Your Life, But Cooler by Crystal Velasquez

The book I just read was Your life, But Cooler by Crystal Velasquez. This book was about YOU. Have you ever wondered what you might do in certain scenarios? Have you wondered if those choices made you a bad person? In Your life, Only Cooler, you are the main character and you get to decide how the story ends. At the end of each chapter, there will be a personality quiz in which you decide what you would do in certain scenarios. This book fits into a realistic fiction genre. Interested? Read Your life, Only Cooler by Crystal Velasquez.

The book Your Life but Cooler, was a very interesting and was written in an unique style. What I mean is that the book's main character was&.. you! I was able to imagine what the characters looked like because I was the main character and there were vivid descriptions of the other characters that play my friends. I could also envision the setting because it takes place in a middle school and I know what a middle school looks like. However, even based on my knowledge as a middle-school student, the setting was still a little blurry in my head. The book does not really have a specific tone, but that is what is nice about the book. As for the main character, you can believe that they would be a real person because YOU are the main character! The narrator's voice was kid friendly and was serious at sometimes and funny at other times. The narrative was about you, but you were not narrating the story. The author achieved her purpose by making this a fun and unique book. The writing was, again, kid friendly and the vocabulary was definitely age appropriate. The strengths of this book are that it was a funny book and that kids everywhere will enjoy this book. There are no major weaknesses that I thought made the book less enjoyable. However, I would have liked the book to be a little longer. To be honest, I have read no other book like this before from a realistic fiction genre, but that makes it all the more interesting. The whole book was a thrill, and I was on my toes the entire time. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing that needs to be changed about this book. I did not learn much from this book. I would definitely recommend this book because I'm sure children from all over would love to read this book where they make up a story. In conclusion, I liked the book Your Life but Cooler.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

The Necromancer by Michael Scott

Twins Josh and Sophie Newman have arrived back home from their magical trip in Europe with the immortal alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel, and his sorceress wife, Perenelle. Upon coming home, Sophie is kidnapped by Aoife of the Shadows, the sister of a close friend of the Newmans. In order to get Sophie back from Aoife, Josh needs to find the Flamels and track Aoife. Meanwhile, in England, Dr. Dee hasn't been able to get the final two pages of the Codex. Having failed in this mission, Dr. Dee is made an outcast by his master Elder and has a bounty on his head. But Dee has a plan. With the Help of Virginia Dare, a friend of his, he will release the monsters trapped on Alcatraz and take over the world. But he needs the help of a powerful Archon named the Mother of the Gods. In order to summon her, Dee needs to train a necromancer to raise the Mother of the Gods back from the dead. But she is always hungry...

The Necromancer, by Michael Scott, is a wonderful addition to the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. Scott has created a fantastic fantasy that could possibly exist in mainstream society. Josh and Sophie Newman are perfect main characters. Their separate personalities and loyalty to each other make them the perfect hero/heroine combination. I also like that he makes his minor characters famous people from history, like Shakespeare, and mythological gods, like Mars, the Roman god of war. Also, Scott's interpretation of magic is phenomenal! I love how he includes "auras" and elemental magic together. The auras are a kind of mystical plasma that can be formed and shaped into pretty much anything. This book is a great continuation of the series and doesn't disappoint in anyway possible. This book and its series are a must have for any library. I would recommend this book to teens who have a love of the fantasy genre and to people who loved the Eragon and Harry Potter series. This book doesn't disappoint in any way. There is action from start to finish to create an exciting thrill ride throughout the entire book. You will not want to put this book down when you pick it up! Michael Scott is a talented writer with a knack for writing fantasy. Personally, I can't wait to read the next book!

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Paynesville, MN USA

Out of the Woods by Lyn Gardner

"Out of the Woods" is a classic good vs. evil story that has numerous references to Greek myths and common fairy tales. Underneath all of the magic and action the theme of the story is really about family. Three sisters, who all have their own differences, all miss their mother and wish their father would be home more often than not. When one of the sisters faces several problematic encounters with a magic pipe the family begins to live in fear. They all look for something to make them feel safe so when a mysterious stepmother walks into their lives they cling to her. Only after many long quests does the family realize that they have each other and that's all that matters.


I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters were very relatable and the imagery was wonderful. At many times I felt like I was in the book with them. The book can make you laugh or cry. It was fun finding all of the connections and predicting what would happen next. Unlike some stories it was highly unpredictable and the entire time I was "on the edge of my seat" so to speak. I was moved by the love of the family members at some points in the book. I would classify this book as a preteen to early young adult level. It was a fantasy story teeming with magic. The book had very clean content and little to no disturbing scenes. I would recommend "Out of the Woods" to all of my friends.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

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

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

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 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

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

"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.

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