Chance Falls (eBook) by James Unger

This book, Chance Falls, by James Unger was about a student who is given a full scholarship to an elite high school in Baltimore. There he meets Elaine, a girl he quickly falls in love with. During the fall break, he travels to Chance Falls, to meet Elaine's parents. Soon unexplainable things begin to happen, and nobody will give Ryan answers. When Ryan begins to suspect Elaine is plotting against him, in his frenzy for answers he is watched and followed. When everything leads back to a familiar place, Ryan is forced with the decision that could change the lives of more than just the occupants of Chance Falls.The book Chance Falls, by James Unger, is a fast paced mystery that is full of suspense. It will keep any reader wondering what Ryan will do next throughout the whole book. With a riveting plot and shady characters, this book has a unique tension and written in a new and upbeat fashion. The emotions described in the book were realistic and descriptive and Ryan, the main character, was easy to relate to. I would recommend this book to people who like a fast paced book that has a more in depth, complicated plot line.Reviewer Age:14Reviewer City, State and Country: ,

Escape from Texas by James W. Russell

James, a slave, thinks like no other slave. He wonders about things and thinks a lot. When he is told that slavery is over, he runs away from his Master. But when slavery starts back up again, he is taken back to his Master. He has to decide whether he should run away again, or stay a slave.I found this book rather boring. I was expecting it to be better, since I love Historical Fiction, but.... it was just bad. I actually had to skip over some parts because there was just so much description and no action or dialog at all. There were very long words, and at times there were parts that were confusing. All in all, a very boring book which I am unhappy with.Reviewer Age:13Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, CA USA

Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

Seemingly derived from the typical Jersey Shore character, Angel is a teen girl having fun and partying constantly during the summer before her senior year of high school. At the beginning of the novel, she is shocked when her on-off boyfriend, Joey, does not want to mess around anymore. He wants a relationship, and Angel refuses. Instead, she ends up having romantic encounters with her best friend s long-time boyfriend, Cork, and two other guys as well. As the book progresses, Angel makes decisions impacting her family, friends, and lovers.The main conflict in Jersey Angel is that Angel does not want to be in a relationship with Joey, but still wants the romantic benefits. She finds herself attracted to several other guys, like Cork and the more-or-less social outcast, Kipper. Personally, I find reading a novel where the majority of the story is about a girl sleeping around a bit pointless. I would describe the plot as an indecisive teen girl who is looking for love, and the boys who fall for her. The book itself is not bad per se, but it is not your typical romance book.This book contains multiple sexual encounters between the main character and other characters. Reviewer Age:14Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States

Moon Dust (eBook) by J.E. Nicassio

Moon Dust is a sci-fi adventure that begins when Samantha Hunter is the only survivor of a car crash that claims the life of her mother and younger brother, Cody. Although her car accident wounds are healed by a mysterious stranger, Samantha is haunted by the knowledge that the accident was her fault. When she and her father move to New Mexico, it is a chance to get away from the bittersweet memories of her family, and start over new. However, the arrival of a pale, dark haired stranger into her life changes everything. The stranger, a boy named Lucien, introduces Sam to the hidden world of real-life aliens. Romance and adventure follow Sam in her new life as she works to decipher her complicated alien-human relationship, and to discover what connects her to this strange alien boy. 

The plot of Moon Dust moved at a fast, exciting pace, and the details of Sam and Lucien's world were interesting and detailed. Sam was very realistic as a character, but Lucien did not make a lot of sense to me. The story lacked clarity, and even at the end of the book I was not able to understand even the surface of alien politics.

Another problem I had with Moon Dust was its similarity to many currently popular teen novels. With the love interest being an alien in lieu of a vampire, the plot could have been wildly different than that of Twilight, but I couldn't help but notice the many parallels- Lucien's skin changes when he is in the sunlight, a blood transfusion heals Sam but leaves her part alien, and Lucien eats only raw meat.

All in all, Moon Dust is an alien love story aimed at teenage girls, and I would recommend the book to fans of Twilight and others looking for a quick read. I would not recommend Moon Dust to those who prefer getting the whole story, or those who are looking for a unique plot.

There is some sexual content.

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

Keeper Of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Sophie Foster is a 12 year old misfit. But all that changes when she meets a strange boy named Fitz who has the same special talent Sophie has: They can both read minds. Join Sophie on her adventure in a new world as she tries to find who she really is, and what she really is. If you like suspense, action, emotion, and magic you should definitely read Keeper of the Lost Cities.This book was amazing! I'd have to say it was the best Flamingnet book I have read yet. I didn't want to put it down. The book made me think of things in ways I'd never have thought to. Each chapter got better and better and better. The characters were developed so strongly. I want to give this author a round of applause.Reviewer Age:10Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, NC United States of America

Sophia's War by Avi

You’ve probably heard of the famous spy Nathan Hale, but have you ever heard of Sophia Calderwood? When Sophia witnesses the execution of Hale, she finds herself horrified by it. So horrified, in fact, that she makes a pledge to help the American cause in the Revolution. Soon Sophia becomes a spy and discovers a plot involving a traitor in the American army. Will she succeed in thwarting the plot, or will she end up being executed herself?

With so many novels written about the American Revolution already, I worried that Avi’s latest effort wouldn’t bring anything new to the table. Instead, Sophia’s War turned out to be a breath of fresh air in a crowded genre.  The book strikes a perfect balance between factual and fictional characters. Sophia is a courageous and resourceful character that we truly care about. Meanwhile, the supporting characters, whose names you may recognize from history textbooks, are just as interesting and multilayered.  The antagonist is especially memorable, and is skillfully portrayed as a human, rather than just another one-dimensional villain.  The historical background is full of detail; it’s clear that Avi did his research when he wrote this book. The plot is the part of the book I enjoyed the most, and perhaps the best aspect of the book. It’s both believable and suspenseful, and nearly every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. I simply did not want to put the book down; in fact, I finished it in a day! Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains or just books about the American Revolution in general will enjoy this book, and Avi’s fans will certainly not be disappointed. Even ten years after his Newbery Medal winner was published, and over seventy books later since he was first published, Avi is still going strong.     

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Great Neck, New York United States

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina is 16 years old. Her old tutor is a dragon, and she is currently assistant to the court composer. She gives harpsichord lessons to the princess Glisselda, so she lives at the palace, for convenience.  She also has scales around her waist and left wrist, as well as strange mental powers. The reason? Seraphina is a half-dragon, and her dragon tutor is her uncle. Thrown into the maelstrom of confusion at court after the death of Prince Rupert, uncle to Glisselda and her cousin/fiance Prince Lucian, Seraphina must search for the truth. Many Goreddis, her country's people, suspect a dragon, as Prince Rupert had lost his head, and it was never found. People were antsy enough about dragons under a treaty that some suspect is false, but the Ardmagar(ruler) of the dragons is due for a visit. He is coming to honor the 40th anniversary of the treaty. With the help of Prince Lucian and her Uncle Orma, and several other half-dragons(which aren't supposed to exist)that she's collected along the way, Seraphina must prevent as many deaths as she can.

Dragons, check.  Palace intrigue and gossip, check. Music, check.  Controversial saints, check. Assassination attempts, check. Prince Charming, sort of. Half-dragon girl, of course.  This is definitely not an ordinary sort of book.  That may be my favorite thing about it, as well as some of the things mentioned above. I absolutely loved the saarantrai, dragons able to become humans, hoarding knowledge in place of gold. The quigutl were also fun, almost human cousins of saarantrai that go begging for metal to make little figurines. The story starts a little strangely, but once I got into it, it was hard to put down. The writing has a lyrical quality, with a bright thread of humor throughout. This book reminds me of the Inheritance books by Christoper Paolini, one person set to bring two separated worlds together, joining them in a common cause. Rachel Hartman's debut novel is truly magnificent.

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

Summoning the NIght by Jenn Bennett

Summoning the Night is about a female magician who has gotten caught up in a mystery concerning her demon boyfriend and his son. In the book Cady, the female lead, goes on a hunt for a person found in a supposed myth. This demon she is trying to find is called the snatcher, due to the fact that he steals demon children to perform a crazy ritual. This ritual will open up the world of humans to the world of demons and no one will be safe from the demons any longer. When the snatcher steals Cady’s boyfriend’s son, Jupe, Cady must take on a quest to take down the snatcher and save Jupe. Jupe’s life is in Cady’s hands.

I really enjoyed this book because of its adventurous storyline and the fact that you can never guess what is going to happen next. This book intrigued me because it never stopped sending surprises toward the reader. I stayed up late every night not wanting to put the book down due to the cliffhangers provided at the end of every chapter. This book is best for people who like adventure, fighting, and fantasy. This book is definitely one I would recommend to many of my friends. This book drew me in and wouldn’t release me until it was over. It is a very well done novel by Arcadia Bell.

There are some references to sex and sexual behaviors in this book. Possibly not suitable for children.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, North Carolina United States of America

Keeping Secrets (Sadie's Montana) by Linda Byler

Sadie is a spirited young woman living in an Amish community. She has finally come to terms with her simple life when several startling events change this outlook. From mysterious orphans to the return of a former flame, Sadie's life is far from mundane. She regularly encounters danger, especially since the horses are being shot and she continues to ride. In the end, Sadie must come to terms with her own hopes and dreams and must also face the dark secrets of those closest to her.

Linda Byler's novel, Keeping Secrets, proved to be a slow and difficult read because of the poor plot and inferior writing style. The main character, Sadie, was frustratingly predictable and lacked relatability. I found myself struggling to finish the novel and at times put it down for days on end. I have not read the first novel in the series, which made the dialogue and characters a little difficult to keep up with. I would recommend this book only to those interested in the life and culture of the Amish.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI USA

Aloha, Mozart by Waimea Williams

Maile Manoa has been blessed with a beautiful voice and an insatiable thirst for music. However, the options for musical growth are almost nonexistent in Hawaii, and she must sing to provide for her family. Unsatisfied with the same Hawaiian songs she has sung all her life, Maile becomes determined to travel to New York, in search of opera and stardom. Funds run low quickly, and jobs are unforthcoming and forbidden, as the wrong gig could potentially ruin a future career. Maile quickly discovers that singing is not solely a career, but a lifestyle in which appearance is everything. When her voice teacher recommends a move to Salzburg to save money and grow musically, will Maile be able to succeed amongst a city torn by the previous World War II and budding Cold War, but held together by music and tradition?

Aloha, Mozart was an extremely unique read focused on music and success amongst young adult books typically far more action packed. It was actually very refreshing, and Maile, the main character was extremely relatable. The contrast between the different cultures and locations in the book: Hawaii, New York, and Salzburg, made Aloha, Mozart extremely interesting. I especially enjoyed the method Williams used in incorporating the different languages and vernaculars in the book.  While certain parts of the book could be slow at times, Maile’s character development was enhanced by the political and romantic subplots. Overall, Aloha, Mozart was a fantastic read, especially for readers interested in music.

 

 

Content:  1

Rating:  7

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas US