Changing the Little Things by J.L. Manning

Changing the Little Things by J.L. Manning is a book that is about changing small actions to affect those around you. The synopsis of this novel is quite short. A man, working on writing his novel, starts an online chat room to help people manipulate others to better suit their wishes. He starts a chat room to help people learn tricks to changing people. Each person is aiming to make someone close to them more likable; friends, family, coworkers. So they chat once a week and come up with ways to fix others instead of working on themselves.
This book is really not that great, in fact I hate to say it, but it is terrible. It wasnt just the lack of plot that made it bad, but also the scripted writing which was awkward and difficult to read. It was written in a very strict manner, but occasionally the author threw in common slang terms or acronyms like LOL. Some of them were less common though and left me wondering what the author was saying. Pretty much all of this novel was people complaining about how others need to work around them and how they could change them to make their own lives better. I was not fond of the idea, but the execution of this book made it so much worse. One good thing though: There were some insightful ideas on the small daily effects we have on others without even realizing, and the ability be have to influence everyone around us.

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

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

As a college student trying to start her own career in New York, Erin Blackwell is doing her best to leave her past behind and pursue her career. In writing class one day however, it seems to be that her past appears in front of her at the worst time possible. Hunter's sudden appearance changes the way that Erin thinks, sleeps, and writes. Will Hunter coming back into her life change her future? Or will it just stir up bad memories of the past?
I thoroughly enjoyed the book Love Story by Jennifer Echols. I thought that the writer had the ability to connect with the reader, and make them believe anything that she says. The plot kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next in this incredible tale of a deep hatred and a fresh love that mixes together beautifully throughout the book. The characters relationships with each other add so much to the book and I think that Jennifer Echols did a wonderful job writing Love Story.Ill most definitely suggest this book to friends because of how much I liked it.
I gave this book the rating of mature readers only because the characters in the book are college aged, and the book is written from their points of view and what happens in their lives. I think at times it may be inappropriate for some younger readers.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hermantown, Minnesota USA

The Study Train: Reunion of the Untouchables by Kurt Frenier

The book Study Train was about a boy, Ethan, who gets a mysterious invitation to ride on a train. He was unhappy at home and school, so he packs his bags and leaves on the train. Ethan meets the conductor/headmaster, Althulos, of the train, who introduces him to all the other people on the train. They are all friendly and welcome him warmly. The headmaster shows him the delivery room, where he learns many interesting things.

He finds out about the untouchables, people whose images are in the delivery room. The untouchables identify Ethan as their leader, and they train him in their powers. Ethan is asked by the headmaster to fly the train wherever he likes. Ethan picks Shanghi, where Althulos powers are weakest.

A battle occurs in Shanghai, which tests Ethans loyalties.  In the end, Ethan learns who his true friends are .

In my opinion, this book was OK.  It wasn't amazing, and it wasn't boring.
The author could have improved by giving more details.  The book was too fast paced in my opinion, and too short.  More information would have helped this problem.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Friendswood, TX USA

Eternity by Heather Terrell

Our story takes place where "Fallen Angel" left us. Ellie and her boyfriend, Michael, are now fully aware of who they are but not sure what to do about it. On an off chance that acting like normal teenagers will stop or slow down the End of Days they decide to play pretend. Unfortunately Michael gets a little caught up in this play and a rift begins to form between Ellie and Michael. To make matters worse Ellie joins a volunteer group where she meets Rafe, who she can't stop thinking about.

Even with all their efforts the clock has already begun to tick. It is up to Ellie, the Elect One, to finally take charge of her destiny and judge the human race. If she plans to save them then she must defeat the angels in charge of the seven signs but on the other hand if she deems mankind unworthy will she join the dark fallen?
It was love at first sight. I have learned so much from the Fallen Angel series. I knew about the book of Revelations but I never knew about the Book of Enoch or Jubilees. I never expected to be so pulled in to a... well sort of "Christian" book. The only way I could improve the story is to make the ending a page or two longer. Heather definitely achieved her purpose with her powerful words and mental images. I definitely reccomend this book to those who seek more understanding then what the "traditional Bible" offers. Even if you don't believe in god this is still a good book.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Az city, Arizona USA

The Look Book: 50 Iconic Beauties by Erika Stalder

According to The Look Book by Erika Stalder, celebrities have been setting hair and makeup trends for the last century. Now, you can recreate the look on your own, along with learning about the icon behind the trend. Because a celebrity hair stylist and makeup artist helped write this book, the book gives you tips and tricks to makeup and hair styles that only celebrities know. In the front of the book, the author also gives you basic makeup information that helps while trying to recreate the looks. The instructions for each look are well detailed and include pictures which help you visualize the look if you are confused.
I really enjoyed this book because it has a great concept and my friend is also interested in makeup, so we would have fun recreating looks from this book together. Some of the icons in this book I knew, but I also didn't know who some of them were. One recommendation that I have would be to mix some more current icons into the book to interest a younger generation. In this book, the directions were very easy to follow and if I wanted to recreate one of these looks, this would be my first stop to look for instructions and tips. Overall, I loved this book and would love to use it again if one of my friends or I wanted to achieve one of the signature styles.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States of America

Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich

Rock Bottom is about AJ who teams up with a lawyer to bring down a big coal mining company in a small town. The small town happens to be AJs hometown that she left ten years ago. The companys coal sludge is contaminating the local water supply and the company is destroying the mountain top causing environmental problems. The lawyer dies before AJ begins to work with him. When lawyers daughter gets death threats because of his actions, AJ comes to her aid. AJ has conflicting emotions because she hates the man in charge of the company, but his son is a former boyfriend of hers and is the father of her child.

The best part of the book was the characters. I loved AJ, she was confident, extremely strong willed, and was a really good person with a lot of spirit. I also liked her son David and her friend Ty, who was so believable it felt like he could be sitting in the room with you. There was also a couple of interesting plot twists that I did not expect. I thought it was a little too dramatic towards the end and also that the AJs accident wasnt fully explained but it balanced out and I felt that the end of the book brought everything to a close nicely.
There is some language in the beginning.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockford, Illinois United States

Forgiven by Janet Fox

Kula is the seventeen-year-old of Wild West outlaw Nat Baker. But when her father is accused of a crime he didn't commit, he sends Kula to San Francisco to find a secret box that will guarantee his freedom. In a city where Kula knows no one, she is not sure who to trust: Philippa Everts, the lady who she is living with; David Wong, the kind and well-mannered boy she meets; or handsome and devilish Will Henderson, whose family might know something about this mysterious box. But what Kula doesn't know is that all these people are inextricably tied to her family, and ultimately her future.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Forgiven. Aside from the setting in San Francisco and the mystery surrounding a box, I don't know if I would have continued to read Forgiven. My biggest problem with the novel was that it was boring. Though Kula is supposed to be on the search for a box, I felt like nothing really happens. The character that was supposed to be a villain didn't really feel like one. There were two love interests, David and Will. I didn't care for either as neither's character was fleshed out and developed enough. And then when David started to declare his undying love for Kula, after only a few encounters with the girl, I liked him even less. The box, and the mystery that is a part of it, was a bit anti-climatic, but I kept reading in hopes that there would be something interesting about it. I did enjoy reading about the city of San Francisco and naturally, the earthquake of 1906 plays a big part in the end. I love history so that was a redeeming point but overall, I did not like Forgiven.

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

The Dark Deeps by Arthur Slade

Modo and Octavia are english spies in 19th century England sent by the government to follow the french spy Colette Brunet and figure out what she has been sent to find. After Modo steals some important documents from a french ambassador, they learn that Colette Brunet was sent to work on an assignment called Project Ictineo. It soon becomes imperative for Octavia and Modo to find and claim Project Ictineo for England before Colette Brunetcan claim it in the name of France. Throughout the entire mission, Octavia and Modo are stalked by a mysterious and sinister presence. Modo must also deal with his feelings for Octavia and his hatred of himself.
I really enjoyed this book because the author takes you into the story and the characters. Through the use of different points of view, each of the main characters enjoys a certain depth and has specific role in the book. The way the setting is described you really get the feeling that you are in 19th century london. Readers can relate to Modos unhappiness with his outward appearance but cannot fully relate to his true self hatred and loathing. I thought that the steady under current of romance in this book was done really well, and that all of the internal struggles fit together.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: 9376 Garden Ridge Drive, Texas USA

Isabella of Castile by Shirin Yim Bridges

Isabella of Castile is one of history's most celebrated princesses, but not because she sat on the sidelines during the events of her time period. In fact, Isabella was anything but the typical princess. She was blessed with a desire for learning and an intellect that far surpassed her male counterparts, and she had an independent personality. Rather than let her brother select an appropriate husband for her, Isabella married Ferdinand of Aragon by her own choosing. In her later life, she ruled alongside her husband and became active in the affairs of her country. One of her most famous endeavors was funding Christopher Columbus's journey to America. However, she was not always kind and gentle in her rule of Spain, and killed thousands of people in her efforts to secure total Catholicism. Despite this, Isabella of Castile will always be remembered as the princess who spoke her mind and made her own decisions no matter what the cost.
Isabella of Castile, by Shirin Bridges, is an excellent wealth of information offered in a colorful and engaging setting. Even though I was already familiar with the story of Princess Isabella, I learned many new facts about her that I had not known before, such as the story of her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon and her brutal assimilation to the Catholic faith. The sections of the picture book that provide general information on the time period are a useful way to fully understand what life was like at the time Isabella lived. This book takes new meaning to the term "picture book," as every page is decorated with a painting, illustration, or photograph of items related to either Isabella or her time period. I plan on passing this book on to many other readers, both young and old, because of the rich detail encased in an easy-to-read children's book.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI USA

Gray by Rachel Karns

Gray by Rachel Karns is about 19 year old Maggie who is a little lost in her life. She has grown up in a small town and has opted out of going to college so she can run her father's jewelry store. Maggie is also masquerading as a jewelry maker named Lenora who has put her parent's store back on top. While her parents are away Maggie reads of a John Doe that desperately needs her help and that is when the real story starts. Maggie pretends to be John Doe's fiance so she can help him out but ends up going with him on a great adventure. Maggie then finds out what love and life really mean.

Captivating! That is the best word to express my opinion of this book. I was delayed on a plane and was able to finish this book in less than three hours before we even landed. The character of Maggie was familiar yet a mystery. I am the same age as Maggie so I could relate to her but I also found myself so intrigued that this 19 year old girl could fall in love with such an older man.  This book was not only intriguing but enthralling and well thought out. The love story aspect was expected but the wolf aspect was very surprising. I was very interested in reading about those amazing creatures. I would recommend this book to any person around the age of 18-20 that likes a good love story but also likes the theme of animals. I give Rachel Karns 5 stars. Excellent novel!

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ USA