Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

As an angel-blood, Clara has a purpose in life, the sole reason she exists on earth in the first place. With nothing to guide her but visions of a boy in a forest fire and the annoyingly confusing comments her angel mother tells her, Clara and her family move from sunny California to snowy Wyoming in an attempt to complete her purpose. It is there that Clara comes face to face with Christian, the boy in her dreams, and delves into the complicated world of high school love and Nephilim war. As circumstances become even more perplexing, Tucker appears in Clara's life. Fun, normal, dimpled Tucker. Clara is the one who must make the decision, for who else can do so for her?


Cynthia Hand's debut, Unearthly, was gorgeously written. She managed to depict an authentic teen voice without going overboard with the standard ALL CAPS to express emotion and the internet slang (ie. OMG, LOL, WTF) that has infused itself into the world of teenagers. To say that I flipped open this book with skepticism would be an understatement, since I've had almost traumatic experiences with YA angel books before. Surprisingly, Unearthly proved to be different from the rest. Unlike the cliches that are prevalent in other angel books, the dark and brooding fallen angel who falls in love with a human girl, this book delivers a unique twist that left me flipping the pages one after another deep into the night.

Of course, we also encounter the infamous love triangle here, but the author handled it well, and I thank her for not following the conventional route most other YA books do. There is actually a development in the boy's and girl's relationship, a concept often lacking in YA fiction. Instead of love at first sight, a steady build-up of attraction occurs that seems real instead of crafted. I especially adore the ending. Oh, how I grinned like a maniac at the book in my hands when Clara finally makes up her mind.


This is the beginning of a great series, and I will definitely be on the look-out for future works by Cynthia Hand.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA US

Spinning Out by David Stahler Jr.

Gerry, a.k.a. Frenchy, is a loner. Besides his best friend Stewart, he has nobody. That is until Stewart signs them up for the school play together. But as soon as play practice starts Stewart isn't himself. His grades start slipping, he never talks to his parent anymore and he s working on a suspicious project titled The Don Quixote Project . Frenchy tries helping Stewart, but Stewart just says it's the wind towers that are getting to him. As Frenchy prepares for opening night him tries to keep his one and only friendship.

I loved this book. I especially enjoyed that the author captured the true perspective of wind turbines. I knew exactly what Stewart's family was going through. I enjoyed the plot very much and all of the other crazy characters in the story. I think the author did a wonderful job with this story. I highly recommend this to somebody who is looking for a good realistic fiction read.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan United States of America

Jake by Audrey Couloumbis

Jake is a ten-year-old boy that has a mom and no dad. One

day his life changes; a few days before Christmas his mom

slips and breaks her leg on ice. Jake has no one to look

after him for Christmas beside his granddad in North

Carolina. He comes with a dog that has an attitude. In

the end Jake realizes that his friends and neighbors are

his family.

The writing is friendly and will sweep you away into

the story. You will read into the night trying to finish

it, you'll want to because of how good it is. I

guarantee that you will love it! I did too.

Reviewer Age:12
Uxbridge, MA usa

Other Words For Love, by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Ari Mitchell feels she is extraordinarily average - especially in comparison to her beautiful friend Summer who attends a prestigious private school in Manhattan. But when Ari receives an unexpected inheritance that allows her to attend Hollister Prep, it gives her hope that she will someday get into Parsons School of Design and become an artist. While at Hollister, Ari becomes friends with Leigh, who introduces her to her cousin Blake. Blake is older, attractive and wealthy - and Ari has never had a boyfriend before. Soon enough, Ari and Blake's relationship becomes serious. But when tragedy befalls Blake's family and he becomes distant, Ari has to deal with the subsequent break-up and the hard feelings that come after losing your first love.

I really enjoyed Other Words For Love. I loved that it was an historical novel in that in took place in 1985, however, it just seemed like a simpler twenty-first century. Everything was pretty much the same as now, except there were no computers, cell phones or iPods. It made the love story simpler in that there wasn't facebook or text messages complicating everything. It was fun reading about a time period that I missed living in by only a few years. Besides the setting, the characters in Other Words for Love were really strong. Ari is the responsible one, the daughter who will get a good education and have a career before she gets caught up in boy drama. But when she meets and falls in love with Blake, everything changes. Even though Ari's life starts going downhill, she still manages to fix everything in the end. I also loved reading the romance between Ari and Blake because they seemed like a real couple. Overall, Other Words for Love was a very well-written and sincere love story that girls of all ages will enjoy.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

Ellie, a seemingly normal girl, is anything but ordinary. Her first day back to school and a mysterious boy catches her attention; Michael.  Like Ellie he is anything but ordinary. Upon their next meeting they instantly connect and feel that they are made for each other. Every night Ellie dreams of flying and Michael shows her this is no dream--she can fly and also read people's minds by touching them and by tasting their blood.  This leads to the conclusion that Michael and she are vampires. One night when she is supposed to meet Michael, her parents catch her and tell her the truth; well half of the truth anyway.  While Ellie learns the truth Michael does as well from a different source; Ezekiel. Though grounded Ellie manages to sneak a quick visit with Michael, but to her surprise Michael has joined forces with Ezekiel and now plans for her to join them as well.  With no other choice Ellie decides to leave her home and search for answers on her own all the while avoiding being captured by Ezekiel.

 

Invasion by Jon S. Lewis

Colt McAlister’s parents have just died, and he is forced to go live with his grandfather in Arizona. Things seem okay when he meets up with his childhood friend, Dani, and meets a new and mysterious person, Oz. After a few phone calls and meeting an odd person, Colt begins to suspect that his parents’ murder wasn’t an accident. His mother was about to publish an article revealing secrets about Trident Industries, one of the biggest industries in the world. Colt soon realizes that it is his job to avenge his parents’ deaths and stop Trident Industries.


This book was okay. The idea of other worlds and advanced technology were some of the things that intrigued me but it could have been better. Colt seemed a bit real but not enough. I would have enjoyed the book even more if it was written in first person. I would recommend it to people who liked The Compound or The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen, or most si-fi fans.

Rating: 6


Content Rating: 1

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, Colorado, United States

CLOSE TO FAMOUS by Joan Bauer

CLOSE TO FAMOUS, written by Joan Bauer, is a story about Foster McFee, a young girl who lives with her single mother.  After being forced to leave Memphis, the Mcfee family ends up in a small town in West Virginia named Culpepper.  There they meet many interesting people, each with a dream of their own.  Foster’s mother dreams for a day when she can be the lead singer instead of always being the back up singer, while another woman dreams of helping the community church.  As for Foster, she dreams to one day have a cooking show on Food Network.  Even through all the obstacles she must overcome, Foster continues baking and touching hearts.

Similar to many books written by Joan Bauer, I found this one quite enjoyable.  It was both inspiring and sweet, filled with unique and lovable characters.  The setting—a very, very small town—was the perfect place for this book to take place and it was very realistic; I could easily imagine it.  The main character, Foster, used cooking to help her conquer fears and obstacles, which I found to be very interesting and relatable.  Some portions of the book required more description and it was not a book for action lovers, as it was very slow moving.   As the story wrapped up, the main themes of following your dreams and overcoming obstacles became very clear.  They gave a motivating message to the story: anyone can change their world.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Needham, Massachusetts U.S.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is the eye opening tale of one Peter Van Pels, the young man who spent two and a half years in the annex of a building with the Frank family during WWII. Also known as the boy who loved Anne Frank, Peter is a teenager who must go into hiding due to the annihilation of Jewish people in Europe in the 1940s. Although it is historical fiction, it tells a powerful story from a new perspective. This book outlines the years in the annex, how the Holocaust altered life and how Peter changed throughout those fateful years. It looks through the eyes of a teenage boy who loses everything he has ever known, and becomes someone else entirely. It is a novel that illustrations how people, emotion, and life vanished from many places during WWII. It is the world through Peter s eyes, ready to tell a moving story of a self-destructing world.

This book was phenomenal. Dogar takes you on a journey to a place few people can imagine - the annex of Anne Frank. For once it was not through the eyes of Anne herself, instead you see the world of Peter Van Pels. Dogar did an amazing job of creating these people that you want to reach out to and hold forever. You feel the emotions of the characters, you cry with them, laugh with them, fear with them. And while most people know how life ended for the Franks and Van Pels, readers cannot help but hope and believe that these people will make it. This novel really makes people step back and examine the world they have, the simple daily things that seem so basic and unimportant, and how they can end up being the things people wish for the most. Dogar's narrative voice is strong and enticing, as a reader I did not want to put the book down. It felt so real that it brought tears to my eyes, and made me want to step into their world and be with them. It is a truly amazing book, and I look forward to seeing more of Dogar in the literary world.


Reviewer Age:16'
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

The Museum of Thieves is about a girl named Goldie. She lives in the terrible city of Jewel that is ruled by the terrible Blessed Guardians. In Jewel, being bold means punishment chains, and impatience is a sin. Each child is bonded to a Blessed Guardian or parent by a guardchain. On Separation Day, the chains are removed and the children are free. Sadly, for Goldie, right before she was going to be separated a bomb exploded. Suddenly, the Fugelman (the leader of the Blessed Guardians) comes in running and screaming. The ceremony ends abruptly. Goldie runs away from the grand hall and eventually finds herself at the marvelous Museum of Dunt. The museum keepers protect her from the Blesseed Guardians. She becomes the fifth keeper. At the museum there are two nearly extinct animals, Morg the slaughter bird and the Broo the brizzle hound. Morg is the pet of Toadspit, one of the keepers and Broo helps the keepers with their daily tasks. Among the many rooms at the museum are the war rooms. The "Dirty Gate" guards the war rooms and protects everyone from what is in them. The Fugelman comes to the museum to open the Dirty Gate. Goldie works with the keepers to protect the museum.



The author provides a good and interesting story. The Museum of Dunt has a vivid setting. It is easy to see the buildings in your mind as you read the book. This book is dark and scary in some parts, but most of the time it is light and adventurous. The author closes the story very well. There are some open items that could be used in a sequel. The novel is written in third person narrative. This book is appropriate for 10-14 year old readers.

This book is very good and would make my "top ten" list. There is nothing obvious that could be added to make it better. I would recommend this to others who are looking for an exciting page-turner. The Keeper series could easily match up to the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series.

Reviewer Age:10    Uxbridge, MA USA

Lucky Luciano by Tim Newark

Lucky Luciano: the Real and Fake Gangster is a biography of the mobster who most people believe was the most notorious mafia boss of all time. But this book reveals that most of the stories of Luciano's great endeavors were just that: stories. Tim Newark takes the urban legends and pulls them apart to reveal the simple truth: that Luciano was a good mobster, but not the legend he is usually thought to be. He mainly attacks The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano, the biography said to be taken straight from Luciano's own words. He tells us that The Last Testament was a display of the one thing that Luciano was truly notorious for: lying. So he exposes the truth of many of the legends created by the mob, Italian folklore, and even the U.S. government.
The thing about this book is that I found it somewhat hard to reach. I think this was mostly because I hadn't heard of Luciano before then. If I had heard any of the things the author was disproving, maybe I would have found it more interesting. In fact, the one part that I had some familiarity with, namely the murder of Thelma Todd, was the most interesting to me because I had seen a few movies of hers. So I would recommend this book to someone older who had heard more of the myths and legends of Luciano, but probably not to someone my age.

see opinion section of review.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairfax, Virginia USA