Awakening on Orbis 4 by PJ Haarsma

Johnny Turnbull imagined life on the rings of Orbis as a perfect utopia, where he could live life to its utmost. His previous excursions on the rings hadn't been terrible, even though he was a kudnik. Being a kudnik rendered JT meaningless to the citizens of Orbis, but life went on, mainly because of his sister and friends. But things begin to change upon the discovery of his sister's unique and unprecedented powers, and JT is pushed into a land of unfamiliarity. In "Awakening on Orbis 4", JT discovers many things about life, and becomes more in-tune with his inner self. However, his personal gains come at the sacrifice of a great many things, things he thought he would cherish forever.

Awakening on Orbis 4 was a well-written, emotional, and powerful novel. The futuristic setting developed in the mind of the author is both creative and descriptive, perhaps one of the most intriguing I have ever encountered. The book also contains small, yet effective romance scenes that have a huge effect on the overall feel of the book and the layout of the plot. It is because of these very realistic human emotions such as love, fear, and desperation that the characters seem very real and true to themselves. The voice of this novel isn't very strong, as it uses much dialogue to tell the story. But when there is no dialogue, the narration is rather matter-of-fact. However, this fault does not impede on the quality of the story, as it is not very apparent.

Having read the prequel, I found this book to be everything I expected it to be, and much more. I felt the emotions of the characters, as they experienced pain, love, and confusion. This was perhaps the greatest strength of the book. Another strength was that the vocabulary was age appropriate, and so was the content of the book. A minor weakness was the book slightly confused me at the beginning, because the settings were very intricate and complex. However, the complexity of the book also adds a dimension that was very intriguing. Compared to other books in the Sci-Fi category, it was one of the best, even better than its prequel. I found the book very interesting and moving, and am eager for the next book to be published. The ending was excellent, setting the scene for many more stories to come. I would definitely recommend Awakening on Orbis 4 to anybody who has read the previous books in the series, and wants a phenomenal book to read.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, MD United States

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal ones is about the concept of reincarnation and
ever lasting love. In it, a girl named Haven has both of
these things, she is reincarnated to find her ever lasting
love. This love comes in the form of Iain, a sexy rich bad
boy, who rocks the tabloids and rocks the ladies. But this
is not Haven and Iain's first time meeting each other,
they have been in love for many thousands of years, with
different names and different appearances, always finding
each other and searching for that happy ending. We mainly
focus on their last meeting, as two people named Constance
and Ethan, a couple which tragically perished in a fire in
each others arms. Throughout the book, we question whether
Ethan/Iain really loves Haven, and whether he could have
started the fire that ended his life. We also look into
the existence of the devil, who may or may not be the
reason that Constance and Ethan didn't get there happily
ever after in the first place. Find out what happens in
The Eternal Ones.

As you can see, this is an extremely
complicated book. It has a fantastic plot line that leaves
you frantically flipping pages late into the night. The
wonderful descriptions make you feel like you could call
Haven up and ask about her day. However, sometimes the
plot line doubles back onto its self, making the book not
only complicated but extremely confusing and hard to get
through at some parts. Also, the twist at the end was TO
twisted, making the ending not good enough. It was
unrealistic to the plot (and that's really saying
something in a book all about people coming back to life
tens of hundreds of times) and made it so the ending to
this book didn't settle well in your stomach. So, in
conclusion, if you have any interest at all in
reincarnation, or just these concepts, this book is a
fantastic read, but if you aren't capable of getting so
caught up in a book that you can overlook some bad parts,
then just don't bother.

This book deals with some
difficult subject matter.
This review is being resubmitted because it was wrong the
first time.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Exeter, NH 03833

Full Metal Jacket: Certified by Jackie Kajzer

Full Metal Jackie: Certified is intended to be, in the

words of its frontcover, as an exposition on the 50 most
influential heavy metal songs of the 80s, and the true
stories behind their lyrics. The book consists of an
anthology of the songs, with a short section consisting of
a few pages and black and white photographs devoted to
each, along with a section containing color pictures in
the center. The 323 page compendium contains several
sections containing background and relevant information
for every song, and also often contains interviews and
unique tidbits of pertinency. Much of the book is devoted
to analysis of the lyrics of the songs themselves, at
times deriving these analyses from the songwriter
themselves, or from contextual information researched by
the author. It also provides surprisingly profound
commentary on the impact and origins of the songs,
especially to the political and social situations that
stimulated their authors.

My review of the book must be
considered in light of the fact that I chose it
accidentally. It was my hope to encounter classic rock
songs from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, and
AC/DC. However, most of these were necessarily ruled out
when I noticed the caption after recieving it, which
limited the time frame to the 1980s. Thus, as I admit that
I am no expert in (recent) Heavy Metal music, my review of
this book will be be through the scope of a novice,
uncolored by the filter of appreciation for the songs this
book was chosen about. Resultingly, I will review this
book on the merits of its writing and content alone, and
not on the songs or bands selected or any of the
characteristics that will appeal to the Heavy Metal fans,
familiar with the subject matter, who it is clearly
directed at.

The book is quite long; as mentioned before, it is over
300 pages. Although this pales in light of recent and
historical novels, for an anthological analysis it is
quite large, and thus requires a generous time commitment.
However, while not exactly absorbing, it does prove quite
interesting. The prose demonstrates maturity and
thoughtfulness in its analyses, revealing an intimate
knowledge of the topic and presenting a firsthand account.
There exist several dimensions of analysis, ranging from
subjective to contextual, much of which is supplemented by
statements from bandmembers and interesting sidenotes
about the relationships of the members. At the same time,
the content eventually approaches redundant and
repetitive, relying too often on political and
rebellious sentiments to account for lyrics. Although
this might be out of sheer necessity, additional topics
would be appreciated. Presentation wise, Full Metal Jacket
proves mostly utilitarian, the grayscale color scheme
rubbing thin at times later on. Whether this is
intentional, to reflect the moodyness of the topic matter,
or merely a fiduciary measure, it does not significantly
impact the overall appeal of the book. A section devoted
to color photographs halfway through is a nice touch, as
are the accompanying captions.

Overall a fine book and excellent coffee-table material,
Full Metal Jacket: Certified's contradictory facets
detract somewhat from its overall score.

Adult Language/Profanity at times

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer
City, State and Country: Shrewsbury, MA USA

The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla

The Girl Next Door shows a true friendship, when a friend is in need. Jess and Sam have been neighbors for most of their lives. When Jess's world starts breaking down when he develops cancer Sam tries to help him through all his pain and grieve. But because of this she misses out on school;she came from a straight A student to F's.Their world is spinning and Sam just doesn't know what to do.


This book really makes you appreciate where you are in life based on Sam and Jess's situation. The author makes Sam's character seem as if she can't do anything for Jess but she can. Sam doesn't believe in herself during school. She doesn't think she can do anything, which isn't true. Jess himself is a really strong person. This book's mood/tone is mostly sad, there are some funny jokes though. The author also didn't tell you if Jess died from his cancer. The author's writing is very powerful because you really see the characters from the descriptions the author provides for you, the book itself is very emotional too.The weaknesses of the book were I thought there seemed to be gaps in the book where she forgot to include some minor details. I wouldn't recommend this book because it is very sad and wasn't "a page turner."
 
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: braintree, MA America

Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee

Anjali Banerjee writes a great story about a girl named Poppy Ray who is 11 years old and loves animals. She wants to be a veteranarian when she gets older but her mother is allergic to anything with fur. When Poppy's parents go to India for buisness, Poppy stays with her Uncle Sanjay and helps him in his pet clinic. But Poppy has a hard time fitting in with her Uncle and everything turns out wrong. Will Poppy be able to help all the animals and pull herself together?

Anjali Banerjee writes a great story, and I really enjoyed it. This story was a page turner and I recommend it to anyone. I could picture the setting if I closed my eyes. Banerjee gave the right amount of details and this book was told in first person. Banerjee also did a good job of wrapping up subplots.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Elkton, Maryland USA

The Tilting House

The Peshik family moves into a strange old house that has tilting floors and writing all over the walls. Jake isn’t sure if he’ll be able to live in such an eccentric house. How is he going to have friends over? But he and his little brother, Aaron, find out through a few misadventures that the house has secrets. The previous owner’s mysterious life and death is evident in the writing on the walls and other things he left behind. Jake comes to realize how cool his new house really is.

This book was a real page turner. I read it in less than a day. But it was a little out of my age range. It’s probably better for someone aged 9-11, but I still liked it and would recommend it to anyone. The tone of the book was kind of goofy and cheerful, despite some of the more morbid bits. In the part that directly deals with death itself, the author adds over the top accents and coffin shaped men to keep the goofiness going. The first person was okay, but I think third person would have worked better for the whole theme, especially since Jake was not a very interesting character, but it didn’t really hurt the book. The book was like a collection of short stories united by the ending, which was an effective technique and seemed to get the job done. The plot was the strongest point of the book, but I think the characters weren’t terribly interesting or sophisticated, although it didn’t end up being fatal to the book. The ending was quite satisfying and tied up a lot of loose ends that those previously mentioned short stories left hanging. Overall, it was very satisfying and I would recommend it because it’s a fun read for just about anyone.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairfax, Virginia, USA

Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey

I recently read the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey. You would find it in a library under realistic fiction. I found the book to be interesting and very realistic. This book was about 10 year old Effie Maloney going away from home for the very first time. This was very exciting for Effie because no one in her family had ever gone on vacation before because her mom was trying to "make ends meet". See, Effie's mom was Effie's only guardian because her father had been arrested for stealing money from people. Effie was delighted to be able to go to camp without Maxey, her annoying older sister, but apparently, that's not going to happen. Also, Effie has to learn how to swim-fast- as she is not the greatest swimmer in the world. Can Effie survive Camp Calamity? Read Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity to find out.

The book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity was a rather interesting story. I found the setting to be rather believable, as if I was in Texas with Effie and Maxey Maloney. Throughout the book I felt two distinct moods coming from main character Effie Maloney. The first mood was radiated by Effie in the beginning of the book when Effie is excited to be going to camp. The second mood was radiated by Effie in the second half of the book when she gets homesick and wants to go home from camp. The writer makes me believe in the characters as people because the characters were kind, thoughtful, and yet, they would get on each other's nerves sometimes and do some irrational things that I thought made them human. I think the author had put in a good amount of information, and there were also parts that left me hanging so that if there ever was another book and this became a series, I would definitely read it. I think the author achieved her purpose and really connected with the kids reading this book. The writing was kid friendly, and the vocabulary was definitely age appropriate. The strength of this book is that kids everywhere can connect to Effie and the other characters. However, I thought that one weakness of this book is that the author dwelled too much on Effie's homesickness. This book is definitely on my top list of realistic fiction books I've read so far. I found the book to be interesting, and the only thing that I think could be improved on is not dwelling on the homesickness for too long. I thought the ending was good, and made me want to read another book featuring Effie Maloney if one should ever come out. I liked the ending because it finished off the story nicely, yet made me want to read more. I didn't learn much from this book, being as it is a fictitious book with no facts, like most fiction books. I would definitely recommend this book because it is a very interesting book that will keep you turning the pages until you have no more pages to turn! As you can see, this is what I think of the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey.

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

Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner

"Project Seahorse" by Pamela S. Turner is about seahorse conservation. Diving into the behavior and science of the fish first, the book teaches readers many fun facts. Some include the fact that male seahorses give birth and the fact that seahorses can change the color of their body to camouflage themselves against predators. Seahorse exploitation is given in great detail as are ways to combat them with marine conservation.

This book is full of information. It describes the cultures that hunt for seahorses. While the pictures are vibrant, some may not be best for younger readers. One picture has dead seahorses sold for Chinese medicine. Two have spears through fish. Lastly, one has a scantily clad "researcher" in a bikini top. All in all, this book is informative and great for any marine biologist enthusiast.

Some pictures may disturb very young children

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

The Skinny on Willpower by Jim Randel

“The Skinny on Willpower” is a motivating book that teaches the reader that the key to success is not how good or bad a person is at what s/he is trying to achieve, but how when a person channels the willpower and energy within s/he can turn it into success. This book is deeply researched, and as I read, I felt in good hands. It takes on all different approaches to teaching the reader the ways to success, showing others who are successful and the roads that they took. All of these roads had something to do with willpower. The


book also talks about how once a person gets going it is like inertia; and unless someone steps in to stop him/her, it will continue to go. This book is an extremely quick read, an

hour give or take. I suggest that everyone who has a dream but does not quite know if they can achieve it to read this book!
I personally thought that this book was

inspirational! I've already taken a highlighter to it. “The Skinny on Willpower” is such a short book that's filled with a lot of information. Not a word on the page was a waste of time. I suggest the book to anyone and everyone because it's so informative and appeals to basically everyone. I think willpower is a great thing for people to explore, and this book is a great place to start! There are other “The Skinny on...” books and I'm definitely going to look into them in the future!



Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country:

Libertyville, IL United States

The Secret to Teen Power by Paul Harrington

Paul Harrington's The Secret to Teen Power offers advice to readers about how to live life to its fullest, to find one's inner strength, and overall to make things happen. It focuses on an idea called the law of attraction, the idea that one's thoughts have more power than one realizes. It proposes that if you Think something will happen, then it will come to you. This motivational book focuses on the thought process and believing in one's self. Perhaps positive thoughts could bring more experiences that are positive to one's life.

Honestly, I could not derive personal betterment from the secret. It was disappointing to read that the way to make everything you want in life come your way is not to work for it, per say, but to Think that it will come to you. The book not only touches upon your achievements, but also your health. Unfortunately, it is hard to believe that by actively believing that you will not contract an illness, you will not get one; with passages like this, Harrington slashes apart his credibility. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but if you do decide to read it, please heed this bit of advice: take what you read with a grain of salt.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA