The Other Queen by Pjilippa Gregory

During Elizabethan England, Queen's Elizabeth's cousin Mary Queen of Scots has been forced to flee her country from rebels and seek refuge in England. Mary, while being the Queen of Scotland, is also heir to the English throne, and some believe that she is the true monarch while Elizabeth is merely an imposter. Fearing assassination and a royal overthrow, Elizabeth imprisons Mary against her will as a "guest" of the Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot, and his wife Bess. George and Bess, at a great expense to them, are forced to host Queen Mary and her entire court. As they sink deeper and deeper into debt, their residence becomes a center of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth. But as George begins falling for Mary and Elizabeth and her steward, William Cecil, become mroe and more paranoid, will George and Bess be able to escape with their fortune intact, and hopefully their lives?

I love books about Tudor England and think that Philippa Gregory is a fantastic writer, so I knew I would enjoy The Other Queen. The one problem I had with this book, that I didn't have with others written by Gregory, is that it was really hard to get into. In the beginning, there wasn't a lot of dialogue or movement in the plot, just a lot of narration, made worse by the fact that The Other Queen is written in first person. It wasn't until the 200 page mark that the book picked up and I actually started to enjoy it. I didn't know that much about Mary, Queen of Scots, so it was neat to read and learn about her. The characters, especially George and Bess, had a lot of depth, and it was interesting to get into their minds and see their thoughts and feelings. I would recommend The Other Queen to any fans of historical fiction.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

This book is a fantasy adventure novel. Several years before the book began, the Revelation occurred, bringing off-world beings reminiscent of the angels, fairies, and demons of myth into open contact with humans. As a result, Atlanta has become a mixing pot and hotbed of off-world and human crime. The Atlanta P.D. Integration Task Force partners humans and non-humans to deal with this crime. One of its detectives is Charlie Madigan, a divorced mother of one. She has been recently resurrected from the dead, which has left her with horrible and mysterious dreams. Her partner is Hank, a siren who can control beings with his voice if he removes his voice-modification device. Together, they are trying to track down the source of a new, deadly, and off-world narcotic known as ash. While doing so, Charlie must deal with and protect her daughter, her sister, and her ex-husband. This book is the first by Kelly Gay and has a sequel coming out in August.

This book wasinteresting and entertaining but not completely satisfying. The settings and various types of beings were well explained and creative. The characters, especially Charlie, develop as the book progresses. The plot is enjoyable and has unexpected twists. As a side note, this book had several references to sexuality and a few lust-charged scenes. However, the ending was not conclusive enough. There are still unanswered questions and unresolved serious problems. There is going to be at least one sequel, possibly more. The book is best for someone who likes fantasy and adventure and either enjoys or does not mind some complex relationships and sexuality. Readers should also expect to be left hanging and waiting for the sequel.

This book had both violence and sexual references. It is best for high school or adult readers.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States

Panama by Shelby Hiatt

When recruiters of the Panama Canal send for Miss Hailey's father to be an overseer of the railroads for the construction of the canal, he can hardly resist. So when Miss Hailey finally turns fifteen, they pack their belongings and leave their small Dayton home beside the Wright bothers and head off to the tropical lands of Panama, promising to return in three years after the construction of the canal is finished. Her dad introduces her to an interesting fellow named Harry and that's when her real adventures in Panama begin. Going with Harry on his enumerating trips, she meets a very unique Hispanic worker named Federico, who has the job of pick and shovel. Throughout the three years that she's there, she and Federico get closer than she could have ever imagined and in more ways than one. Although she craves the time that she spends with Federico, there is still one question looming in her mind; when the canal is finished, will she and Federico leave each other for good or is there more in store for them in the years to come? Is this fate that has brought them together or a lucky misfortune?

The beginning was very good and kept me interested to the point where I just couldn't put it down. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. After about midway through though, the story really started to drag on and became dull and monotonous and I became bored and lost interest in reading it. It was very repetitive, where a lot of the same stuff and events happened; I was really hoping for a turn of events and something huge and exciting to happen but what ended up happening was hardly thrilling at all. I just wanted to finish it. Many small chapters made it feel like the book was progressing well throughout the story, which was good if you only had a few minutes to read because the many chapters allowed for a lot of great opportunities for places to stop at; but it also meant that not quite as much detail was provided for each new event. I definitely did not like or approve of the main girl's lying and deceitful behavior, definitely to her parents. She would not be a good role model for anyone, especially not to the teenage girls this novel was geared towards. The ending was very confusing and I'm not sure if it was the girl speaking or her mother. I'm also curious as to why the author did not give the main character a name. I would recommend Panama by Shelby Hiatt to mature readers only because it deals with a lot of sexual and mature themes and behaviors.

There was a lot of sexual content.

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

Star Trek: The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack

Star Trek Deep Space Nine the Never-Ending Sacrifice by
McCormack is about a young boy named Rugal, who was
kidnapped and taken to live with the Cardassians against
his will. The book begins with Rugal s first experience on
Cardassia. Rugal s Bajoran parents are devastated by the
kidnapping and are trying to get Rugal back home. Rugal
hates it on Cardassia and he is just as determined as his
parents to go back to Bajor.

The book started out a
little slow. It was extremely tedious to read for the
first portion of the book. The book does become more
interesting though. It grows in interest as Rugal becomes
comfortable in living with the Cardassians. One of my
favorite aspects of the story was the relationship between
Rugal and his father Kotan. Overall in my opinion, the
book was just ok. I think you definitely need to be a Star
Trek fan to read this book. You need to be familiar with
Star Trek terms and names or you may find yourself
confused at points in the book. If you are a Star Trek fan
and you can make it past the slow beginning you will enjoy
the book.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State
and Country: Lemoore, California U.S.

Anne Frank by Arnold J. Pomerans

During World War 2, June 9, 1942, a Jewish family, the Franks, went into hiding to escape the anti-Jewish laws, harsh treatment, and discrimination of the Jews. Their youngest daughter, Anne, talks about true things in her diary of their life before and after Hitler became dictator. She shares her thoughts on the horrible thrill it was to be hiding in a small space, not being able to even go outside. Her true story had so much in it, suspense on rather they'll live, historical because of the world war 2 setting, and a small romance. Everything told through the mind of a thirteen year old girl.

This book really gave me a better understanding on just how bad world war two was. This isn't the book; it's more of a companion to go with the diary. It had a lot of quotes from the Anne frank diary so you understand what was happening, and each page had pictures of the family, and their hiding place showing you what each thing or person looked like. Even after Anne had stopped writing in her diary, it told you everything that happened to them afterwards, including how they died. It was really educational, but in a fun and creative way, and was really easy to get captivated by. It was easy to get into If you got this book, I would recommend getting the diary to, and vise versa. It doesn't matter if you've read the diary or not, it was put together in a way that's easy to understand, and I would definitely recommend this book.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springtown, Texas United States

Walk Back by Peter Cosentino

A lot has changed in the year 2005705. This is the time that Peter Cosentino's sci-fi fantasy novel Walk Back, is for the majority, set. Idris, Tedrin, and Lorcan three older teenagers from this time are beginning a perilous journey, in which they are thrown out of their gated city and must make the dangerous hike back on foot. This tradition gains the survivors initiation into adulthood and is known as the walk back . But it is far from easy, sand storms and volcanoes are nothing to worry about when compared with unruly beasts attacking from all sides. Fierce life-size mosquitoes creatures, giant rat nest and vicious reptiles are just some of the creatures the trio must combat to collect what they need and arrive back home safely. In the present time, 2008, scientists Rupert, Stella and Leonard fall upon a scientific breakthrough that allows them to transport into the future. The ill-usage of this treasure lands the scientist into Idris, Tedrin, and Lorcan's time and the walk back zone. Both groups' adventures and abilities become entwined.

Walk Back was a fast paced and interesting read that twisted and turned until the very end. Lots of information about the plot and heavy description is given throughout the book which I found was both a highlight and a hindrance. The author found a good balance between the adventure of the walk back and the sci-fi of the time travel which kept the story exciting and new. Personally, I feel that most of the fighting and depiction of fictional creatures was wasted on me as this is not my preferred genre and I can become lost in lengthy portrayals of either. For those who enjoy science fiction and adventure novels Walk Back by Peter Cosentino would be an encapsulating read and a twist on the stereotype of each genre. Walk Back would be suited to ages from 13 years.

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

Mia the Magnificent by Eileen Boggess

"Mia the Magnificent" by Eileen Boggess is a girly story about a wallflower that finds her inner confidence. Friends with the director of student plays, Mia has a spot in the upcoming musical. However, she wants to earn her place and tries out in front of others, truly earning a lead role. Along the way, Mia meets another boy in the musical who is looked down on for participating in a "feminine" extracurricular. Sparks fly and Mia learns about her first crush.

This book is set in a school and its plot events are ordinary from a teenager's perspective. Much focuses on boys, driving, girl talk, and such. However, there is no explicit scene when it comes to boys, and Mia even decides towards the end that her school and sports are fun and that a boyfriend can wait. There is a belly button piercing mentioned in the book, but that's about as risque as the book gets. Overall, young girls will find this book entertaining and relatable.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

War in the Middle East by Wilborn Hampton

Hampton started in 1970, dedicating his entire career to be a journalist, reporting the sad history in the Middle East. He wrote this nonfiction book entirely on facts that he experienced himself. He was there during two wars, including Black September, to write about the shooting, killing, bombing, peace treaties, and diplomatic maneuvering from a neutral stance. Hampton put himself in danger every day in order to report many events such as the hijackings of P.E.L.P., the hostages of the guerrillas, the peace talks between King Hussein, Arafat, and other Arab leaders and Yom Kippur during the civil war.

"The entire neighborhood became a battlefield, with the hotel in the crossfire& I lay on the bar mattress in the hotel hallway, I wonder how many people might be lying dead or wounded out there. Either of us had been killed. My thirtieth birthday was coming up in a few days, and I said a little prayer that I might live to see it." -Hampton

Wilborn Hampton is a talented reporter who put himself in the midst of the conflicts in the Middle East to capture and document the shocking events of the civil war known as Black September. He wrote about his own observations. When I read this book I felt like I was standing in the sand at Jerusalem. There are also many great photographs of important events such as the election of Palestinian leaders, the protection wall at the West bank, refugee camps, Israelis and Egyptian commanders signing peace treaties, and the holy city of Jerusalem where the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock are located. Before I started reading this book I had little knowledge about the war in the Middle East. Luckily, there is a great prologue of religious background about the Jews and Palestinians. I enjoyed reading the book from the eyes of Wilborn Hampton, a true American citizen, (rather than hearing about the war from our textbooks or the news reporters.) This is an incredible book of primary sources that all students, as well as adults, should study.

"Any understanding of the Middle East must begin with the premise that no one side is right or wrong. There is no black or white, only a thousand shades of gray." -Hampton.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Renton, WA USA

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Captivate, by Carrie Jones, is the second book in a series that follows Zara and her friends as they fight the nasty pixies. It turns out Zara is half pixie and she turns blue when she's around other pixies for too long. In addition, Zara is a pixie princess, the object of much interest from potential pixie kings, those who would wish complete control of the pixies. Of course, Zara must save the day and stop the pixies from wreaking havoc in the human world. It gets a little complicated when Zara's boyfriend mauls Astley, a potential king, in the woods. He's one of the more decent pixies.

Captivate was a very interesting book. For one thing, it had pixies, not vampires, which are a little overdone. It was well written and the characters were intriguing and seemed real. For instance, I thought it was pretty funny when Zara turned blue. I would definitely recommend Captivate to those interested in young adult fantasies that aren't about vampires. It would be advisable to read the first book in the series, Need, in order to have a better idea as to what exactly is going on.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner

In this book the reader experiences the childhood of the beautiful Nefertiti. As she grows up in ancient Egypt, when the pharaohs once ruled, she discovers many skills she has been given. Nefertiti discovers what family is and what dangers my come of power in the ancient time. With many obstacles to face in her childhood, Nefertiti grows up in ways she never thought she would.

I think this book is a good read. The author describes the world around the character with so much detail. I can feel the heat of the sun, when I imagine the setting. I feel what Nefertiti feels with so much power to the words that I feel I am right there with her or even her. When describing the beliefs of Ancient Egypt, she is either done research or she just describes their religion like she has witnessed the ceremonies and prayers. I would recommend this to other readers. This book is a very good story about strength and finding courage to stand up for yourself. It is a very good book, although I do not see it getting high up on the book list. But don't let that lead you away cause if you like historical fiction books, you should try it.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake Bluff, Illinois United States of America