Everything is Fine

Despite the title, Mazzy's life is not fine. Though she continually repeats that that everything is fine to her father, her neighbors and even herself, she's suffering. Mazzy's mother is severely depressed and her father has abandoned his family for his career. She looks to her caring neighbors and painting for some kind of solace. As readers turn the pages, they will discover what tore the family apart and learn how it can be put back together.

This book was very sad. Mazzy is only eleven or twelve years old and has to care for her mother, who can barely get out of bed. Somehow, she is strong enough to pull through, which is nice to see in such a young protagonist. However, even with a great main character, the book seemed poorly written, without much of a plot; it jumped around between topics, making the story a little choppy. It's a short book, but don't mistake the length for a light-hearted story; it's anything but.

Content: 1
Rating: 6
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Dizzy in Your Eyes by Pat Mora

Pat Mora's, Dizzy in Your Eyes, is a book of poems about romance and love. There are all types of poems in this book, and at the bottom of the page it tells you what type of poem it is, and how you could write a poem like that. There are poems about a love for swimming, pets, grandparents, sisters, and a boy trying to find a creative way to ask out a girl. Some are about breaking up and peer pressure, and a couple are even in Spanish.
Dizzy in your eyes was a quick read of about fifty poems. It wasn't the most amazing book ever, but it was interesting and kind of cute. Some of the poems I really liked, and I even showed to my family, but most of them were just ok. I thought it was cool how it showed you how you could write a poem, and what type of style the poem you were reading was. I wish I would have known that some of it was in Spanish though, because I can't read Spanish. It was very educational, and I thought it was fun to read.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springtown, Texas United States

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From A Children's Book by Anita Silvey

An inspirational collection of essays from leaders, artists, authors and even comic book writers who recall their favorite children's book and the impact it had on their lives. This book can be read by people of all ages and each essay is accompanied by illustrations and an exerpt from the selected books.

This book is sweet, comforting, inspiring and even unexpected. Usually books full of essays are boring and after a few pages are put down and never touched again. However this collection of essays is unique and honestly, although this is a slang word, very cool. I couldn't put it down. When I read it it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach and put a sweet smile on my face. It is also a must read if you are looking for wholesome children's novels that teach a life lessons for your daughter or son.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fuquay Varina , North Carolina United States of America

Cook the Books by Jessica Conant-Park

Chloe's boyfriend, the talented chef Josh, just left her and moved to Hawaii. But she has been dealing fine by overindulging her 3-month old godson and eating lots of ice cream. To pay off her credit card bills Chloe looks for a job, and finds the perfect one, a Cookbook Writer's Assistant. She gets to eat great food and gets paid to do it, what could be better! Not to mention, her new boss Kyle is attractive too. But things quickly turn bad when Josh's good friend dies in a suspicious fire.

Chloe is a quirky and lovable character, even though she spends just a bit too much time pining for her ex, she is real. The accompanying characters also add flavor. The constant theme of food in this book made my mouth water and including the recipes in the back was a great addition to the story. But the plot was almost nonexistent. The fire occurred a few chapters in but the idea of murder didn't come up until the second half. Then, nothing was really done about it. For the first ninety percent of the book very little happened, then in the last few chapters everything was revealed and resolved and boom we're done. There was no mystery, there was a crime and then later the crime was solved. That's it. In the end, the delicious food and lovable characters barely held the book up through the plot.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Amherst, MA USA

The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton

When Will steals his father's motorcycle and runs away from the campsite where they are staying, his plan is for revenge not to crash and end up in another land. He wants revenge on his father for taking him and his sister, Jess, away from the house they lived in before his mother died. His destination on the motorcycle is the Perilous Realm, what he thinks is an amusement park a few miles down the road from their campsite. Will does end up in Perilous Realm; too bad it is not an amusement park, but an entirely different world. An evil sorcerer brings him there and wants to capture Will to use him for his own nefarious reasons. The Perilous Realm is a world of stories where everyone and everything has their own and are all part of the weaving, the largest story of all. The Angel and his master want to create the end of all the stories; they want to control all of them for themselves. Will sets off on his journey accompanied by a young girl with extraordinary powers, her storytelling grandfather, a talking wolf, and a knight-in-training. Along the way, they pick up a man who is of the storyfolk and has a dark past as well a raven companion. Will and his friends set off on a journey to nowhere, to find the gateless gate in order to get Will back home to Elsewhere, avoiding the Angel and his minions the whole way.

Wharton does an extraordinary job of weaving the tales of many people together in order to create Will's story. His characters are vibrant and come to life. One cannot allow Will to stay in the Perilous Realm and it keeps a reader going until the very end. The book is action-packed and good for anyone who loves fantasy books. Delve into the Perilous Realms, read a story of stories and travel with Will across an unknown land as he endeavors to get back home.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma USA

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield is a book full of many unexpected
twists and turns, a very suspenseful novel. Kendra has lived
he life in fear. She was sexually abused as a child by
someone she can't even remember, and she has kept this a
secret for many years. She has this terrible sense that the
same man who abused her is now following her, haunting her,
and making her afraid. So much is wrong in her life, this
man following her, her mother being so protective, and
looking down on Kendra because she is gay. So she cuts,
because it seems to be the only relief from her life. But
what happens when the truth starts to come out?

Rainfield takes a head on charge at many sensitive subjects: teenage
homosexuality, sexual abuse, cutting. She has written a book
you don't want to put down (and I don't think I did), but at
the same time you are so horrified that you want to throw it
against the wall, feeling so much for this girl, Kendra, and
the pain she must feel. Yes, it is an amazing story, but at
the same time there are so many blanks, which can be good in
a thriller, but in this book there are just a few too many
blanks. You are left with unanswered questions at the end.
And while I loved the story, I think it ended to soon, there
was more I wanted to know. I would recommend this book to
those who go through things like this, for those who need an
alternative world, like this book creates, and for those
looking for just a good, 'can't put it down' read.

This book has a lot of very sensitive subjects, involving
sexuality, abuse, and inflicting pain on oneself, it is
somewhat graphic, and is for readers who can handle such
things only.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander

"The Sweetheart of Prosper Country" is a touching story about a young girl who overcomes emotional struggles. Austin Gray is a fifteen-year-old girl who resolves to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County so she can be the center of the annual parade in her small town. She joins the Future Farmers of America, raises a rooster named Charles Dickens, and tries to get over the death of her father that occurred a few years before.

Austin resolves to prove her town and the stuck-up boys and girls her age that she is worth something. This inspiring message is well suited for young girls around Austin’s age. She overcomes struggles on her life on her own, using only her determination and free spirit. Having to take care of her own mother’s hat she can grow up, be responsible, and work hard to earn what she wants. She remembers the good times she had with her father while he was alive and strives to do what might have made him proud if he were still there. This book is a great example of how young people can shape their own destinies and conquer any obstacle in their path.

This book was a truly touching story. However, it seemed tailored for younger readers, mainly pre-teens or younger girls. The story line was quick and enjoyable. Its inspiring plot is suited for those who want to go above and beyond their current circumstances and make something of themselves. The main character, Austin, shows her strength when she tries to win the title of 'Sweetheart of Prosper County', but also remains true to her convictions and integrity.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Cary, NC USA

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Princess Selene and her twin brother Alexander, twin children of Queen Kleopatra VII and Marc Antony, were only twelve when their whole life changed. Caesar Octavian and his men had won the Battle of Actium, which meant all hope of saving Egypt from the enslaving force of Rome was lost. Within months of their parents' deaths their kingdom fell. They were taken to Rome to live with Octavian's sister Octavia. While living in Rome mysterious notes from a rebel called the Red Eagle keep appearing. While no one knows who the Red Eagle is his goal is clear: end slavery in Rome. Selene, who loves to sketch, tries to prove herself as an architect on hopes of being found useful to Octavian and some day returned to Egypt with her brother.

While reading Cleopatra's Daughter I felt that I was transported back to age of Rome. If you are interested in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Rome I highly recommend this novel. It is, along with being historically accurate, very well written and will interest even those who do not enjoy reading. Her characters were all based on real people, with the exception of a few minor characters, and were so real I felt as if they were standing next to me. Each character had his or her unique personality that is also historically accurate. This is an over all interesting read.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Machesney Park, Illinois USA

Wunschkind by Liesel Appel

Wunschkind is about a girl named Liesel. She was born near the end of WWII, as a wunschind, or gift to Hitler. Liesel grew up believing what her country, Germany, had done was right. When an old Jewish neighbor visits and tells her his story, she sees what a great crime her country has committed. After this, Liesel sees her mother as the enemy because she believed Hitler and taught Liesel to believe Hitler too. The neighbors turn against her. It seems that her life has changed overnight.

This book was great!!! The author goes into great detail. You feel mad at Liesel’s mom when the character does. The really fun thing is the author is the girl she is writing about and you get a behind the scenes look, almost. This is a true story. I would recommend this to any reader who wants to learn about WWII.

Content: 1

Rating: 9

Reviewer Age:10

Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA

The Silver Mage by Katharine Kerr

In the Magical world of Deverry, war has broken out. The humans and their allies, the elves, are realizing that the fate of the Northlands is in their hands. The evil army of the Horsekin continue to try to convert the denizens of Deverry with any means possible, even deadly force. In order to stop the powerful Horsekin army, the magic of the elven Wise Ones, such as Dallandra and Valandario, and the help of the dragons, Arzoash and Rori,can possible defeat the crusaiding army. But at what cost? Will Rori, a man in a dragon's body, ever be freed? The Silver Mage by Katharine Kerr, is the exciting ending to the entire Deverry saga, which fans of the series will enjoy immensely.

The Silver Mage, by Katharine Kerr and her world of Deverry is a wonderful fantasy, but hard to follow. In the Silver Mage, you are immediately thrust into the middle of a war and you hardly get to realize who is the main character. There is many character names and view points that are thrown at you that can get confusing at times. I wouldn't suggest this book as a way to start reading the Deverry saga. It is also hard to visualize the layout of the story (previous books in this saga probably describe Deverry more indepth than The Silver Mage does). Although, when Kerr writes about the way that Dweomer (magic) is used, she creates a wonderful painting in words. The way she describes magic makes it seem real to the reader. With an overall view of the Silver Mage, it was well written and a good conclusion to the Deverry saga. It left no loose ends and ended happily. A very good book overall. One more thing, there are no chapters in The Silver Mage, only parts and symbols that start the beginning of a different section. Very confusing at times but it was a decient way of breaking up the information.

Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Paynesville, MN USA