The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Elisa is the first ever ruler to also be a bearer.  She takes the throne in the aftermath of the war against the Invierne and her husband's death.  One day, as she is praying in the catacombs beneath Brisadulce (her capital city), an attempt is made on her life.  During a thorough investigation of the cavern where it happened, a secret passage leading to a hidden village beneath the city is discovered.  Their leader speaks of a secret power, zafira, that is mysteriously linked to the Godstones.  Elisa feels called to find the zafira, and decides to set out for a place where it is said to be found, in the south, at the gate of life.  She sets out on a journey that quickly begins to seem impossible.  Elisa must make sacrifices, trust people she's certain about, brave terrible storms, and hold true to her mission, all while battling something improbable and slightly improper - love.


Wow! I totally loved this book!  I'm definitely going to read it many times in the future.  Elisa is an astounding protagonist because she continually gets into sticky situations and always works her way free from them.  This book was impressively easy to get into - it practically absorbed me!  The descriptions were so vivid and clear, it was like I was there; and the book was so captivating, I finished it by 7:00 PM of the day I found it in the mailbox after school!  My favorite part was Elisa's revelation about the zafira, and how she chose to save the life of an Invierne, rather than leave him to living death.  Elisa was brave and loyal, standing true to her beliefs no matter the circumstances.  As for the romance, let's just say I saw it coming in the first book.  The Crown of Embers is another truly magnificent novel to add to anyone's list of favorites (It's on mine! :).

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

Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Lark has always known she was different from the rest of her people, and her people always knew Lark was different from them. Every year, Lark wishes her Resource will finally be harvested, and finally, her wish is coming true. However, upon entering the city and learning what being harvested really entails, Lark finds that all she wants to do is get away. Will she be able to flee and survive outside the Wall, or will she find where she truly belongs?

Skylark by Meagan Spooner is a tale full of romance, lies, and betrayals. Once I started the book, it was hard for me to put it down. The whole story was very serious. From the minute I started reading, I could tell that something big was going to happen and that there was going to be an adventure for Lark. The storyline was amazing, but I was upset at the end. I hope Ms. Spooner writes a sequel to this thrilling novel. I would recommend this book to girls age thirteen and up.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Diary Of A Parent Trainer by Jenny Smith

Katie Sutton is an expert in parent training. She is excellent at getting the exact results she wants from every adult in her life. And by reading her guide on the operation of grown-ups, you 'll be able to control your parents too! But as Katie discovers throughout the story, grown-ups are complicated, and at times, very unpredictable. Katie has had to endure the loss of her father, and now that she and her family are finally recovering, new problems are popping up around Katie. This journal-style book evolves from a manual-like guide into a funny, sweet story about Katie' s struggles to stay in command when her life spirals out of control.

Katie' s narrative is witty and insightful, but at times, heart wrenching. Katie and her family members are so realistic; I feel like I know them! Most of Katie 's problems seem like those of any teen, while some of her deeper troubles will bring a tear to your eye. Comedic relief keeps things from getting too heavy, though. I loved the ending, which was very bittersweet. It was realistic, which I like. All in all, a great read!

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tigard, OR USA

The Grass King's Concubine by Kari Sperring

The Grass King's Concubine is a descriptive fantasy following the journey of wealthy Aude Pelerin des Puiz as she struggles to understand why some people in her nation are rich while others are poor.  As a young woman, she takes to wandering the streets of the dirty, dangerous Brass City, where she encounters and falls in love with Jehan Favre, a soldier who likewise questions the wealth inequities of their nation.  Together, they travel to the original lands of Aude's family in order to discover the origins of her family's wealth.  When Aude is kidnapped and taken by the Grass King's protectors, the Cadre, to the realm in the WorldBelow, Jehan must journey to save her while Aude fights to learn the reason for her captivity, and she must find a way to save her own life.

Although a slow plot makes the story difficult to enjoy in the beginning, the story quickly picks up pace and becomes an exciting read.  Its Indian-like atmosphere and exquisitely detailed land create an unusual and enthralling world that traps the reader - especially when the puzzling palace of the Grass King is introduced.  Each character: human, superhuman, and ferret alike are presented as uniquely flawed individuals, adding to the story's overall conviction.  Even the twin shapeshifters, whose friends and enemies struggle to tell apart, are each shown to posses their own personalities by which the reader can distinguish them.  The Cadre and their powers are especially captivating - for each defines himself by his power, yet uses it for a different reason than his fellows.  The story itself is told through the eyes of four characters: Aude, Jehan, and the twin ferrets.  Though the author's choice to switch between personages every chapter does foster suspense, it also creates easy confusion.  However, the description of both characters and setting is fantastic, and the overall story is fascinating.  Although the book takes time and concentration to read, I would recommend it to any fantasy-lover.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Middlebury, CT USA

The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One (ebook)

Aine (pronounced Ah-nee) has always thought of herself as a normal teenager in Depression-Era Alabama. With her blind brother Spenser, she lives in her grandmother's farmhouse, playing in the woods, reading books, and going to school--but never going outside the farmhouse other than school. But on the one day that their grandmother lets them go to town, Aine and Spenser return only to find that the person they call grandmother isn't actually their grandmother at all, and that she's been murdered. Not to mention that they've actually been living in a book all along. Soon Aine and Spenser are on the run from their grandma's killer, Biblos, with the legendary Gilgamesh. The two siblings hop from novel to novel as they embark on a quest to find three objects to save their world.

There were a number of things that hindered me from enjoying The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One. First of all, the narrative was told in the present tense and in the third person. This is not automatically a bad thing for a book, but the style of the prose constructed really awkward sentences at times, e.g. "The size of her failure feels epic." The premise for the book felt incredibly uninspired at times; I truly had a lot of trouble getting into and finishing the book. We also never find out what book Aine and Spenser were living in. Speaking of Aine and Spenser, I thought that their characters could be developed a bit better. However, Jess Lourey did do a wonderful job creating Gilgamesh s character and using her vivid imagery. The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One is not a bad book, but I wouldn' t recommend it to my friends.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Great Neck, New York United States
Rating:  5
Content Rating:  1

Spark: A Sky Chasers Novel by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Waverly has finally gotten the girls back on their home spaceship of the Empyrean, but the parents are still stuck on the New Horizon, and everyone thinks Waverly should have tried harder to save them. Meanwhile, she thought she would be happy to be reunited with her fiance, Kieran, but he has turned into a power-hungry leader who uses the pulpit to control the children on the Empyrean. Waverly knows that they somehow have to catch up to the New Horizon and rescue their parents, but that's hard when her friend Seth is locked in the brig by Kieran. Matters become even worse when they think there might be a stowaway on board from the enemy ship. How will Waverly, Kieran, and Seth protect the Empryean when they are hurtling through deep space?

I really enjoyed the first novel in this trilogy, Glow, so I was super excited to receive the sequel. Luckily for me, Spark was just as good as its predecessor. The novel follows the points-of-view of Waverly, Kieran, and Seth, so the reader is able to get into each character's mind and see the motivations behind their actions. All of the characters are incredibly complex, and you are able to have sympathy for all of them. Since all the adults are trapped on the New Horizon, it's a bunch of teenagers running the ship. It was a little like Lord of the Flies, and it was interesting to see what happens when kids are in charge. The plot was always exciting and a little mysterious, especially when there's a stowaway on board. The ending was a cliffhanger, so I definitely cannot wait to see how the series ends!

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pa USA

Toppling by Sally Murphy

Toppling is about a boy named John who loves making domino topples with his friends. John has four friends: Christian, Joseph, Tran, and Dominic. Dominic, who is his best friend, gets sick at school and is taken back home. When he doesn't come back the next few days, he and his friends get worried. One day their teacher, Mrs. Timms, says that Dominic is in the hospital and won't come back to school for a few months. The pressure is on as John copes with Ky, the school bully, the Domino Topples paper that is due and the fact that his best friend may be dying.

I like this book because of the plot. It shows what people have to face when someone they know is sick or hurt. Even the bully was kind and really sad about Dominic in the end. The book was very touching as the friends go through their tragedy together. I recommend it for anyone.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leesburg, Virginia USA

Me and Jack

Me and Jack


Me and Jack by Danette Haworth is a story about a boy named Joshua, whose dad is in the Air Force. Josh thought things were going to be same as usual, move to a new place, make new friends, and then move again and have to leave them behind, until his dad surprised him with something great, a dog, which he later named Jack. Just when things were going good, things take a turn for the worst, involving missing chickens, a shredded cat, and a dead horse. Everybody blames Jack for all the problems, but Josh knows the real culprit, a coyote. One night, Josh set a trap and as he had planned, the coyote came, but before Josh knew it, Jack had squeezed past Josh, who was standing in the doorway, and chased it up the mountain, with Josh and his dad right behind him. Eventually, Jack chased the coyote into a bully's yard, who blames Jack for the death of his beloved horse, and comes running after Jack and Josh with a loaded gun, but when they come to a clearing, the bully, whose name is Alan, is shocked to see Jack, Josh, and a coyote in a death triangle, and drops the gun. When Josh turns around to get the gun, the coyote lunges toward him, but when Josh turns around and shoots, Jack had stepped in to defend his boy. With a dead coyote and a dog laying on the ground in front of him, Alan is still petrified, but Josh finally got his attention and they carried Jack to Alan's house where Alan's dad called the vet, and because of Josh's rush to save his best friend, Jack survived with only a scar where the bullet had passed through his neck.

I really liked this book because one of the main characters was a dog. I love animals and loved the story because the dog became a hero. He was very protective of Josh. I would love to have a dog like that. I liked that I didn't know what was going to happen until the very end of the book. I would recommend this book to boys or girls 10-13 years old.



Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Mo Bollinger

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Callie LeRoux is living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. All the farmers have moved away, intense dust storms make it hard to breathe, and the hotel Callie's mother owns has long been empty. But when one day her mother disappears in a storm, Callie decides to head to California to search for her. She meets a young hobo named Jack, and together they set off. Little does she know, Callie is about to learn about her supernatural background and the prophecy that she is the center of.

I really enjoyed Dust Girl. When I read the synopsis, it compared it to The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, which is one of my favorite book series, so I was looking forward to reading this novel, and I'm glad it met my expectations. Callie was a very interesting character, especially once we learn more about her paranormal background. I also liked her relationship with Jack. They meet up and decide to stick together as they travel around the Midwest. He was such an asset to Callie on her journey, and I'm looking forward to some prospective romance between them. Dust Girl ended on a cliffhanger, and now I can't wait to read the sequel! I hope the author writes it quickly.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, PA USA

Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop

Who is super sneaky, but always gets caught when trying to spy on her older brother and his girlfriend? Mallory! Mallory McDonald in the book Super Snoop by Laurie Friedman is the super snoop who is always getting caught. In this book Mallory is trying to see what her older brother and
his girlfriend, Winnie, are doing. They say they are working on a science project but Mallory doesn't believe a word they say. Who would spend ALL their free time working on a science project... there must be something more going on with them. In the end Mallory finds out the truth.


I have read many Mallory books and I think this one is the best of all I have read. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting the book down to do other things. If you like a realistic fiction book with just a bit of mystery you will like all the Mallory books. I think girls between 8-12 will like this book.



Reviewer Age:9

Jackson, MO USA