Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

In the book, Alien Proliferation, there was action and romance. In the beginning, the main character Kitty, was in a lot of pain. That was because she was having a baby. She is tired of sitting around and doing nothing. So after she has it, she is relieved. She can go on missions! But will the baby restrict her? Read this action and romance novel to find out!

I loved Alien Proliferation. It was dull at some parts, but I adored the rest. The description of everything was amazing. I could see parts of the book very clearly. Gini Koch did an amazing job writing the book. I would recommend this book to any action and/or romance lover.
I gave this book a 3 because there was language that younger kids starting to read novels shouldn t read
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Whitinsville, Masachusetts United States of America

Kings of Colorado by David E. Hilton

  William Shepard's father abuses his mother, and Will, having had enough, tries to stab his father to death. He fails to kill his father, and in consequence he is sent away to the Swope Ranch Boys' Reformatory, in Colorado's isolated harsh mountains. Mind you the time period is the 1960's. His sentence is to stay there for two years, on his first night there he learns that it will be hard surviving mentally and physically at the ranch. He finds friends, three, and learns the ways of horses while training them there. Near the end of his sentence, Will learns what truly creates fear, and what it means to survive in the woods with crazed teenage murderers running loose. And in the end he knows what death does to those you love, and that life is not worth wasting.
Immediately the author, David E. Hilton, makes the setting clear, to where you can picture what's going on in intense details.


 If you asked me if the book had a tone I would tell you that no doubt it did. The tone was definitely one of sadness and darkness, in which it shows the humans will to survive.


  The books main characters had foul mouths but the author showed well that they had one another's backs. The main character is Will, who is a quick learner. His friends are, Mickey, Benny, and Coop; who all were tight as spandex on a chubby person. I really believed that these characters were real and when one or two died, you felt the pain in your heart, it was as if a family member had died.


 The author's voice had a great influence over the book; just the fact that he chose to make the main character, Will, reminisce his past was what made me love the book, a lot. And the detail was finite but it was there for a reason, and the word choice was amazing; it made you feel as if someone was actually telling you their life story. Something that most authors do that disappoints me is they leave me hanging unnecessarily onto what happened to the character because of their actions. David E. Hilton didn't do that, he took you to the end and told you, in the main character's point of view, exactly how Will ended up.


 I believe that the authors did achieve their purpose of informing you on life's many choices and hardships that come because of them. Books in general have to have a great premise to make me cry, this one made me tear up; so that is a sign of it's greatness. The vocabulary was vulgar at times but it was not to high leveled to make the reader feel stupid.


 The books strength is that it pulls you into Will's problems and hardships  so that you feel like you are reading someone's diary. It's one weakness, I think, is that you might feel it was too gory, or something along those lines because of the finite detail.


 I've not read other books by this author, so I cannot judge whether it is better than those or not; but, I can say that it even though it is not in the same genre as something as Harry Potter or The Hunger Games it is up to that level, maybe just a step or two below those books. I think it's genre might be adventure or historical fiction.


The book made me look at my priorities and wonder if they were silly. So I'd definitely say that this book moved me, like hundreds of feet from where I'd been previously.  I adored the ending; it was what I wanted so badly for the main character, after all that he'd lost. There was not a thing that the author could've done to improve the story; because it was already good enough, at least for me.


 I could say that I learned life is not a thing to take for granted, and that love is the greatest thing to have and give; along with friendship being something everyone should have.
 I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves a bite of real life, or just anyone who reads because it really can open your eyes to what the world can be like at different corners of the Earth.
 
I gave this book a content rating of three because it was explicit in it's word choice and of some things mentioned such as masturbation. Also the murder in this book is described in great detail.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Nampa, Idaho United States

Married Mom, Solo Parent by Carla Anne Coroy

Married Mom, Solo Parent by Carla Anne Coroy does exactly what its sub-title states: it helps you to find God's strength to face the challenge of being a married mom while also being a solo parent.  While completely aware of single and divorced moms parenting alone, I had never really thought of married moms also doing the parenting by themselves.  According to Carla, a solo parent is someone who is raising children and running a home and family alone. Their husbands may be physically absent due to their jobs or serving in the military, or while being there in body, may be emotionally absent or too busy with their own interests to participate in the child rearing duties.

Touching on topics such as anger at the absent spouse, loneliness, and disciplining the kids, in addition to many others, this book from Kregel Publications will encourage its reader and give solid advice on how to not only survive but be happy while shouldering much of the day-to-day responsibilities of child-rearing and household duties.  A final chapter written by Ms. Coroy's husband giving his viewpoint is an interesting addition to a well-written book that is sure to help many women keep their sanity and their marriages intact.  I highly recommend Married Mom, Solo Parent by Carla Anne Coroy!

This book review was a special request for an adult reviewer.

Reviewer Age:46
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA

Santa Claus and Little Sister (eBook) by Dr. Brian G. Snow

Santa Claus and Little Sister is the sad yet powerful story of a young teacher who moves from Boston to Los Angeles and finds himself in a classroom full of girls who have grown up in the gang life, abused and distrusting of others. He is suddenly immersed in a culture where wearing the wrong colors can get you killed, but he manages to handle the many conflicting emotions as he starts to connect with his students. One student in particular, Lupe, catches his attention. Her parents have a contract out for her death, as they are afraid she will identify pictures and get them arrested. Another girl, 17 year old Chata, is an active gang member and a constant annoyance at the school. When Lupe's life is threatened, the young teacher and Chata must work together to figure out a way to save the child.

If Dr. Brain G. Snow's purpose for writing Santa Claus and Little Sister was to make his readers feel like crying and rushing out to do good in the world at the same time, he certainly achieved his goal. The story was told through the friendly, likable voice of the young teacher, whose emotions and thoughts were clearly portrayed in the text. The characters were intense and well-described, evoking many different reactions to their personalities at once. The plot itself started out slow and detailed, as the author set up the setting and developed the characters, but ended with a bang. The resolution to the story was bittersweet, and tied up all the loose ends perfectly. I would definitely recommend this book to teens and young adults interested in an emotional story, as well as those interested in careers with abused or gang children.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA

Fright Flight, Book One of Dream Seekers (eBook) by Lisa Ard

Fright Flight is a science fiction/ fantasy eBook and is the first in the Dream Seekers series. When dream seekers sleep, they are actually in the dream, not imagining it. This book is about a dream seeker named Patrick. After watching a starship fighter movie, Patrick dreams he is flying one. As you can see, Patrick has to be very careful not to get hurt or worse! He has to remember to follow his mom's rules for safe sleep'ing. Can Patrick pilot his ship to safety and defeat the enemy ships?
Fright Flight is an easy, one-hour read that really drew me in. I love the author's choice of words. The book really flows well and makes sense. It also has an interesting sub-plot involving one of Patrick's sister's friends, which I think made it more interesting and true-to-life. Even though this book is fantasy, it is also about the main character's non-dream life. It does not really stray away from the main plot very much, and when it does it is not confusing.  This is because of the way the author explains things. Some things that could be learned from this book are self-control and not giving up. I look forward to reading the next books in this series.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Calhoun, GA USA

Reel Culture: 50 Movies You Should Know About by Mimi O'Connor

Reel Culture by Mimi O'Connor outlines fifty influential movies from the 20th Century.  These films have shaped our culture with memorable quotes, scenes, and characters.  From Audrey Helpburn's little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's to Al Pacino's famous shootout in Scarface, O'Connor describes what has made these films endure in American culture.  Furthermore, she references more films outside of the main fifty that are related via director, actor, or film style.  The book also outlines the plot for each movie, and there are definitely spoilers involved.  All these elements put together give young readers a solid account of American pop culture in cinema in an accessible, easy-to-reference format.

I was very impressed by the analysis of the films given the target audience of the book.  O'Connor goes much deeper than the performance of actors and famous directors.  I learned the most from the analysis regarding film styles, especially the significance of films that pioneered certain genres such as film noir.  These tidbits contribute to a dimension of the book that serves as a very brief snapshot of film in an art history class context.

The only issue I have with the book is the spoilers.  I would advise readers not to read the complete synopsis if they are interested in seeing the film.  However, the plot summary is a necessary evil for the book to deliver on a variety of levels.  Some films are most remembered for a twist ending or the death of a character, and the cultural references described by the book would be limited without spoilers.  Furthermore, the most sophisticated film analysis books also do not hold back on spoilers.  It is needed to properly discuss the merits of a film.

Overall, with the suggested reader audience in mind, I highly recommend Reel Culture for movie lovers and the pop culture aficionado.

Reviewer Age:22
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Set in 19th century Russia, Katerina is a duchess who desperately wants to become a doctor, despite the fact that women aren't allowed to enter medical school. However, Russia is in an unstable time with evil forces threatening the tsar, and Katerina finds herself in danger because of her unique talent--being able to raise the dead. While she tries to learn the extent of her powers, she has to figure out who really wants to help her and who wants to use her.

My first reaction after reading the synopsis of this novel was that the author was trying too hard. I mean, really. She had fantastical elements and historical fiction, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fantasy worked surprising well with the setting. Unlike other fantasy novels, the vampires, fairies, and necromancers actually fit well into the story.

However, the main thing that made this novel extremely difficult to get through was the voice of the narrator. The author tries to make Katerina feminist by giving her the goal of becoming a doctor; she tries to make Katerina witty and sarcastic (all things I would normally love), but it didn't work because her voice throughout the novel was stuffy. Even though the novel is written in first person, the reader never feels connected with Kat and feels removed from the situations. I think one of the main problems is the author does more telling than showing, and she uses a lot of cliche phrases in her writing. When describing Katerina's romantic encounter with an evil prince she uses phrases like, "I thought I would melt into the floor," and "My heart raced until I thought it would burst" (Bridges, 125).

The other thing that made this novel unreadable was the plethora of difficult Russian names. There was too many characters and too many familial relations to keep track of. It's probably more realistic, but I feel like it distracts from the story line.

The Gathering Storm is the first book in a trilogy, and I most likely won't be reading the other two novels. It's not really my cup of tea, but if you like historical fiction and fantasy, then you might want to give this novel a try.  

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, Illinois USA

Fated (Soul Seekers Series) by Alyson Noel

Daire has always had an odd life as the daughter of a makeup artist. But things get even weirder when strange visions of crows and dead people come into view. Reluctantly, her mother sends Daire to her eccentric grandmother on her dead father's side to get control of her visions. Throughout this whole time Daire has dreams of a beautiful boy who turns out to be real. Through her grandmother's help Daire becomes the Soul Seeker that she was always meant to be.  But will Daire be able to handle the changes in her life or will she run away from this life like her father?
I loved this book. All the characters were beautifully developed including some of the minor characters. The only thing I didn't like was that the boy from her dreams was not introduced as early as I would have liked. I for one had high expectations of this book because of Evermore and Fated defiantly met those standards. I recommend Fated to people who liked Evermore, House of Night series, Hush hush, and Nightshade.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, CO US

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Alex Adair is seventeen years old and hiking her way up to Lake Superior to say her final goodbyes to her parents when an extremely powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strikes. The pulse knocks out everything computer based. Cell phones, traffic lights, even cars. That 's not the worst of it. Some people have gone insane. They' ve become animals, very dangerous cannibalistic animals. On the run with Ellie, a cranky eight-year-old whose grandfather was killed by the EMP, Alex meets a young soldier by the name of Tom. The three make a rather unorthodox family. Together they fight to survive in a world devoid of the technologies we take for granted and full of the things of nightmares.

This book is fabulous. Written in first person, the book shows a post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of I am Legend. In this book the title, Ashes, carries a much deeper meaning than you often see. The word is used many times in the story; all with different contexts and all with slightly different meanings. I particularly liked this because it s uncommon. Most titles are fairly literal and it s refreshing to have such a symbolic meaning hidden in this one. The emotional journey in this book is astounding and you' re with Alex every step of the way. Her thoughts and feelings are so well conveyed it 's almost difficult to separate her feelings from yours. I have one warning for the reader; this is a gory book. There isn 't really a way for it not to be. That said, Ilsa J. Bick does an admirable job of toning down the blood and guts to a reasonable level. All in all I give this book five stars!

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

Intruders by C. J. Cherryh

The book Intruder is a very political book. It is about two characters who interact and help each other with politics. One is an eight year old Atevi and the other is a human named Bren. It is based on another planet that is home to the Atevi. The continent is in turmoil and the two characters are caught in the midst of it.
I thought this book was a little boring. It took me a while to get into it and the plot was predictable. I feel that if there was more action in the book it would be better. If you like politics this book is for you. It has political nuances that I probably missed. I would recommend this book to older readers.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hunting Valley, OH United States of America