Private Cathay's Secret by Rebecca O. Hayes

The historical fiction book Private Cathay s Secret by Rebecca O. Hayes, is a
mind-blowing novel that you will love. In the novel, soldiers took a slave girl, Cathay, to be their cook. She traveled many places with her cousin, Jasper, who was also a slave, and the soldiers, and along the way, she learned how to cook better. When she was able to finally be free, and not a slave, she was lonely and didn t know what to do with herself. She then decided to join the army as a man. It was a hard task not being caught, but she pulled it off. In this novel, you will read of all the different places she went and what she went through on the way. Private Cathay s Secret is a fast, easy read that you will enjoy.

I thought the book was an amazing book because seriously, how would you be able to join an army as a man and not get caught. It also taught me that you can accomplish anything in life, even if it s from joining the army, to working at Walmart. I think Rebecca O. Hayes did a really nice job with writing this book, and getting the right idea of it. She stepped into Cathay s shoes and expressed what Cathay would feel, think, and even say. Private Cathay s Secret was a really good novel.

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

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Life is confusing for Wendy Everly. She doesn’t know why, but she feels as if she doesn’t belong --- not just at school, but at home, too. When her mother accuses her of being a monster, Wendy believes her to be insane. The police agree with her, and her mother is shipped off to an asylum. Ten years later, Wendy finds out a startling discovery: Her mother was right. Wendy isn’t human at all; she’s a monster.

A good author will make the reader feel something, ANYTHING, for the main character of the book. I felt nothing for Wendy. The only time I felt anything for her was in the Prologue! By the end of the book, I didn’t care if she ever saw the light of day again. Why? Because I couldn’t relate to Wendy. She would obsess over stupid things, blowing them way out of proportion. Her obsession with Finn was downright ridiculous. She complained about every little thing that happened to her. Overall, I found her to be very bland, obsessive, and depressing. She was a disappointing main character.

Though the back cover of this book promises excitement, magic, and new worlds; the only thing this book produces are long, boring, and drama-filled events with hardly any magic in them at all. There is no new world, it’s an exact replica of our world.

The only reason I rated this book so high was because of the amazing short story in the back of the book. I adored it. The characters were three-dimensional, believable, and realistic. In these 5 short chapters, the characters came to life. I was sucked into this short story, feeling compassion, heartbreak, and sorrow along with the characters. I was hoping and praying they’d survive to see another day. Too bad the main book wasn’t as enjoyable.

There are multiple scenes with cursing (including a couple f-bombs) and a bit of innuendo. There are quite a few scenes with sexual and suggestive elements as well.

Content: 2
Rating: 3
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, California USA

The Mirror of N'de by L.K. Malone

Hadlay Mivana and her people, the Ramash, have lived their entire lives as slaves or beggars, unlike the haughty Oresed. Hadlay wants nothing more than to help her people. When Hadlay becomes an Initiate at 13, the long lost Emperor and his son return to the city of Turris. Hadlay is hired as a servant in the Tower, the residence of the Emperor. Things are looking up for Hadlay until she finds that the Emperor is not what he seems. Hadlay then finds herself in the middle of a plot to destroy her people. Fortunately for the Ramash, Hadlay isn't about to let that happen.

This book was a bit like a roller coaster ride. It kept changing the way it felt. It started out rather slow, not exactly boring, just slow. Then it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when Hadlay's living conditions improved. Awhile after that it got a little creepy when the danger increased. It certainly kept me enthralled, though. Hadlay is very easy to relate to, so you really feel the emotions of her character. The plot was complicated enough that you didn't see everything coming, but not so complicated that you got confused. If you look for them, you (at least I) can find some parallels to the Bible. I feel glad I got to review it, and recommend it to any teen fantasy reader.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell, IA USA

Butterflies (eBook)

Author: Susanne Gervay

Summary: Katherine has always wished to look normal. When she was very young she was severely burned. She wishes she could wear her hair up and be a competitive swimmer. While struggling to look normal, Katherine falls for William, a boy from her school, who she hopes will look past her scars and love her the way she is. With help from her mother, her best friend Jessie, and her sister Rachel, she might just get what she wants.
Opinion: I thought this was an excellent book about knowing who you are, and that people will always love you. I really felt the emotion in this book that Katherine felt. When she burned, I burned. When she cried, I cried. When she was happy, I was happy. Butterflies has taught me an amazing lesson about always staying true to who you are.

Content:1


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, Ohio United States

The Sleepwalkers

Summary: The Sleepwalkers, by J. Gabriel Gates, is about rich, popular, Caleb Mason. Born in Hudsonville, Florida, he moved to Malibu at the age of 7 after his parent's divorce. On the night of his graduation, Caleb gets a strange letter in the mail. Christine, his childhood friend from Florida, had sent him a plea for help. Their old home town has been plagued by disappearances of children and the old insane asylum has been re-opened. Christine has been trapped in the building. Caleb and his best friend, Bean, set off to save her.
Opinion: Sleepwalkers was an overall captivating book and is a very quick read. The author uses choice language to instill a sense of horror into the whole book, making the pages seem to fly by. It was scary, but not in the usual sense. Instead of just continuous events, the author adds some mystery to the book by leaving you wondering about what is happening. The characters are believable, likable, and easy to relate to. I liked this book a lot and would recommend it to older teens because of some mature themes.

Content:3
Mature themes

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH United States

Off Track

Book Title: Off Track
Author: Michael J. Hultquist
ISBN: 192691225X
Summary: Off Track By: Michael Hultquist The whole storyline for this book revolved around one child, one abused child with a drunken mess of a father and a mother who can’t stand up to her husband. The boy, Gary Sanderson, decides to stand up for her by taking him out permanently. He is then is quickly carted off to Radcliffe, a juvenile delinquent facility for boys. He had been there since he was twelve years old, now at age sixteen, he has a choice: to start over with foster parent, or to wait another two years in that horrid place and leave on his own. He chooses the easy way out. So now he is in Winsbury, Illinois, and for a while everything is starting to look better, he has his own job, has no problems with schoolwork, and only some minor setbacks with his foster dad. Most is well and when something bad happens, it always ends up getting better. But one day his world spins out of control when his love tells him something no one ever wants to hear and wants him to stop it, forever. All of this could have been avoided if he just stayed in Radcliffe but now he has gone and made the choice to come to Winsbury and he’s going to follow through with his choices whether good or bad, even if he goes Off Track.
Opinion: This story in particular may not look like the average read. But once you open it up, Off Track unleashes a world of excitement and fear. This book had me in a trance. When I put the book down to eat, or do something else for that matter, I found something in the back of my mind tugging at me to read more. This book is definitely worth a reread. It relates to the problems of a teenager with parties, friends, fights, and the worst of them all, romance.

Content:3
I gave this book a content rating of three because of the sexual content and also because of the violence between the characters.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, Ohio United States of America

R My Name is Rachel

I read R Is For Rachel by Patricia Giff. The book is about a girl named Rachel who has lived in the city all her life . Because of the depression, her dad loses his job. Rachel's mom has died so when her dad finds out about a possible job in the country the whole family has to move so he can try to get the job. The family does not want to move away from their good friend Miss Mitzi . Miss Mitzi spends a lot of time with Rachel teaching her important things about life. The house they move to in the country has holes in the roof and needs repairs. Because of a snow storm Rachel's dad doesn't get the job he thought he would get. The family doesn't have much money and has no way to pay their rent. In order to make money Rachel's dad has to leave his children alone while he takes a job far away. The children have to make many decisions while their father is away. All during this time Rachel continues to write to Miss Mitzi.

R My Name is Rachel is a historical fiction book set during the Great Depression. My favorite part is when Rachel sneaks into the school house and takes some books. Miss Mitzi helps Rachel realize she should return the books and talk to the teacher about what she did. I like the characters because they are realistic. They act like a normal family with the kids fighting with each other but helping each other too. Another part I really liked was when Pop and Miss Mitzi decide to get married. I think anyone who reads this book will love it.

Reviewer Age:8

Reviewer City, State and Country: Jackson, Missouri USA

Hattori Hachi: The Revenge of the Praying Mantis

Hattori Hachi: The Revenge of the Praying Mantis
     Recently, I ve read the action-packed novel,
Hattori Hachi: The Revenge of the Praying Mantis, the
first installment of the Hattori Hachi trilogy and first
novel of its author, Jane Prowse.  Hattie Jackson (also
known as Hattori Hachi) is just a normal fifteen year old
adolescent with a slightly jumpy, cautious mother who
spends her spare time training Hattie to defend herself
against others.  The training?  A secret signal, mock
sparring, and submerging herself under their apartment
complex s lake, for instance.  Hattie, having grown up with
this odd ritual that always unexplainably is kept hidden
from her dad, believes this practice to just be of her
mother s insecurities from her troubled childhood-- until
her mother mysteriously disappears.  Traces of blood and
signs of struggle are found in the area where her mother
was reported to have been last seen.  Grieving and
troubled, Hattie is determined to get to the bottom of her
mother s disappearance.  That is, until her apartment s old
washerwoman (who turns out not to be so old after all)
reveals to Hattie her mother s true story; her role as the
last surviving descendant of the most powerful Ninjustu
family of all Japan that has dated back for thousands of
years.  Quite enough for a fifteen years old s mind to
consume, right?  Not yet.  There s more.  The quiet
laundress, Yazuchi, also informs Hattie that she is the
Golden Child, the heir to all the Hattori Ninjustu pride,
and that the Kataki, (an evil band of Ninjustu warriors
who also abducted her mother) are determined to kill her.
  You must.  You are last in line.  You are Hattori
Hachi: Golden Child.
 With this dreadful responsibility now keeping her
grounded, Hattie and her friend, the notorious juvenile
delinquent, Mad Dog, start training excessively with their
mentor, the washerwoman Yuzuchi.  Learning how to control
their emotions, empty their mind, build their strength,
and break through their invisible barriers are constantly
demanding their attention while time is slowly ticking
away to the time to test their true Ninjustu
instincts&&&..the time where they have to face the Praying
Mantis, the most deadly assassin in the world&..
  You think you can fight the Praying Mantis and win?
He laughed.  It was chilling.
Jane Prowse has completely nailed this novel.  I loved
the descriptions, the action, the heart-stopping moments
where deceit lurks just around the corner.  The story plot
is fabulous, smoothly transitioning from one thing to
another, while almost a hidden profoundness is scattered
in every chapter, from the age-old ways of the ninja, to
the tiny little clues Hattie s mother leaves to aid Hattie
on her mission to save the common good of all people.
A ninja s sprit is as sharp as the edge of a blade&.
 Considering this is Jane Prowse s first book, I
believe the fruits of her efforts definitely turned into
something phenomenal.  I could honestly barely tear myself
away from the novel, from beginning to end!  The only
thing I disliked about this book was the sometimes the
sentences were slightly awkward, kind of distorted.
 I would recommend this book for ages eight and up,
for some of the violence mentioned in this novel.
 Will Hattie Jackson have the courage and the
spirit to become the true Ninjustu princess she was born
to be?  Read this intriguing novel to find out!
Note:  If you are interested, there is a sequel to this
book, which is Hattori Hachi: Stalking the Enemy, and
there is also the last installment in this trilogy coming
up,entitled Hattori Hachi: The Curse of the Diamond Dagger.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country:
Leopold, Missouri U.S.A.

Paradise Lost by Steven L. Layne

     The Barrett family is running from an ugly past with memories of a lost mother and a dead father. Life with their eccentric grandmother seems relatively safe in comparison, until Chase, a former geek shows up with a miraculous transformation and secrets beyond comprehension. A series of mysterious events and dangerous close calls leaves Jack, the eldest boy, struggling to protect his family and friends. The reappearance of droids that resemble humans leads to even more danger and desperation. Can Jack overcome his insecurities to save his family and friends, or will he die trying?
     Layne creates a twisted, but disturbingly relatable world in Paradise Lost , the sequel to This Side of Paradise . The advanced technology is disturbing, but human motivations are clearly defined throughout the whole book. One of the things that sets this book apart from many of the others in this genre is the fusion of the main character s flaw with the plot. This makes the book so much more realistic and relatable. The plot line was engaging, and the characters even more so. This was by far one of my favorite sci-fi books in the fact that it combines mystery and romance as well, therefore, I would recommend Paradise Lost to any avid reader who loves mysteries.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas USA

Second World by R.M.Wagoner

Clare's world is pretty messed up.  Her dad smokes, her grandparents are dead, and the pastor's wife is deathly ill.  A talking dog named Horus, whom she has always considered a friend, is showing an evil side.  Then the pastor's wife, Millie, dies, and Judy - Clare's sister - gets sick!  It's not a great life.  However, at Millie's funeral, Clare meets a man named Change.  After that her life starts to...well, change!  She learns that she is a supernatural link, a person who still has enough imagination to see spirits.  Together, she and Change get rid of Horus and heal Judy, but can they save the pastor too?

I was not expecting this to be a religious book.  It starts kind of slow, but then it gets better.  I like the idea of Change being another name for the Holy Spirit because that's what he does - changes things!  I thought it was funny that Horus the dog shared some characteristics with the Egyptian god Horus from Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles.  Arrogance, greed, selfishness - all shared traits.  This was a really good book.  I think that if an Atheist read this, they would start believing in God.

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