Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

What do you do when you're fed up with your mother's drinking problems? Run to your dear old dad. At least that's what 16-year-old Dana Hathaway does. When her mother shows up drunk to her voice recital, Dana decides that it's the last straw and decides to pack her bags and run away to the faraway and enchanted land of Avalon in search of the father she s never known. Her mother had been deliberately moving and hiding her from him for fear of what could happen if Dana got caught up in the intense political affairs of Avalon. Her mom had all the right to worry after many perilous and confusing events start occurring at a breakneck pace once Dana arrives there. From kidnappings to finding out about her sacred position as a Fairiewalker to hot Fae playing tug-of-war for her loyalties to attempts on her life, Dana certainly can't complain about being bored. Maybe running away wasn't the best idea after all.

I really enjoyed reading Glimmerglass and it's a wonderful start to what is bound to be an enchanting series. I constantly caught myself cracking up because of the large amount of humor and the comical personalities of the characters and situations they found themselves in. The scenes that included Ethan were very cute and had the perfect touch of romance and intrigue that would make any teen girl fall head-over-heels for the dreamy hunkmuffin; he really helped to brighten and create liveliness within the novel. l think the story overall was very well-written and thought-out, but I also think that the world of Avalon could use some more depth, and some more description through-out the entirety of the novel would be nice. The characters were fairly easy to relate to since they were around late teenage years and Dana had a lot of problems that many normal teens face in reality today, such as starting into the whole dating business and also possibly having a family member that drinks too much. If nothing else, the enticing cover art alone will make you want to buy this novel; it is beautifully created.

There is alcohol and talk of sex.

Content:3
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

Dana is fed up with her mother's alcoholism; so much that she decides to run away and live with her father. Dana has grown up knowing that she's part fae and that her father is a faerie, but she doesn't realize how much of a problem that will be when she enters the magical world of Avalon and is subsequently kidnapped by her aunt Grace. As Dana learns more about her heritage and the dangers of fae politics, she finds herself the target of both assasins and abductors. Between her father, her aunt, and her new friends Ethan and Kimber, Dana doesn't know who to trust and how to make her life return to normal.

At first, I did not like Glimmerglass. One of the reasons that I didn't like it was that I couldn't get used to a magical world that everyone knows about. In many fantasy novels, the mythical world is kept hidden from ordinary humans. But not in Glimmerglass. In this book, everyone knows about Avalon and fairies and a whole host of other things. It kind of threw me off, but soon I started really enjoying Glimmerglass. I especially liked Jenna Black's writing and Dana's voice. It sounded just like a teenager: complete with witty comments and funny thoughts. I think I laughed out loud a few times. Throughout the book there were a lot of twists and turns that made me want to keep reading. There is a sequel that I can't wait to get my hands on. Glimmerglass is a great novel for fans of fantasy.

Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

In Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, Amy decides to freeze herself
cryogenically in order to remain with her parents as they travel to another planet
300 years away from Earth. However, 250 years into the journey, she becomes
unplugged, and nearly dies. Onboard the strange ship named Godspeed, Eldest
rules every single person. Elder, the only teenage boy aboard the ship, is in line
to becoming Eldest. Upon discovering that she cannot be refrozen, Amy has
trouble adjusting to life on the massive ship. She teams up with Elder and they
together attempt to uncover some of the secrets aboard the ship, such as what
really happened during the Plague. Suspense increases when more cryogenically
frozen passengers are unplugged, sometimes resulting in death.

cross the Universe was an extremely original novel with interesting characters and plot.
Amy' s surprise upon discovering the artificial sun, the genetically altered cows,
and the modified history records is tangible and realistic. I very much enjoyed
this book and the, for once, surprise twists. It was also interesting to read of the
technological advances, such as the communication implants. Overall, Across the
Universe was a unique book with strong characters and is definitely
recommended.


Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston , SC

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

Sophie McGee's junior year starts off like normal. She's fighting for the position of editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, has an annoying family, and is living a boy-free life. Then, these new kids show up who talk like they are from the 19th century and are always staying at school as late as possible. And to add to her list of problems, James Hallowell is back. The James that used to be her best friend until he moved in elementary school. The James that now makes Sophie's heart melt whenever she sees him. Sophie's investigating skills kick in when she realizes that James is more reclusive than he used to be, is stronger than normal, and is harboring the same secret as the rest of the new kids at school.

I enjoyed reading Vampire Crush. I found the story interesting, even if it was a little repetitive. I found many similarities between this book and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and I wish A.M. Robinson had thought of some other ideas for her story. I really liked the ending of the story because it was unexpected and different. I would recommend this book to people who like vampire and romance novels.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

Taking off

Annie is a high school senior cursed with apathy. She has her boyfriend Markand her hometown of Houston where NASA engineers live and half the population never goes anywhere. After her friend Lea introduces her to Christa McAuliffe, Annie finds herself a role model. Christa is the woman from the famous 'Teacher in Space program'. As basic American history dictates, the spaceship explodes before leaving earth. Faced with sadness, Annie is confused about everything and--quite frankly--a hot mess. On her trip, she comes to know a boy named Tommy and must choose between him and Mark. A page-turner for sure.
Truth be told, as an engineer, I was excited to read this book.  However, I had been disappointed in the past when reading about The Challenger in other teen books.  Fortunately, this book did not let me down.
There were no creepy romance scenes, and I actually wanted to keep reading.  Emotion leaks off the pages, and readers find themselves identifying with the characters.  Moss also keeps her book real and does not end with Annie becoming an engineer.  While I'd have liked for Annie to study math and science, I found myself smiling for her when she finally started to make her own decisions and do what she wanted.

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

Entice by Carrie Jones

Various predicaments have presented themselves to Zara since the death of her stepfather and the unwilling move to Bedford, Maine that followed. There is, of course, the whole pixie situation, but now Nick, her boyfriend and warrior werewolf, is gone, too. Zara, heartbroken and determined, allows the pixie king Astley to transform her into a pixie herself as a last resort to aid in the quest to retrieve Nick. The problem is: the only leads they have are the words of a disdainful Valkyrie and the existence of a mythical place, Valhalla, said to be the ruling place of the Norse god, Odin. As Zara and the crew continue to search for more clues, evil pixies led by the newly appearing king, Frank, are kidnapping boys left and right. Zara, now the Queen of King Astley, also faces entirely new problems as her relationship with Astley and the trust of her friends are brought into jeopardy by these recent turn of events. However, Zara is nothing if not stubborn, and she will not rest until Nick is safely returned to Bedford.

As I read each of the NEED books one after the other, the growth of the author was especially evident. Descriptions of the background and setup of each place, which were lacking in the first two books of this series, are found embedded throughout ENTICE, creating an even more realistic world for the reader. I adore the steadily increasing plot complications, too. A series that started out with a relatively simple concept - eliminate the evil pixies and their violent ways - has successfully morphed into an intense story involving mythical places and the existence of benevolence in an initially evil species.

Young adult books nowadays all seem to contain the classic love triangle scenario, and this book is not an exception. There does seem to be an almost two-dimensional quality to Zara and Nick's relationship, though. Why are they even in love? I suppose there was a time limit on the development of their relationship since Nick was whisked away to Valhalla so soon after the series started. On the other hand, the author did a great job with Zara and Astley, whose relationship is multi-faceted and angst-filled enough to keep me interested. It also seems obvious who Zara will choose at the end, if one were to observe the popular trend followed by other YA novels. But who knows? Maybe Carrie Jones will spring out a surprise for us at the end of the series.

ENTICE is packed with action and is easily my favorite book out of the NEED series so far. I will be looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA US

Wish by Joseph Monninger

The book Wish by Joseph Monninger is the story about a girl named Bee and her brother, Tommy. Tommy is fascinated by sharks but, he has a cystic fibrosis. He will not live for a long time, so the Make-a-Wish foundation tries to fulfill Tommy's wish, to go diving with Great White sharks. Tommy is disappointed when they do not let him dive into the water, so his sister takes him to his role model, Ty, who had survived a shark attack, unscathed. Bee falls in love with Ty's younger brother, Little Brew. They try to teach Tommy how to surfboard, but he falls into the water. Because he has a breathing disorder, there is a very slim chance he will live. I liked how there were little facts about sharks scattered throughout the whole book. The book was well-written and captivating. Although Tommy knows that sharks can sometimes attack people, he says it is because people spend too much time in the shark's territory. Tommy always has a positive attitude. He never complains and always has a way of touching one's heart. Tommy's personality is one of the greatest things about the book.
Reviewer Age:13 Uxbridge, MA USA

A Crack in the Sky by Mark Peter Hughes

In A Crack in the Sky, global warming has destroyed the earth. The seas have risen and acidified, and a Great Sickness has wiped out a huge amount of the earth's population. Humankind survives, however, in clean, perfect dome cities run by InfiniCorp. Eli Papadopoulos is the grandson of the owner of the powerful company and is expected to follow in his family's management tracks. Everything changes when Eli is contacted by the Foggers, a group of people who live outside of the domes and claim that the earth is ending, and InfiniCorp knows it. The story follows Eli, his pet mongoose Marilyn, and star employee Tabitha as they struggle against the powerful company to figure out what is really happening to their world, inside the domes and out.

Fans of the Hunger Games will love this fast-paced adventure that explores controlling governments and the pollution in our world today. Hughes' characters were believable and interesting, and the situations they were put in made sense. Marilyn, Eli's mutant pet mongoose, Tabitha, the star employee turned traitor, and Spider, the creepy, powerful cousin, made me laugh, cry and shiver with everything they did. The setting was well done as well. I could easily visualize the clean, controlled domes, and the hot, dry and dusty Outside, with help from a perfect amount of detail. The journal entries at the beginning and end of the story added anticipation for, hopefully, a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, humor, suspense and the occasional "What if?"

Rating: 9

Content Rating: 1

Reviewer Age: 15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lederach, Pennsylvania USA

Modern Fairies,Dwarves, Goblins and Other Nasties by Edythe McFate

Fairies, goblins, and dwarves are a myth, right? Wrong.
Fairies are as real as you and I. But have you ever
wondered how can you tell where a fairy is hiding, or if
they are good or bad, or even if you should trust your
fairy godmother? That is where this book comes in! Miss
Edythe McFate will guide you through life, teaching you
handy skills, such as how to deal with a fairy, how to
know if a dwarf is ready to attack, and when to avoid
goblins. As the story progresses, you will learn how to
tell the difference between dwarves and trolls, where
fairy habitats are located, and the link between fairies
and diamonds. This information will help you when you need
it most. For all you know, fairies, goblins, and dwarves
aren t that far away.

This book is enchanting! I found
myself believing in fairies, goblins, dwarves, and other
mystical creatures! I was recommending this book to
friends from chapter one! If you enjoy fantasy, or even
love getting whisked away in a book, this one is for you!
Miss Edythe McFate has got some valuable information to
share, and I think it may come in handy one day. So go
ahead, believe in your wildest dreams, because this book
will give you faith!

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Frannie has always been a bit of a loner, but when Luc Cain enrolls in her school Frannie can't stay away. But as tempting as Luc seems he is still unattainable, because he is on a mission for the king of Hell. Unfortunately, for Luc Heaven won't let Frannie go that easily when they send the angel Gabriel to save her soul. In the battle for Frannie's soul, everything could be on the line.

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved it. The author made the characters and setting come to life throughout the whole book. I would recommend this book to people who liked Fallen, Hush, Hush, Evermore and anyone who loves romance, angels, and demons.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, CO United States