Tuesday, September 07, 2010

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Living in the small conservative town of Snope City, Tennessee, Haven Moore has lived a quiet and sheltered life. Simple and easy going as her life may seem, since Haven was young she has had visions of a past life. In her visions, Haven lives as a young girl named Constance whose life is filled with both a fairytale romance with a boy called Ethan, as well as her untimely and mysterious death. After several years without thought of her past life, while Haven watches television, she sees an image of infamous socialite Iain Morrow. Despite never having met, Haven feels an alarmingly surprising sense of familiarity towards Iain and rushes to New York to find him. Immediately, Haven and Iain begin an avid love affair, but despite their seemingly destined relationship, Haven is hesitant to believe that the mysteries of her past life have been solved. Seeking help to uncover the mysteries of her past as Constance, Haven takes on help from the influential Ouroboros Society, but unfortunately for Haven she has no idea what distorted reality she has just gotten herself into.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting, thrilling, and always kept me on my toes. I found the idea and storyline behind Kirsten Miller's The Eternal Ones to be new and original, like nothing I had ever read before. Despite how much I enjoyed reading this book, I found it to go back and forth a bit too much. At one point the story would have you thinking that Iain was a good and loving character while the Ouroboros Society was evil and conniving and then in the next chapter it would have you think the opposite. It would constantly have you switching your opinion so that it becomes easy to get lost and confused. Despite some confusion in the middle of the book, the end wraps it up and answers all previous questions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks to read something new and exciting.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America

Primeval by David Goleman

Being the fanatic that I am, I cannot, in good conscience, tell you the whole plot. However, the book opens some 22,000 years ago, in a flashback to the crossing of man from Russia to America via a long flooded land bridge. The mysterious They Who Follow are ever present throughout the trek. These intriguing creatures then settle in a valley, the valley of the They Who Follow, throughout the book, these beasts preserve their secrecy. We then launch forwards, thousands of years, to 1918, in the last days of the Romanov dynasty, a conspiracy is afoot. The They Who Follow make another appearance to return the silence of their presence. We then leap forth in time once again, to 1962, where the United States has authorized a nuclear strike on Communist Russia, the pilot crashes in a valley, yes, the valley of the They Who Follow claims another victim.

I was struck at the beginning of the book, if only because of the hunters of old stalking their prey. I first decided to read this book because of the Sasquatch-esque creatures, but as the book progressed, the multiple flashbacks gave me a little trouble. It was difficult to keep track of what was going on. I found the writing style to be rather history book-ish, and therefore difficult to stay on track. The multiple characters were all decently put together and the action was well coordinated. It was difficult, at first, to discern the outcome/direction of the story. Personally, I did not adore this book, but it was not pointless, either.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, IL United States of America

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Venom: This is an ebook

This book takes place in a world where supernatural powers and beings are not uncommon. Gin Blanco is a young woman with those kinds of powers. Her family was killed by Mab Monroe. The family had been a target because of the feud between Gin Blanco's mother and Mab. Gin saved her baby sister, but doesn't know where she is. Flash forward, one of Mab's "friends" is having a problem with one of Mab's workers. Gin sees the problem. She decides to take action. When all is said and done, Gin decides that she will take out Mab's workers one by one until she can get to Mab to take her revenge.

In my opinion, this book was okay. It had some good parts where there was action and it was unpredictable. I had a hard time liking the "good" character Gin. She swears and kills. There were spots where the story seemed to move a bit slowly, but it picked up again. I would suggest this book to people who like action and fantasy books, especially to those who like strong female characters. It did leave me wanting to know more about the characters.

There is killing and swearing.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Jamestown, ND United States

Friday, September 03, 2010

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

Raye Archer hates being known as the scholarship student at the prestigious private school she attends. She also wants to be noticed more by the other girls. So when queen bee Ella Parker starts paying attention to her, Raye will do anything to gain popularity. Even if it means pranking Ella's ex, the handsome and crush-worthy Julian Kilgarry. But when Raye starts falling for Julian, the consequences could be extreme, especially when you have mastermind Ella planning the revenge.

For the most part I enjoyed The Julian Game. The plot sounds pretty standard: girl pranks boy, girl falls for boy, boy eventually discovers the truth. Rinse and repeat. But The Julian Game took a different approach, which I liked. Raye actually does what I want every character to do in this situation: she tells Julian the truth. And that act has very desirable consequences. I liked Raye a lot because she was tough, smart and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. Even at the end, when some of the other characters weren't treating her very nicely, Raye was still able to stand up for herself and preserve her dignity. It was nice to see a confident character, and this is the reason why I enjoyed The Julian Game so much. The plot was also interesting, the dialogue was witty and this book ended up being a very good read.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Cowgirl Way by Holly George-Warren

"The Cowgirl Way" by Holly George-Warren is a fun book. It goes from the nineteenth century to the modern day in revealing cowgirls. Stories of rebels, rodeos, bounty hunters, trick riders, explorers, and more are given. Quotes from cowgirls themselves are included. This is really a nonfiction book but reads like a fiction book due to its excitement and excellent storytelling.

With striking images and colorful pages, this book will get young ones' attention. While it is aimed at girls, boy may pick it up. The women profiled--for the most part--are feminine with a wild streak. Costumes and horses are shown for history and equestrian buffs. References to older movies or people may not be recognized by young readers, but they are explained enough not to leave younger generations confused.

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

Life Blossoms Like a Rose in Thorns by Raghavan Jayaprakash

Two reviews:

Review 1: This book was a very great and inspirational read. Smitha
is the main character and she is a rebel. She cannot stand
the way that the women of her Indian culture are treated.
She speaks to her mom about her opinions on the matter and
her mother just says there is nothing they can do about
it, our culture has always been this way. Smithas father
dies and her mother leans on her son in law for support.
He treats her unfairly, due to the way women were treated
as inferiors to men at the time. Smitha gets very upset
about the sittuation and goes out and speaks of how men
and women are equals. Smitha ends up getting married and
settles down. She has one son in the book and she is not
treated as an inferior by her husband. I really liked this
book and found it inspirational to women of every
background and culture.
This book was very inspirational with the way Smitha stood up for what she believed in. This book can be inspirational to women everywhere. It
realates to many womens problems. Smitha is like an average teenage girl who rebels and so teenage girls can relate to this book as well. Teenage girls can learn independence from Smitha's story. This book was a great
read and very inspirational.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Keiser , Arkansas America

Review 2: Thoroughly thought provoking and truthful, this is the story of a young Hindu woman named Smitha, following her through her teenage years, and then onto her adult life. She does not agree with her religion's (Hindu's) view on arranged marriages, and watching as her sisters marriage falls and crumbles, she wishes to have a choice in whom she marries, and so sets out on a quest to become someone in the world.
Written in four sections, each follows a different part of her life, it switches in part three to following her son Bhaskar's storey. Set in the late 1940's and onward, it is a storey that fully reminds the you, the reader, of the free life we have ; women treated with equal status and rights not just a possession of their husband. Like books such as '(un)arranged marriage' by Bali Rai, as a reader you come to understand a little more of what it would be like to have you're life planned for you. As in the books mentioned above, Smitha is determined not to be shaped and moulded by her parents and influential figures around her, and this is what she sets out to do. The 'voice' in which it is written, is not amusing or soft, but quite the opposite ; it tell it like it is.

Personally, I found it hard to relate too, due to the fact it is written so bluntly, but it does get to the point quickly. The ending comes together well, with only one question left un-answered but then the question in it's self is a little confusing! Even though the pace of the storey is rather fast, it's a light read and short too, at approx 160 pages. I would recommend this book for you if you enjoy religious books about other culture or storeys about women's rights and it would be a great study tool in Religious Education!

I would only recommend this book to mature readers, due to the sexual content that it contains.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Swindon, Wiltshire England

The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston

Loa Lindgren's life was ALWAYS centered around her little
sister, Asta. That's how life was, that's how the days
went. Asta suffered from a disorder that kept her a
baby...forever. But, with Asta dead, Loa is struggling.
Her best friend has also died. How can 16-year old Loa
carry out a normal life? The answer is, she can't. She is
suffering with flashbacks and bad dreams. Chaos, hardship,
and death best describe Loa's life. No wonder she is a
freak observer.

Two Hundred One pages of astounding literature. The book was a page turner, a new tableau at every paragraph. From the moment I was two words into the book, I could hear myself saying Instant Classic. This
horrific and stunning novel is perfect for the mysterious teenager! I grew up with Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown as my best friends. I've always been drawn to dark, depressing, mysterious things. That is probably why the book was such a hit with me. Although this is an amazing book, I recommend ages 12 and up, because it is creepy and spine tingling!

For the creepiness, deaths, and sadness.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Gin Blanco ( A.K.A The Spider) is one of the most
deadliest assassins in the world. She owns a restaurant
called the Pork Pit, which was given to her when her
beloved mentor Fletcher was killed. In giving her the
porkpit Fletcher also left behind a file. The file
contained information on Gin before her assassin days. In
finding more about the file and agreeing to help out
Violet Fox, Gin finds herself caught up once again in the
trouble she used to encounter. With the help of her
friends, Sophia, Finn, and Donovan Caine, Gin sets out to
kill a very famous dwarf.

This is the second book in the Elemental Assassin series. It was a page turner and had me up late each night, and early each morning reading
the words that drew me in. I was like a bug, and my book a light. Everywhere I went my nose was hidden between the two covers and they stayed there through out the day. I didn't want to put it down and miss the excitement of whatever trouble Gin got into. Each page had me attached
and I kept finding myself telling my mother time after time, not yet I am at the good part, or Five more minutes please! You can bet that when the third book Venom comes out I will be the first in line to buy it.

It had a lot of mature content and killing

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Thursday, September 02, 2010

The Limit by Kristen Landon

The Limit. It's a simple system, really. All you and your family have to do is not exceed your limit. Don't spend more than you limit, don't spend more than you make. For Matt Dunston, it seems as if his family has all the money in the world. They don't even have to worry about exceeding their limit, right? Wrong. When Matt's family suddenly and unexpectedly goes over their limit, something has to be done to get them out of their debt. In this case, the Dunston's oldest child, who happens to be Matt, gets taken away to a workhouse. He never knew anyone who was taken away and doesn't know what to expect. When he arrives at the workplace everything seems perfect! But Matt has his suspicions. Is it all too good to be true?

The Limit by Kristen Landon was a good book! The eeriness of the world Matt lives in keeps you interested and hooked through every chapter. What was happening in this alternate world was enough to keep me captivated and turning page after page. This book was filled with surprises and deception. It kept me wondering who was wrong and who was right. It also made me question whose actions were wrong and whose were right. The Limit by Kristen Landon was a great read!

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA

November Blues by Sharon M. Draper

When teen November Nelson finds out she is pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby, everything she knows changes. Her mother is disappointed,her college dream crushed,her schoolmates judging her. In the struggle she discovers what it's like to have real friends, supporters through hardships. And what is like to be sad and scared. In this story of ups and downs, Sharon Draper shows how things can change in a blink of an eye.

November Blues explores the truth of becoming a pregnant teen or even pregnant at all. Before I read this book I thought pregnancy looked a lot easier than it seemed in movies or books. But this book didn't cover up all the negatives of being pregnant, it showed what it was like to struggle with money, with peers, with eating the right food, and deciding on what to do with your future. Overall I think this book gives a truth and reality to becoming pregnant, losing what could have been, but finding something golden in the end.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, VA USA