Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Try Not To Breathe is a psychological-thriller-love story.  Sixteen-year-old Ryan has just graduated from a mental hospital when he meets Nicki, a girl with a bubbling personality who appreciates Ryan for what he really is.  But Nicki has a dreadful past.  Is Ryan getting into more than he bargained for?  And what's up with Val?  But underlying the entire story is a...waterfall.

Try Not To Breathe is an extraordinary story.  It's one of those stories that really speaks to your soul.  It is one of those books where you don't go to sleep, you just lie there thinking about it even after you finished reading it.  The characters are very well developed, as was the plot and setting. A masterfully crafted book.  This is a book that every well-read teen will enjoy.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Silver Spring, Maryland USA

The Taste of Snow by Stephen V. Masse

When a young girl named Nicole is sold a magic candy cane, everything changes. Whether good or bad, magic is in the air. When bad things overtake good things, Nicole finds herself depressed. Before she can return the candy cane, she finds what is really important and learns an important lesson. Nicole learns that things could have been worse. Much worse. She also learns that magic is everywhere, even if it doesn' t seem like it.
This book was amazing. I felt like I was drawn into the story. The main character, Nicole, was so strongly developed that I felt like I really got to know her. The descriptions of the events and scenes were powerful and detailed making me feel like I was a part of the experience. I couldn' t stop reading. Anyone who enjoys magic, mystery, action, adventure, and culture should read this book. This author definitely deserves a round of applause.



Reviewer Age:9
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, North Carlina United States

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

It all began years ago, when Eragon, a young farmer, stumbled across a polished blue stone in the Spine. Upon returning to his house, he realize that the stone was in fact an egg; inside was a baby dragon. Now, many adventures and 3 books later, Eragon has evolved into an accomplished dragon rider who is pledged to the cause of the Varden, and organization dedicated to the overthrow of the tyrannical ruler Galbatorix. Yet, as strong, focused, and determined Eragon has become, he readily acknowledges the monumental task ahead of him is almost impossible. With his hope waning, and his army in shambles, Eragon will have to find the motivation to step out of his comfort zone, and to readily accept everything that the god-like Galbatorix has to throw at him. But will Eragon prevail, or will his whole existence and purpose be squashed under the immense power of his enemies?

Christopher Paolini's powerful conclusion his "Eragon" series dynamically displayed the inner struggles of Eragon as a character, and helped to solidify Eragon as a realistic identity. Eragon's personal battle with love, heartbreak, and hopelessness enables me to understand why he acts and feels like he does, and also gives insight into the author's effectiveness as a writer. Eragon, with his profound love for the character Arya, battles to suppress his feelings of love which, contrary to what Eragon believes, need to be shared. Such inner conflict brings Eragon to life and helps the reader appreciate him as a person, and not as a fictional character. In addition, the feelings of helplessness that Eragon feels concerning the impossibility of his lofty goals and expectations humbles him, and makes him more human than not.

The country of Alagaesia, which serves as the setting for "Inheritance", is perhaps the most elaborate and convincing I have ever encountered. The intricate complexities woven into the background of the many scenes help to not only give the reader an idea of the context of the story, but also help to firmly place the reader inside the book itself. Such an authentic setting only serves to augment the characters and ideas so thoughtfully exhibited in "Inheritance," and enables the reader to examine the deeper themes without having to pause to collect his or her bearings.

Christopher Paolini, author of "Inheritance," successfully conceived a gripping novel that very well can be considered the best of the series. While reading the novel, I was fascinated by the unexpected twists and turns of the plot, and I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next. It is this intense anticipation that leads me to believe that this is, so far, Christopher Paolini's greatest work. The prose of the novel was dynamic, thoroughly explaining many aspects of the story, while also leaving the reader to draw his or her own conclusions for some of the more mysterious ones. Perhaps the only weakness of the book was the numerous loose ends left untied; after the conclusion of the novel I was left wondering about many issues that were not completely addressed and resolved. However, in his acknowledgments, Paolini hints this will not be the last we will hear of Alagaesia, and that hopefully some of the mysteries left unsolved by "Inheritance" will be resolved. On account of the formidable characters and settings in the book, I would most definitely recommend "Inheritance" to others, and found the novel to be very memorable and distinct.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, Maryland United States

Element Keepers

Rhet, a dockworker in the land of Seatra, and his friend Peteal are mysteriously taken away from their home one day by nine magical strangers called Y'dah with the ability to weave and control the wind. According to prophecy, Rhet possesses an unimaginable power strong enough to destroy the world. Locked up and treated as a prisoner, he does not understand where he is or why he was taken from Seatra.  When one young Y'dah named Soralin discovers a hidden passage of the prophecy that explained Rhet's capture, she learns that his powers will save the world, not destroy it.  Using her wind-weaving abilities, the two flee and travel across the land and discover Rhet's true talents, while meeting some familiar faces along the way.  Will Rhet and his friends be able to stand up against true evil?

This book was very enjoyable to read.  I was hooked from the very first page.  The storyline is suspenseful and easy to follow while being told from different perspectives.  The characters are interesting and relatable.  I found myself liking Peteal the most and his struggle from slave to ruler.  The relationship between Rhet and Soralin is sweet and also a focal point in the book that I loved.  The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending, which was abrupt and left me hanging.  I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes romance, suspense, or fantasy.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Torrington, CT United States

Borrowing Abby Grace (eBook) by Kelly Green

Borrowing Abby Grace by Kelly Green. When Abby Grace wakes up, she is in the back of a moving van driven by two men wearing ski masks. She can’t remember anything, including her own name. After escaping from the kidnappers, she is returned to a home she doesn’t remember full of things and a father she doesn’t know. While standing in her unfamiliar room, she is approached by a boy named Will. He tells her she is a Shadow. She is inhabiting the body of a girl named Brooke and she has some sort of mission. If Abby doesn’t figure out what her mission is and complete it in time, she will be stuck in Brooke’s body forever.
This novella is not even fifty pages. The writing is mediocre. It falls under the heading of most teenage girl fluff novels. It’s not something I would recommend to a friend simply because it has no substance to it. It is too short to become attached to any of the characters or the story, and the writing is neither compelling nor exciting. The story line is average and not that interesting.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: New York, NY United States

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