Artemis Rising by Cheri Lasota

The book Artemis Rising is centered around a young pagan girl. The story takes place between 1600 and 1800 AD. Then most people were Catholic and those who weren't were considered wrong and a disgrace, never to be associated with. In the new land, Arethusa and her mother were suspected pagans who believed in the Greek god Artemis. Arethusa's father was Catholic and constantly beat up on his wife. When he discovered proof of their beliefs, he decided to take his wife and Arethusa back to their homeland. On the way there Arethusa and her mother completed a ritual bonding Arethusa to the evil Diogo, the ship captain’s son. She is washed ashore, unable to physically utter a word or remember anything after the ritual, and meets a handsome young man. She is quickly torn between two evils, turning her back on her beliefs for the one she loves, or living unhappily for rest of her life with the one chosen for her by unseen forces. In this book by Cheri Lasota, two worlds, beliefs and stories combine causing chaos in one girl’s life. Who will she choose?

I thoroughly enjoyed the book Artemis Rising. It was well written and entertaining. I couldn't put my laptop down or read it fast enough. I felt the despair, hope and longing that was described so vividly right along with the main character. I could close my eyes and picture the landscape and the people without even trying. It had a sense of seriousness and heart throughout showing Arethusa's determination to stick to her beliefs no matter what anyone said. It was a great book that didn't feel like it was written specifically for one gender. I think men and boys will enjoy it just as much as woman and girls! I have and will continue to recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Cheri Lasota.

There are a few references to religion, violence, and culture. Parents may want to approve first.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Glendale, AZ United States

My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin

In this book My Beating Teenage Heart a girl is trapped in an unfamiliar place of darkness, with no memories or meaning. All she knows is her name, Ashlyn. Then she stumbles upon Breckon, a teenager torn apart by the loss of his younger sister. While Breckon fights to forget and rid himself of his life, Ashlyn is struggling to gain hers back. As she watches him, she realizes she may be able to help him forgive himself for what happened to his sister. Working behind the scenes of his life, Ashlyn tries to bring back peace to Breckon's life while remembering her own. 

This book is different and written in a new and upbeat style. I could connect it to other books I have read without it being the same story line. I liked how the characters transformed in the book and the plot was continually moving. All of the characters were well developed and fit together to make this book a success. The writing and plot reminded me of Sarah Dessen's writing. I would recommend this book to teen girls who enjoy dramatic fiction.

There was some sexual content in this book.

Reviewer Age:14

Hot And Steamy by Jean Rabe and Martin H Greenberg

Hot and Steamy is a book full of little stories, all of steampunk romance. All of the stories take place in the Victorian era. All of the stories are love stories. Of course, what else did you expect? But, there is more than just love in these stories, there are intrigue, danger, pyrotechnics, and plenty of gadgets. The stories have varying settings and plots.

My personal opinion, on this book is not pretty. I rarely run into a book that I do not like, but this was one of them. A lot of the stories were confusing, and too in depth, and by the end of them you're left standing there going, HUH?! The stories were almost too old, a little dreary, for teens. This would be a very good adult book, but I think many teens will agree with me, that this isn't a very good teen book.


Rating: 2
Content: 1
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Silver Spring, Maryland USA

Recruited

Recruited
Suzanne Weyn

Kadeem Jones is the star quarterback at southside. When he begins his senior season, he starts getting attention from college scouts. When Teller University, a top football program, recruits him, he gains attention from the cheerleaders and even gets money from a recruiter. Then he slips up and tells a rival recruiter of his times at Teller. It turns out those good times were actually violations. So now Kadeem has to chose between helping an NCAA investigation or playing at Teller.

This book was a great book; it shows what happens today in major college sports. The main character in this book has to make an important decision:  whether to tell the truth or not, to go play at Teller with all the illegal benefits, or to risk not playing at all. I believe the author used appropriate language and achieved her purpose, showing how the difficult choices are sometimes the better. I think this book was similar to the other sports books I have read. I would recommend  this book to anyone who likes to read sports books.
7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

Wherever You Go

Wherever You Go
Heather Davis

Lonely and lost. No other words can better describe Holly Mullen after the loss of her boyfriend Rob in a tragic accident. However, its been a few months, and Holly needs to move on. Although,  how can she forget the only boy she has ever loved? Meanwhile, her Alzheimers-stricken grandfather, Aldo, has come to live with Holly, her mother, and her little sister.

Holly’s  mother works two full time jobs; Holly is left to care for her grandfather and her little sister. Due to his disease, it is normal for Aldo to have hallucinations. But what happens when he begins to see the ghost of Holly’s boyfriend Rob, who has not yet crossed into the light? And what will Robs ghost think of Jason, ( Rob’s best friend when he was living)  trying to get close to Holly? Wherever You Go is book filled with romance, haunting stories of the past, and finding the strength to move on.
I really did enjoy the book Where You Go. The love triangle and connection between Rob, Jason, and Holly made the book hard to put down. I never knew what would really happen at the end of the book, due to the constant love triangle between the three. I felt Holly was a great character, mainly because her way of life is much different then Rob’s and Jason’s, so she gave you another form of living in the story. The romance between Holly and Jason also made the book interesting to read. Since they are both fighting to get over Rob’s death, I felt the connection between them was even stronger and that formed a great plot.
Even though I liked a lot of things about this book, it did take me awhile to get through it, due to a slow beginning, but it was worth getting beyond that. If you like stories of romance, love triangles, family, and ghosts, Wherever You Go by Heather Davis is a great read for you.
7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio USA

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow by Katy Towell

Nothing has ever been the same since the Storm arrived in Widowsbury.  Anything odd or weird is seen as dangerous to the villagers; even scary children like Adelaide Foss, Maggie Borland, and Beatrice Alfred. They are three girls that attend Madame Gertrude s School For Girls, and they are harassed because of their special talents. Adelaide has traits of a werewolf, Maggie is super strong, and Beatrice claims to see and talk to ghosts. Some of the townspeople begin to disappear, and the girls want to get to the bottom of this mystery when their new friend disappears as well. With the help of the cook's son,  the girls try to figure out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Will they be able to get everyone back, or will Widowsbury become a ghost town?

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow is a novel by Katy Towell. A little slow at first, Skary Childrin gradually steals your heart as more and more people get taken away. The characters and their stories are amazing. I love how the pieces all clicked together at the end of the story. The characters were fantastic, and I think that the world needs more heroes and heroines like Adelaide, Maggie, Stephen, and Beatrice. Even though it is doubtful, I hope to see a sequel to these books with the eventual ending of the Widowsbury curse. I recommend this book to all ages, especially those who like skary stories.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Cracking the Ice by Dave Hendrickson

Cracking the Ice is about a black, smart, teen boy who has a passion for hockey. In 1968, the civil rights era, Jessie Stackhouse is given a scholarship to go and play at a private, all white, and all boys school in New Hampshire. Jessie has to leave behind all the things he loves in order to fulfill his hockey dreams.  Jessie knows he will have to face many racist people. Jessie is surprised when he finds out that he is in much danger, and his team and coach despises him purely for the color of his skin.

I enjoyed this book because of the suspense. Every event was always interesting. Hendrickson kept me intrigued into this book.  I never wanted to shut the front cover. Another reason is the way Hendrickson writes. The narrator in this book is half Jessie and half Hendrickson. You can hear the thoughts going on in Jessie s head, but then you hear things that Jessie hasn' t even heard yet. This book really touched me. It really showed me how hard it was to live in that era, and the danger that they lived in.  One thing that I disliked was that fact that Hendrickson took the violence a little too far in the book. By doing this Hendrickson disallowed younger children to read this masterpiece.
I rated this book a three, because the violence. In one point of the book, they try to kill a boy. There is also use of alcohol in the book. There are terms used in this book that are not appropriate for younger kids, and there are racist terms.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States of America

Trance by Kelly Meding

Trance is a generally enjoyable book about a girl named Theresa, who inherits superhero powers and is fighting an invisible threat, a supervillan on the loose. Meanwhile she has to figure out her feelings for an old friend, who she has just been reunited with. Teresa is trying to figure out where her place is in her world. After she has been bouncing from one dead end job to another, and getting into a fair amount of trouble. It takes place in Los Angeles, California.
I think this book was interesting, especially since it's mostly action, with some romance. But, the beginning was a little confusing. At first I thought it was a sequel! There were too many new characters, while there was a lot of action, so it was a little to much to grasp all at once.  But after the first chapter, I  couldn't wait to finish the book. Once I got to the end, I was plesantly suprised by the way things turned out. Also I think the book needed a little mire humor, it seemed a little dull at times, and some humor would spice it up. The characters seemed well- rounded. But, a warning, this book has some sexual content. All in all I liked this book, and would reccomend it to others.
There is a sex scene in this book
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States

Scored by Lauren McLaughlin

Scored is set in a world where every kid is continually watched by cameras and scored according to their actions. Any kid who gets a high score is guaranteed a college education and a good job. However, a low score ruins any hope of a successful life. Imani is tested when her best friend's score drops suddenly and she has to choose between her future or her best friend. Imani's high score of ninety is in jeopardy. If the cameras catches her with her low scoring friend, Imani's score could drop considerably. What will she choose?

Scored is an interesting science fiction novel that has an original plot that I guarantee you have never considered. The choice between doing what feels right and what everyone says is right is very complicated and occasionally hard to follow. What makes this story so interesting is that I can actually imagine this happening. For example, an employer could say,"Hey we could hire people easier if we could watch them all the time." The novel's unique story line is fascinating and the writing competent.

There are some inappropriate actions surrounding her friends sudden plummeting score that may make this book difficult for younger readers.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Holland, Michigan USA

Vamparazzi by Laura Resnick

All Esther wants to do is be an actor. So an off-Broadway play is perfect for her, right? However playing the damsel in distress in "The Vampyre" may do her more harm then good. She must: work with an actor who claims he is a real vampire, crazed fans, and paparazzi. Then one of the fans turns up dead; all the blood was sucked out of her. When one of her fellow actors becomes lead suspect in the murder, she is determined to help. Even if it means putting her own neck on the line.
I found this book to be pretty boring. The plot contained developed characters, but the author used too much detail and I couldn't really relate to the characters. It is a definite twist from other Vampire romance novels, but is not a thrilling read like I would have expected. This was not a book that moved me or got me involved in the plot.
This book contains profanity and violence.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Coconut Creek, Florida U.S.A