Thief-Book 2 in the Brides of Alba by Linda Windsor

Thief is an incredibly well-written piece of historical
fiction.  The story begins with a banished mercenary named
Caden and a minstrel and thief named Sorcha.  Through an
unlikely twist of fate the two meet and Caden offers a way
out of a proposal Sorcha has been forced to accept.  They
escape together, but Sorcha soon learns that there is way
more to Cadens past than she could have ever imagined, and
that he might know more about her that she would like.  As
their pasts catch up with them, they must decide if they
will ever be able to trust, or love, each other.
I have
read several of books by Linda Winsor and I have loved every
one, and this is no exception!!  Thief is a great work of
historical fiction that really makes you feel like you are
witnessing the events as they unfold in sixth century
Scotland.  The characters are complex and interesting
without being unreal, and the plot moves along quickly to a
surprising conclusion.  I highly recommend this book to any
teen reader!

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Virginia Beach, VA USA

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Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter

Kylie is just starting to feel normal at Shadow Falls camp, where she lives with witches, fae, vampires and, of course, werewolves. Suddenly a ghost comes and tells Kylie that someone she loves is about to die and she is the only one who can stop it. But the ghost won't give any clues to who is about to die. On top of all that Kylie starts gaining odd powers like enjoying blood and superhuman speed and strength. Just as Kylie is about to be with Derek for real, he starts pulling away, and Lucas shows up in her dreams. A weekend away with her mom should help Kylie feel better but she might not even make it back to Shadow Falls alive.

Awake at Dawn was pretty good. I thought it could use more descriptions of the settings but this helped me imagine it how I thought it should be. The characters were descriptive in their thoughts and feelings. I recommend this book to people who like the House of Night series, Hush, hush, Nightshade, Fallen and Hex Hall.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, Colorado United States

Departures by Robin Jones Gunn

Departures, by Robin Jones Gunn, consists of two novellas. The first one called, "Now Boarding at Gate 10," is about a girl named Christy Miller. Christy is on her way to Wisconsin for her grandparents' 50th anniversary. There, her childhood crush finally starts noticing her. She likes this guy, but is still thinking of her previous boyfriend, Todd. Christy Miller learns many things in "Now Boarding at Gate 10," and so will you.

Now flipping to the second novella. "In the Event of a Water Landing," involves 15 year old Sierra Jensen and her friend Jana, along with Jana's brother Gregg and his friend Tim. They are on their way to Jana and Gregg's summer cabin for the weekend. Sierra and Jana have always been competitive, but haven't been very interested in guys...until now. Though Sierra and Jana don't announce that they are competing for the same guy, it is apparent throughout the book. The girls decide that although they may like guys, they aren't sure they are "ready to blossom," as Sierra would put it. Sierra decides that one day she'll stop being a tomboy and act like a woman, but not today.

Departures is a well written book, but is kind of a letdown compared to some of Gunn's other books. This book uncovers lies about dating, and I would recommend it to others. This book is short, sweet and clean, therefore I would recommend it for ages 12 and up. Although this book was pretty good, it went a little slow, and I found myself daydreaming at some points. All in all, I think that this book is definitely worth reading, and I would encourage you to give it a try.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rapid City, SD USA

Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani

Viola, a real New Yorker at heart is back and totally ready to hang out! Andrew and Caitlin, her best friends, are growing distant as changes enter their life. She then realizes that she has to make up her mind, is her heart really set on Brooklyn? Does she really have her heart set on Brooklyn? What makes it so different from anywhere else?

Personally, I thought this book was a little bland but a relaxing read. I think that this book compares to Chicks With Sticks (it's a Purl Thing) by Elizabeth Lenhard. I don't think that I would recommend this book because it is not interesting enough for me. I think that the author should improve the quality of the story by adding a bit of adventure. I found it totally predictable.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake Bluff, IL USA

If I Could Fly

This book is about a fifteen year-old girl named Doris.  Her parents are musicians who perform late at night at parties and club, so she is used to being home alone.  However, when her mother leaves her and her father, her father finds a new girlfriend.  An incident occurs when a violent classmate attacks her best friend.  Doris is even more alone, so she seeks company with the pigeons on the roof of the apartment building she lives in. Doris finds what her full potential is and who she really is.

I personally thought the book was very slow paced and confusing at times.   It had an interesting plot,but it was somewhat slow moving.The book would have been much better if it moved at a faster pace.Ms. Cofer had a lot of Spanish phrases and words in the book.It would have been helpful if she had put some sort of glossary or had defined them in the story because I could not understand those words.Overall though, it had interesting characters and an interesting plot.
Reviewer Age:13: Uxbridge, MA USA

Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro

Concrete Savior is the second novel in the Dark Redemption series. The book continues the story of Brynna Malak, a fallen angel who is trying to gain a second chance at Heaven through good deeds done on Earth. Amidst her budding relationship with Eran Redmond, a Detective in the Chicago Police Force, and the ever-present fear of attack from Lucifer's Hunters, Brynna begins to uncover the truth lurking behind a series of daring rescues. Although the anonymous hero is preventing the deaths of citizens, there are still disastrous consequences of each saved life. Brynna suspects the dark trickery of demons is involved as she digs deeper and deeper into the mystery in this fast-paced and intense read.
I found this novel to be fascinating, full of action, romance, and well-developed characters. Each individual is very realistic, containing unique flaws and talents with a very clear mindset and personality and I particularly enjoyed how you find yourself reading from the point of view of the majority of the characters, including both the heroes and the villains. This way I felt I had a better grasp on the reasons behind everyone's actions and the many different parts of the overarching plot. I also appreciated the distinctive complexities of the plot, as fantastical creatures and superhuman elements are interwoven in the typical drudgery of city life and human existence. The writing itself was not particularly powerful or complex, but it was effective in recounting the thoughts and conversations of the different characters and fairly adept at describing the scenery. Overall, I found the book to be extremely suspenseful and definitely a page-turner, with an intricate plot and deep exploration of the characters.
There was some intense violence and mature language.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Needham, MA USA

Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay

Dead on the Delta is about a girl named Annabelle Lee. She is one of the few people immune to fairy bites in the entire city of Donaldsonville.  When a murder comes up, it's up to Annabelle to save the day. She becomes entangled in an ongoing investigation about a drug (aka breeze house) ring and when a lover from her past comes up, things get downright complicated. What Annabelle finds out in her own investigation puts everyone under suspicion, and the identity of the murderer is so surprising, you'll have to read the book to find out.
The author who wrote Dead on the Delta is a genius. With an exciting plot and surprises around every corner, this is a great murder mystery. The characters are so vivid, you get sucked into a world where fairies are real and romance runs rampant. I could hardly put the book down! The only flaw I found in the book was the excessive swearing, which distracted me from the story line. Overall, Dead on the Delta was a great book, and I would gladly recommend it to those who like mysteries, adventure, and romance.
I gave this book a content rating of 2 because there was a lot of swearing, alcohol, a drug ring, and mentions of sexual activities.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockford, Michigan U.S.A.

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Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

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