Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Texas Gothic, a novel written in the supernatural genre, was a fun read. What I liked about this book was the setting, which was in Texas, where Amy spends the summer at her Aunt s ranch. Her Aunt decides to go on vacation, so Amy and her sister, Phin, have the responsibility to watch her ranch. There, Amy encounters her goats in a tree, a hot cowboy, and ghosts! Her aunt sells products that are secretly enchanted because Amy s whole family is full of witches!

Amy says, I was the designated grown up in a family that operated in different reality than the rest of the world. It' s funny because Amy considers herself one of the normal people of her family, even more so than her Aunt or Mother, who are supposed to be more mature than she is.

I really enjoyed reading about Amy' s character because of the dimensions she' s given by the author. She considers herself normal in a family of witches, she meets a cowboy cutie, Ben (who s basically like the boy next door), and her opinions of certain characters such as her sister Phin, are hysterical. The adventures Amy and Phin go on are of course entertaining because Phin is a sloppy genius and Amy is a wannabe normal teenager. This book is very original with a supernatural and romantic twist.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Locust Valley, NY United States

Awakening Dreams

Becoming the target of countless attacks in the cold

plains of Calgary isn't exactly on everyone's List of

Favourite Things To Do, but for fifteen year old Grace

Severin, this is becoming increasingly normal. In a world

where Greek gods live among mortals and love takes an

unexpected twist, Shawn L Bird's first book in her Grace

Awakening series is bound to have readers begging for the

next book. Packed with suspense, Awakening Dreams is about

tenth grade Grace, who was never really looking for

romance. But after a sudden fainting spell, all of a

sudden one of the school's biggest druggies wants to date

her, a twelfth grade music genius won't leave her alone,

and might her best friend secretly have a crush on her? On

top of this, the druggie keeps on mysteriously

disappearing, and worst of all, a war between the gods to

end all things creative is breaking out. Somehow Grace is

connected to all this. As her erratic life continues to

unravel, Grace finds herself dreaming dreams that link to

another universe. In a world where Greek gods live among

mortals and love takes an unexpected twist, Grace must

discover her true self and destiny before it's too late.


There's no doubt about it,  Awakening Dreams is a

definite page turner. As already mentioned, the book is

packed with unforgettable suspense. Who is trying to kill

Grace? Why is Ben so certain he's been in love with her

forever? What's with all those overheard conversations

that don't seem to make any sense? are just a few

questions that plague readers throughout the entire

reading experience. When I read the book, I felt like I

was Grace herself, and the dialogue only added to this

effect by latching onto your nose and reeling you into

intensely vivid conversations. The characters are all very

unique. They're very fun to read about and fall in love

with. However, one of the things that I didn't like about

the book was how at the end, readers are never aware of

why Grace is the heroine of the story. I am aware that the

author was trying to limit the reader's knowledge on the

whole Greek gods and the war concept (because readers

are only aware of what Grace knows), but it would have

been nice if the author had ended the book allowing

readers to understand why Grace is important to the story.

Another thing I didn't really like was how the structure

was just a bit weak. For example, there was no climax.

Some might argue that the book did in fact have one, but

I'll let you decide when you read it. There is a little

profanity; but overall, the novel is very tame. I would

recommend Awakening Dreams to anyone twelve years of age

and up, who has a passion for romance novels with a blend

of fantasy.



Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and

Country: , Ontario Canada

Variant by Robison Wells

In Variant by Robinson Wells, Benson Fisher is a seventeen year old foster kid looking for a way out of the system. He believes he 's found that way when he s accepted to Maxfield Academy, a snooty rich school in New Mexico, but when he arrives he realizes he totally wrong. There are no adults. Not one. The whole school is run by students. As soon as he gets there Benson is told that he must join a gang. That is he must if he' s going last very long. He has three options: Society- follow all the rules, handle administrative tasks, keep your nose up in the air; Havoc- the schools version of a street gang, handles the kitchens and grounds keeping duties; Variant- everyone else, handles janitorial work. There s only one really important rule at Maxfield, don' t try to escape. The students aren' t allowed to leave, not that they could get out anyway, at least, no one ever has. When Benson discovers what' s really going on at Maxfield he is determined to leave, but how? There s one other thing. He can 't trust anyone.
I loved this book! Robinson Wells did a fantastic job of creating relatable characters. He gave you their stories and mostly allowed you to play out their decisions, whether it was which gang they joined or who they sided with in an argument. The story also carries with it a thin layer of suspense created by the complacency of the other students. You find yourself asking questions like, Why don' t they care? and How can only one of seventy-five see the problem here? The perfect structure the students created in the school is astounding. Everything s worked out so that there s no fighting. Each new student chooses a gang. Each gang has certain chores. The different gangs stay out of each other s way as much as possible, the best way for keeping peace. It' s both fascinating and a little terrifying. Not to mention the story ends on a wonderfully irritating cliff hanger that' ll leave you impatient for the sequel.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cibolo, Texas United States of America

The Silence of Murder by Dandi DaleyMackall

A young girl named Hope Long is on a mission to prove her older brother, Jeremy, is innocent of murder. Hope still believes Jeremy didn't kill Coach John Johnson, even though many witnesses saw him flee the scene with a bloody murder weapon in hand.

Jeremy is a little odd. He hasn't spoken in many years and collects empty jars as a hobby. The town of Grain is starting to notice, Jeremy doesn't quite fit in. As the trials continue on Hope deals with her obnoxious mother, who forces her to call her by Rita instead of mom, who (along with the rest of the town) is certain Jeremy killed Coach. 

Hope must also endear her brother's defense lawyer, the Sheriff's curious son Chase Wells, and her long time friend T.J. Many twists and turns happen along the way of the trial with the shocking truth revealed at the closing argument.

At the beginning of The Silence of Murder. I was very close to tossing the book out the window. As the book progressed and I became more attached to the characters, I actually began to enjoy myself. This book wasn't one of my top 5 or anything, but I sure did love how I grew attached to the characters as the trial droned on and on. I felt in areas the writing style was too childish for a young adult book. I wanted a mystery book that gave me chills and scared the living daylights out of me, but to my disappointment, the chills didn't come.

The vocabulary choice was about a 5th grade level and so were the character names. When I read a book, the characters' names really have to pop for me. I believe the author achieved her purpose by writing a grand mystery with twists and turns, but she fell short in making me jump out of my skin as the story line progressed. Her writing wasn't dull per se, but it didn't really speak to me.

I would say the strengths of The Silence of Murder was I never expected the ending, but the book failed to reach my expectations of a suspenseful mystery. I don't believe this book will be the next huge Maze Runner or Hunger Games for my age level but a shoo-in for grades 4th-6th. I enjoyed the ending but I wasn't impressed with the beginning or body of the story. It began to drag on and I found myself paying more attention to my bed cover than the words on the pages. The ending shocked me and had a huge twist right before the end. I started to foreshadow the characters actions as I read along!!

I believe the author could have been more dramatic with the murder and really tried to scare the teenagers reading her book. I didn't learn anything new from her book. I would not recommend it to anyone my age because I felt it was too young for my age and an easy read. I could have easily finished the book in two days if I hadn't had stuff to do every evening after school.

Content: 1
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH United States

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller

The Lost Crown shows the effects of the Bolshevik Revolution on the Romanov family.  Sarah Miller starts out the book in the months preceding the revolution.  She highlights the family's humanity through their jokes and their taking care of soldiers returning from the front lines.  Their lives change as their father abdicates and the Provisional Government takes control.  This change brings in the meat of the book, where the royal family is confined under house arrest.  As the revolution progresses, the Provisional Government moves them from house to house and into more unfamiliar terrain.  Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the daughters: Anastasia, Maria, Tatiana or Olga. Miller works to show the inner turmoil within the family and the bravery each member has.  She gives personality and depth to a recognized, but solely symbolic family.

I strongly recommend this book to any reader who is interested in historical fiction.  Though at times slow-paced and dense, it follows the demise and treatment of the Romanov family during the Bolshevik Revolution.  Miller has done her research; she accurately captures the Russian language and culture.  Without either basic knowledge of Russian customs or Soviet history, this book could be slightly tedious.  I was initially confused because of the changes of narrator and because none of the supporting characters are defined.  For anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of a revolutionary Russia, this is a book to consider; it is rich with culture and displays the royal family not as figureheads but as real people.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, Virginia United States of America

The Buried Covenant by Shawn Keenan

Jayke is not your average 17 year old. He has some strange abilities.  The only thing he can t seem to do is talk to girls. The minute he tries even making normal conversation, his hands get clammy and he starts to sweat and he can t seem to utter a single word.
When he finds out he s been in a coma for the last 7 years, he wants to find out about his life before the coma. Unfortunately, he can t remember a thing.  However, something finally registers in his brain. School. When he asks his foster parents if he can attend Saint Augustine High, they are reluctant to let him go. Eventually they give in, but this is the worst possible decision they could make. Why? Because at school, there is someone who wants to break a covenant. Which puts Jayke s life in danger.
This is truly one of the funniest books I ve ever read. Some of the situations Jayke gets into are ordinary, but the way he deals with them is anything but! His humor and insight made me laugh more times that I care to admit, and he seemed very relatable.
It s been awhile since I ve read a story with such life-like characters that I actually cared about, and Shawn P. Keenan did a marvelous job making them seem realistic.  Overall, Shawn P. Keenan did a marvelous job with this book. The only complaint I have is that the beginning was a bit slow for my taste. Other than that, this is a must-read for any teenager who wishes to just sit down with a book and have a good laugh.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa , California USA

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Emily Winters is really happy when the boy she has liked forever shows some interest in her. The only problem is he is her best friend's boyfriend. Chase did something really stupid a long time ago. Now his life is turning upside-down. A mysterious and beautiful girl takes an interest in him. He thinks life is looking up until awful things start happening. Three girls punish those who do wrong. Chase and Emily must be punished.



I give this book 1 star. The first word that pops in my head when I think of this book is drama. The really well-written and interesting parts didn't make sense with the rest of the story. The idea was a great idea that just wasn't done as well as it could have been. I also rate it R for mildly inappropriate content and extreme amounts of bad language. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
The book had inappropriate contents and awful language.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cibolo, Texas United States

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

Beautiful Days, the second installment in the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen, follows the lives of Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid, three best friends living in the peak of the Roaring Twenties. Cordelia is still mourning the death of her father, the infamous bootlegger Darius Grey, and is stuck between missing Thom Hale, the man she thought she trusted, and hating him for causing her father s death. Letty Larkspur, Cordelia s friend from Ohio, must navigate through the world of performing arts in order to find her niche as a singer and still remain true to herself. Astrid, engaged to Cordelia s half brother, Charlie, is torn between her love for Charlie and her unhappiness with his bootlegging. The girls must distinguish between infatuation and true love, all the while staying away from the constant danger that surrounds the Grey family.
Anna Godbersten s novel, Beautiful Days, is a delightful continuation of the Bright Young Things series. The book proved to be as engaging, if not more so, than the first novel, and added many twists and turns in the three girls stories that is sure to keep readers interested. I enjoyed the perfect balance between the historical aspects of the Roaring Twenties, and the fictional descriptions of the girls and their stories. Each of the girls have their own adventure, and the method of changing the focus of each girl for every chapter helps to keep the reader focused and intent on the ever-changing storyline. I would recommend this book to any girl who loves historical fiction and enjoys following the lives of girls their own age.

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

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet is a troubled girl who follows her fraudulent medium mother around London city selling phony s￩ances. When Violet and her mother are invited to a country house for a series of seances, Violet finds that she can actually see and talk to ghosts and is pulled into a murder mystery of the sister of one of the guests. When Violet s mother gets discovered, Violet must step up and replace her. On top of all that, Violet has fallen for her long time companion, Colin. Can Violet hold seances, solve a murder, help a ghost find peace and take control of her love for Colin?
Haunting Violet is a story that has you on the edge of your seat. It s a story with romance, mystery and the super-natural. I liked the book a lot, it s the kind of book that keeps you up all night reading. There was a bit of violence but nothing terribly gruesome. I frankly think there was a little bit too much going on at some parts, it was a bit confusing, but otherwise the characters were very authentic for the time period that the story was set in, and I really like the plot. I think all readers will enjoy Haunting Violet.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: UKIAH, CA United States

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

When Kate and her crush, Aaron, find clue after clue that some type of drug is affecting the football team, they work together to uncover the truth. Coming to the conclusion that the football coach is giving most of his team steroids, Kate tries to come up with a cure. In the mean time, students are disappearing, loosing limbs, and becoming flesh-eating zombies. Unfortunately, no one knows how to stop it, until Kate realizes she has been bitten but there is no side effects. Her seizure medicine prevented her from turning into a zombie. Kate creates what she thinks is the cure and Aaron helps her devise a plan to inject it into the effected students. Will they be able to save the effected population or is it too late?
I though this book was very interesting. It kept me wanting to keep reading on to see what happens; I hardly set the book down. Carrie Harris used a lot of detail and desciptive writing styles that keep you entertained. Also, the characters seemed very real to life and I felt I could relate myself to them. I would recommend this book to any teen that likes an action novel with suspense and a little bit of romance.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio 45324