The Flappers Diva by Jillian Larkin

Diva, the third installment of the Flappers trilogy, focuses on the lives of three girls living in New York during the 1920s. Clara, the budding journalist, struggles to get over the one man she truly loved and his sudden engagement to a suspicious social climber. Her cousin, Lorraine, is free from prison but is forced to investigate a shady businessman. Gloria, having been left by her two former friends, finds herself ostracized at her new school. The three girls struggle to find who they really are amidst the dazzling life of high society. Along the way, they learn more about themselves and each other and put their loves to the test.

Diva, by Jillian Larkin, is a fast-paced, exciting read. The setting is especially intriguing to any lover of New York in the Roaring Twenties, and the characters are true to the time period, but are also relatable to the modern reader. Without reading the first two books in the series, the plot can be somewhat baffling, but the original confusion is soon forgotten as the novel progresses. The series closely resembles Anna Godbersen's Bright Young Things novels, but without the charm and sophisticated writing style. Any lover of this series would also enjoy the Flappers trilogy.

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

The Summoning Sphere (eBook) by Jennifer Kloss

Blake and his brother Riley are bored over the summer, so they go to see if their neighbors need help.  Their neighbors, Grace and Rachel, offer to have them clean out a shed in the back yard. The boys get to work and find a  wheelbarrow containing a  mysterious sphere, stone, book, and a talisman.  The brothers hold the sphere along with the other contents, and it transports  them to the land of Tor Forlough.  This begins a grand adventure. While exploring, they learn that the inhabitants of Tor Forlough need help to expose the evil Lord Dario. Lord Dario has poisoned the king and queen to gain power. The Priestess uses the stone of disappearance to investigate the crimes but is captured by the Lord. The brothers then know they must help to save the people of Tor Forlough. But how are they going to get home?

This book was very exciting.  The main characters were smart and used detective skills to solve the crime.It was action packed with magic and suspense.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries. 

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Glen Burnie, MD USA

Eyeballs Growing All Over Me . . . Again (eBook) by Tony Rauch

For my inaugural Flamingnet book request and subsequent review, I eagerly selected Eyeballs Growing All Over Me&Again by Tony Rauch, from the great literary intellect of which sprouted such imaginative concepts as 40-foot chickens, not to mention heads the size of elephants and elephants the size of heads. Symbolism abounds throughout, and is eluded by neither the teenage generation s disordered bearings on body-size nor the cyclic nature of agoraphobia. But then again, to mangle Freud, sometimes a bee the size of a tricycle is just a bee the size of a tricycle. Yah, don t ask.

Opinions are hard to formulate, and literary works even harder to judge, particularly when, as is the case with Eyeballs Growing All Over Me&Again, I fear instances of brilliance soared over my head not unlike the characters whom, in one intriguing read, wound up shriveling and floating away. My dear Mr. Rauch, what is perhaps my most emphatic and only complaint is this: When symbols are as bountiful and profound as yours, I ask you- no, I beg of you-do not constrain them to the smallest housing suitable. Many a story ended with my pounding my head on the desk in frustration, and I wouldn t be surprised if it soon must be replaced by that of a goat. That being said, however, I must congratulate you on generating such frustration, as few students weep at the end of their math book. Despite my slight criticisms, I recommend this book to any and all, and anxiously await the completion of your upcoming works. Job well done.

Brief references to alcohol, drugs,and/or mature behaviors, the stories' content may be interpreted by younger readers as mildly disturbing.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Yardley, Pennsylvania United States

Superpowers by Frederic Neuman

Superpowers by Fredric Neuman is the story of Chipper, a frail, asthmatic, pitied high school student who is given the choice of a lifetime.  After the passing of his loving mother, Chipper meets Hal, an eccentric, otherworldly being with a very unique wardrobe.  Hal grants Chipper the choice of any one and only one, superpower.  Chipper must weigh this difficult choice while also coming to terms with his mom's death and the life she left behind.  This is even more difficult with a distant father, few career prospects, and frequent asthma attacks.  However, Chipper takes it all in stride with his group of friends, showing that the weakest of bodies may hold the strongest of hearts.

Despite the good intentions of the book to shed a humorous light on important societal issues, the incredibly loose structured narrative is very distracting to the reader. Inner monologue and scene description are mashed together with no consistency. This makes the attempts at humor fall flat.  This flow also causes the development and description of characters to leave much to be desired.  Where Chipper begins to describe the quirks of his friends soon turns into incessant rambling.  This poorly written story ultimately diminishes any lasting impact from themes or morals.  There are certainly important issues that young adults will debate, but it' s hard to be inspired by these topics when they are delivered at a significantly lower reading level.

There is some language in this book.
Reviewer Age:22
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Brother from a Box by Evan Kuhlman

Matt finds a crate that has been shipped to his house. Inside it is a kid? The boy turns out to be a French-speaking robot named Norman. At first, Matt is excited to have a robot brother, but there are complications. Matt 's mother does not want the robot because it reminds her of her first son, who died as a baby. Also, Matt' s new brother is a lot to care for. He flirts with girls, shows off, shuts himself in lockers, and always wants to go back to his crate. In spite of all this, Matt loves Norman. When he starts malfunctioning, Matt is concerned. These are not mere programming problems; someone is trying to hurt Norman! Can Matt protect his brother? Will Norman' s mad robot skills save them all?

Brother From a Box held my interest to the end with unique twists in the plot. It is appropriately told in first person, giving us a glimpse of how Matt sees life. He has many characteristics that resemble a real person. The girl who tries to kiss him drives him crazy, but sometimes he has to play with her because his parents tell him to be polite. He is jealous of Norman, yet somehow loves him. He gives Norman advice, but also exaggerates to him because he is so vulnerable. Their relationship resembles a real relationship between brothers. Even Norman, the robot, had a distinct personality. The mood of the book is funny and lighthearted, but it had some sad parts and some exciting parts. All in all, Brother from a Box is a fun read for kids of all ages.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Calhoun, GA USA

Flutter of Luv (eBook) by LM Preston

When Tony moves into Dawn's neighborhood, Dawn is nothing to him but one of the guys. On the other hand, Dawn sees Tony as something she will never have. Soon they become good friends, and they are pretty much inseparable. As the years go by, and as Dawn changes, Tony's view of Dawn changes as well. Their relationship quickly evolves into something more than just friends. Will their relationship last, or will it go down the drain?

This story was alright. It didn't flow very well, and the mini stories at the end threw me off. However, the story line was very cute, and it made me wish for more. This is a book for middle schoolers and above.

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

Fire In the Streets by Kekla Magoon

14 year old Maxie wants desperately to be a part of The Black Panther Party, but she s too young. No matter how much she works, Maxie can t help but feel like everyone sees her as the little girl who is invisible. She starts to try to prove herself worthy of being a Panther, risking relationships with both her best friends and her older brother. But when she unveils a shocking secret that will give her the chance she needs, she must decide what matters most and where her loyalties lie. Throughout the book, Maxie has to figure out how she will live with any of her decisions once she s made them.This is an okay book. I like the way you can learn about the time, but from the perspective of someone living it, which I feel makes it more enjoyable and sheds light on the subject and how everything effects her as a person. Fire In The Streets, is one of those books that is not necessarily a must read. Kekla Magoon has created a cast of characters who are knit together like a big family which I think shows how hard it must have been to actually work as a Panther while trying to figure out who you are and what loyalty really means to you.
 This book just didn t truly interest me, and it was kind of bland in my opinion. Fire In The Streets for me is like a piece of candy I think I ll enjoy, but the flavor fades fast. I keep chewing finding little bits of flavor left, but not enough for satisfaction. It s not my favorite, I don t think I would read it again, but it wasn t a total waste of my time.Reviewer Age:14Reviewer City, State and Country: Canoga Park, California United States

Storm of Arranon by R E Sheahan

In Storm of Arranon, by R.E. Sheahan, Erynn has to deal with
both a hidden secret and her feelings for Jaer.  When an
alien society is discovered on their planets, Erynn and Jaer
are thrust into battle and Erynn s secret may be their
worlds only hope. Struggling with her feelings and the war
raging constantly Erynn must figure things out quickly
before horrible things happen. When Jaer and Erynn are
finally together, war drives them apart. Will they ever be
able to be together? Will their planets be saved?I
enjoyed this book a lot. It was a great romance/sci-fi novel
without going overboard. My one, tiny complaint is that at
some points in the story things are over-described and it
gets boring. I really liked this book and would recommend
this for anyone 12 and up. I felt this story was interesting
and can t wait for sequels!Reviewer Age:12Reviewer
City, State and Country: Rochester, New York USA

Desert Fire by H.M. Prevost

Desert Fire is about a 17 year old boy named Nick whose goal in life is to be an investigative journalist.  His life takes a drastic turn when he, his mom, and sister move to Abu Dhabi to escape his domineering and cheater of a father. Abu Dhabi was the perfect place because it was far away and had the only job opportunity for the mother and sister.  The day he arrives in Abu Dhabi, Nick looks out the window and finds himself staring his newest journalism project in the face. A plane was falling out of the sky with a flaming tail. Nick decided to investigate and finds a military officer at the scene, blood sliding down his face, slowly losing the light in his eyes. The man slides a disk into Nick s pocket - a disk that Nick later finds holds key military information. This information will make everything around him change, placing him in life-threatening danger, dangerous missions, and gut wrenching decisions. Nick is a determined teenage journalist who becomes a Canadian spy in order to stop the men who want the disk so badly, they re ready to kill for its secrets.  I personally loved Desert Fire. It reminded me a lot of the Alex Rider series, but it seemed like it was geared toward a slightly more mature reader. There were so many moments where I felt like I couldn t stop. I would read a chapter before a school night, try to sleep, then turn the light back on and pick it up again to find out what happens. I never felt like I was reading, I felt like I was a part of the action. There were no moments where I was bored and wanted it to end. It always kept me intrigued and curious about what would happen next. All in all, this book is a 10 out of 10, no contest. I hope other readers will pick this book up as well because it is definitely top of my shelf, next to Hunger Games.Reviewer Age:13Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, NC USA

Alice Parker's Metamorphosis (ebook) by Nicola Palmer

13 year old, Alice Parker has had some strange things happen to her. Extreme fruit cravings, mysterious back aches, and perfect grades are just some examples. Join Alice as she learns who she is and what she is, and how she keeps all her secrets from her parents. Lucky for Alice she has caring friends that help her along the way. If you like fiction, adventure, and mystery Alice Parker s Metamorphosis is the perfect book for you.I loved this book so much. It was great how the fictional characters were different- not the usual mermaids and fairies. That was the main attraction for me. I got so involved with the characters that I didn t want the book to end. I really liked how friendship was so important in this book. Overall Alice Parkers Metamorphosis deserves 5 stars!Reviewer Age:10Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, NC United States of America