriet Castor wrote one story called Grace, based on how
a young girl who did not have the dream of ballet but her
mom did.

Each of the stories focused on one young lady
in the ballet world. One story may be about school and
ballet or about repeated frustrations during work outs.
Most stories were set in English schools and homes. It was
hard to see them due to not knowing England's countryside
or the differences in school systems that came up
frequently. The book would be wonderful for hopeful future
ballerinas. The everyday teen may have a hardtime sticking
with the book due to its focus solely on
ballet.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Marble Hill, Missouri Bolliger

Notes from the Dog

Notes from the Dog is a very inspirational book. It starts out with a kid named Finn, his friend Matt, and Finn's dog Dylan. One day on their summer vacation they meet a girl with breast cancer who is going through chemo. Finn was hoping to only talk to twelve people this summer but he over shoots his number by a huge amount. Join the journey of this shy teenager as he opens up and does things he doesn't plan to do. Johana, the girl with breast cancer, also gives notes to the dog to give to Finn. With the notes and nagging Finn in to things, you would be surprised what Johana gets him to do.

One thing I liked about this book was that it was very predictable but you never knew how things were going to happen. This gave you a reason to keep reading even though you predicted an event a chapter before it happened. I also liked that all of the characters were developed very well. You end up learning a lot of characters and you never stop learning until the end. My overall opinion is that this book was a very fast read, but even though it was quick, it doesn't lose any impact on the reader.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Newville , PA USA

Fade To Blue by Sean Beaudoin

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade (he'd like to make sure you know that it's pronounced Fa-DAY) are on opposite ends of the spectrum. While Sophie endures being the outcast of Upheare High School, Kenny is living the high life. As the Upheare Toro's star basketball player, paramour of the head cheerleader Dayna Daynes, and an all-around nice guy, he is worshiped by the majority of the school's population. Both have irritating, red scars on their elbows. Both know a strange woman in white called Rose Fade, or sometimes "La Nutrika". After Kenny collapses and dies following a basketball game, he ends up in neither heaven nor hell, but a vacuum store in space. He spins a wheel, drinks a can of the popular soft drink Sour White, and is returned to Upheare High School. Only this time, he's not Kenny. From zombie attacks to trips to the virtual world, will Sophie finally figure out what happened to her father? What is the Virtuality? And will Sophie's arm ever stop itching?

Fade to Blue is a mind-boggling patchwork of twists and turns. The book begins with a snarky, sarcastic bang, and then the reader is sent off on an evil speeding truck of confusion through this dense novel. Sophie and her younger brother, Kenny 'O.S.' Blue, seemed to be the only 3-D personalities throughout the story. I believe the author wrote them this way on purpose, not only to develop the storyline, but also to offer a commentary on how teens see their lives. Giving the secondary characters simple, repetitive names like Dayna Daynes and Aaron Agar only served to accentuate this. From the very beginning, we can feel Sophie's confusion and anger, and we are amazed at how her mind retains its ferocity throughout the trials she goes through. The author only gives us information when he thinks we need it, and keeps us coming back for more. We have to not only find the puzzle pieces, but follow the trail and put them together at the same time. As a reader, the constant point-of-view switching was jarring and more than a little disorienting, but it was something I got used to over time. I found the graphic novel comic book interlude to not only be helpful to the plot, but also very mentally refreshing. It's not often that an author can pull something like that off in such a short novel. I would recommend reading this book twice, just in case you missed a connection the first time around. An amazing, confusing, and exhilarating read.

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shoreview, Minnesota USA

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

Logan Forbes doesn't like the looks of the creepy, old mansion he is moving into with his parents. Overgrown grass, hanging shingles, collapsing porch, Logan hates it right away, but not only because of it's looks, he has a bad feeling there's something not right about the house. When Logan meets his new neighbor, Arthur Jenkins, Logan learns he had a right to be nervous about the house- a woman was murdered in it! Arthur ropes Logan into his quest to find Mrs. Donaldson's killer. Their search leads them to the old Magic Forest Amusement Park, which is closed due to losing a lot of money. As Logan and Arthur get tangled more and more in the mystery of the murder, the boys realize they're in a lot more danger than they ever thought they would be...

I've read quite a few other books by Mary Downing Hahn and enjoyed them, but as with Closed For the Season they're directed to a younger audience. Although, it held my attention, there were times I was wishing there was more detail in plot and character development. Keeping in mind, this book was written for younger kids, I enjoyed reading it. The mystery was orginial, although at times a bit predictable. There were a few twists in the plot that kept me guessing, but I wouldn't read it again. Hahn's other books I read were all ghost stories, with a mystery tangled in as well, so while reading this I always felt like something was missing. Boys might be able to better relate to the main characters in the book, than I could, as they were mostly all male. Even if it wasn't my favorite book, all in all I would recommend it to kids who enjoy a fun mystery that's an overall quick read. <

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hightstown, NJ USA

Second Skin by Jessica Wollman

For Sam Klein, having to go through a school day being unnoticed was a normal thing. Popularity was something she only dreamed she could have but cheer leading and sports just weren't her style. She read every magazine and memorized every article but absolutely nothing worked. All of that changed when the most popular girl in school moved in right next door. Her name was Kylie and she had everything she ever wanted. She was co-captain of the pep-squad, had tons of friends, and her boyfriend was the hottest guy in school. Could all the popularity just be natural or was it caused by something the world has never known? Sam was to soon find out...

I really liked this book! I think I liked it so much because it expressed more of what really happens in High School. It really described what actually happened along the lines of drama and feelings of the characters. I especially liked the part towards the end when Sam decides to give the Skin back to Kylie because she doesn't want it anymore and Kylie decides that she doesn't want it either because she likes the way her life is without the Skin. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys books with a moral value along with some funny sarcastic characters.
Reviewer Age:13
Springfield, Ohio, United States
Rating 10
Content 1