Blood Sacrifice

Blood Sacrifice is a fantasy about vampires, fae, and shape shifters.  Kiera Kelly has accepted Challenge from her former lover Gideon and may lose her land because of it. Everybody involved in Challenge has to leave the land, but while they’re gone strange things are happening. The land is being vandalized, and Minerva Kelly, the clan’s leader has gone missing. Will they find her, and save their land or will Gideon take over?

This book is definitely for mature fantasy readers. I loved Kiera Kelly, she was funny and it was really easy to get into her character. Although I enjoyed reading this book, I didn’t like the ending. I was left confused and wondering what happened. I thought there could have been more of a clear explanation. It still is a book that I would recommend.
language and sexual content
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio US

Night Mare in the Hamptons

Summary: Night Mare in the Hamptons is the second installment of the Willow Tate series written by Celia Jerome. After first dealing with a ten-foot-tall red troll, Willow has another problem on her hands. Not only does the whole town expect her to take care of three enchanted mares that are running amuck, but she also has to work with a cocky horse-whisperer along the way. At least she'll have the help of the uniquely talented locals, or more accurately, psychic, talented locals. It looks like graphic novelist Willow Tate has a lot on her hands.

Opinion: This is a book that I would read once, but it isn't really one that I would reread. The writing style isn’t one that I enjoy, but the idea of the story was what kept me reading. The subject of the book was interesting and very creative. I felt like Willow and Ty contradicted themselves a lot, so you can't get a very good read on what their personalities were. All the other characters had solid personalities, and they didn't waver on who they were. The writer gave great detail about everything, but I don’t enjoy this; I don't need to know what every surrounding town is like and where everything is.  Some people may like the book more because of this, but it was the part I had the most problem with.   I did like the humorous writing style of the author, it had me laughing out load at times, and made me smile.

Content:3  The reason I gave this book a 3 on the age content, is that during some parts of the book there were sexual themes. Anyone that reads this book should be on a mature level, if they aren't, they should put this book back.
5
Katie Campbell_IVMS
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

The Girl in the Mirror

The Girl in the Mirror is about a girl named Lizzie. She is adopted and is searching for her birth parents. Something dramatic happens near the time she graduates; her adoptive father dies. She goes through a tough time, and she does not handle it well. She ends up hanging out with the wrong crowd and starts drinking.

The book was good, but it was not as dramatic or suspenseful as I had expected it to be.  Lizzie doesn’t get seem to experience a real crisis. There was an issue, but it wasn’t a huge problem, so it didn’t always hold my attention.  A lot of the time I had to reread the last page because it jumped and didn’t really flow as to what was happening on the page before. It was an okay read and  I liked the story behind it. I just thought it could have been a little more interesting and suspenseful.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio North America

The Girl Behind The Glass by Jane Kelley

Twins, Hannah and Anna were best friends, until they moved to the house on Hemlock Road, which tears their whole family apart. Is the house they’re living in temporarily haunted, or is Hannah just going crazy? Is there really a ghost haunting their house, or is it just former resident Ruth who died as a little girl in their attic? Whoever....or whatever it is seems to be talking to Hannah. Do her parents really think she’s crazy? Or do they believe her? Find out in this haunted story, The Girl Behind the Glass.

Throughout the whole book, I actually felt like I was there experiencing everything the characters were. I think the author did a great job describing everything, and getting the reader more sucked into the book, I know I was, waiting to read the next page and get more and more into the book. I thought she did a really good job with that part. It wasn’t a horror book, but it was the sort of book that had mystery and horror in a perfect combination. The author did a really nice job with the book.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Skokie , Illinois USA

A Million Suns by Beth Revins

It's been three months since Amy was awoken from her cryogenically frozen chamber and found herself on the spaceship Godspeed traveling to a new planet. It was tough transitioning to a world where there are always four walls surrounding her, but she had Elder to help her. However, now that Eldest is dead, Elder has become the leader of Godspeed. While he is dealing with imminent rebellion of the crew, Amy is sent on a hunt to unlock the secrets of Godspeed....before it's too late.

I haven't read much science fiction but I really enjoyed Across the Universe, the predecessor to A Million Suns, when I first read it. I was very excited to get my hands on the sequel, and I'm happy to say that A Million Suns did not disappoint. The story picks up right where Across the Universe left off, and even though many things were revealed at the end of that novel, there are still more secrets to be uncovered in A Million Suns. I liked watching Amy hunt for clues and thought it was a very interesting way for Amy to discover new information about Godspeed. On Elder's side, he is dealing with mutiny from the crew, who want a more equal form of government. While I understood the complaints of the crew, when reading from Elder's point-of-view, it's easy to sympathize with him. Even though he was not voted to be the leader, he still has the citizens' best interests at heart. A Million Suns was a great continuation of this trilogy, and I can't wait to read the conclusion because this book left off with a huge cliffhanger.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Color Struck by Pamela and Joel Tuck

Racial conflicts have torn families apart for centuries, whether it is as far back as the Civil War or Martin Luther King Jr.’s Civil Rights Movement. Color Struck by Pamela and Joel Tuck demonstrates the effects of prejudice in the Steele family, a problem in fifteen-year-old Renee Steele’s life to a problem color once caused for her grandmother. Renee loves her two older cousins, but as they grow older, they seem to bicker more and more. Pat, proud of her African heritage, is fed up with Cherie’s light-skinned friends and near abandonment of their culture, accusing her of thinking white people were better than they are. Cherie thinks Pat simply refuses to apply herself to her full potential. Poor Renee is caught in the middle, and she turns to their grandmother for help.


Grandma Bell is one of a kind. She is brave and loving and kind and firm. However, she didn’t get that way by accident. She had a hard time in the beginning of her marriage, the effect of her dark skin among prejudiced in-laws. Throughout the book, she tells Pat, Renee, and Cherie all about how she met their grandfather, and how she came to live with him and his parents, who hadn’t exactly taken a liking to her. In fact, they went out of their way to make things difficult. Yet Bell persevered, raising several fine children and even reaching a surprising status with her husband’s troublesome in-laws.

Color Struck was definitely an enjoyable read. Grandma Bell’s old-fashioned pluckiness makes her the most likeable character in the book, and her courage in the face of bigotry sets an example for people in a tight spot everywhere. The reader will feel like they have sat down next to their own grandmother as she recounts her younger years, instilling an almost nostalgic feeling in them, longing for their own story times with loved ones. Renee, on the other hand, felt like a bit of a weak character. She didn’t have anything to contribute to the stories and couldn’t help her cousins, nor did she have an opinion in their fight, altogether coming off wishy-washy. The other characters were also decent, though I must admit that I developed a certain fondness for Pat as well as Bell’s sister Hattie, both young girls set in their ways and daring enough to carry out elaborate plans.

The writing of the book was pleasant, although the dialect spoken by the characters was hard to follow at first. The modern day chapters seemed a lackluster, but the twists and turns of the story told by Grandma Bell made up for them in the long run. Grandma Bell’s descriptions of her life with her sisters in her younger years and of how she dealt with her thorny in-laws were particular bright spots. The in-laws were also formidable antagonists, not people one wants to meet, making it all the more impressive for Bell to deal with them so patiently. Over all, it was a nice read, nothing to rant about, but definitely a book that someone interested in historical fiction, or even just the simple triumphs of a human being, should pick up.

Content Rating: 1


Rating: 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Locust Valley, New York The United States of America

Out of Breath by Blair Richmond

Out of Breath is a thrilling mystery book about a young woman named Katherine. She is a very talented competitive runner but had her foot crushed in a car accident in her senior year of high school. She recovered but lost her chance of scholarships. She runs away to her hometown of Lithia, a picturesque small town. She meets a caring couple that allows her to stay with them and as her stay goes on, she meets new people and starts learning about the darker side of this sunny town. Richmond has blended elements of adventure, romance, mystery, and horror beautifully through her vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue. I believe that Richmond definitely achieved her purpose because the writing was very realistic and descriptive. I was snatched out of my bedroom and into the story. Her writing is effective because it flows very naturally. The vocabulary was age-appropriate; I never had to stop and figure out what a word meant, nor did I feel like I had to turn my brain off in order to get through it.

This book's advantage is in the delicacy and clarity of its writing. One weakness I did find was that the plot seemed a bit predictable. I don't think this book could be the next Harry Potter because there's no real surprise. The major plot twists and climaxes in the story are heavily hinted at beforehand, which I felt was unnecessary for a teenage audience; surely we can figure it out ourselves. Other than this unfortunate detail, the book was very strong overall. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun read; perhaps a stress-reliever or a comfortable, curl-up-by-the-fire and read book. This is because it is very smooth as far as flow goes, and the predictability of the plot may annoy those readers who are looking for something deeper or more mentally challenging, those who want to think hard to solve the mystery.

Rating: 8
Content Rating: 1
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Columbus, Indiana United States

Sister Mischief by Laura Goode

Sister Mischief, by Laura Goode, tells the tale of a quirky all-girl hip-hop crew in the Twin Cities. The four girls are each struggling to find their own identities; Esme's the lesbian lyricist, Marcy's the violent drum-line captain, Tess is the power vocalist and former church enthusiast, and Rowie is the beautiful, brilliant chorus-writer, but who are they really? The girls stick together as they discover their places in the chaos that is high school life. When the school makes an outrageous new rule that goes against what they believe in, the crew steps up to cause a scene in the school and show the world how educational hip-hop can be. Before long, their crew, Sister Mischief, is causing a stir in Holyhill High School in a way that only they could ever do.Though at first I was hesitant to read this book, I ended up really liking it. Each of the four main characters seems very realistic and is faced by real-life situations that high-schoolers face. The narrator, Esme, is amusing and engaging. The book was definitely a page-turner: it's not a challenging read, and I found myself finishing the 367-page novel in 2 days. Some mature themes are involved in the storyline, including sex, relationships, partying, swearing, and the uncertainty of sexual orientation. Teens who are uncomfortable reading such themes should avoid this book, but mature readers should find it a very entertaining read.
The book includes some mature themes such as sex, swearing, partying, drinking, and sexual orientation.
Rating: 8
Content: 3
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Columbus, IN USA

Destined by P.C. Cast

Zoey Redbird has just gotten home to Tulsa with her Warrior, Stark, by her side.  Rephaim and Stevie Rae can finally be together now that Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim and he has agreed to walk the path of the Goddess, Nyx. Everything seems perfect, right? Zoey soon learns that things are worse than she thought as Darkness begins to threaten their beloved school, House of Night. Soon Light and Dark collide in an epic battle, and Zoey must prepare to fight Neferet once again. Kalona, Rephaim s father, is relentless to stop him from following the path of Light. Is Zoey prepared to fight Neferet again? Will Rephaim be able to stay on the path of Light? And can true love find the Light when challenged by Darkness? Find out in the breath-taking next novel of the House of Night.

This book is the ninth book in the House of Night series, I would recommend reading the eight books that came before this book because there is not a lot of explanation about the past events. This book was well written and was very interesting to read because there weren't any dull moments.  This book was told through different characters' points of view which made the book interesting and action packed, but could be confusing to some readers. I would recommend this series for anyone who likes fantasy novels.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chittenden, Vermont United States of America

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall

Lupita is a teenage girl who moved to the U.S. from Mexico.  She is certain she can handle anything, but when she leans her mother has cancer, she is devastated.  Her only consolation is writing poetry under a mesquite tree which has sprung up in her mother's rose garden.  She also tries to battle her feelings by joining the school's drama club.  Finally, Lupita's mother and father go to Texas so her mother can get chemo treatments, leaving Lupita behind to care for her siblings.  Eventually, they are forced to live off the charity of their neighbors.  Lupita struggles on, but her determination may not be enough...

Wow.  I don't know what else to say.  This book was...beautiful.  Lupita's life was a nightmare, but she was persistent, ever hopeful.  I don't know how.  This book conveyed such strong emotions.  Parts of it were so sad, I almost cried.  I can hardly describe this book because it had such strong feelings in the writing.  It had too much feeling to put into words.  Under the Mesquite is definitely one of the best book's I've ever read.  This book is a gift to the world of literature. 

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA