Dana is fed up with her mother's alcoholism; so much that she decides to run away and live with her father. Dana has grown up knowing that she's part fae and that her father is a faerie, but she doesn't realize how much of a problem that will be when she enters the magical world of Avalon and is subsequently kidnapped by her aunt Grace. As Dana learns more about her heritage and the dangers of fae politics, she finds herself the target of both assassins and abductors. Between her father, her aunt, and her new friends Ethan and Kimber, Dana doesn't know who to trust and how to make her life return to normal.
At first, I did not like Glimmerglass. One of the reasons that I didn't like it was that I couldn't get used to a magical world that everyone knows about. In many fantasy novels, the mythical world is kept hidden from ordinary humans. But not in Glimmerglass. In this book, everyone knows about Avalon and fairies and a whole host of other things. It kind of threw me off, but soon I started really enjoying Glimmerglass. I especially liked Jenna Black's writing and Dana's voice. It sounded just like a teenager, complete with witty comments and funny thoughts. I think I laughed out loud a few times. Throughout the book there were a lot of twists and turns that made me want to keep reading. There is a sequel that I can't wait to get my hands on. Glimmerglass is a great novel for fans of fantasy.
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Secret to Lying by Todd Mitchell
James Turner was the invisible kid in his dreary, small-town school, until he got accepted into America Math and Science Academy. There, he resolved to create a new image for himself, and the new James is a purple-and-orange-haired rebellious street fighter. At first, James does crazy things and tells outrageous lies to seem interesting and exciting. While he is fabricating his pyromaniac tendencies and hooking up with eccentric but beautiful Jessica Keen, James is slowly losing himself. He begins to dream about fighting demons, and at the same time, begins to cut himself, just to stop the numbness he's feeling. As his life slowly spirals downwards, a human ghost is trying to bring him back up and help him realize what he's losing.
Reading this book was like reading something of John Green's, with a slight twist of fantasy. Like John Green, this book captures the teenage voice really well with its smart, witty dialogue and candid descriptions. Also, it deals with similar themes of self identification. Todd Mitchell, the author of this book, writes about the issues of anorexia and self mutilation in a subtle, potent and believable way. The author really gets the reader to understand how the events in the character's life build up to this point in his life. I love the way the author incorporates classical literature into a contemporary book. Along with the characters alluding to classics, the author includes a Shakespeare quote before each part of the book, which provides in interesting clash of style and tone. The pacing of this book, however, could be a little better; I felt that the ending was a little underdeveloped. Also, I'm not sure I like the fantasy meets reality aspect of this book because I felt that it wasn't necessary and makes the book a bit cheesy. The author writes the fantasy part so that it seems pivotal to the plot, but I felt like it could have been easily omitted. However, it did add an interesting dimension and metaphor. This book's characters are very unique and realistic. The formatting and writing of this book was fascinating. The author's voice captures the reader's attention immediately and the plot sucks you in even more. All in all, it was a one-of-a-kind book. Even after you finish it, you want to linger on the ending and think about the characters.
This IS young adult content meaning language, sensuality, violence and dark themes.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, IL USA
Reading this book was like reading something of John Green's, with a slight twist of fantasy. Like John Green, this book captures the teenage voice really well with its smart, witty dialogue and candid descriptions. Also, it deals with similar themes of self identification. Todd Mitchell, the author of this book, writes about the issues of anorexia and self mutilation in a subtle, potent and believable way. The author really gets the reader to understand how the events in the character's life build up to this point in his life. I love the way the author incorporates classical literature into a contemporary book. Along with the characters alluding to classics, the author includes a Shakespeare quote before each part of the book, which provides in interesting clash of style and tone. The pacing of this book, however, could be a little better; I felt that the ending was a little underdeveloped. Also, I'm not sure I like the fantasy meets reality aspect of this book because I felt that it wasn't necessary and makes the book a bit cheesy. The author writes the fantasy part so that it seems pivotal to the plot, but I felt like it could have been easily omitted. However, it did add an interesting dimension and metaphor. This book's characters are very unique and realistic. The formatting and writing of this book was fascinating. The author's voice captures the reader's attention immediately and the plot sucks you in even more. All in all, it was a one-of-a-kind book. Even after you finish it, you want to linger on the ending and think about the characters.
This IS young adult content meaning language, sensuality, violence and dark themes.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, IL USA
The Singing by Alison Croggon
The Singing by Alison Croggon is the fourth and final book in the Books of Pelinor series. It begins were the last book in the series left off. Maerad and Hem are traveling to Edil-Amarandh in search of one another. Maerad and her companion first go to the boarding school of Innail, while Hem and his companion Saliman journey north, attempting to flee the Black Army. A prophecy has been spoken over them which says they will release the Treesong, which is the only way to conquer the Nameless One and defeat the forces of darkness.
The Singing is full of plot twists, battles, betrayals, and even visions, all with the underlying theme of brother and sisterhood, of a bond which can never be broken. While this novel contains the typical structure of the average fantasy story, it has much more depth than most books. The story is influenced by the power of music, and the author obviously has skills in both prose and poetry. The author's writing is graceful and flows in a way which makes its 454 pages speed by. It is, however, not overly flowery and is composed in a way that makes it an accessible read to most older teens. The author's characters are memorable and her writing is effortless. All of these things combined make The Singing an enjoyable novel.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cary, NC USA
The Singing is full of plot twists, battles, betrayals, and even visions, all with the underlying theme of brother and sisterhood, of a bond which can never be broken. While this novel contains the typical structure of the average fantasy story, it has much more depth than most books. The story is influenced by the power of music, and the author obviously has skills in both prose and poetry. The author's writing is graceful and flows in a way which makes its 454 pages speed by. It is, however, not overly flowery and is composed in a way that makes it an accessible read to most older teens. The author's characters are memorable and her writing is effortless. All of these things combined make The Singing an enjoyable novel.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cary, NC USA
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier
Joy Harkness is a college professor and she doesn't have a very carefree personality. One day, she makes a decision that is opposite of what she would normally do. She's decided to move from the big city to a small college town, leaving behind what she's so used to. She's giving up her usual life to renovate a dilapidated Victorian house. As she works on te house with the town handyman, Teddy Hennessy, she realizes that there is nothing wrong with a little risk or challenges. Do second chances really come to everybody?
The Season of Second Chances is a humorous, touching novel. Diane Meier did a wonderful job expressing the emotions of her characters. She not only created a wonderful novel about the renovation of a house, but of the main character's life. Going into the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but now that I've read it, it was actually one of the better books I've read in a while. It was a very interesting story that I recommend to all young adult readers.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio United States
The Season of Second Chances is a humorous, touching novel. Diane Meier did a wonderful job expressing the emotions of her characters. She not only created a wonderful novel about the renovation of a house, but of the main character's life. Going into the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but now that I've read it, it was actually one of the better books I've read in a while. It was a very interesting story that I recommend to all young adult readers.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio United States
Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski
Devi's life has just been turned upside down. Her boyfriend of four years, Bryan, dumped her and now she has no date to the senior prom. But more importantly, Devi feels like she wasted four years on Bryan because she has no friends and slacked off at school, so now she's attending a third-tier college. But when Devi's cell phone falls in fountain after she wishes that she could change her past, she's only able to make one call: to her freshmen self. Devi is determined to tell herself what to change, so she can keep her friends and get into a better college, but she doesn't realize how much these changes will affect her present.
I loved Gimme A Call. It was so cute and surprisingly, hilarious. I actually laughed out loud a few times while I was reading. The antics that the two girls (or should I say: one girl?) get themselves into is priceless. I loved that Devi was able to talk to herself, because everyone wonders what they would tell their young self. And now Devi actually has a chance to do that. I thought at times Devi was a little hard on her younger counterpart; she made her take really hard classes and join a bunch of extracurricular activities. It was a little annoying to see how bossy Old Devi could get, but it just added to the overall funniness of the novel. I would recommend Gimme a Call to fans of humor or fans of time travel.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States
I loved Gimme A Call. It was so cute and surprisingly, hilarious. I actually laughed out loud a few times while I was reading. The antics that the two girls (or should I say: one girl?) get themselves into is priceless. I loved that Devi was able to talk to herself, because everyone wonders what they would tell their young self. And now Devi actually has a chance to do that. I thought at times Devi was a little hard on her younger counterpart; she made her take really hard classes and join a bunch of extracurricular activities. It was a little annoying to see how bossy Old Devi could get, but it just added to the overall funniness of the novel. I would recommend Gimme a Call to fans of humor or fans of time travel.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States
Saturday, June 26, 2010
"A Little Wanting Song" by Cath Crowlery
This book, "A Little Wanting Song" by Cath Crowlery, is about two girls, one named Charlie and the other Rose. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Charlie is a shy and easily intimidated girl who lives and breathes music, but she doesn't let anyone hear her play. Rose, however, is outgoing, always with her two guy best friends, and has a plan to move to the city to get out of small town life.
Since Charlie's grandpa lives next door to Rose, when Charlie visits from the city she sees Rose, but she has always been intimidated her, always watching but never joining Rose and her friends. Rose doesn't want anything to do with Charlie until she gets a scholarship to a school in the city and sees Charlie as a way to convince her parents that she could go. The girls' relationship later on gets complicated, as one of Rose's best friends, David, begins to like Charlie, and Charlie starts to open up.
"A Little Wanting Song" is a cute, romantic, well-written book about a good, if slightly overused, topic. The writing is good, not perfect, with a few flaws such as minimal setting description. I get that the story takes place in an average town, but not much detail beyond that is provided. The novel makes up for that flaw with its characters and its moods. It alternates between two characters, which I've seen go drastically wrong because you get bored with one or the other, but the author carries it out flawlessly. The voices of both are distinct, and I relate to both characters of the book equally. The mood, while changing from regretful to elated, always contains hope, which is perfect for a romantic book such as this; it never gets too dark and isn't always about the romance. It includes friendships between the characters which are just as important as the romance and add to the book. Also, this book achieves its purpose as a cross between a coming-of-age story and a cute romance, and is a rather simple read. This simple style fits the book well. It will not be the next Twilight, but it is a nice read. I find it interesting, and the ending is perfect. It isn't too happily-ever-after, and it has a positive but realistic feel. Though it does not teach much of a lesson, it gives you a good story that is a nice break from your life. I would recommend this book for someone who has time to relax, but doesn't want a complete fluff and nonsense story.
Since Charlie's grandpa lives next door to Rose, when Charlie visits from the city she sees Rose, but she has always been intimidated her, always watching but never joining Rose and her friends. Rose doesn't want anything to do with Charlie until she gets a scholarship to a school in the city and sees Charlie as a way to convince her parents that she could go. The girls' relationship later on gets complicated, as one of Rose's best friends, David, begins to like Charlie, and Charlie starts to open up.
"A Little Wanting Song" is a cute, romantic, well-written book about a good, if slightly overused, topic. The writing is good, not perfect, with a few flaws such as minimal setting description. I get that the story takes place in an average town, but not much detail beyond that is provided. The novel makes up for that flaw with its characters and its moods. It alternates between two characters, which I've seen go drastically wrong because you get bored with one or the other, but the author carries it out flawlessly. The voices of both are distinct, and I relate to both characters of the book equally. The mood, while changing from regretful to elated, always contains hope, which is perfect for a romantic book such as this; it never gets too dark and isn't always about the romance. It includes friendships between the characters which are just as important as the romance and add to the book. Also, this book achieves its purpose as a cross between a coming-of-age story and a cute romance, and is a rather simple read. This simple style fits the book well. It will not be the next Twilight, but it is a nice read. I find it interesting, and the ending is perfect. It isn't too happily-ever-after, and it has a positive but realistic feel. Though it does not teach much of a lesson, it gives you a good story that is a nice break from your life. I would recommend this book for someone who has time to relax, but doesn't want a complete fluff and nonsense story.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, WI United States
Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison
This novel is a fictional mystery set in colonial America
during the French and Indian War. It combines aspects of
the cultures of the Highland Scots, Native Americans, and
European settlers in the New World. The main character is
Duncan McCallum, an exiled chief of a Highland Scot clan.
He is being transported on a British convict ship to the
American colonies, where he will be forced to do manual
labor. While on the ship, several murders and suicides,
as well as a bizarre ritual, occur. Because of Duncan s
skill as a doctor, his captors force him to investigate
these acts. His findings indicate that the cause of the
disturbances is tied to a larger mystery involving aspects
of both America and Europe. After his arrival in America,
Duncan continues to try to unravel the mystery and
understand the cultures of the Native Americans and
settlers while remaining true to his Highland Scot
roots.
This book was definitely enjoyable and engaging.
The mysteries kept me guessing and motivated me to keep
reading. The characters are interesting and varied, and
the backdrop of colonial America and the clash of
different cultures were intriguing and informative.
However, I felt that I never had all of the clues to solve
the mystery because the main character had knowledge not
shared with the reader until the very end. Therefore,
when the mystery was solved, it seemed abrupt. I would
recommend this book as a fun read that is good for those
who enjoy adventure and history. However, mystery fans
might be disappointed because the mystery is not always
easy to follow.
This book has some violence that can be
moderately graphic at times.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States
during the French and Indian War. It combines aspects of
the cultures of the Highland Scots, Native Americans, and
European settlers in the New World. The main character is
Duncan McCallum, an exiled chief of a Highland Scot clan.
He is being transported on a British convict ship to the
American colonies, where he will be forced to do manual
labor. While on the ship, several murders and suicides,
as well as a bizarre ritual, occur. Because of Duncan s
skill as a doctor, his captors force him to investigate
these acts. His findings indicate that the cause of the
disturbances is tied to a larger mystery involving aspects
of both America and Europe. After his arrival in America,
Duncan continues to try to unravel the mystery and
understand the cultures of the Native Americans and
settlers while remaining true to his Highland Scot
roots.
This book was definitely enjoyable and engaging.
The mysteries kept me guessing and motivated me to keep
reading. The characters are interesting and varied, and
the backdrop of colonial America and the clash of
different cultures were intriguing and informative.
However, I felt that I never had all of the clues to solve
the mystery because the main character had knowledge not
shared with the reader until the very end. Therefore,
when the mystery was solved, it seemed abrupt. I would
recommend this book as a fun read that is good for those
who enjoy adventure and history. However, mystery fans
might be disappointed because the mystery is not always
easy to follow.
This book has some violence that can be
moderately graphic at times.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States
Friday, June 25, 2010
Enigma by C. F. Bentley
Sissy is the high priest of all of Harmony, and is therefore expected to have an intense connection with the goddess. However, in her previous adventures, she lost her sacred bond as a result of an attempted murder. One of her closest friends had died in the bombing, and left her with the prophesy to fix her connection with the Goddess among the stars. So began Sissy's adventures aboard the Labrynithe Station. These adventures include a forbidden love for a man who is not born of her planet - a love ominously threatening to destroy her reputation among her people. However, she is not prepared for a monumental discovery about her origins, aliens who desire to take over the station, or double-crossing humans prepared to leave no trace of their passing.
I found Enigma to be a fascinating read, a bit boring at the beginning, but quickly picking up speed as the plot developed. It only really had two settings though, and this could become drab if you prefer variety in the books you read. However, the two settings were very intriguing, one being a complex space station in which invaders could seemingly move about undetected, and the other an imaginative planet not too different from our own. The tone of the book was mysterious; you never knew when a critical event was about to take place. Thus, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Another factor that contributed to my overall enjoyment in the book was the main characters. The human characters were very true to their race; they felt anger, pity, love, hate and other human emotions. They believed in a higher being, such as a god, as many humans do in the real world. Interestingly enough, the alien beings experienced very similar emotions to those of humans. I found this to be a fascinating aspect of the novel, and it caused the book to further appeal to me.
The author achieved an excellent novel that explores the ideals of religions, as well as exposes the unfavorable characteristics of many humans. However, this is done in a very captivating fashion, one that was not boring in the least bit. Sure, the book had a few weaknesses, like its slow beginning and slightly complicated and confusing setting, but overall it had many more strengths then weaknesses. It had strong, realistic characters with very real emotions. The book had a strong plot that kept you guessing where it was going next. It had romance infused with drama. Because of these traits, it was one of the best books from the science fiction genre that I have read. However, I don't believe it was better than its prequel, "Harmony", but it was still very good. My personal response to Enigma is that it was a thrilling novel with mystery intertwined into the plot, and thus deserving its title. I would definitely recommend Enigma to most anybody, as it is very age appropriate, as well as exciting.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, MD United States
I found Enigma to be a fascinating read, a bit boring at the beginning, but quickly picking up speed as the plot developed. It only really had two settings though, and this could become drab if you prefer variety in the books you read. However, the two settings were very intriguing, one being a complex space station in which invaders could seemingly move about undetected, and the other an imaginative planet not too different from our own. The tone of the book was mysterious; you never knew when a critical event was about to take place. Thus, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Another factor that contributed to my overall enjoyment in the book was the main characters. The human characters were very true to their race; they felt anger, pity, love, hate and other human emotions. They believed in a higher being, such as a god, as many humans do in the real world. Interestingly enough, the alien beings experienced very similar emotions to those of humans. I found this to be a fascinating aspect of the novel, and it caused the book to further appeal to me.
The author achieved an excellent novel that explores the ideals of religions, as well as exposes the unfavorable characteristics of many humans. However, this is done in a very captivating fashion, one that was not boring in the least bit. Sure, the book had a few weaknesses, like its slow beginning and slightly complicated and confusing setting, but overall it had many more strengths then weaknesses. It had strong, realistic characters with very real emotions. The book had a strong plot that kept you guessing where it was going next. It had romance infused with drama. Because of these traits, it was one of the best books from the science fiction genre that I have read. However, I don't believe it was better than its prequel, "Harmony", but it was still very good. My personal response to Enigma is that it was a thrilling novel with mystery intertwined into the plot, and thus deserving its title. I would definitely recommend Enigma to most anybody, as it is very age appropriate, as well as exciting.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, MD United States
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Princess Andrea has always been the rebellious outcast of the family, having preferred instead to spend her time riding her horse Flecha, shooting her bow, and training to be a squire. Her sisters, on the other hand, are everything her mother wishes Andrea would be: perfectly beautiful and proper, just like ladies should be. So when Andrea gets banned from attending the Spring Ball for fighting with her older sister Rosa, she decides to spy on the occurring events from her favorite oak tree. There she meets Don Alfonso de Alvar, a prince and an enemy of her father, the King of Montemaior. He tells her of the ancient Xarens and how they had discovered a door leading to another world. Andrea is sick of her fancy life of frills and dresses and curtsying and once Don Alfonso departs, Andrea runs away on a search to find the door. She has no idea what she is getting into and what will be the outcome of her decision when she finds the door and meets a boy who will change her life forever; but maybe not in the way that she was hoping he would.
I absolutely loved Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban. It was an enchanting and enthralling story full of adventure and romance, history and intrigue, full of battle and war, and lies, love, royalty, and more. I was highly impressed with this engrossing novel, definitely since it was the first book the author has ever written. I would definitely recommend Two Moon Princess and I read this story all day long in hopes of finding out the conclusion to the intricate web of romance and deceit the author had woven. She did a wonderful job with using foreshadowing but still had me guessing as to what would happen next. I was greatly content with the ending and thought that it would be a perfect book to create a sequel to. I definitely would read a sequel and am curious as to what would happen to them next since the ending opened up to what could be an entirely new story. The characters were fairly well developed, but Sebela, Andrea's oldest sister, was lacking a few details. Overall though, I really enjoyed this novel and Two Moon Princess is a definite must-read for adventurous romance lovers.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
I absolutely loved Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban. It was an enchanting and enthralling story full of adventure and romance, history and intrigue, full of battle and war, and lies, love, royalty, and more. I was highly impressed with this engrossing novel, definitely since it was the first book the author has ever written. I would definitely recommend Two Moon Princess and I read this story all day long in hopes of finding out the conclusion to the intricate web of romance and deceit the author had woven. She did a wonderful job with using foreshadowing but still had me guessing as to what would happen next. I was greatly content with the ending and thought that it would be a perfect book to create a sequel to. I definitely would read a sequel and am curious as to what would happen to them next since the ending opened up to what could be an entirely new story. The characters were fairly well developed, but Sebela, Andrea's oldest sister, was lacking a few details. Overall though, I really enjoyed this novel and Two Moon Princess is a definite must-read for adventurous romance lovers.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Wide-Awake Princess
As Princess Annie walks through the castle, everyone bows away from her. But this gesture is by no means a sign of respect, but one of caution. You see, when her elder sister Gwendolyn was born, she was graced with amazing beauty, but cursed by an evil fairy. In order to prevent Annie being cursed, her parents asked that she never be touched by magic. Now that Gwendolyn's curse has taken hold, Annie must find her sister's true love to kiss her awake. Will Annie finish this quest...or will she be doomed to failure?
The Wide-Awake Princess is an enchanting tale of magic, princes, and possible love. E.D Baker spins a wonderful tale that incorporates new and old fairy-tale friends. I especially liked this book because it reminded me of all the tales I read in my younger youth. The story moves along at a good pace, with enough details so it's realistic, but not so much you feel like skipping over full paragraphs. I'm suggesting this book to young girls looking for a pleasant magical read.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Seaside , OR USA
The Wide-Awake Princess is an enchanting tale of magic, princes, and possible love. E.D Baker spins a wonderful tale that incorporates new and old fairy-tale friends. I especially liked this book because it reminded me of all the tales I read in my younger youth. The story moves along at a good pace, with enough details so it's realistic, but not so much you feel like skipping over full paragraphs. I'm suggesting this book to young girls looking for a pleasant magical read.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Seaside , OR USA
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