The Violet Flash by Mike Mason

The Violet Flash is the sequel to the book The Blue Umbrella(Which was unexpectedly sent to me along with The Violet Flash). These were written by Mike Mason as his first and second novels. Chesterton "Ches" Cholmondeley is studious boy with a love of weather. He and the other local kids were in 'weather lessons' taught by Sky Porter, the man who controls the weather, when Ches' sister Chelsea is sucked up into the Blue Umbrella! In turns out seconds are disappearing one by one and causing accidents. So who knows about time? Ches' father's old friend Myron Stinchcombe who runs a clock shop. Ches is getting different opinions from eveyone and doesn't know what to do and everyone is leaving it all up to him! Sky thinks that a violet flash at sunset would fix everything but Ches only has a few days before the time thief plans to take a full minuet and violet flashes a are very difficult weather. If Ches does manage to creat a violet flash it could completely stop Chelsea from coming back. So what can Ches do? Either he can save the world or his sister.

The bottom line is that you should read the first book before this sequel, just because it answers alot of questions. I found this summary very hard to write because a lot of things are going on had been introduced in the first book. I found this book to be a bit below my age level but still very interesting and compelling. Often times I found it hard to put down. In the beginning, Ches propels the story along because of the kind of person he is but later in the novel its own momentum carries it. I didn't find the ending very fulfilling but it did answer most questions. Honestly, I found that the first book was better than this sequel, but I think that is because he had more options. In this book, he was confined to the information he had put in the first.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Sterling Heights, Michigan United States

Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz

After Durriken's parents die in an accident, he makes his home on the rails with Casey, an engineer, as his "mother". Dilia has been living with her parents in jail for a while but still maintains weekly telephone calls with her father. What do these two have in common? A talent for chess, a beautiful yet mysterious chess set, and a need for each others' help as they go on a journey all over America to find something they're not even sure exists.

This book was incredible! The first few chapters were a little difficult to understand however because a lot of the names are Gypsy names and I got confused as to who was who. After those first chapters, I was totally addicted to this book. They visit many cities in America and I learned a bit about each one, I learned a lot about chess, and some about trains too! This book would make a very exciting adventure movie. I have already recommended it to a lot of my friends.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States

Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson

Is she crazy, or just a killer? From the moment Alison wakes up in a sterile hospital room she struggles to figure out the truth. The line between reality and Alison s memories seem to become more blurred the more she learns about the events that led her to be suspected of killing a classmate. Alison knows that it all somehow connects to her strange abilities, like tasting words and seeing sounds. Along with all this stress, she has to deal with living amongst other unstable teens in a mental health center. Things only get more complicated when a scientist involves Alison in research and helps her unlock some of the secrets of her abilities.

From the first word, Alison s story entices you with its mysterious twists and turns. I loved how this book seemed to combine science fiction and some coming-of-age drama with just a bit of romance. The author had a wonderful way of making you feel as though you were there with Alison in the mental health center, wondering what the truth is. You re right there with Alison as she tries to decipher her memories. This book could have easily been corny and portrayed Alison s abilities like a cheap sci-fi movie, but the words portray Alison s emotion perfectly. You can believe what Alison feels and experiences. Ultraviolet is very suspenseful, I stayed up way too late reading, wanting to know what the next twist would be. The author masterfully creates a great science fiction novel that reads like a murder mystery. The ending ties up all the loose ends, but is still very shocking. My only complaint is that the way the book ends is a bit disconnected from the beginning. However, the conclusion is still satisfying. I think readers of almost any genre will enjoy this book, because it has a little bit of everything. So pick this book up, unless you plan on needing a lot of sleep.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Crescent City, CA USA

Flip by Martyn Bedford

Ever imagine waking up in somebody else's body? Well, for Alex Gray this came true. All he can remember is walking home from a friend's house during Christmas break. And then waking up in a strange bed in a bedroom he'd never seen before, in a totally different part of the country. To make things worse, when he goes to the bathroom to wash his face, a face he's never seen before stares back at him. At the breakfast table Alex is greeted by total strangers. When he looks at the paper the date is June 23. 6 months are missing. Alex is forced to take on the popular life of Philip Garamond, while at the same time struggling to return his psyche back to HIS body.

In my opinion, Flip by Marty Bedford is a real page turner. It hooks you in from the very first page. To me writing a book about waking up in somebody else's body is truly stunning. The author uses a very stong technique of keeping the reader interested. There really isn't a dull moment in the book. If I was to rate the book out of 10 it would definitely be a 10.

I give this book a 3 because at the beginning of the book it makes a reference to the size and hair on his penis. And there is a lot of drinking, smoking, and making out.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Jackson, Missouri USA

Jack Blank by Matt Myklusch

Twelve-year-old Jack Blank has been living in an unbearable orphanage, where he is persistently picked on by a bully named Rex. The only excitement he can find is in reading comic books. Jack Blank does not have any idea where he came from, where his family might be, and who he truly is. During the morning a killer robot from one of the comic books Jack reads becomes comes to life and tries to kill him. Jazen Knight, an agent from an ambiguous country named Imagine Nation, has arrived for Jack.

Imagine Nation is in perpetual motion and passes through countries of our world, even though the residences are from this nation they come from different places whether real, imaginary, or from outer space. There is a city named Cognito, a place where people go to disappear. The streets do not even have names. Imagine Nation is comprised of all sorts of living creatures, from regular people to androids, aliens, ninjas, sorcerers, kung-fu masters. It almost felt like another version of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. The main characters had almost identical identities.

The book is a brilliant mix-up of characters that I have heard of and those that I have only dreamt of. The androids were describe as never before. The ninjas were almost predictable and yet their movements were hard to follow, along with the kung-fu masters and aliens. I could not believe how hard his life was due to him not knowing where his parents were and the life he lived in the orphanage. I had wished it had a better ending for my taste but there was not anything wrong with it.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Dyess, Arkansas United States of America

Color Struck by Pamela Tuck

Color Struck is the story of Bell, a young African-American woman who runs off to marry Buck Steele in secret because their fathers do not get along. Due to lack of money, the young couple has to live with Silas and Emma Steele, Buck's parents, who are less than thrilled to have Bell in the family. Living with Silas and Emma is hard enough for Bell, but soon she realizes that something about her stirs up a Steele family secret. The book is narrated by Bell herself as she uses her past to teach her granddaughters the lessons she learned because "A deathbed shouldn't be the peacemaker in this family."

I loved "Color Struck." Bell and her granddaughters are lovable and believable, showing realistic emotion and making hard decisions. The other characters, including Buck, Silas, and Emma, were well thought out and described. While their actions were sometimes horrible, they always fit with their personalities perfectly. The storyline itself was almost addicting, and I couldn't wait to find out what horrible thing Emma would do to Bell next. The very best thing about "Color Struck" was the lesson of love and acceptance, a theme that came out in a wonderful resolution that tied up all of my questions and left me feeling full. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes family secrets, strong young women, and realistic fiction.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, Pennsylvania USA

Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations by Corinne Mucha

Annie is a mess. She's just started high school! Her big brother, a junior in high school, told her that what happens in her freshman year will strongly affect the rest of her life--forever. If what he told Annie is true, then her future's not looking too bright. Annie's lousy at sports, jealous of everyone else, and she has the hots for her best friend's older brother. Finally, Annie gets cast as a crying, whining old lady in the school's play. Annie totally forgets about the rest of her life--she just wants to survive freshman year.

I think this book was all right. I chose it because I am going to be a freshman in the fall, so I thought this would give me some pointers. I was a little dissapointed when they brought up smoking, drinking and being drunk, swearing, and making out. If that were to happen in high school, I would think it would start in sophmore or junior year. Other than that, the book was good. Annie's new best friend helped to bring out the best in her and to be true to herself. And, besides grades, I think that's all that really matters in high school.

I gave this book a 2 because there were a few inapropriate references, such as smoking, drinking/being drunk, swearing, and making out.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan USA

Flamingnet Recommended Readng

Check out this article by the LA Times. It's a fascinating look at the trend of adults reading young adult fantasy books.

Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up, edited by Steve Berman

This collection of short stories is a look at situations that homosexual youth face in America. Although there are some coming out stories, it focuses more on stories of the finding out for yourself moment, rather than the tell people moment. This is a welcome change from most stories of gay teens, which heavily stress what society thinks of the person rather than what the person thinks of themselves. There are about an equal number of stories about girls and boys, another change from other books about gay youths. Many of the authors are homosexual themselves, which I think makes the writing more realistic, if slightly emotionally stiff. There are so many different stories in this book that it sort of defies placement into a genre but it is almost a romantic adventure, if not in the classic sense.

This book was inspirational, a moderately quick read, and I think it would be for anyone of any sexuality, as long as the reader is open-minded. I doubt that any homophobic people would consider reading this book in the first place, but obviously that would be one audience that this book would not appeal to. Many of the stories had only so-so writing, although the situations were realistic and moving. I really enjoyed the book overall, regardless. It is very different from any other books out there about homosexuality. Some of the stories got a little bit boring because the authors put too much outside information that didn’t have to do with the plot, but for the most part, this wasn’t something that happened. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the struggles of gay teenagers or just more about homosexuality in general.

Some of the stories have sexual material and the content is something not all parents would want their children reading.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Exeter, NH USA

Rating: 9

Content Rating: 2

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Hannah Baker is dead. She killed herself. So, who sent Clay Jensen the tapes with Hannah’s voice on them? And who is following him to make sure he sends them on? When Clay begins listening to the tapes, he starts hearing the thirteen reasons why Hannah decided to end her own life. He loved Hannah and never got to tell her, he doesn’t want to know what part he played in her death.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a thought-provoking story about love, loss, friendship, high school and tragedy. Clay’s character is one anyone can relate to. He is that person who didn’t say what he wanted to, and then found out that it was too late. Hannah’s voice on the tapes is cryptic, sarcastic and brutally honest. The insight that Asher provides into their lives and brains makes them seem as if they could be your friend, or even you. This book was wonderful and sad with comic relief intermixed in all the right places. This is a book that I would definitely recommend.

Reviewer Age: 18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma US