A new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron

dancechicka posted a new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron. See the full review.

I was dissatisfied, disenchanted, and disillusioned with this book.  It was in verse (like poetry), which I thought was going to make Cameron’s points more hard-hitting and direct.  Most books to use this to their advantage, but in this one it just fell flat.  Cameron did not seem to know when to break apart stanzas or fragment thoughts to really drive the point home.  I believe she would have been much better off writing this book in sentence form—it would have forced her to add details and emotion in this book.  All I felt was disconnect and indifference, no feeling at all.  If you write poetry, you need to use the limited amount of words  allowed and make them count—use commas instead of ands and substitute action verbs for passive verbs.  The only character I could sometimes connect with was Bongo—because he was the only one who felt real.  I do, however, see much potential in Cameron as an author.  She knows what she’s doing—she just didn’t utilize her talent and skills to put together a high-quality book.

                “Can’t say where I’m going, though I would if I knew.  I’d take her with me if I could.  All I can do is pull away from her crestfallen face.  It’s no way to say goodbye.”

                I would recommend this book for ages twelve and up, for some mature comments but not much profanity at all.  This novel also portrays alcoholism, abuse, and drug use.

                Each in their own personal abyss, can these three close-knit teenagers find a way to make their futures look somewhat brighter?  Or will they all end up stuck in the rut in which many of us find ourselves?  Out of This Place by Emma Cameron is the only way to find out!

A new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

alphatauri posted a new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter. See the full review.

When I saw the concept for Alice in Zombieland, the book before this one, my mind rushed with happiness. I'm a fan of both zombies and Alice in Wonderland, so naturally I freaked out. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The action took too long to start up and Ali and Cole had very little chemistry together. However, Through the Zombie Glass totally changed my thoughts on the series. All the introducing done in Book One makes the plot in Book Two flow so much better. One of Gena Showalter's greatest abilities is to create so many diverse characters that truly make her worlds feel like real ones. She most certainly did that in Through the Zombie Glass. Ali and Cole were obviously the stars of the show with their suspenseful relationship building, but the other hunters all had their moments. This is a book full of action, romance, mystery, and heartbreak in many ways. I heartily recommend it to anyone who has the slightest interest in zombies or Alice in Wonderland!

A new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler

sschu5 posted a new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler. See the full review.

This is a great book because Jago and his cousin Maya take responsibility for a theft of something they were in charge of protecting.  It was full of mystery and suspense.  This book teaches kids to take responsibility even though they should have asked adults for help.  It has a great plot and is a good short book for young readers to start reading chapter books.

A new student review of Golden Girl

nlsings posted a new student review of Golden Girl . See the full review.

While this book did lean toward the predictable side, I did enjoy it. I am a sucker for the 20s, and I was pleased with how the author presented the time period. The writing was good, if not sometimes slightly cheesy. Despite this, the book still read well, and I think it is worth the read.  

If you liked Wicked Lovely and The Luxe, then I would recommend Golden Girl, but read Dust Girl first!  

A new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend

kfc1997 posted a new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend . See the full review.

Louise Rozett’s Confession series continues with her Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend. The second was even better than the first as Rozett delves deeper into the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl. Rose steps out of the book and becomes a peer, a guide, and a friend, as you get further and further through the story. Although I felt some details were over-exaggerated, the plot and the writing were flawless. I haven’t experienced anything close to what Rose’s life and love was like, but Rozett definitely makes me wish I could. I would recommend this book to girls in 9^th grade or older. I hope to see a third book come to stores soon! 

A new student review of The Iron Traitor

DJ_RESH_RESH posted a new student review of The Iron Traitor . See the full review.

This is a really good book overall. I love how Julie Kagawa describes the settings. It’s like you can see, hear, feel, touch, smell, and/or taste everything she is describing through her colorful use of vocabulary. Kagawa also creates great personalities and uses those personalities to help influence the choice the characters make, which I really like in books. I’ve read a lot of books where the author creates a great personality and suddenly the author makes the character do something that I would never expect them to do because it’s not who they are and I’m really happy that Kagawa doesn't do that in The Iron Traitor. I also love how Kagawa doesn't drown you in information at one time, she just slowly adds on and explains everything. This isn't my favorite book by Julie Kagawa but I would definitely recommend reading it.

A new student review of Bending Willow

Archer130 posted a new student review of Bending Willow . See the full review.

Even though it is not a book with a lot of adventure the bond between the 2 sisters is one that no one can break. I thought that this book was a very good book that has a lot of emotion and sisterly love. 

A new student review of Cherry Money Baby

calicool123 posted a new student review of Cherry Money Baby . See the full review.

Cherry Money Baby is a book I could read over and over again and never get tired of it. It kept me laughing and there didn't seem to be a dull moment. It was very well written and just coudn't seem to put it down. I would reccomend this book to my friends any day. 

A new student review of Juvie

VBat posted a new student review of Juvie . See the full review.

Juvie is definitely not an uplifting, feel-good book. Rather, it is a dark story that works to define the differences between "innocent" and "guilty." 

The main character, seventeen year old Sadie, is incredibly likeable and immediately draws the reader's sympathy. Her self-sacrificing nature and love for her family make her a perfect character to root for. The unfairness of her situation is described so well that, by the end of the book, I was ready to storm down to the courthouse and tell the judge exactly what I thought of his judging skills. 

The characters introduced were never boring- from the recluse, hoarder father to the middle schooler who beat a boy over the head with a pipe to steal his bicycle, each kept the plot entertaining and unique. In addition to being interesting characters,the various delinquents in the detention center provided a bit of morbid comic relief. 

Juvie is well-written and the plot is captivating, if not necessarily cheerful. I would recommend the book to teens and young adults who enjoy realistic fiction. 

A new student review of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. See the full review.

I enjoyed Dust Girl just as I expected. I chose this book longing for a story of love, adventure, magic and a dash of history.  I had very high expectations for Dust Girl, and it delivered.

Although the story was slow in the first few chapters, things quickly boiled. The author quickly captured my attention on the mystery of the true identity of Callie’s parents. Then, Zettel had me worrying over how Callie's parents' past would affect her. Zettel’s other characters, Jack Holland and Shimmy, also gained my love with their each own interesting and heartbreaking stories.  I also loved how she mixed in historical descriptions of life back in the years of the Dust bowl and Great Depression.  It was magnificently written and I look forward to reading the sequel.