Dracula by Nicky Raven

Dracula by Nicky Raven is the abridged version of the classic, Dracula by Bram Stoker. It is a lot shorter, one tenth of the original. On each page are added illustrations, depicting certain scenes in the book. It is written through a narrative, following two main characters, as they live through their encounters with the vampire, Dracula, and his followers. It is very fast pace, compared to the original, and a definite thriller.

Honestly, the book wasn't very interesting. Opening the book, my attention was not grabbed, and I had a hard time completing it. Desptite that, the pictures were pretty, and did help add to the experience. Although not as captivating as the original, Raven organized the book in a better way. It was very easy to follow, and I thought everything transitioned well from journal entry's to a narrative. It was a fairly small book, and the character developement was done well. I would recommend this book to a lower age audience than suggested, because it seemed to be more of a story book, despite some of the content. I would also recommend this book to someone who has already read the original Dracula and had a hard time keeping up with it, or got bored. Overall, it wasn't a horrible book, but it also wasn't outstanding.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springtown, Texas United states

Dark and Stormy Knights

With this novel, P.N. Elrod has compiled a collection of nine short stories written by many of today's hit "urban fantasy" authors. All of the stories have a paranormal-like quality to them. One hit story was A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews. Readers of her Kate Daniels series can see what Kate's life was like before she met the shapeshifter, Saiman. I especially liked the Russian mythology woven into this tale. Another story that stood out for me was Rachel Caine's Even a Rabbit Will Bite, which was about a young dragon trainer. Other stories involve ghost hunting, vampires, and knights in shining armor, so there is something for everyone included here.

I'm not much of a short story reader, but I wanted to give this collection a try. There was a good variety of authors and stories to keep me interested throughout reading, even if I didn't enjoy some stories as much as others. This was also a great introduction to the urban fantasy genre. After reading this, I found some new authors that I would like to read more from. While this genre isn't for everyone, it's worth giving this collection a try. This would also make a perfect fall read.

Has some sexual content

Reviewer Age:23
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

Jump by Ginger Rue

Brinkley Harper is Miss Popular at her high school. She is
a beautiful cheerleader with a football player as her
boyfriend. Brinkley always gets the lead in school plays -
whether she deserves it or not. When Brinkley is almost
expelled, she has to go to therapy as an alternative.
Brinkley thinks she is perfect and that is an issue with
her counselor. Brinkley has never known what the life of
an unpopular girl was like - that is, until she wakes up
in a poor, Goth girl s body! Will Brinkley learn her
lesson?

This book speaks the truth! Brinkley is
described as a disdainful, upper-class cheerleader who
walks right over the underdog. It is only fitting that
Brinkley has to live the life of a girl she considers a
nobody . I found myself relating to this story. All
teenagers will be delighted with this book's wit and
humor. After all, everyone knows a Brinkley!

Content: 1

Rating: 10

Reviewer Age:13

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

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero

Efrain Rodriguez is a senior this year, and he has high hopes for college. He is hoping to get into an Ivy League school, but he can't afford it. He has some money saved but it's not enough. His mom is already working two jobs to put food on the table, and his dad left their family for a younger woman. Efrain has to resort to other options to get where he wants to go. He needs to get money fast with graduation around the corner, and that only means one thing: the last thing anyone suspects.

Sofia Quintero did a stunning job expressing how hard it was to stay on top, and what the pressure can do to you. I now have a new respect for teens living in the slums, and who are having a hard time. The characters in this book were perfect. Efrain is the perfect example of someone who will do anything to make everyone proud; he makes mistakes, but still stays positive. Quintero did an outstanding job writing this book.

Content: 1
Rating: 7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

Florence Crutchfield moves from an orphanage in London to Crutchfield Hall, her uncle's house out in the country. When she first arrives, she doesn't think she will have a happy life at Crutchfield Hall because her aunt hates her. She has other things to worry about too, like her dead cousin, Sophia, coming back from the grave! Sophia thinks her brother James should be dead instead of her so she tries to kill him to revive her life. Florence is part of Sophia's plan to try to kill James.

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall, in my opinion is a great book that is written in a fast moving pace. It was one of those books that you can't put down until you're done--I know I couldn't! If you like stories that are very suspenseful, you will like this book. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but the ghost was gross. It was a short book compared to what Mary Downing Hahn usually writes.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Friendswood, Texas United States

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

When Lenah becomes human after hundreds of blood-sucking vampire years, she doesn't know how to fit in. Although she is free from ruling her coven, taking innocent humans lives, and staying hidden, the real world is definitely different for her.

Going to high school is no challenge to Lenah. Lenah entered high school during the middle of the year but going to school is no challenge for her as she is one of the smartest students who knows practically every language. When she meets Justin Enos, she has a feeling she'd never felt before. Soon they are dating and Lenah learns to live. While they are at the winter dance together, something happens to Lenah which leaves her heart broken, but not by Justin.

Infinite Days is a very good book. Although it is about vampires, it has a different scenario; normally it's a human turning into a vampire but this book is the complete opposite, a vampire turning into a human. Readers who enjoy non-fiction books with lots of action and suspense with a little romance would love this book. This book is very detailed and written very well, and it seems like it is happening right in front of you! Infinite Days is a very fun and interesting book.


Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel

"A Huge Allied Assault of the most important bridges by Arnhem and Nijmegen took place on September 17, 1944..." Says Mrs. Helena to her grandson, Jeroen. One day, as Jeroen was digging through some old things in his grandmother's attic, he had noticed some old newspapers that were dated back in the 1940s and an old Jewish star. He had gone and asked his grandmother what the papers said. He couldn't read them because they were in German. When he asked about the star, Helena had told him that the star had belonged to her best friend because she was a Jew. She had started to tell Jeroen about the Nazi war, about how a crazy guy called Hitler was trying to take over. Helena had also mentioned to Jeroen that her dad worked for the German police, meaning that her dad was the one who took her best friend from her and sent her to a concentration camp. In a way this story had really helped me, because normally when you hear about the Nazi war in Germany it is usually always from a Jewish persons point of view, never from a German person. It was based off the point of view of the Grandma that had lived through that time but all she had to deal with was losing her best friend to the Nazi s. But seeing as Helena didn't want to remember it, she had never really mentioned this to her grandson, thus making that the Family Secret.

I really enjoyed this mainly. It's one of my favorite times in history that I love to read about, WWII. This book has a lot of historical facts in it about the Nazis and a lot of fictional things. I do prefer that you read this book if you like things on history. Seeing as it is a graphic novel, it tells alot more with the pictures than I think it could have if it was just a novel. It shows you the reactions on the faces instead of just describing how they looked. I think this would be a great book for all ages to read. Historical or not it is a very good book.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona United States

Almost To Die For by Tate Hallaway

Being a dhampyr brings its struggles for Ana. Her controlling witch mother tries to restrain her from seeing anyone but witches, and her vampire father tries to reclaim her for the vampire throne. What is hard about satisfying both parents? Vampires and witches are enemies and will do anything to stop each other. Ana must choose to side with her over-protective mother or her father who she only just met. Through high school drama, magic, and boys, Ana Parker goes through the craziest time of her life.

Almost to Die For is a novel that follows current trends. Vampires, boys, and action are in many new teen books. Tate Hallaway made her novel unique by incorporating witches as characters as well as normal humans. The plot is fun and interesting but rather predictable near the end. Though it is not a perfect piece of literature, this novel is worth reading to the teenage girl. Up-to-date vocabulary and slang make the dialogue seem realistic, and the first person narration draws the reader into the protagonist's mind. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the Twilight series and other vampire novels.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Secrets of the First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Secrets of the First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway is about the first daughter of the United States, and the problems that follow her everywhere - including England! Senior, Morgan Abbott, the first daughter, is perfectly happy. She gets to see her boyfriend, although it’s in secret, and she takes the role of class president after her enemy Brittany Whittaker is removed from office! Unfortunately for Morgan, nothing can go smoothly. With a secret relationship, Brittany, and now colleges, Morgan has her hands full. This is a sequel to Confessions of a First Daughter.

Secrets of the First Daughter is a perfect summer read full of love stories and hilarious mishaps. Although it doesn’t grab your attention at the beginning like its prequel, Morgan quickly gets herself into such a mess I found it impossible to stop reading. The author describes Morgan’s feelings well and makes the situations mostly believable, but still somewhat comical. There isn’t a complicated, intense plot or hidden symbolism. The morals are relatively simple. For me, this made it a nice book to read in between harder ones. It is a fun, easier summer read.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Strong, confident, courageous, and dangerous is what Gin Blanco is, also known as the Spider. Being one of the most dangerous assassins and one of the most gifted elementals, she has a reputation of being the most feared -until Gin Blanco retires from her life as assassin. Being bored with
her new retirement, she tries to find out why Fletcher, her tutor in the assassin world, left her a mysterious file after his death. This file has everything she would want to know about her life previous to becoming an assassin. It does not take long after her retirement, however, for trouble to find her again. After having a curious girl, Violet, asking about Fletcher, her restaurant being robbed, and then being shot at soon after, she has to find out what is going on. With the help of her Goth dwarf friend, Sophia, Fletcher's son, and an attractive detective she goes after one of the well known dwarfs in Ashland. While going on her next
killing, she keeps finding information that is making her second guess everything.

Web of Lies is the second book in the An Elemental Assassin series, and a good book to read if you like a little action. Set in a town called Ashland with giants, dwarfs and elemental magic such as ice, fire, earth, and stone powers, it is a good book for those who enjoy a perspective of a magical world.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, CT United States