Beyond the Shadows of Summer by Jonathan Zemsky

Beyond the Shadows of Summer a novel by Jonathan Zemsky, is a story told by protagonist James Sayer, of his quaint Midwest town, in America during the 1950's. A year before the summer of '55 James loses his younger brother, Brand, to a rare blood disease. This death emotionally tears the Sayer family apart and creates a distance between James and many of his closest friends. It also restrains James from doing the things that he loves; drawing and baseball. Beyond the Shadows of Summer is a coming of age novel, set for most of the story in a showground, in which the main character must learn to appreciate the difficulties of growing up in a racist society, the importance of friends both young and old and the extraordinary emotions that first love can bring. During the summer of '55, when James has only experienced 14 short years of life, he is able to discover what is really important to him. While defeating a bully, standing up for what he believes in and accepting new friends, James is able to retrieve his life back. Once James gains the perspective and the strength to accept his brothers death, he is capable of properly treasuring and celebrating Brands life, by journeying through his own and repairing all that was broken.

After reading Beyond the Shadows of Summer I was quite pleased and impressed. Overall I really liked the book. I liked the depth of the plot and the entwined character relationships. I enjoyed the style of the writing as well as the intelligent and thorough description that the protagonist uses in speech and thought. I did think however, that this was slightly advanced vocabulary and sentence structure for 14 year old boys, even in the 1950s. I found this book slightly slow to start as I struggled to find a way to relate to the characters and their situation. But as I read on I became enthralled with the story line and found myself turning pages quickly to uncover the resolutions. I think that the author was able to evoke substantial emotion through his writing of especially scenes where James reflects on his brother's death. I found myself at times comparing aspects of this book to Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I believe this would be due to the time both novels are set and the leading black male influences on the main characters. I liked the way that the show ground setting for this book was so much fun and so easily visualized. Zemsky made it easy for the reader to feel as if they were in the very same place as the characters. By large this was a book I really enjoyed. At times I felt that it was more inclined to males and for that reason I would recommend it to teenage boys from age 13, whom would relate and understand the more masculine emotions expressed by the characters. That said ,this was a very worthwhile read whose story truly intrigued me. I will look forward to any more of Zemsky's insightful and captivating work.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne, Victoria Australia

The Debs by Susan McBride

This book is about these girls who work hard to get what they want. Their names are Laura Bell, Mac Mackenzie, and Ginger Fore, who have dreamed of becoming a deb ever since they were little girls. Laura is a little overweight, but that doesn't stop her from attracting a hot jock named Avery, making her rivals fiery with jealously. Ginger falls in love with this older, college guy named Javier, which almost lands her in jail. Mac on the other hand, is the calmest out of the three. She doesn't really want to be a deb, but will do whatever it takes to make her friends happy. But the three girls have some competition on their hands, Jo-Lynn Bidwell and her posse, Camie and Trisha, who will do anything- I mean anything- to keep Laura and her friends out of the Class Slipper Club. Scandal, Lies, Secrets and much more lies ahead...

The book was very interesting and made me want to know what happened next. It gives great detail about the characters and makes me feel as if I knew them in person. One thing I had to get used to at first was that each chapter was about a different character and their actions, but it all blended well together. I would recommend this book to any girl in high school, because this book contains what most girls go through in high school, such as making the wrong friends, boys, backstabbing and heartache. I would definitely like to see a Part 2 of this book, and she what else Jo-Lynn has in store for the girls.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cumming, Georgia United States

The Gods of Amyrantha by Jennifer Fallon

The Tide Lords, long time legends, have been thought of only as that. All of the world, their immortality and power have been brought up as myths and nothing more; but little do the humans know that the Lords have been secretly hiding out, waiting for the Tide to return so that they can rule once again. One Tide lord, Cayal, also known as the Immortal Prince, loathes his immortality and has been searching for millenniums of a way to end his life. The only thing standing in his way are his other fellow Tide Lords and Arkady Desean, the human Duchess of Lebec and expert on the Tide Lords, who has discovered his true nature and has captured his heart. In this tale of romance and suspense, one Lord must make a choice. Is Cayal's love for Arkady worth his continuing existence, or is his dismal immortality to much to bear and he's willing to give it all up even if it means destroying the world?

When I first picked up this book, I could not set it down. It hooked me from the very first page and never let go. The end had me begging for more. Fallon's characters were well-crafted and I felt like I was actually with them. I especially loved how each chapter was in someone elses' perspective. It really gave me an idea of how they were feeling and what they were witnessing through-out the story so I could actually follow everything that was happening. It was thrilling and romantic and i would definitely recommended it to any of my friends. It's a wonderful story and i can't wait for the next!

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sacramento, California USA

City of Screams by John Brindley

The book is a mystery, romance, and an adventure. There is a twist in this adventure as death is brought to their home by raving Raptors. The Air Angels and Ground Angels are limited in their abilities, but one special Ground Angel is able to change everything.

I think CITY OF SCREAMS was a very nice book. This book reminds me of one of my favorite author, James Patterson. I like CITY OF SCREAMS a lot, and I feel that anyone who enjoys a book with interesting characters should read it.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: mineola, texas mineola

Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Lindsey is the main character of the second book in the Dark Guardian series. Her parents are among the most powerful of the Dark Guardians, which is an acient tribe of shape-shifters. They are able to change their shape into a wolf. Lindsey's parents laid out Lindsey's life for her before she was even born. Her 17th birthday has passed and she will change into a werewolf on the next full moon as her mate helps her through it. The question is, who is her mate? Her parents set her up with Connor and when the full Moon comes, their life together will be final. Her parents couldn't be happier, but why can't Lindsey stop thinking about Rafe? Rafe has never been so interesting to Lindsey. When a dangerous threat is pushed on the tribe, Lindsey must also deal with the fact that she can't stop thinking about Rafe, when she should be thinking about Connor. Rafe and Connor make it hard on Lindsey. She must deal with their threats on each other. When they fight for her, it isn't a human fight. It is a fight to death. Lindsey must find some way to stop them, but how? Who will she choose?

Full Moon is an amazing add-on to Moonlight, the first book in the Dark Guardian series. It is very creative and Rachel Hawthorne did a wonderful job. As I read it, the pictures in my mind were so vivid and detailed that it felt real. It was as if I was Lindsey and everything that happened was happening to me. I enjoy all books that have supernatural beings in them. Any young adult readers that enjoy them as well would fall deeply into the spell of this book. I recommend this book to those who do enjoy fiction novels.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

Dirty Jersey (Kimani Tru) by Phillip Thomas Duck

Dirty Jersey by Philip Thomas Duck is a thrilling adventure about a high school boy named Eric Posey. Eric has no friends in high school and everyone makes fun of him. His sister, Kenya, is one of the popular girls in school. After Eric meets Fiasco, one of the coolest rappers, and becomes friends. Soon, he ends up joining Fiasco's crew and suddenly, he is the coolest kid in school and everyone wants to be his friend. But, Fiasco isn't exactly a good guy and what if he wants something in return for his friendship?

I really liked this book, it was both interesting and exciting. I had a really hard time putting it down to do my homework! But the book is not just about The story really made me think of my own life and how I treated other people and what the effects of that were. This book really gets you to think about your actions and choices and also the effects of peer pressure. Eric would never have gotten involved in Fiasco's group if the kids at school had been nice to him and he didn't have the pressure to fit in. Overall, I would say that this book is really well written and it makes you think about your life.

There are some themes of sexual abuse that might be hard for younger readers to read.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA

The Jewel Keepers by E. J. Bousfield

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

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

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

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.

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