The Jewel Keepers Book One: Albion is set in two time periods, 2008 and in the first century A.D. In 2008 Katie is dealing with her judgemental and tough to live with mother, her move to Manchester and her mentally ill Nana. She also thinks she can talk to animals, making it hard to find friends and to get along with her mother, who fears Katie might be headed down the path of insanity like Nana. When they visit Nana and she reveals to Katie that she comes from a long line of spiritually gifted individuals and is a Keeper of a long-lost jewel, Katie is shocked. The Jewel has the power to open the gateway from her world to that of the supernatural. She is supposed to find it and protect it (which is easier said than done). In the first century A.D. Mortunda, a Celtic princess finds she can communicate with the gods. However, her father has chosen her to be his successor and refuses to accept that his daughter may have another calling. Joining a society called the Seronydd, an order of others who are supernaturally gifted, would mean surrendering her right to the throne and devastating her father. Also, the Romans are about to sail over the English Channel and conquer her tribe, the Brigante. Mortunda is torn between her duty and her destiny, also linked to the mysterious Jewel in Katie's world.
While the plot summary of this book sounded promising, the book was, overall, a letdown. My biggest problem was that the writing was very flat, simplistic and not engaging. There were also plenty of noticeable grammar mistakes that were very distracting. I didn't look forward to picking this up again nor did I fight to keep my eyes open so I could find out what happened. Katie is quite one-dimensional, as is her mother and most of the 2008 storyline. In the 2008 portion, much of the formal language used is not believable, as most teenage girls don't speak like Katie does. This makes her hard to relate to and I also found her just plain uninteresting. The Celtic portion of the story was somewhat more enjoyable to read, though still not great, and Mortunda is, while not always entirely believable, an appealing person to read about with complexities and a unique and exciting connection to the supernatural. Also, the spiritual leaders are unusual with a few skeletons in the closet, just waiting to be unearthed, and this adds uniqueness to the overall plot. A strong point of the book, in the midst of very weak points, is the historical connection between present day and ancient times. The description of the tribal way of life is realistic sounding and the overlap of the geographical location is a very cool tie-in. Unfortunately, these are the best things that can be said for The Jewel Keepers, as it was ultimately written with mediocrity and a plot with potential that wasn't recognized. I will probably not recommend this to others and I will not read the sequel.
The writing was very insubstantial and the story itself was mostly unexciting. It was at times difficult to read because I didn't care about the characters and didn't feel involved in the events of the story.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: San Diego, California United States
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Marni Bates, an aspiring 19 year-old author, writes of her battle with trichotillomania in her autobiography, Marni. Trichotillomania, a disorder in which the person has urges to pull out their hair, plagues Marni throughout her entire high school experience. Marni begins her story in elementary school, describing herself as the favorite of her father in her dysfunctional family. As she grows older she begins to realize that the favoritism her father shows towards her is no more than him fulfilling his job as a father and nothing more. Though she is in good graces with her father, her relationship with her siblings falters. As Marni starts high school the pressures she mentally faces between her dysfunctional family, her lack of social skills, and starting at a new school finally catches up with her, and so begins that long and painful compulsion of trichotillomania. When people begin to notice her growing lack of hair, Marni knows that she has let her habit, go too far. As Marni struggles to overcome her disorder she learns that facing a beast is much easier with a friend by your side.
The subject of Marni, by Marni Bates, is very atypical compared to most young adult books. Despite its subject, the book fell flat and was very boring to read. The first page of the book is Marni's introduction to her readers, and as she states in the second sentence, "The general consensus was that I hadn't done enough, experienced enough, to be worthy of ink." In my opinion this statement is very true. While her life has its interesting moments, she is only 19 years old. Though her battle with trichotillomania is interesting it is not worth the topic of a book, particularly since when the book ends she still has yet to over come it. I would not recommend this book.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America
The subject of Marni, by Marni Bates, is very atypical compared to most young adult books. Despite its subject, the book fell flat and was very boring to read. The first page of the book is Marni's introduction to her readers, and as she states in the second sentence, "The general consensus was that I hadn't done enough, experienced enough, to be worthy of ink." In my opinion this statement is very true. While her life has its interesting moments, she is only 19 years old. Though her battle with trichotillomania is interesting it is not worth the topic of a book, particularly since when the book ends she still has yet to over come it. I would not recommend this book.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America
Leviathan by David L. Goldmon
A top-secret government organization know as the Event Group faces its biggest challenge yet as attacks on major oil drilling sites - including Texas City and a new facility in Cuba - continue. With advanced technology beyond anything before, the Group sets out to find the culprit. However, a strike on the Event Base in Nevada separates the Group, half kidnapped by the terrorists and half left to find the other half. Full of action, some character development, plenty of swear words and plot twists, Leviathan leaves me wishing I had read the first three books.
This is no book for kids, I'll say that. Leviathan reminds me of a James Patterson novel - the adult kind. It's full of unnecessary swear words (even the infamous F-Word) that drags it down a point for me. The dialogue doesn't fair much better, being rather bland, though Senator Lee is usually quite funny. There is little in the way of character development, Captain Heirthall and Colonel Collins being the exceptions. That aside, the book is rather well-written and quite powerful at certain points. The ending was rather suspenseful, as was the cliffhanger endings. The Leviathan is well-described and the background behind its captain and crew was interesting. However, the author seems to assume that everyone knows every little piece of a boat, and I most certainly didn't. "Uh, where's the stern again?" Most characters were rather bland to me, the aforementioned Collins and Heithall, as well as Virginia, Lee, and Farbeaux, being exceptions, as they had personalities. The use of names was rather confusing as Colonel Jack Collins could be Colonel one minute, Jack the next, and so on. I really enjoyed reading this book despite its many faults. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful novels, fictional books about ships, or people who read the previous three books in the series.
Major adult language, minor violence
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denton, Texas United States
This is no book for kids, I'll say that. Leviathan reminds me of a James Patterson novel - the adult kind. It's full of unnecessary swear words (even the infamous F-Word) that drags it down a point for me. The dialogue doesn't fair much better, being rather bland, though Senator Lee is usually quite funny. There is little in the way of character development, Captain Heirthall and Colonel Collins being the exceptions. That aside, the book is rather well-written and quite powerful at certain points. The ending was rather suspenseful, as was the cliffhanger endings. The Leviathan is well-described and the background behind its captain and crew was interesting. However, the author seems to assume that everyone knows every little piece of a boat, and I most certainly didn't. "Uh, where's the stern again?" Most characters were rather bland to me, the aforementioned Collins and Heithall, as well as Virginia, Lee, and Farbeaux, being exceptions, as they had personalities. The use of names was rather confusing as Colonel Jack Collins could be Colonel one minute, Jack the next, and so on. I really enjoyed reading this book despite its many faults. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful novels, fictional books about ships, or people who read the previous three books in the series.
Major adult language, minor violence
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denton, Texas United States
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Swimmer by Nicola Keegan
Philomena Ash has been always known she would be a
swimmmer, even at a young age. Ever since her parents
brought her to an infant swim class, Pip has spent as much
time in the pool as she can. The hard work and long hours
in the water pay off when Pip begins attending state meets
and training with the best coaches in the country. But
even winning Olympic gold medals can't fix Pip's life.
With a completely dysfunctional family, Pip has been
trying to stay afloat in more ways than one. What seems to
be a story of success turns out to be a coming of age
story as Pip loses and finds herself in this debut novel
by Nicola Keegan.
swimmmer, even at a young age. Ever since her parents
brought her to an infant swim class, Pip has spent as much
time in the pool as she can. The hard work and long hours
in the water pay off when Pip begins attending state meets
and training with the best coaches in the country. But
even winning Olympic gold medals can't fix Pip's life.
With a completely dysfunctional family, Pip has been
trying to stay afloat in more ways than one. What seems to
be a story of success turns out to be a coming of age
story as Pip loses and finds herself in this debut novel
by Nicola Keegan.
I have been swimming competitively for almost ten
years, so reading a book about an Olympic swimmer is right
up my alley. Although I am nowhere as good as Pip, I could
definitely relate to her love of the water. I originally
picked up this book because I wanted to see how the author
would approach the topic of swimming. Everything I saw
seemed correct, but I actually wish there were more
references to swimming. The author probably wanted to make
this book accessible to people who have no knowledge of
swimming, but I would have liked to see this book be a
little more authentic. Even so, I enjoyed reading this
book and liked getting to know Pip, since she was an
interesting character. All in all, I thought the author
did a very good job for her first novel.
Reviewer
Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston,
Pennsylvania United States
Night Runner by Max Turner
At the age of fifteen, Zack lives in a special ward of an asylum not due to insanity but to allergies that make a normal existence impossible, originally misdiagnosed as psychosomatic trauma following the death of his parents. He is allergic to sunlight, and able to drink only a special mix that he believes to be a strawberry smoothie. Though he accepts this life, enjoying endless television access and the company of his troublemaking friend Charlie, a mysterious stranger in a motorcycle shatters his strange existence and catapults him into an even stranger one. Zach must flee, accompanied only by Charlie and a mysterious beauty named Luna. It is on this journey that Zach learns the truth: he's a vampire, being hunted by one far more powerful and sinister than himself.
The field of vampire stories for young adults is flooded, with almost every possible storyline used in one form or another. Coming up with a book that contains all the essential elements of a vampire story while steering clear of cliche is a daunting task, which Turner achieves admirably. From start to finish, Night Runner is rivetingly original, taking the expected components of vampire novels and turning them on their heads. Though much of the story is predictable, such as the revelation of Zach's past, there are enough twists to keep the reader interested. The major flaw of the story is pacing; it tries too hard to maintain momentum and ends up being jarringly fast, not stopping to develop characters or explore emotions. For example, Zach's easy acceptance that he is a vampire strikes as unrealistic, and his life prior to the beginning of the story is merely summarized. Scenes which should have been extended are merely skipped over, and character traits are often explained rather than demonstrated. Fans of character-driven novels will be dissappointed. However, for those seeking a thriller that will keep their attention, Night Runner serves its purpose.
Some violent content, but no more than would be expected for the genre.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bellevue, WA 98006
The field of vampire stories for young adults is flooded, with almost every possible storyline used in one form or another. Coming up with a book that contains all the essential elements of a vampire story while steering clear of cliche is a daunting task, which Turner achieves admirably. From start to finish, Night Runner is rivetingly original, taking the expected components of vampire novels and turning them on their heads. Though much of the story is predictable, such as the revelation of Zach's past, there are enough twists to keep the reader interested. The major flaw of the story is pacing; it tries too hard to maintain momentum and ends up being jarringly fast, not stopping to develop characters or explore emotions. For example, Zach's easy acceptance that he is a vampire strikes as unrealistic, and his life prior to the beginning of the story is merely summarized. Scenes which should have been extended are merely skipped over, and character traits are often explained rather than demonstrated. Fans of character-driven novels will be dissappointed. However, for those seeking a thriller that will keep their attention, Night Runner serves its purpose.
Some violent content, but no more than would be expected for the genre.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bellevue, WA 98006
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin
The Trouble with Demons is about Raine Benares whose family is known for stealing, black mailing, double crossing, etc... and she is connected to the most powerful source on the face of the Earth, the Saghred. After Raine spends a year or two with the Saghred, she experiences power that boosts her magic levels. She goes to the Island of Mid, a very wrong choice, since all of the dark mages, or the bad guys, dwell there. One in particular wants the Saghred so much that he will do anything to get it, including opening a Hellgate. A Hellgate is a gate that leads to Hell, and when opened, all sorts of demons come spurting out. When the Hellgate is formed, Rudra, the most evil and powerful dark mage, wants the Saghred. The Queen of Demons also wants it to to save her husband from the rock's depths. As Raine fights her way through this mess, she encounters new friends and a weird relationship.
The Trouble with Demons is an excrutiating book with a ton of details. One of the details that suprised me was Raine's relationship with a male character in the book. There are two pages about them making out in his bedroom! Other than that detail, it was a superb book. The author got her point across and the direction of the story right out. Even though the book is sort of predictable, I enjoyed it!
It is not recommended for kids 11 and younger.
Reviewer Age:13
Brownsburg, Indiana US
The Trouble with Demons is an excrutiating book with a ton of details. One of the details that suprised me was Raine's relationship with a male character in the book. There are two pages about them making out in his bedroom! Other than that detail, it was a superb book. The author got her point across and the direction of the story right out. Even though the book is sort of predictable, I enjoyed it!
It is not recommended for kids 11 and younger.
Reviewer Age:13
Brownsburg, Indiana US
Saturday, September 19, 2009
City of Fire by Laurence Yep
The book, the City of Fire is an action-packed tale of magic and adventure. It is based in the year 1941, except it's changed. For this book, earth is a place where fantasy is reality. However, when Mr. Roland, a rich businessman, decides he wants to find 5 magical objects that give him unimaginable power, it up to an unusual band to stop him. For if they don't, the universe itself could be under Mr. Roland's control. The City of Fire will take you on a winding path that keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times.
In my opinion, the City of Fire was an exciting book that created enormous amounts of suspense in between chapters. One negative to this, is that it was confusing at many times. In many instances, I found myself lost in the story, and I had to read it over again to fully understand it. This book contains many qualities of a great book, but its writing is a little rough, and it's hard to get absorbed into the book. I do like the main plot of the book, though. I enjoyed the changes of 1941, and the adventure the band goes on. I would recommend this book to most kids who are good at reading, but to a beginner I would definitely not.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Towson, MD USA
In my opinion, the City of Fire was an exciting book that created enormous amounts of suspense in between chapters. One negative to this, is that it was confusing at many times. In many instances, I found myself lost in the story, and I had to read it over again to fully understand it. This book contains many qualities of a great book, but its writing is a little rough, and it's hard to get absorbed into the book. I do like the main plot of the book, though. I enjoyed the changes of 1941, and the adventure the band goes on. I would recommend this book to most kids who are good at reading, but to a beginner I would definitely not.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Towson, MD USA
Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
Rosie and Skate are two sisters with not much in common but enough to be their when they know something is wrong. With an alcoholic jailbird father, and no mother in the picture, these sisters must learn to cope with the problems and the feelings they're having on their own. Growing up fast had never been an option for these girls, it had to be done. Rosie just wants a normal father and won't give up hope on him, but Skate already has and ignores the troubles they have with him.
Heartbreak, first loves, and sex are happening way to fast for these girls to even keep up anymore. Skate's love life will take a turn when she's at home alone, and Perry, her boyfriend, is leaving for college. All these girls have is each other and that's all they're going to know if things in their lives don't start to change.
As I was reading the book, Rosie and Skate did keep their character the whole time. Rosie always seemed like the innocent one who wanted a father. Until almost the end when she decides to give up, that was a good twist that I enjoyed. The mood of the book is usually a sad one, which anyone can understand. The mood seemed to fit in well with the settings, plots, events, and the characters. I think writing this story in first person was the best choice. It feels more real to me when it's written in this way because I feel like the person is talking to me.
The vocabulary was age appropriate for the level of book, but for me, it might have been to easy. This could simply be because I am older and have read a lot of different books. I would recommend this book for other people or even for my school to carry it in the library. It's a very good book for young girls to read or girls with the same problems as Rosie and Skate. I did find the book interesting, but at some points, it did seem a little boring. However, everyone has a different opinion and not everyone likes the same kind of book.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, New Jersey United States
Heartbreak, first loves, and sex are happening way to fast for these girls to even keep up anymore. Skate's love life will take a turn when she's at home alone, and Perry, her boyfriend, is leaving for college. All these girls have is each other and that's all they're going to know if things in their lives don't start to change.
As I was reading the book, Rosie and Skate did keep their character the whole time. Rosie always seemed like the innocent one who wanted a father. Until almost the end when she decides to give up, that was a good twist that I enjoyed. The mood of the book is usually a sad one, which anyone can understand. The mood seemed to fit in well with the settings, plots, events, and the characters. I think writing this story in first person was the best choice. It feels more real to me when it's written in this way because I feel like the person is talking to me.
The vocabulary was age appropriate for the level of book, but for me, it might have been to easy. This could simply be because I am older and have read a lot of different books. I would recommend this book for other people or even for my school to carry it in the library. It's a very good book for young girls to read or girls with the same problems as Rosie and Skate. I did find the book interesting, but at some points, it did seem a little boring. However, everyone has a different opinion and not everyone likes the same kind of book.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, New Jersey United States
Friday, September 18, 2009
Treason's Shore by Sherwood Smith
Inda has just returned from an extremely difficult battle against the Venn, his people's enemy. He fought beside King Evred and protected him. However, no one seems to know exactly how, or if, the Venn were defeated. True, they left, but did they leave for good? Things are not spectacular even off the battlefield. Inda married Tdor, an aristocrat that loves him deeply, but sadly loves another, Dag Signi, who is being hunted because she's a Venn and has magical abilities. There are also a few political problems. It's all quite complicated.
Treason's Shore was a very enjoyable read. The characters were captivating and seemed real, with real issues to deal with. I liked Nugget, a one-armed member of the Fox's crew quite a bit. I was fond her character and her dialogue with others. It is not at all suggested to read this book before the three others in this series because it gets quite confusing. There are several characters whose stories are told and it does get a little difficult to keep everyone in order. I enjoyed Crown Duel by the same author, Sherwood Smith, a slight amount more, but still had a pleasant time reading Treason's Shore.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA
Treason's Shore was a very enjoyable read. The characters were captivating and seemed real, with real issues to deal with. I liked Nugget, a one-armed member of the Fox's crew quite a bit. I was fond her character and her dialogue with others. It is not at all suggested to read this book before the three others in this series because it gets quite confusing. There are several characters whose stories are told and it does get a little difficult to keep everyone in order. I enjoyed Crown Duel by the same author, Sherwood Smith, a slight amount more, but still had a pleasant time reading Treason's Shore.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Flood by Stephen Baxter
Flood, by Stephen Baxter, is a scary wake-up call to what might happen (though not in the near future) to the world, as global climate change worsens. With scientific research and a touch of science fiction, Baxter combines the two into a fascinating whirlwind of information that all leads to the complete flooding of the world. As this catastrophe occurs, Baxter selects a group of ex-hostages and their families to follow. The different stories of at least eight different people all morph as the book documents the flooding. This interesting documentation and science fiction novel provokes critical thinking about the future of the world's generations.
Baxter's novel was astounding to read, and I was fascinated by the very first chapter -- although it took some time to fully understand the depth of the book I was about to read. The sheer amount of research upon global climate change Baxter must have done was humbling. This was a well thought out notion artistically put into book form.Along with research and science fiction content, Baxter was also able to weave human emotion and drama into the flooding world his characters were thrown into. Because Baxter chose both the everyday people (the families of the ex-hostages) and those who have unusual circumstances (the ex-hostages), he covers all the human emotions that could possibly arise.Baxter did an amazing job of fitting science and realistic fiction, drama, romance, humor, horror, and non-fiction all into one intriguing book: Flood.
The vocabulary and scientific references are hard to understand if you don't follow updated research on global climate change, and parts are too graphic for younger readers.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, Oregon USA
Baxter's novel was astounding to read, and I was fascinated by the very first chapter -- although it took some time to fully understand the depth of the book I was about to read. The sheer amount of research upon global climate change Baxter must have done was humbling. This was a well thought out notion artistically put into book form.Along with research and science fiction content, Baxter was also able to weave human emotion and drama into the flooding world his characters were thrown into. Because Baxter chose both the everyday people (the families of the ex-hostages) and those who have unusual circumstances (the ex-hostages), he covers all the human emotions that could possibly arise.Baxter did an amazing job of fitting science and realistic fiction, drama, romance, humor, horror, and non-fiction all into one intriguing book: Flood.
The vocabulary and scientific references are hard to understand if you don't follow updated research on global climate change, and parts are too graphic for younger readers.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, Oregon USA
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