Orphan! by John R. Weber

In the story, Homer, a small boy of the age of 13 is told my his parents that he was an orphan. Homer was adopted by them from an orphan train, which were popular during the Great Depression. After running away for the night feeling upset and worried that he wouldn't inherit his father's farm, Homer decides to go to New York City to find his real parents. His friend Jamie and he jump on a train but end up going west. There they get caught by Blackjack, a railroad watcher. Smiling jack, an educated hobo, saves Jamie and Homer from being killed by Blackjack. Smiling Jack accompanies them on thier trip to New York City, showing them the ways of being a hobo traveling the rails.


The book I read, Orphan! by John R. Weber, was an overall great story. It took me a while to get into the story, because the begining was sorta dull. Once you get into the real story, it all happens so fast. This story has a great theme to it, many of them involving family and friendship. I recommend it to any age group.
 
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: naugatuck, CT US

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg

Have you ever lost someone close to you like a family member. Milo has. Have you ever moved to at lest five diferent houses. Milo has. Have ever fallen in love with someone that was popular. Milo has. Have you ever felt so alone that you think that you have fog in your brain. Milo has. So who is Milo you say. Milo is a boy who has recently lost his mom due to a brain tumer. Also Milo has moved to a new house which means new friends, new school, and new problems. But Milo has some ups and downs like he meets two new freind named jack and heather. His dad is very lonly and keeps asking Milo the same questions. And ha has extrem problems in math like almost everybody has. So if you want to read a book you can realate to then I suggest reading Milo: sticky notes and brain freezes!

My oppinion of Milo: sticky notes and brain freezes is the book was very interesting and a good book. I think I realate to Milo beacause we both have a least one teenage sibbling, we both have weird friends that are great to hang out with, and we both have moved alot in our lives. The ending in the end was VERY sad to me because Milo looks back to when his mom died and never said goodbye. If i learned something from this book it would be that its okay to miss someone you love. I would definately recomend this book to other readers.


Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX America

STORYTELLER by Patricia Reilly Giff

STORYTELLER, by Patricia Reilly Giff, was written with two alternate timelines.  In the first timeline, Elizabeth is in the 21^st century.  Her dad, hoping to sell more of his sculptures, goes on a trip to Australia.  Meanwhile, Elizabeth is sent to live with her Aunt Libby.  One day at Libby’s house, Elizabeth spots a picture of her great-aunt on the wall.  Curious, she pesters Aunt Libby for information concerning her Great-Aunt Eliza, who is also known as Zee.

In Zee’s timeline, during the 18^th century, she is forced to deal with family and friends going away to fight in the Revolutionary War.  Zee’s mother dies when her house burns down, and she is left with badly burned hands.  Will Elizabeth ever learn the whole truth about her great-aunt?  Will Zee ever see her father and brother again?

The main thing I really liked about this book was the fact that there were two stories that alternated.  However, I thought this book had a lot of weaknesses.  Some of these included: the characters’ emotions were not clearly expressed, there were more details in Zee’s story than in Elizabeth’s, Elizabeth’s story didn’t seem as developed as Zee’s story, and, although it was a cool concept, I couldn’t really understand how the two timelines fit together.  I am not a big fan of historical fiction, but people who like history would probably enjoy this book more than I did.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA  

Brain Jack by Brian Falkner

Sam Wilson could hack into just about anything and everything. And that's exactly what he does for fun. That is, until he pulls off a hack that shuts America down for three days. Although he gets the coveted "neurohead set," a device that allows people to browse the Web by detecting their brainwaves, Sam finds himself the target of the federal government. But then he discovers that there are bigger things to worry about than the government.

I love dystopian stories, so I think I would have liked this book just because of its genre, but this is a very well-written, fast-paced novel that reminds me of Ender's Game. I liked all the supporting characters and their quirks, but I think that the main character could have been more developed. Sam was a typical main character; he succeeds in everything he does, and he doesn't really have any glaring flaws. The message of this book is pretty powerful, especially today with all its technology. The plot was full of twists, and it was one of those plots that kept you on the edge of your seat. It was so jam-packed of action, though, I think the author could have easily made it into a trilogy, rather than cramming it all into one book. The only let-down of this book was the ending; it definitely needed to be more profound, especially with a message like this. Otherwise, this book has a plot that will suck you right in and keep you on the edge of your seat--a perfect read if you're looking for something post-Mockingjay.

Rating:  9

Content Rating:  1

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, IL USA

Kiss Me Deadly by Trisha Telep

Kiss Me Deadly is a collection of love stories edited by Trisha Telep. There are thirteen short stories with in this book; all based on love. Each story deals with the classical love connecting two people but also the love of an idea, object, or state of mind. An example of this is in the first tale, "Assassin's Apprentice." Rose, our protagonist, is on a quest for vengeance for her family's murder. She stalks the demon for weeks, but she does not take the chances she is given to kill him. This is due to the fact that once he is dead she will have nothing to live for. Rose's love of her family and her love of revenge results in her being caught with a massive decision. In the end each story concludes with the protagonist having to make a decision between two or more loves.

I loved Kiss Me Deadly. The writers chosen to be included in this book amazed me. Each author had the wonderful ability to make me picture every little detail inside my head. The mood of each tale varied from one extreme to the other, which made me empathetic for the characters. The main problem I had was that a few of the tales had weak beginnings. I was completely turned off but as I read more the story became interesting. The basic fact that the authors made their protagonist love not only a person but also something else really kept me reading and helped me feel like I was part of the story. Overall I recommend this book not only to the romantics but those who get sucked into paranormal tales with plenty of conflict.


I rate this a 3 because there is reference to drugs, alcohol, and sex.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: AZ City, Az USA

Solid by Shelley Workinger

Clio thought that she was a typical high school girl. She had been living a semi-normal life with her book-writing mom. That was before she learned that she was a victim of an experimental drug. Clio and many others had been gathered together in a special school to help them and the army learn more about their abilities. But Clio and her new friends find out that not everything was as it seemed. The group start a quest for the truth and learn a shocking secret.

Solid was a good book but it's not the best I've read. It had a great plot and some good scenes but I found
it hard to relate to since the main character was a girl.  It's a good girls book but not so much for guys. I did,
however, find that there was plenty of action and suspense to keep me from putting it down. I think girls would enjoy this book more than I did.

Reviewer Age:13
City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

Ever and Damen have been through a lot.  They've fought two evil Immortals defeating one and almost defeating the other.  But, Ever made a fatal mistake, literally.  She accidentally helped Roman curse Damen, bummer right?  Now Ever and Damen must travel into the Shadowland and beyond to find a cure, all without touching.

So Ever screwed up again.  She tends to do that a lot in this series.  Now she and Damen are separated by a new curse, this time physical.  I don't see their relationship growing or changing in anyway.  They are running through molasses, barely moving forward and then being thrust back yet again.  The book is written well enough and is entertaining enough but as for deep or complicated changes you're going to have to look somewhere else.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA

The Magickers Chronicles: Volume Two by, Emily Drake

Jason Adrian faces many things. First, it's the normal stuff like starting high school and soccer games. Then, it's the strange stuff like fighting the Dark Hand, protecting his friends, and dealing with bloodthirsty wolfjackles. As if his life wasn't hard enough, he has to find the last Gate to anchor a save haven for the Magickers. Find out what happens in The Dragon Guard and The Gate of Bones.

The last two books of the Magickers series were great. There was plenty of action in the classic battle between good and evil. Every event was so epic that I couldn't put it down. But it seems to drop off at one point, other than that this book was flawless. Everyone would love this book, especially Harry Potter fans.


Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America

The Shifter by Janice Hardy

Nya is an orphaned girl with a strange and powerful talent. She tries to keep the talent secret, for if anyone finds out she could be in danger. Unfortunately, she must learn to use her talent when her sister, among dozens of other children, vanishes. She learns about a terrible plot, puts those she loves in danger, and must fix the other wrongs she's done.


As she faces impossible odds, she discovers her talent is even more powerful, and more dangerous, than she thought before.


This was a wonderful book that had an interesting plot and exciting storyline. While I read, I often wondered if everything would turn out right, and was alternately relieved and horrified at the turn of events, and always surprised by Nya's talents. Hopefully I can get Bluefire, the second book. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Santa Fe, Texas USA

Sleepless by Cyn Balog

Julia, a redheaded girl who was kidnapped at age seven but escaped, is pitied by the world for her tragic past. She is a misunderstood, lonely outcast among her peers but takes to a boy named Griffin, who becomes her first boyfriend.  Griffin helps her to move on with her life and not dwell in the past. Since he always plays tricks on her, Julia believes that the phone call she receives notifying her of boyfriend’s death in a fatal car accident is just another one of his pranks. Then reality hits and she realizes it was no joke at all. Griffin’s best friend, Bret, is in love with Julia and is hopeful that after Griffin’s death Julia with fall for him. But she doesn’t feel the same way about him. 

Julia, sad, lonely, and lost, can’t sleep well anymore and her dreams are now filled with grief. Eron DeMarchelle is her sandman, a supernatural being who helps humans sleep and who was sent to her when she was a child. He helps to provide her with better nights during her troubling time. Chimere, Eron’s mentor, has been stricken with him forever and would do anything to gain his love and admiration. But Eron’s affections already belong to another. Eron longs for Julia. His 100-year term as a sandman is almost up and his return to a human is quickly coming.  Will he break his contract and risk being stuck as a sandman forever by pursuing his love for her, or will he lose his chance of a lifetime and possibly the woman of his dreams in order to guarantee his return to humankind? As the fight for Julia’s heart, and also Eron’s, gets increasingly intense the stakes involved grow even higher.

I really enjoyed reading Sleepless. From the moment I saw the delightfully gorgeous cover and read the first page, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The author did an amazing job at developing the characters and creating a gripping tale that will hold your attention until the very end and even long after. I was smitten with Eron and I now long for a sandman of my very own. The story is written in two perspectives, Eron’s and Julia’s, and the chapters alternate between the two. I thought this added to the book’s overall appeal and allowed me to have a better feel for what was going on. I highly recommend this cute, young adult fantasy and I’m excited to read more novels by this author. Sleepless is the second novel of Cyn Balog . Her debut novel was Fairy Tale and she has yet another, no doubt enticing, novel named Starstruck, which will be released the summer of 2011.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA