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

Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World Of Food: Brains, Bugs, and Blood Sausage by Andrew Zimmern

Have you ever considered eating a beating frog heart or worm filled cheese? For most of us, the answer is no. For Andrew Zimmern, these are both tasty snacks.  Zimmern is a true foodie and aims to find good local food, where you least expect it. In this book, the Bizarre Foods host explores the world of food and travel, one bite of brain at a time.

This book seems like it would be page after page of disgusting depictions of nasty pots of moose jelly and head cheese, but its more like a behind-the-scenes journal. There are a lot of gross dishes, but its more a natural extension of the Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. Overall, its pretty light reading, broken into chapters each describing a food adventure. Zimmern has a strong, adjective- heavy voice. He has a true passion for food and it carries through in his writing. I liked the little fun facts sprinkled throughout that give a bit of insight about a culture or type of nosh.  I think this book would be best read on vacation, where you need no emotional characters or twisting plot, just a good read that may inspire you to seek out an exciting meal.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Crescent City, CA USA

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Why is Prince Rashko the only intelligent being in his family? No one knows. His parents mysteriously rode off in the middle of the night. His lovesick brother welcomed the Baron Temny and Princess Potenshenie - who may be their fiercest enemies - inside the protective walls of their castle, Hladka Hvorka.  However he may find help in the story of his ancestor Pavol the Good and his slaying of the seven Dragons. As he follows Pavol's story he finds there's much more to him and this castle than meets the eye. It is also possible that Rashko is the foolish one.

At first I had trouble with some of the words as the characters use some Slovak in their speech. Though as I eventually figured out, it translates the foreign words into English next to the Slovak words, and if you still don't understand, there is a glossary in the back. It was entertaining from the beginning through to the very end. All of the characters are deep and it makes them so real, even the bad guys! I believe we all have a mini Baron Temny and Princess Poteshenie inside of us and this is a perfect way of showing this. I recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy, especially on the subject of Dragons.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA

Nashoga: Book 1 of the Redstone Series by Rebecca Weinstein

In this book, a wolf named Nashoga has been driven from his pack by a rival wolf and his minions.  He makes friends and travels far on his quest for justice.
In this book, the auther tells the story through the eyes of an alpha wolf named Nashoga.  I enjoyed the uncertainty, the way you couldn't tell what would happen next. My favorite detail was how she described everything. I could see it as clearly as if I was there. I was, however, depressed and disappointed by the ending, which made several paragraphs earlier in the book pointless.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: woodbine, maryland USA

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

A Jewish girl at a Christian debate camp; what could go wrong? Ellie Taylor never thought that her religion would pose a problem at camp, but when an opportunity arose for her to gain a full scholarship to Benedicts, the school of her dreams, she started to rethink everything. With the help of Devon, the scholarship benefactor's grandson and her sizzling new crush, she might be able to pull the wool over his grandma's eyes. But when her deceit is made known and her family starts falling apart, Ellie might lose everything and everyone she loves. OyMG is right!
OyMG is a hilarious and fantastic addition to my library of books. Amy Fellner Dominy has written a story that shows kind of what life is like for teens during their first crushes. It also helps people, especially the teens of today, understand what can happen when people are prejudiced and don't respect others religions. It's a wonderful lesson that is put into a magnificent storyline. I can't wait to have my friends read it!

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: fresno, California USA

Accidental Ashes by Sara C. Roethle

'Accidental Ashes' is a top-notch fiction-fantasy novel written like a mug full to the brim with warm coffee - creamy with creativity and rich with reality. And everyone loves coffee.

In her previous book, Xoe Meyers, an extreme coffee lover of 17 years, is thrust into a realm she thought never existed; one completely built out of myths and legends. Her friends are vampires and werewolves, evil is lurking behind every corner, and nothing, absolutely nothing, is what it seems. Then again Xoe is thrown into a world of questions when she is cursed to bare the title 'half demon' upon her back.

The story continues in 'Accidental Ashes' when Xoe's powers begin to reveal themselves. She can burn things when she is angered - which seems to happen more frequently now - and her body seems to just mend itself when hurt. On top of it all, Xoe's father, who abandoned her as an infant, seeks out Xoe to warn her about more evil, coming closer and closer by the day. All collides in a fierce, illuminating birth of flames, as truth, dreams, and reality are spun together in an everlasting whirlwind, revealing the dark secrets from beyond.

If you're looking for a phenomenal fiction novel, Accidental Ashes will attract with its twists between haunting drama and uplifting levity. Sara C. Roethle begins and completes each chapter to perfection with the exactly the right proportion of apprehension, sense of evil entanglement and admirably, astonishing perception. I simply relished this absorbing fiction novel.

Content: 1
Rating: 9
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio The United States of America

Dark Passage by M. J. Putney

     In the romantic sequel to Dark Mirror, the gang is finally back in their own time period, only to face drama back home.  Tory and Allarde get closer together, but they get torn apart ton to a levitating mishap which gives Torys magic away to Allarde parents. He is to be disowned if he stays with Tory, so she does the brave thing and leaves him, with a huge hole torn in both their hearts. Cynthia is left at school for the holidays and finds a companion in Jack. She dines with, dances with, and even shares a Christmas kiss with him. But Cynthia being the daughter of a duke is turned off by his poor status. Can she overcome to love him? The group then goes on another adventure through the mirror to help Nick in 1940. They need to rescue a scientist who was inventing a medicine that one of nicks family members needs desperately. Can they do it in time? Will the Irregulars ever solve their relationship dramas? Read Dark Passage to find out.
    This book was dreamily romantic, with a couple dashes or drama and a splash of adventure.  It was a fun read. I would probably recommend it to girls my age, not to many boys though. Even though this book was very sweet and romantic, that was pretty much the whole of the story. Not as much adventure as I thought there would be. I really loved the characters in the book, especially Jack with his fun and teasing nature. Overall this book was fun and sweet, and definitely worth the read.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas USA