Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

In a once beautiful, but now dark and cruel world Kate Winters is about to discover just how dark it can be.

When Kate discovers that she can bring a blackbird back to life her whole belief of existence is shattered. She must now except that she is a Skilled and learn the secrets of the ancient book Wintercraft to stop the cunning and ruthless Council members from destroying Albion and the few loving people she has left. As her home is destroyed and her best friend isnt who he says he is, Kates old life will never be the same again. With secret passages, hidden libraries, and murdering immortals Kate will embark on a journey that will change her life&&but for the better or the worse?

Jenna Burtenshaw has created something entirely new that is a mixture of genres, but cannot be placed in any specific one which makes it quite wonderful. The setting was dark, intense, and well fleshed out. It really fit will with the theme of darkness and death.

The writing is also well done and very fluid and impassioned. The only problem I had with was the charactors. Kate is nice and sweet, but slightly bland. Her best friend Edgar at first seems sweet and soft, but turns mysterious and possibly untrustworthy. The rest of the charactors, which there are few of, are also good but still have that bland quality. The plot was my favorite part of the book because the best plots are unpredictable, and this one was very much so. The ending was somewhat commendable and completed the book with contentment.

  I would recommend this book to older teens, because of the violence and bleak atmosphere. It is a great read and I never got the feeling of wanting to put down, so in my opinion it was a fun way to fill my day.


Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colorado Springs, Colorado United States of America

Amos Daragon by Bryan Perro

Amos Daragon: The Mask Wearer is a book about Amos Daragon, a teenage boy, that one day, when hunting crabs, meets a mermaid who sends him on a quest to meet someone named Gwenfadrille.  On his quest, things are beginning to turn to stone at random.  He later figures out that this was caused by gorgons, and he meets Beorf, a humanimal that can turn to a bear.  While Amos continues on his quest, Beorf fights the gorgons and eventually gets turned to stone.  Amos later accepts the mask wearer title and with it, an army under his command.  In the end of the book, there is a war with the naga, snake humanimals.  How does the war end? Does Amos save Beorf? Read and find out!

I think the author's purpose was to provide an entertaining book to read.  I think the book would be good for ages 9-13, but my parents thought they might like it too.  The book is well written and keeps your attention with the storyline feature of going back and forth in time. For example, there is a point where someone travels back in time, becomes young again, and then raises an army for Amos.  The author did a good job putting in mythology at certain parts in the book and it wouldn't be as good without it. I would recommend this book to most of my friends and anyone who likes mythology.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas United States

Open Wounds by Joseph Lunievicz

Growing up in Queens in the 1930s with a drunken abusive father and a strict grandmother, Cid Wymann hasn't had a lot of exposure to the outside world.  This changes when he, one day, sneaks out to follow his grandma to church services.  When he arrives at a movie theatre, he threatens to tell unless she lets him see the show with her.  There, he watches Captain Blood, a dashing swordsman, and his dream of becoming a fencing master is born. Cid eventually becomes friends with two boys as they unite to battle the bullies in their neighborhood.  As Cid grows up and his father goes missing, he is placed in the custody of his cousin, a disfigured war veteran called Lefty.  Cid begins to learn fencing from Nikolai Varvarinski, a Russian sword master, and faces new challenges, develops new relationships, and starts to discover who he truly is.

This book was a sad, but exciting, coming-of-age book that kept my interest until the very end, as well as after I had finished it. It dealt with many different issues such as World War II, culture differences, poverty, and drug reliance in a manner that helped you feel as if you were living in the 1940s with Cid. The setting and mood was mostly dark, but it fit the plot well.  Times were tough, Cid fended for himself, but the overall feel of the book had an edge of hope that made the reader cheer him on as he faced his enemies: some human, some within himself. Cid and all of the characters were all very believable. Cid was violent, he got into fights like teenage boys do, and he acted like you expected him to after getting to know his personality traits. The story is told from Cid's perspective, which fits the style of the book. It is intense, powerful, and very interesting. The author ended the story almost abruptly, but it fit with the plot. I loved the whole book: Cid's confusion and heartbreak, all of his struggles that built his entire character. I felt like I could have been his best friend. I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy an intense page-turner.

some language, addictive drug use (opium, morphine)
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, OR USA

Sirensong by Jenna Black

Dana is a Faeriewalker, a mortal who can travel between the world of humans and Avalon. When she is invited to an enemy queens court, it is impossible to say no, as she is going as a guest or as a prisoner. Needless to say, the guest option is much preferred. At the first meal in the queens court, a bomb explodes, nearly killing the Faerie princess. Naturally, Dana is framed, and she must run to save her life and those of her friends. Will the rules of court master her, or will Dana somehow find a way to rescue everyone?
Full of courtly intrigue with romance and fantasy mixed in, Sirensong really is for fantasy readers. Its rare to read a book in the fantasy genre with so much romance! It was a nice change, and the author utilized humor well. The chick- flick ness of this book does make it a girlie read though. The relationships between the characters is fascinating, from the alcoholic mom to the complicated boyfriend, these characters are not clich￩ and the setting in which they interact is utterly unique. Nonetheless, there was minor sexual content and use of language that was unnecessary, the book would have been even better without it! Overall, I would recommend this book to fantasy and romance readers alike.


A major portion of the book was devoted to the drama of Dana, the main character, being required to lose her virginity to the Erkling to save her boyfriend. Though she never actually loses it, it is a major portion of the plot. Also, there is quite a bit of language used.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, TX U.S.

Rescuing Rover by Raymond Bial

This book is about dogs that need help across the US. They need help because they are abused, not cared for, or are homeless. In this book, there was a couple who found a dog in a brand new pet carrier while they were taking their trash to the dumpster.  The dog had her mouth taped shut. The couple took pity on the poor dog and took her home. According to the book, the dog is now happy and healthy. Although animal shelters can help with these problems, we need everyone to pitch in and help them. The shelters cannot do it alone. The book, also, details a day in a life of an animal shelter worker.  Although the job can be sad and heartbreaking it can also be joyful and pleasant.  The author gives good information about bad breeders and puppy mills.  He informs us about how we can help them. This book starts out sad by telling the tragic story of a dog but ends happy by telling you how you can adopt and help them.
Overall, I thought it was a good book because it informed me about this terrible situation. It also influenced me and made me want to help them. I would recommend this book for children in grades 3rd and up that are not too sensitive.  This is because it had some really sad parts. Though it is sad it is a real problem that needs a real solution.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Purcellville, VA USA

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

http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&source=mmm-en

Back-to-School Apps Offer Big Bang for Buck

http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&source=mmm-en

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