Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

What would you think if you and your sister touched a handprint in an ancient Tuscan archeological site and suddenly you ended up six hundred years in the past? Well that s what happens to Gabi Betarrini, an American girl who finds herself stuck in fourteenth century Italy. Dressed in medieval gowns, Gabi seems to be having the time of her life, especially when a certain Italian knight is looking her way, but life is not all perfect in the hills of Tuscany. The ongoing battle between the Houses of Forelli and Paratore threaten the safety of both families and it gets extremely personal when Gabi hears that her sister might be a captive of the Paratores. Given a heartbreak ultimatum Gabi must think of how she will save her sister and how she will ever make it back home to her own time.
Gabi Betarrini, the female protagonist, displays a refreshing modern twist to the traditional female lead. Her strong willed personality, obvious intelligence and ability to solve problems without depending on a male counterpart makes her a good role model to young adult readers. The book was well written for the proposed audience and it was obvious that the author put a lot of time into research in order to present historically accurate information. Though the ending was a bit clich￩ and expected I would definitely recommend this novel, the plot twist made it very hard to put down.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Reston, Virginia United States of America

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

When Princess Darriniaka goes to Ghostland with her brother Varis, she has only one thought:  I have to rescue Callie, even if it means staying here!  Darri doesn t even consider the fact that her younger sister Callie might not want to leave.  Soon after Darri arrives at the castle, Callie tells her that Prince Kestin, whom Darri had been planning to marry in order to free Callie, has been murdered.  It is only later that Darri learns Callie is also a ghost.  Darri refuses to leave her sister in Ghostland but how can Callie return home if the touch of sunlight will kill her (for real this time!)?
I never thought I d say I liked a ghost story, but Nightspell was amazing.  This book is called a companion story to Mistwood, which I also reviewed (http://www.flamingnet.com/bookreviews/newreviews/newbookreview.cfm?title=Mistwood), but this story was much easier to follow, and seemed to have nothing in common with Mistwood.  It was interesting that ghosts were the result of murder, a chance for the person to get revenge on their killer.  This is a book that I think anyone would like, unless you don t like really gross-sounding things.


Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

In Trouble by Ellen Levine

    Set in the late 1950 s during the McCarthy Era, Jamie and Elaine are best friends and now they are finally juniors in high school. Elaine has a college boyfriend named Neil and Jamie could have a boyfriend, if only she would open her heart up to Paul. During this time, girls who get in trouble are ignored, made fun of and are sometimes even sent away. So what happens when Elaine gets in trouble . Will she be sent away, leaving Jamie without her best friend? Will Elaine and Neil get married? Jamie s head spins with all of these thoughts. Also at this time, Jamie faces her haunting past of what happened that night and also the reunion with her Dad as he comes home from prison. Who knows what will happen to Elaine, but she is one girl of many facing trouble during this time.
   In Trouble was a book that took me back to the 1950 s and gave me the idea of what happens to girls who are facing teen pregnancy. The setting was really important in this book because teen pregnancy in the 1950 s was very unthinkable. Discrimination and being sent away were very likely if you were a pregnant teenager. Jamie, as the main character, was very dynamic, meaning she changed drastically throughout the book.  Throughout the book I felt sympathy for Elaine because she was a pregnant teenager without much support from her family or her boyfriend Neil. However I loved both of the characters, and I think the author did a great job including them in the plot. Also, I thought the author did a great job of explaining what happens to girls who get in trouble and the consequences they must face. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to girls 13 years and above, due to the talk of pregnancy and abortions.
I would advise adult guidance for this book because it does talk about abortions, pregnancy, and rape.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio USA

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor is a Guardian, and can shapeshift seamlessly from human to wolf whenever she wants, which is helpful when she and her pack must protect the sacred sites for their masters, the Keepers. As the alpha female, Calla must lead her pack and marry the alpha male of a rival pack, Ren. But when she illicitly saves a human boy, Shay, she feels an undeniable attraction to him. When Shay causes Calla to question the Keepers' rules, her impending marriage, and her whole lifestyle, Calla must make the choice to remain dutiful to her pack or follow her heart.
I loved Nightshade and thought that it was a great addition to the paranormal genre. Now that there is a plethora of vampire novels, authors are shifting their books towards werewolves, which is the mythical creature that takes center stage in Nightshade. I liked that Calla and her pack are non-traditional werewolves: they can shapeshift at will and not just at the full moon, and there is a whole pack heirachy with rules and regulations that makes the novel very interesting. An important part of Nightshade is the love triangle between Calla, Ren, and Shay. In the vein of Twilight, I'm sure these two male leads will spark a lot of debate and cause readers to pick the one they like better. I think both options are realistic for Calla but I just hope that the romance debate won't get in the way of Nightshade's actual plot, which is very interesting. Nothing that Calla has been told about the Keepers and the Guardians (which is what the werewolves are called) is true and she must find out the truth in subsequent novels. Overall, I really enjoyed Nightshade and can't wait for the next book!

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

RE: Ameca J and the Revenge of Rex-Ultar

The book is now uploaded to our list of available books to review. I look forward to reading the review!

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Ameca J and the Revenge of Rex-Ultar

The second book in the Ameca J series has now been sent to Flamingnet for review, hopefully available in the next couple of days.

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FLAWLESS

FLAWLESS is about a high school student named Sarah.  She is completely stunning, except for her enormous nose.   When her peers tease her, Sarah is able to stand up for herself: she is a strong person.   A new student, Rock, arrives in school and his presence changes everything.  Sarah is immediately in love.  If loving Rock wasn’t complicated enough, Sarah’s friend, Kristen, announces she likes Rock too.  Kristen is drop dead gorgeous and Rock falls for her.  Sarah has to hide her feelings for Rock while helping Kristen maintain the relationship.  Sarah knows she has to let the truth come out no matter what the price.
I really enjoyed FLAWLESS.  I was constantly trying to find times during the day so I could read.  I found it really enjoyable and relatable.  I found myself experiencing the same emotions the characters experienced.  It all seemed so real.  I learned that you always need to be true to yourself.  I would definitely recommend this book to others because it was a good plot and I was never bored.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Valparaiso, Indiana USA 

Lunch-Box Dream

The book Lunch-Box Dream is about a young boy named Bobby who is taking a road trip with his family. They are planning to visit various Civil War battle sites. Things don’t go quite according to plan, and after an accident, they are forced to take a bus back home. Here, they see first-hand the horrors of racism and segregation. This work of historical fiction is set in the late 1950s, a time of racial turmoil.

Lunch-Box Dream has a very good setting, and I think the author does a very good job of describing many of the places they went. I didn't really like the writing style of this book. The way it was written didn't keep me interested in the story. I felt it was dull. The viewpoints switched between many different characters, and I often wondered how a certain chapter was relevant to the rest of the story. I didn't feel like I knew the characters very well, and most of them didn't seem to have a unique personality. The ending didn't seem to have a climax, and the book ended rather abruptly. The one main flaw of the book was the changing viewpoints, which often didn't make sense with the rest of the story. I did think the author was very good at describing things that the characters saw throughout the book. It was a nice view into the lives of people during that time period.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Otsego, MN USA

Calli Be Gold

Hi, Thank you for the nice review on Calli Be Gold! I'm glad the reviewer enjoyed the story. I think it will resonate with any kid who has superstar siblings but hasn't quite found his or her area to shine. I'm working on a companion book, narrated in the voice of Calli's best friend Wanda. --Michele Weber Hurwitz

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The Ameca J Series

Following the Top Choice review of my first book, Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus, I will be posting the 2nd in the series this week, Ameca J and the Revenge of Rex-Ultar so that my reviewer can read the sequel. So watch this space...

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