Jen Nadol's The Vision

What if you could tell when someone was going to die?  What if you could change their fate in exchange of another perishing? Cassie Renfield doesn t have to wonder; the mark appears over.  She ha s inherited the power of the Fates, and with no family left, she is out searching for those who share the same power as her. Cassie meets Demetria, who seems to show all the traits of being one of the Fates, but nothing is ever as it seems. Then, of course, there i s Zander Dasios, who is infinitely as dangerous as the rumors that follow him.  Cassie falls hard for Zander, but dating him has deadly consequences, which forces Cassie to question everything that she has ever believed in, including herself.

The Vision by Jen Nadol is a riveting novel with excellent qualities. The personalities of the main characters, Cassie and Zander, are portrayed brilliantly. Through sizzling feelings, dark pasts, and blinding curiosity, Nadol takes the reader by the collar, making her turn each page with anticipation until the very last word. The plot that Nadol has created is terrific; it turns at just the right spot, making every word count.  Not only was the novel interesting, it had references to Greek mythology, so I learned facts as I read. With its fascinating plot and enthralling main characters, accompanied by Jen Nadol 's singular writing style, I would strongly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories with romance that takes a rollercoaster ride.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Broxton, Georgia USA

Snivel: The Fifth Circle of Heck by Dale E. Basye

This book was about two kids who die in tragic accidents and, as the title implies, go to heck. They end up at a summer camp called Snivel. Snivel is an unhappy summer camp where the worst of the worst kids go. At Snivel they try to keep the campers as unhappy as possible. But there is a problem.  Campers are disappearing and strange things are lurking in the woods.

I really liked this book, even though it was the fifth book in a series that I had not read. The author did a really good job of explaining the lives of the main characters up to that point. It was a book so good that I could hardly put it down.  It was a perfect mix of fantasy and mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes those two genres.

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hunting Valley, Ohio USA

Rating:  8

Content Rating:  1

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

Shadows on the Moon is a twist on the classic Cinderella story. In the beginning, Suzume starts out with a best friend, Aimi, and a happy family. After her father is murdered, she moves in with her mother and melancholy step-father, Lord Terayama. She doesn't trust him. Once Suzume discovers Lord Terayama's role in her father's death, she becomes afraid and eventually runs away. Her skill of shadow-weaving proves to be a big help in her journey from upper class to the lowest of beggars. Set in a feudal Japan-like world, this is one original story.
I very much enjoyed Shadows on the Moon. Zoe Marriott does an excellent job in all aspects of storytelling, especially the details. I also found it interesting that Suzume changed her name, depending on her whereabouts and social status. I also felt that the shadow-weaving wasn't too heavily relied upon. Suzume only first discovered and used it when the same men that killed her father were after her. A well-written and superb book, Shadows on the Moon is definitely a worthwhile read.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC United States

Deadly Intentions (eBook) by Lisa Kuehne

True to her word, Ava O'Brian is back and ready for action in the second book of the Intentions Trilogy, Deadly Intentions, by Lisa Kuehne.  Just recovering from her near death experience involving a run in with some deadly demons, Ava is hoping for some rest and relaxation, including spending one-on-one time with her boyfriend, the irresistible Sam.  But, alas, as always, therein lies a problem.  It just so happens that her one and only is a dark angel himself.  There goes the recreation Ava was pining for. It also doesn't help matters any that William, one of God's true angels, is also vying (and lying) for her attentions.  Yet Ava's problems aren't finished.  Ava carries a special gift, a gift that helps influence others to do well something her ol'  buddy The Devil isn't exactly fond of.  With a slew of Satan's followers on their tails, Sam and Ava are desperate to end the unrelenting tirade of angelic against demonic. When Ava starts having nightmares that actually come true the very next morning, she doesn't know where to turn.  Is she creating good or evil?  She also discovers her ability to read her enemies thoughts only solidifying her belief that maybe her gift for goodness isn't exactly flowers and unicorns.  But it doesn't end there.  Aiden, Ava twin brother that was killed in a car accident, hands his soul over to Lucifer under one condition.  Satan cannot harm Ava in any way, shape, or form.
The Devil agrees--reluctantly.  As soon as Ava is brought up to date on her brother's situation, she, Sam, William, and a few others set out to save her brothers spirit literally.  Things go downhill from there.  Sam and William are constantly at each other's throats.  Ava is fighting the temptation to end everything and fall to her knees at the devils beck and call.  Aiden is slowly causing disaster around the globe.  Caught between two different sides, who will Ava give her gift--and her heart to?
Her soft brown eyes widen in obvious alarm, and a green pallor takes over her face.  She mouths the words, oh my God-.
This. Book. Was. Absolutely. Brilliant.  There is no other way to describe it.  It had everything action, romance, intrigue, drama all perfectly mixed together better than your Grandma's cookie batter.  There was enough romance to keep me sighing, but it never got to sappy or obsessive.  The story progressed beautifully, always keeping me on edge.  Besides sometimes being dark and terrifying, Ava had a humorous sarcastic wit, along with an independent spirit.  Seriously, this little lady could win the Miss Firecracker Award.  Easily. I recommend you read the first book, True Intentions, beforehand, as it will catch you up on what happened before the chaos.  I loved how this book had such a wide range of characters. I could at least connect to one of them.  The ideas of heaven and the underworld this book portrays are interesting, too,the afterlife, the relationship between angels and demons, the ways mortals are smashed right in between.  I also like how the story is told through Ava's point of view it helped me understand the method behind the madness.  The vocabulary was fresh and definitely drew you into Ava's plight.  After the dynamic ending, I am extremely anxious to read the final book in the series, needless to say.  If you love almost having a heart attack from all the suspense in your books, this novel is for you!

 I keep bouncing up and down in the back of the cargo van but now Stephen and Susan are taking me to face Satan.  Since they killed Rick, I suppose they'll have to find another human to end my life and make me one of his immortal followers.
I would recommend this book for ages thirteen and up, or for mature readers.  The novel did have some mild expletives in it, and casual sexual references.  Even though it does talk about God, it is not a faith based book.
Will Ava and Sam's relationship survive through all trials and tribulations?  Will they be able to save Aiden's soul in time, or will evil rule?  Read Lisa Kuehne's new novel to find out!


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

Rivals by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

The Ivy: Rivals by Lauren Kunze is the third book in the Ivy series. It follows freshman Callie Andrews through her second semester at the prestigious Ivy League school, Harvard. This semester, Callie maneuvers the tricky waters of college journalism, parties, and elite organizations. She meets people who are worth knowing and others who she could definitely live without. Callie still has a lot to adjust to at Harvard, but maybe she s finally getting the hang of things.
I thought that Rivals was an average book. Not particularly good, not particularly bad. However, I must admit that I was previously unfamiliar with the Ivy series. I was fairly lost at first because I had no prior knowledge of the events that occurred in the first two books of the series, and Lauren Kunze s writing style did not happen to include a nice summary of said events.



That being said, the book s plot was entertaining after I figured out what was happening. The writing was not profound, but it did not detract from the story either. The plot seemed almost like a television show an overdramatization of real life. Maybe I m wrong, though, and Harvard really is such a crazy place! Personally, I did not particularly like the protagonist, Callie Andrews. I like strong female characters, which she did not come across as.



The book ended with a cliffhanger, obviously leading up to the next sequel, but I do not plan on continuing to read the series. I did not enjoy it enough that I would recommend it to others.



I would remind you, however, to take my opinion with a grain of salt. The fact that I am new to this series definitely changes my views whether it makes them more or less objective is as yet undetermined.
some mature themes such as sex, partying, drinking, and other such college activities
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Columbus, IN USA

Deadly Descendant (A Nikki Glass Novel) by Jenna Black

This book is about a girl named Nikki Glass, an immortal descendant of the Greek Goddess Artemis. Nikki is on a mission to stop a serial killer descended from a death god. Nikki lives with a group of people like her, called liberi. This family of liberi was led by a god named Anderson. Anderson and his family worked for the good of mortals and other liberi, unlike their enemies, the Olympians. The Olympians trained mortal demigods how to kill enemy liberi so they could steal their immortality. For the only way to become immortal to was to kill another immortal as a mortal descendant. This is about how Nikki, the main character, goes on a hunt to find and destroy a liberi who was given a seed of immortality from a madman. This seed caused this man to go crazy in the head and start a killing streak. It is up to Nikki and her friends to stop him and his wild Jackals.
I really enjoyed this book because it was always an adventure and kept you up late at night, your mind never being able to tell you to shut it. It was suspenseful and you never knew what was going to happen next. It also made you feel like you could almost relate to it in a weird sort of way. It s as though you feel like the characters are alike to you and yourself acting like them in real life. I thought it was exciting and interesting. I would definitely recommend it and pick it up again myself in no time.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: charlotte, North Carolina United States of America

The Deserter by Peadar O. Guilin

Peadar O. Guilin's The Deserter, sequel to The Inferior, follows Stopmouth as he is forced to leave his new tribe and enter the loud, flashy, technologically advanced Roof. The diggers are coming and Stopmouth has to find the love of his life, Indrani, and the weapons she promised if the tribe is to survive. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. The Roof has its own society with it's own problems. A strange virus is destroying the nanotechnology of the roof and angry citizens have started a  rebellion. Stopmouth must navigate this crazy new world and find Indrani, all the while doing his best to avoid the governments nano-enhanced agents.
I'd give this book a solid three out of five stars. It was good, but honestly I felt it could have been better. The setting, the main characters, the whole idea of the story was great, insanely creative, but the actual writing of the tale was kind of disappointing.  The story got predictable after a while. Every plan went wrong no matter how carefully thought out. Even if they won there was no real sense of triumph because something bad or sad had to happen to get there. Even the ending left a bad taste in my mouth. Truthfully  I just wasn't all that impressed with this book.

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

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

In Tarzan of the Apes, a young couple sent on a diplomatic mission end up marooned in the Africa jungle. They build a platform house and live fairly comfortably, until a unfortunate series of events leaves the couple dead and a toddler orphaned. Luckily, a passing ape who just lost a child hears the young boy's screams, finds him, and raises him as her own. She names the child Tarzan, and he soon becomes the most powerful beast in the jungle. The intelligent child, using picture books he finds in his parent's old jungle house, even teaches himself how to read English. When Tarzan grows up, he stumbles upon "white apes" just like him. Jane Porter and her befuddled father, along with Tarzan's cousin, were the unlucky passengers on a ship whose crew mutinied. Tarzan takes it upon himself to protect the strange creatures, and falls in love with Jane. The story follows Tarzan as he figures out in which world he belongs- the jungle, or civilization?
Despite the "classic" feel of the book, Tarzan of the Apes is a fantastic read. The plot is completely unique and believable, with plenty of fun personification and helpful details. Tarzan himself is incredibly interesting- as a man raised by wild animals, one is constantly amazed at his instincts, both human and ape. Jane is a likable heroine, who knows how to shoot a gun and remains brave throughout her adventures. She is not drawn to power and riches, and her down-to-earth thoughts about her situation added greatly to the story. I would recommend this book to teens who enjoy adventure, as well as those who enjoy the "summer reading list" type of book. Don't get scared away because it was written almost 100 years ago- the story is timeless. 

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Pennsylvania USA

The Unbearable Book for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher

When I first picked up The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls, I wasn 't at all sure how it would turn out. Some of the topics brought up at the beginning were heavy and I worried it would be a depressing book. This novel, told in first person, and written as an essay for school, is from the perspective of Adrienne Haus, a pretty much average girl (or at least she thinks so) who is stuck in a knee brace and forced to join an unbearable book club for girls.  The book club in question has some of the most mismatched girls in all of West New Hope: CeeCee, the slightly snobby, incredibly blunt and somewhat rude girly girl, Jill, the adopted, responsible and academic one, and Wallis, mysterious and quiet, the one no one knows anything about, the only one who actually wants to be in the book club and, of course, Adrienne.
The one thing that intrigued me the most, was the characters. They are all different, and not friends in the least, yet it s not difficult to read their story, to understand all of the girls feelings, at least once in the novel. I think that Julie Shumacher has created a wonderfully unique book, like nothing I ve ever read! My favorite character is Adrienne, because I can fully relate to her inthe way that she feels about being a part of the books she reads, and feeling like the outsider, the one no one can place. I also liked how Wallis wanted to be part of the book club, how everyone thought she was kind of strange, and I understand the feeling of worry that you are younger than everyone else. I like the mixture of family drama, teen angst, new friendship, and mystery because it added a bittersweet true to life touch.  This was one of those stories where you feel like you are the characters, living their lives with them. The writing style is comfortable to read, one that I enjoyed a lot. Most of all I like how the characters perspectives change. Although they still stay themselves, and maybe even figure out more about who they are, the girls see things through a different stand point, and I like that a lot. They change, but they stay themselves. The ending was a bit rough, but I still think it was a satisfying story through and through.
There are some mild sexual references, along with drug, alcoholic, and smoking references.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States

When You were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet, but what about Rosaline?  You know, the girl Romeo loves before he falls for Juliet?



Rosaline knows that she and Rob are supposed to be together and when he finally kisses her for the first time, it's perfect.  Rosaline thinks her senior year will go exactly as she dreamed it would be.  Then Juliet, Rose's cousin whom she hasn't seen in almost ten years, moves back to town. The two used to be best friends but now Juliet hates her and even worse...has her heart set on Rob. 



When Rose loses Rob to Juliet, her world crumbles into a million pieces and she can't put the pieces back together...alone.  She gets help from Len, the social outcast of her class, who sees Rose even more clearly than she sees herself.  But can Rose finally get over Rob, even when his life is being threatened?  Just because Shakespeare got some of the characters wrong, doesn't mean his ending is.
I really liked When You Were Mine.  There are several modern-day-takes of Romeo and Juliet but not very many from Rosaline's point of view.  Serle does a good job of weaving in the different elements from Shakespeare's play and making them more modern. The hardest part, I think, would have been coming up with the reason as to why the Caplets and Montegs hate each other.  The only thing I wish would have been different is Rosaline's innocence of the feud between her parents and her aunt and uncle.  But overall this book was good.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes modern spins of old plays and books, as well as people who like romance.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America