When Tessa Gray's brother sends for her, she is excited to start over with her beloved brother in England. After the death of her aunt, her brother is all Tessa has, and upon arriving in England she discovers that he has gotten himself into another sticky situation, thanks to his gambling issues. This throws Tessa into a whole new world complete with not one, but two extremely desirable men.
Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel is an amazing prequel to The Mortal Instruments series. Every character has amazing depth and the entire story is full of twists and turns and plenty of romance. If you like the tortured soul type, and who doesn't, you will immediately fall for Jem, the beautiful brooding Shadowhunter. If you like the open book, sweet and quiet type, and who doesn't, Will will pull on every one of your heartstrings. Throw in vampires, demons and Magnus Bane, and you have one amazing book!
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Colorado USA
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Goal: Glory Days by Robert Rigby
He is back in England. Who you may ask? Santiago Munez is back in England and has been selected for the 2010 World Cup. This is it, his life long dream, so close he can taste it. But, there are problems in his personal life, such as his troublesome brother, his wife Roz and her new job, and taking care of 3 kids. Can he do both? Will he have to pick? To make matters worst Santiago Munez gets injured, badly. It starts to look like his dream is over. Will he be ready in time to play in greatest competition of them all, or will it be too late?
This book is a great book for young sportative teens, such as myself. As I did like the book, I do whish the author made the book setting more visial. At times I could not picture the setting. I would recommend the book to my friends, and I have done so allready. My most favortive part of the book is how the author wrote the book. I love the writing style of the book. I learned something from reading the book. No matter if your rich or poor, if you fellow your dreams you will be big.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Germantown, Tennessee USA
This book is a great book for young sportative teens, such as myself. As I did like the book, I do whish the author made the book setting more visial. At times I could not picture the setting. I would recommend the book to my friends, and I have done so allready. My most favortive part of the book is how the author wrote the book. I love the writing style of the book. I learned something from reading the book. No matter if your rich or poor, if you fellow your dreams you will be big.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Germantown, Tennessee USA
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
The Red Umbrella is a first rate novel that will hold the interests of nearly all pre-teen readers. Full of twists and turns, The Red Umbrella tells the story of a 14-year-old girl named Lucia who lives in Cuba. Life was usually peaceful in Cuba, but that was before the revolution started. Now soldiers are everywhere and parents are sending their children away so as to escape the revolution. As this happens, Lucia's father runs into problems with the government and is almost sent to jail! The government forces Lucia s parents to send Lucia and her brother, Frankie, away to America to stay with a family there. Lucia's parents are devastated but they have no choice except to let Lucia and Frankie go.
Will Lucia's and Frankie's new family, even if only temporary, be a good one? And will she and her brother ever see their parents again? Gonzalez's realistic characters come to life in this intriguing story and show how amazingly brave two people can be through the hardest of times.
The Red Umbrella is well written and full of twists and turns. However, if I were to read it again, which I am sure that I will, I would hope for a more exciting and gratifying ending. The vocabulary is very age appropriate and while reading this book, I learned quite a few Spanish words. Throughout The Red Umbrella, there are short phrases and words that are listed in the glossary in the back of the book. In this moving and entertaining story, I feel the realistic characters are easy to relate to. It is also easy to imagine them as real people which is why this is such an amazing story. I highly recommend this book to all pre-teen readers interested in dramatic novels.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States of America
Will Lucia's and Frankie's new family, even if only temporary, be a good one? And will she and her brother ever see their parents again? Gonzalez's realistic characters come to life in this intriguing story and show how amazingly brave two people can be through the hardest of times.
The Red Umbrella is well written and full of twists and turns. However, if I were to read it again, which I am sure that I will, I would hope for a more exciting and gratifying ending. The vocabulary is very age appropriate and while reading this book, I learned quite a few Spanish words. Throughout The Red Umbrella, there are short phrases and words that are listed in the glossary in the back of the book. In this moving and entertaining story, I feel the realistic characters are easy to relate to. It is also easy to imagine them as real people which is why this is such an amazing story. I highly recommend this book to all pre-teen readers interested in dramatic novels.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States of America
A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner is a story of unconventional love and the pain of death. Cass is a high school student whose best friend, Julia, is a theater star. Cass always felt she didn't belong and when Julia dies she feels more isolated then ever before. So she plans a trip. Something Julia had proposed months before, bike from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. The story continues with the personal journey that ensues when she returns home. In alternating chapters of "now" and "then" readers travel with Cass as she across the country, falls in love, and putts on a play written by none other than her dead best friend.
I found it very difficult to become "hooked" on the book. Although I loved the story I found it difficult to come back to it. Losing a friend is difficult, and I enjoyed how the author portrayed a group of teens coping with it. Hanging on to their friend in any way they could. What I disliked was the love story aspect. It did not seem to fit with the other parts of the plot. It was awkward and it didn't seem right to have such a basic plot with such an original one. Until the end, I did not like reading about the developing love, because it seemed so misplaced. In all honesty though the author did an amazing job of portraying human nature. Particularly human nature of teenagers. Few adult authors are capable of this. She also wrote about the reactions people have to death with great accuracy. I just wish some of the plot had not been as basic.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States
I found it very difficult to become "hooked" on the book. Although I loved the story I found it difficult to come back to it. Losing a friend is difficult, and I enjoyed how the author portrayed a group of teens coping with it. Hanging on to their friend in any way they could. What I disliked was the love story aspect. It did not seem to fit with the other parts of the plot. It was awkward and it didn't seem right to have such a basic plot with such an original one. Until the end, I did not like reading about the developing love, because it seemed so misplaced. In all honesty though the author did an amazing job of portraying human nature. Particularly human nature of teenagers. Few adult authors are capable of this. She also wrote about the reactions people have to death with great accuracy. I just wish some of the plot had not been as basic.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States
Kid vs. Squid by Greg Van Eekhout
Kid Vs. Squid is a book about a kid named Thatcher Hill who was spending the summer at his Uncle Griswald's museum house close to the beach in Los Huesos. At the museum, Thatcher has to dust, polish, and clean things for a job. Everyday Thatcher gets a new to-do list of what to clean and polish. When an object called the What-is-it??? is stolen, Thatcher and his new friends Trudy and Shoal need to retrieve it. Then all three of them have to go on a dangerous quest to recover the What-is-it??? and learn what the What-is-it??? is. Their journey becomes a whole adventure all over Los Huesos where Thatcher and Trudy discover the Atlanteans, figure out about their curse and have to save them. The three friends have to to fight monsters, solve mysteries, meet the King of Atlantis, defeat the witch Skalla, and finally fight a squid.
Kid Vs. Squid is a well written book that is easy to follow with no bad language, a bit of suspense, and a lot of funny parts. It also has a hint of mythology. It's a great action adventure book that is appropriate for ages 9-13. Greg Van Eekhout also did such a good job of the details that I could clearly see everything in my mind. The author's voice seemed real, like Thatcher could be my friend, in sort of the same style that Percy Jackson was written. If someone were to ask me if I were to recommend the book I would say yes because the book was really a great book that I greatly enjoyed.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas U.S.A.
Kid Vs. Squid is a well written book that is easy to follow with no bad language, a bit of suspense, and a lot of funny parts. It also has a hint of mythology. It's a great action adventure book that is appropriate for ages 9-13. Greg Van Eekhout also did such a good job of the details that I could clearly see everything in my mind. The author's voice seemed real, like Thatcher could be my friend, in sort of the same style that Percy Jackson was written. If someone were to ask me if I were to recommend the book I would say yes because the book was really a great book that I greatly enjoyed.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas U.S.A.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
Thomas and the Dragon Queen is an adventure-fantasy story. Thomas is an extraordinary boy in two ways: he is much shorter than most boys his age, and has a higher rank. You see, Thomas is a knight, though he is only twelve, and most boys are not even made squires until they are fourteen. After the king knights him, Sir Thomas sets off to rescue Princess Eleanor from the Queen Bridgoltha of the dragons with no more than a donkey, his sword, Starfast, and a padded vest. Halfway to his destination Sir Thomas runs into the monster of the lake. When he shoves his sword into the monster's mouth, the sword breaks and the monster dies, but not before it kills a legion of the king's knights and the king's stallion, Heartwind. Thomas lends his donkey so the king may be taken to safety and continues on his journey. He finally reaches the Barren Isle, finds Princess Eleanor, and learns she is not a captive, but a nursemaid for Bridgoltha's dragonlets. Once when Thomas is in the cavern alone, Bridgoltha wakes up in a bad mood. How will he keep her from burning him to a crisp? And even if he does, how will he and Eleanor get back home?
Thomas and the Dragon Queen was an amazing story. The setting was quite warm and cheerful throughout the book, and it was easy to imagine fighting the lake monster, playing with the dragonlets, and even cowering before Bridgoltha. I especially loved the way the dragons ended their storys As was the way, it was done. I enjoyed how behind her fierceness Bridgoltha was really very kind. I thought it amazing how a fierce dragon queen and a knight set out to kill her could become friends in such a short time. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons, knights, princesses, adventure, and swords with hilts made out of the teeth of ancient monsters!
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA
Thomas and the Dragon Queen was an amazing story. The setting was quite warm and cheerful throughout the book, and it was easy to imagine fighting the lake monster, playing with the dragonlets, and even cowering before Bridgoltha. I especially loved the way the dragons ended their storys As was the way, it was done. I enjoyed how behind her fierceness Bridgoltha was really very kind. I thought it amazing how a fierce dragon queen and a knight set out to kill her could become friends in such a short time. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons, knights, princesses, adventure, and swords with hilts made out of the teeth of ancient monsters!
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Deception by Lee Nichols
Deception, by Lee Nichols, follows the far-from-ordinary life of Emma Vaile, the daughter of two artifact-collectors prone to leaving her by herself while away on important business trips. On one such visit, Emma plans to have a massive amount of fun, especially after her newfound friends volunteer her to have a party. Unfortunately, someone calls the police. It’s found out that Emma’s been living alone for a while and she ends up in the care of Bennett Stern. Emma is enrolled in an elite boarding school, Thatcher Academy, and begins to experience odd visions. She learns that she can see ghosts and that she’s the second Emma Vaile... the first died decades ago. There are of course secrets that she uncovers and it turns out that she’s incredibly powerful, at least in terms of controlling ghosts.
Deception was an unusually decent book. It was written well enough to keep me reading and I was overjoyed by the fact that there were absolutely no vampires. While fairly predictable, the plot was still pretty original, a welcome change from other paranormal books. Though not a masterpiece, Deception was a nice light read and had enough suspense to keep the reader occupied. Emma and her feelings of confusion concerning her ghostly capabilities were well-described and plausible. I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a quick read with substance.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Halloween Night Fever: End of the Long Walk by Dan Graffeo
Willy Hynes has a strange dream one night, in which he is given a patch of caribou skin. The following day, he meets a strange group who call themselves the Pniese, who are in charge of keeping the supernatural in control on Halloween. All have pulled a caribou skin out of the dream, and Willy finds he has one too. He trains until the big night, when his skills are put to the test. Can he find a missing gorgon child and a leprechaun’s gold? All in a night’s work; but an uninvited guest make their troubles multiply.
Halloween Night Fever: End of the Long Walk was a good book, although it did not live up to my expectations. The first half is not very exciting and slightly repetitive; Willy is just training and he learns a bunch of necessary skills. The rest of the book has more action and overall has an interesting plot. Except for the last three chapters, which seemed like a drawn-out epilogue, the book leads up to a good ending. If you choose to read this book, don’t stop mid-way; read it all the way through.
Content: 1
Rating: 6
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Santa Fe, TX USA
Halloween Night Fever: End of the Long Walk was a good book, although it did not live up to my expectations. The first half is not very exciting and slightly repetitive; Willy is just training and he learns a bunch of necessary skills. The rest of the book has more action and overall has an interesting plot. Except for the last three chapters, which seemed like a drawn-out epilogue, the book leads up to a good ending. If you choose to read this book, don’t stop mid-way; read it all the way through.
Content: 1
Rating: 6
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Santa Fe, TX USA
Friday, August 20, 2010
Poser by Sue Wyshynski
Poser by Sue Wyshynski is a realistic fiction book about a teenage girl named Talluah. Talluah is used to moving, but she is still anxious to make friends. She wants friends so badly that she could even lie to become popular. Throughout the book her tendency to say just the wrong thing at the wrong time, especially around certain people, can make her life miserable. Somehow, Talluah always ends up making it through the trouble and learning lessons about friendship on the way. She may even make a few friends in the process!
Overall, I thought Poser was well-written. There was just the right amount of description; enough to visualize the setting but not become bored reading it. The author creates a loveable personality for Talluah that everyone can sympathize with. Although there was a small lull in the action toward the beginning of the book, I could hardly put the book down. Some situations seemed unrealistic, but the majority of the book was believable. I especially liked how Talluah always would learn important rules of friendship, even if she had to learn them the hard way.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, WI USA
Overall, I thought Poser was well-written. There was just the right amount of description; enough to visualize the setting but not become bored reading it. The author creates a loveable personality for Talluah that everyone can sympathize with. Although there was a small lull in the action toward the beginning of the book, I could hardly put the book down. Some situations seemed unrealistic, but the majority of the book was believable. I especially liked how Talluah always would learn important rules of friendship, even if she had to learn them the hard way.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, WI USA
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Behind Green Glass by Amanda Von Hoffman
When Isolde moves to a new town, she’s hoping for a new start, or just to be invisible. What she doesn’t know, until a run-in with some of the townspeople, is that the house she moved into is haunted. One day while cleaning, she finds a secret compartment with a green glass inside. Looking through her new find, she meets Lyric and his family, and mistakes them for ghosts. Along the way she finds love in her magical friend and a nobody from town, Matt. Can she solve the mystery enveloping her newfound friends? Will she be able to choose whom she belongs with before it’s too late?
Behind Green Glass is a book that will forever keep you on your toes; there was never a moment when I wanted to put it down. Even though other YA books have used faeries in their stories, Von Hoffman has added a twist to the basics of fay lore, the Forgotten Ones. This book has definitely made it to the top of my list for fantasy novels. The story was wonderful, but it lacked an appropriate ending for a novel. It kept me hanging, wanting more, something I personally loathe in a novel. Other than that, I can’t wait to read it again.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA
Behind Green Glass is a book that will forever keep you on your toes; there was never a moment when I wanted to put it down. Even though other YA books have used faeries in their stories, Von Hoffman has added a twist to the basics of fay lore, the Forgotten Ones. This book has definitely made it to the top of my list for fantasy novels. The story was wonderful, but it lacked an appropriate ending for a novel. It kept me hanging, wanting more, something I personally loathe in a novel. Other than that, I can’t wait to read it again.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA
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