Troubadour by Mary Hoffman

Will Elinor be able to capture Bertran's heart and change his views about marriage or will another handsome gentleman steal her heart first? Elinor has fantasized her entire life about marrying the mysterious troubadour Bertran de Miramount, so when she learns that she may never see him again and her parents don't approve of nuptials between her and Bertran, she comes up with a plan. She takes on the disquise of a boy troubadour and sets forth into a journey of a lifetime and a brand new life in hopes of finding her true love and escaping the marriage her parents had arranged for her, before it's too late. Little does she know that there are tensions brewing everywhere and many of the surrounding cities are on the brink of war. Having no hope in the life she left, Elinor believes that she made the right decision in leaving everything she once knew and loved like her family, friends, and the extravagant life of a noble; but is the hope of satisfying her heart's desire worth the possiblity of putting her life at jeopardy?


I thought Troubadour by Mary Hoffman was a pretty good book. The words were very much age-appropriate and there was an easy-to-use glossary in the back of the book, as well as a neat historical note that was very informative of the ways of the thirteenth century time period. The plot was fairly interesting but I found it was hard to focus on what I was reading because the text was hard to follow and confusing thanks to the excessive and somewhat outrageous number of characters. The author tried to help with this problem by providing a list of characters and their roles in the back as well, but I was still confused and got kind of annoyed at having to constantly flip to the back of the book. The over-all plot was well thought-out and developed but I thought that the action of the plot, as well as the conversations between the characters were very repetitive. This repetition caused me to get bored easily because it felt like I had already read those lines at least ten other times. I enjoyed the happy ending and was glad that the story took a surprising turn for the better. There is plenty of romance, adventure, and war for a large range of readers to enjoy.

There was a lot of war and bloodshed, as well as different religious matters.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA

A Faraway Island by Annika Thor

In 1936, during Hitler's reign, two Jewish sisters who live a wealthy life in Vienna have no choice but to be shipped off to Sweden for their own protection from the war and the German Nazis. Twelve-year-old Stephie and seven-year -old Nellie Steiner are then placed in the homes of two women who live on an island just off the shore of Sweden. Nellie is put into the care of a lady with other children her age and she begins to get attached to her foster home on the island. On the other hand Stephie despises her foster mother, that she has been placed with, who makes her clean and never offers to buy anything new for Stephie. In the mean time Stephie manages to get bullied at school for being a foreigner while her little sister
is loved by all her classmates. As the months pass and winter turns to summer, Stephie starts to wonder if she and her sister will ever go home or even worse if they will ever see their parents again.

I really enjoyed a faraway island by Annika Thor. It had a good story and the characters had very realistic personalties. The story was very sad in a way because of the events that happened throughout the book, her frustration with her foster mother and her little sister. Overall I really liked it, and I would recommend it to 12 and up.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: , New Mexico USA

My Self: A Guide To Me bt Marlene Wallach

"My Self: A Guide To Me" by Marlene Wallach is a self-help reference book for girls. Topics include self-esteem, body image, negociation techniques, and other confidence-related issues. The book is broken down into four chapter with several sub-chapters included that are not long at all. Additionally, quizzes are inserted alongisde direct memos from the author. The book gives direction for preteen and teen girls and tells them how to act towards themselves and others.

With a notebook spiral binding, colorful printing, and glossy pages, this book is definitely girly. Since the author is president of Wilhelmina Kids & Teens Modeling Agency, the photos of girls in the book are sophisticated and of high quality. For the most part, the photos represent several nationalities. Yoga is also pushed a bit, but not so much as to make the reader want to put the book down. The book would have been better if it discussed fashion more, though.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Troy, NY USA

Snog: A Puppie's Guide to Love by Rachael Hale

Snog: A Puppy's Guide to Love is full of great pictures of adorable puppies. The puppies are napping, playing, wrestling and just being puppies in each picture. From Labradors to Pugs, Bloodhounds to Weimaraners all the puppies are very cute. Many of the pictures are paired with great quotes about love. Puppies sure could teach us a lot about love and friendship.

I am an absolute dog lover. The puppies in this book are extremely cute and no two are alike. The quotes go great with the pictures. I would recommend this book to anyone. Looking at these pictures will make you smile even on your worst days.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Finksburg, MD USA

Surviving the Angel of Death by Eva Mozes Kor

Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister where 10 years old when they arrived at Auschwitz. They were separated from their two older sisters, mom and dad the minute they got to Auschwitz because they were twins. Dr. Josef Mengele allowed the many twins that he "saved" to have "privileges" like keeping their hair and clothes. They had to fight for survival and try and get through Mengele's torturous experiments performed only on twins. Together these two girls try to fight for survival in one of the worst death camps of all.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always liked reading about the Holocaust and to see it through 10 year olds eyes was very interesting. You can really tell how hard it was to survive and how you needed someone to rely on. This was my first time reading about someone who had been one of Dr. Josef Mengele's twins. It was really interesting to read what he did to them and to see just how hard they had to fight to survive.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Finksburg, MD USA

Jonas Brothers: Inside Their World by Brittany Kent

Are you a Jonas Brothers fan? If so, this is the book for you! You can learn about their life before they were stars, their songs, their first movie, and their television show. Also, take quizzes, see never-before-seen photos, get behind-the-scenes glimpses, and the scoop on their friends, family, and fans. After reading this, you will know every thing there is to know about the Kevin, Nick, and Joe!

I enjoyed reading this book. My favorite section was when they talked about their lives before fame. I also liked when they talked about friends, family, and fans. Another thing I enjoyed was looking at the pictures and taking the quizzes. I would recommend this book to anyone with Obsessive Jonas Disorder (OJD).

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

Cat O'Nine Tails by Julia Golding

"Cat O'Nine Tails" starts off slowly with the story of a street urchin turned aristocrat who always rebels against authority. She thinks her life in high society is the epitome of all that is boring. Suddenly, adventure visits her in the most unpleasant of ways. One night while trying to rescue her dearest friend, Syd, from being kidnapped, Cat and her two protectors, Frank and Pedro, are abducted and taken to work on a ship headed for the Americas. She is forced to dress like a young sailer boy to hide her identity. Fortunately, Syd is on this ship. Cat spends most of her miserable days on the high seas trying to figure out how to escape with her companions. After a series of events that any normal young girl would not be able to bear, Cat uses her wits from living on the streets as an orphan to help her escape after they dock in the Americas. She comes across a tribe of Native Americans who are willing to protect her from the Englishmen attempting to re-imprison her. Eventually Cat finds her escape and her revenge.

This book may seem overly long at first glance, but the face pace of its plot makes it interesting. Cat and her collection of friends are totally engaging, and they never seem to tire of their adventures together. "Cat O'Nine Tails" is an endearing piece of work that I would recommend to any young adult reader.

The plot of this book moved along in a way that was so fluid I hardly even recognized how quickly I was turning the pages. Cat and her friends are people I would love to have accompany me on any adventure. Cat's wisdom and knowledge of how to get herself out of sticky situations is something rarely found in today's modern, comfortable society. It is refreshing to read of a fourteen year old girl who is embarking on adventures (whether forced or voluntarily) that many adults might not appreciate. This book will most definitely be added to my list of favorite novels.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cary, NC USA

Sideshow by Deborah Noyes

A collection of tales consisting of matters odd and strange. Stories range from the origin of the bearded lady to three headed rats and circus freaks. Spooky, eerie, and imaginative, Slideshow explores what it means to be a "freak," how to accept yourself and how to find the joy in being different.

I believe it was a good try. It is difficult to write a book about the strange and the freakish without it sounding cliche. Still it lacked interest and, frankly, good writing. The majority of the tales seemed to have been written in haste with the end product being, shall we say, less than satisfying. A lot of the stories had an excellent beginning and a rough ending, or an intriguing ending but a lousy beginning. No story seemed to have a captivating beginning, middle, and end.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: fuquay Varina , north Carolina united States of America

Eli the Good by Silas House

Eli the Good is young boys journey to becoming a young adult. He must deal with the bad memories and dreams of his father, a war veteran, his crazy and rebellious sister, and his aunt who has come to vist, but has a big secret hidden away. These things help and give Eli his first glimpse at adulthood. The people he is the closest to don't seem to stay around to long, and he seeks love from his mother, who is wrapped up in his fathers past.

This book gives a very good look into the lives of many young people today. They see things and know things they shouldn't however it helps them in taking a step into becoming an adult. Family troubles such as diseases happen to many young people who don't know how to deal with them, but it will help in the long run. The detail that the author uses really makes you fall into the book. I could see the Fourth of July parade, and I could feel what Edie was feeling when Eli was mean to her that night. The book really carptures the emotion of what normal everyday families go through.Silas House shows the struggles of not only a young boy, but a teenage girl, a mother and father, and the struggle a young girl goes through when her family falls apart. When a book can speak to many people of all ages, I think it's worth a read.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ US

The Book of Samuel by Erik Raschke

Erik Raschke’s The Book of Samuel is a story of the struggles and hardships for teens living in today’s world. The day after Samuel’s dad leaves on a religious quest to find himself, Samuel’s life takes a turn for the worse, from almost killing the biggest bully in the school to blowing up his friend’s garage. Samuel fights an internal battle of right and wrong, good and evil, embarking on a journey of self-understanding and finding trust in God.

Erik Raschke kept me entertained just long enough for me to finish his book. The Book of Samuel is a nice short story but I found myself nodding off at times during reading it. Although it was very realistic most of the time, there was no flow to the book. Most of the time the author would cut off a topic, making me wish that he would write more about it. I would recommend this book to anyone, boy or girl, that is looking for a quick read.

Content:4
Rating: 4
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH United States