A Wind in Montana by Mitch Davies

Rory is a 16 year old guy whose life shakes in his junior year of high school. He has played basketball and in the band for years, but he decides that chemistry is his true calling. When a scholarship opportunity arises, Rory quits everything but chemistry--and girls. Rory struggles to determine which is better: relationships or academics. When Rory meets Victoria, a girl interested in playing the oboe, he reassesses what is important to him. Of course, teachers, coaches, and parents try to influence him to live out his life THEIR way.

When I began to read this book, I was very interested in the subject matter. Like Rory, I love chemistry and want to study it in college. Rory's personality and relationships with others are strikingly similar to those that I have. This connection made the book realistic and contemporary. The writing was well done, and it is accurate to real life. Some of the main themes are trying to succeed, falling in love, and power struggle between teenagers and adults. I recommend this book to any teenager who desires advice on the coming-of-age. It may also be a good read for parents who do not understand the behavior of their teenage child.

This book contains many sexual scenes and uses some foul language.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Painting Souls by Benjamin Dudley

Painting Souls is the story of two heroes in a magical fantasy world full of adventure and mystery. The Unholy War pitting an alliance of numerous races against the evils of the Shadow and the Wraith has ended by the sword of Adrian, the first hero that is introduced in the book. He is canonized across the world of Celestia as the greatest hero the planet has ever known. However, when Adrian returns home after days of celebrations in his name, he finds that everything dear to him has been swept out from under his feet. Gai, the second hero of the story, is a student at the Ibiza Peacekeeping Academy. One can think of it as a Hogwarts with magic only being one of the subjects taught. Throughout Gai's time at the academy, he experiences blackouts and encounters a form of himself from the future. At the end of the book, these two stories develop and ultimately face the same threat of a new war. This threat looms until the next book in the series.

On the final pages of the book, Gai says to himself, "Are we headed anywhere?" Unfortunately, I felt the same way as I finished this book. The book claims to be the most enveloping fantasy fiction story ever written, and this claim could be very true. However, the ambitious inclusivity of Painting Souls is its ultimate downfall. Fantasy fiction stories that have lasted the test of time all have expansive backgrounds and mystical beings. However, there are intangible "limitations" that appear to the reader. How could readers relate to a world that appears to have no borders or limits? The seemingly endless amount of different races the author presents becomes overwhelming very quickly. Furthermore, the numerous attempts by the author of hints at universal truths are placed in the most awkward locations, and the dialogue rarely seems fitting for the character or the situation. As a whole, Painting Souls seems like a collection of pieces of other famous fantasy works. Very little seems original or thought provoking in an innovative way.

Language and sexual references.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Both Leigh and Maia have issues. For Leigh, he's in love, with no hope of falling out of it with Maia. She on the other hand has too many problems of her own to think about love; after battling anorexia and physically hurting herself, she thinks she can't handle romance or even close friendship in her life. Even with all these factors against them, love quickly blossoms then disappears after Maia’s tragic rape by three prep-school boys. With Maia at her most vulnerable, she needs Leigh to help her, but Leigh discovers that the world such as the case with war can reason everything, especially what the guilty does. After the Moment takes place four years after the last time Leigh and Maia were together and it is a time of remembrance and overall forgiveness for both.

Freymann-Weyr has one of those strong writing styles that brings the reader in with such clarity that it displays the raw emotion of young love and the lasting pain it can cause. Each character was created with their own unique personality that also brings the reader into each character's own personal struggles. Leigh especially was created so deeply to love and protect, that for each movement he made the reader was blindly aware that it was calculated and directed towards Maia. I felt like this book was a little too serious, though there were happy moments the book had an overall melancholy feel that left me questioning if love is worth the pain.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Brewster, N.Y United States

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo is about a girl, Sarah, who promises to be best friends forever with Marjorie. The only problem is that she promised this when they were young and now Sarah and Marjorie like different things. Sarah tries her best to be friends with Marjorie, but they are just too different. It would be very hard for Sarah to keep this promise. This is a story about friendship and how hard it can be.

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo was not one of the best books I have read. I found it hard to keep reading because there was nothing to draw you into the mood of the book. The plot was not very good. Willner-Pardo's writing style did not draw the reader in or make you feel a strong connection with how the characters felt. This is a book I would definitely not recommend to anyone.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Ma USA

A Legacy of Daemons by Camille Bacon-Smith

Evan Davis and his partners, Kevin Bradley and Lily Ryan, handle dangerous and otherworldly cases in Philadelphia. Lily and Kevin (Brad) are daemons that belong to the second celestial sphere under the lord Ariton. When Matt Shields hires Evan to retrieve a box from the house of the recently deceased Grayson Donne, Evan is trapped in the middle of a battle between daemons and a group of wealthy people with a dangerous interest in the dark arts. During the investigation, Evan is captured by those people. After he escapes, the police search the grounds of the manor where he had been held, only to find a graveyard full of tortured mortals. The police interrogate Carlos Sanchez, whose daughter Alba is missing and who worked for Grayson Donne. Then, Sanchez goes missing and Evan has to find him and an heir of Grayson Donne to unlock the box and release the demented daemon, Kady (Kady and Matt Shields were bound by Grayson Donne to the box). As Grayson’s plot unfolds, a new angle of the problem comes to light; a half-daemon child named Katy(not to be confused with Kady), the sole heir of the Donne fortune and the only one who can release Kady from the box. Evan and Kady must summon daemon lords to release Matt Shields and Kady from the binding put on them by Grayson Donne to prevent a war between the lords of the second-celestial sphere.

The book itself was difficult to understand and connect to. I often reread a paragraph or chapter to get a better understanding of what the characters were doing. The story line was a follow-up from two previous books, which I was not able to find in my public library, making it hard to connect to the characters’ references of pain. The author was very descriptive of some of the settings from the main character’s point of view, such as Evan when he was kidnapped at the manor house. The storyline was moving and the book had a great ending with the introduction of Katy, but left me wondering if they found Alba Sanchez and why Lily left Evan. I might recommend the book, but only after reading the first two books. It also contained mature content I didn't think was suitable for a young teenager.

Content: 1
Rating: 4
Reviewer Age:
Reviewer City, State and Country: Garden Ridge, Texas USA

Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti

Zery has only ever known the tribe, her family of Amazons. After living for over a hundred years Zery is a queen; the top of the heap. When a new priestess comes to her safe camp and starts to challenge Zery s authority things start to go from bad to worse. The tribe is falling apart and Zery is on the outside, it doesn t help that she seems to be falling for a son, the sworn enemy of the Amazons. In this stunning sequel to Amazon Ink; Zery s life falls apart as she finds old friends, new friends and her voice.

In Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti, Zery the queen of the Amazons finds her world falling apart. The book starts out strong with a fast paced action scene and the tone is continued throughout the book. With multiple twists and turns that keep you on your toes this quickly moving book keeps a reader entertained till the early hours of the morning. On top of the constantly changing alliances and friendships there is an underlying element of romance that although present does not over power a book based on powerful women. Over all this book was and exciting and entertaining read that I certainly recommend.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA

Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life by Catherine Reef

Ernest Hemingway was not only one of the most influential American writers of all time - he also had a fascinating life. He was born in 1899 to a wealthy Chicago family. He began writing in school, where his teachers encouraged his talents. When World War I broke out, he went to Italy to fight. His experiences in the army influenced one of his most famous books, A Farewell to Arms. Throughout his life, Ernest Hemingway enjoyed doing the unusual - he was fond of bull fights and safaris. He joined with Spanish forces in the Spanish Civil War. However, despite his exciting life, Hemingway struggled with depression over his writing and life. In 1961, he took his own life. But his writing lives on - his books have become classics of American literature.

Reef's biography of Ernest Hemingway was a fascinating account of Hemingway's life. She aptly used quotes from Hemingway's friends and family to describe his life from his childhood to his death. She provided numerous antidotes that enabled the reader to glimpse into the life of Hemingway in an engaging way. Also, the book had lovely photographs chronically Hemingway's life. However, what I particularly enjoyed in the book was Reef's careful analysis of the factors that influenced Hemingway's writing. Having read some of the Hemingway's works, I found it fascinating to read about the experiences that led Hemingway to write his books. Even for those who have never read a Hemingway novel, this biography gives you a extraordinary glimpse into the life of one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, IL USA

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boot

Jenna is just a girl living in the New Jersey suburbs and has a life revolved around environmentalism. From recycling to protesting out on the streets, her and the Green Teens, a group of fellow environmentalists, do everything possible to help the planet. Then, Jenna
decides to fly to Canada to visit her godmother, Susie, during the summer. After some crazy encounters with the locals and wildlife (a stray moose on Main Street, a group of cute, nature-loving boys, and Susie's stepdaughter, Fiona), Jenna soon realizes that her eco-friendly ideas
don't appeal to the residents of Stillwater. As Jenna arms herself with a nature survival guide, she sets out to learn how to live in the wilderness the locals call home.

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is about a girl trying to fit in and survive that wildlife that she's always heard about. Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is a fun and fast paced novel that contains humor, romance, and a group of fun-loving, characters that readers can relate to. The relationships between the characters that Abby McDonald established were very realistic. They have traits that readers could compare themselves to. Jenna is a eco-friendly girl that supports nature, but doesn't really know much about
living, or surviving, in it. The boys she meets, Ethan, Grady, and Reeve, are a group of boys that love having fun and can do that in nature. The characters have obstacles that they have to learn how to overcome. I think that these traits will let the readers to actually imagine the
characters as real people. This book was a very enjoyable read and kept me hooked to it until the end. I think that many young adult readers will enjoy reading this.

Unfamiliar Magic by R. C. Alexander

Unfamiliar Magic is about a young witch named Desi, whose mom is also a witch and she refuses to teach Desi any spells or tell Desi anything about her father who has been absent Desi's whole life. Desi has a cat named Devil which is a familiar. (Devil can travel to different worlds- the witch or the demon world) Desi's mom, Desi, and their cat have moved all over the world for an unknown reason to Desi. They have just moved to the suburbs when her mother leaves without any notice right after turning their cat Devil into a teenage girl. After Desi's mother leaves unexplainably Desi is lost. She makes friends with the boy next door, Jarrett. Devil, who is now called Cat, starts dating Jarrett's older brother, Bob. Unfortunately Cat is just a person on the outside and still thinks like a cat, which causes problems for Desi. When the foursome goes to the mall Desi meets a magician willing to teach Desi some magic. Bad things happen after that include battling demons, learning magic, getting stuck in portals, and her mother and father fighting over what is best for Desi.

I think that the book Unfamiliar Magic is a great book and a must read for all who like fantasy. I really liked Desi she was full of energy and never gave up. I also liked Cat because she would do anything to save Desi. This book was very well written, very exiting, and a real page turner.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA USA

Travelers Market by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

When an evil rat bites Timothy's mom, its up to him, his sister Sarah, and their newly found friend, Jessica to find the cure. An old acquaintance leads them to the Traveler's Market. They don't trust anyone, and an old foe that hides in the dark of the Market makes it dangerous. Timothy and Sarah find two extraodanary talents inside themselves that lay dormant, until now. Even with the help of Timothy and Sarah's new talents, the Dark's warriors are a threat to millions of lives.

This book was awesome! Almost all the characters had a lot of depth. The plot was very well written, and I loved the different things that the characters find deep inside themselves. Although it is the second in the series, you don't have to read the first book to get the story line. For you older kids who still like illustrations, there are illustrations throughout the book and they're very well drawn. Whether you've read the first book or not, I strongly recommend this book and hope you have as much fun reading it as I did.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA