July 5

Jerome Banneker lives in the projects, but doesn't see the
reason for the "commmunity pride" of its other black
members. Josh Stanton has always been told that his life is
great, but doesn't understand the "morality" that everyone
tells him he lacks. And Rob Flaherty lives in an
impoverished town full of racist Irishmen, but thinks of
himself as a rebel. The boys' three communities are in a
heated debate over the fate of a nearby shoe factory, and
according to the adults around them, the three should avoid
each other at all costs. But a mysterious businesswoman
brings them together, and the boys can't help but see each
other, not as rivals, but as friends.

This book is the worst I've read in a long time. The
author took a mediocre plot line, added three almost
identical characters, and called his book finished. Perhaps
if it had been written well, it would have still been an
enjoyable book, but Mr.McHugh's novel is littered with comma
errors and awful dialect. All of the characters are one
dimensional-- the children overly perfect clones of one
another who enjoy breaking into monologues and the adults
irrational bigots. Only one character has any intrigue at
all, and McHugh seems to expect her interactions to make up
for the blandness of her companions by including her
everywhere. The three protagonists cause the book to be
redundant, as McHugh's attempts to make them similar to each
other only mean that whenever something happens to one, a
similar thing must happen to the rest, and instead of using
foreshadowing, he simply includes random unrelated events to
explain others. The book's condescending tone makes it a
truly unpleasant read, and unless you suffer from insomnia,
you should certainly look elsewhere for a way to spend your
time.

The book has anti-racism themes throughout, causing it to
create cruel stereotypes about races, and all characters
curse. A teen also uses drugs and is offered alcohol and
drugs by an adult, and the book contains violence, attempted
murder, and attempted suicide.
Rating: 2

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

The Sweet Far Thing

The Sweet Far Thing is an enchanting adventure novel that
concludes the tales of Gemma Doyle. Felicity, Ann, and Gemma
are finishing up their last year at Spence Academy. Ann will
go to her cousin's house to be a governess, while Felicity
and Gemma will be presented to society and begin their
seasons. However, matters in real life seem petty to the
problems in the realms. The woodland creatures are fighting
with the Hajin and Circe might still be around. Pippa and
her friends are growing stronger with hate and magic of the
Borderlands while an army appears to be festering in the
Winterlands. Kartik has been avoiding her lately and Gemma
wants to know why. The end to the Great and Terrible Beauty
series is unimaginable and different, completely unexpected.

Libba Bray amazes with her entire series. The Sweet Far
Thing is a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful tale. Readers
who enjoyed Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter will love this
tale of heroism and magic. Gemma is a bright light in such
dark times and being privy to her thoughts is a magical
experience. The Sweet Far Thing brings back characters
beloved in the previous novels, Ann, Felicity, Kartik, and
even those who are not, Miss McCleethy, Mr. Fowlson, and
Cecily. The only bad thing about this novel is that it comes
to an end. The Gemma Doyle trilogy is a series everyone
should read and one that everyone will cherish.

This novel is borderline 3. It has frightening images and
it is also a tale of love.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord , Massachusetts
United States

Edward's Eyes

Jake knew, from the very day that his mother, Maeve, brought
Edward home and sat his baby brother on his lap, that he and
Edward would be a team. It was from that very first look
into Edward's eyes. As Edward grew, Jake was always at his
side. Whether it was potty training or learning to read,
Jake helped him. Edward was the best friend and brother that
Jake ever had, until the accident.

This book is very short, most definitely designed for a
younger audience, mostly in grades four through six.
Although the book was short, it made up for lack of pages
with tons of emotion. This was just as good as any
tear-jerking adult novel on the shelves. The character of
Edward is the one we all know and hold close, the child
prodigy that we love and call a sibling. The bond between
Jake and Edward is on a whole new plane. I have never met a
pair of brothers this loving and helpful. The plot was a tad
weak in some areas. At one point the author drops a
metaphorical bomb on the plot, but then doesn't fully
resolve it. She puts off this bomb until the end of the
novel and has no way to tie up the loose ends. It is like an
abrupt stop in the plot. One good characteristic of the book
is how engaging it is. I was into the book from the very
first sentence and read it straight through in one sitting.
I expect to see other great works of fiction coming from
Patricia MacLachlan soon!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, USA

Choices

_Choices_ is a book that deals with one of the hardest
decisions a girl might have to make in her life. When
Rachael meets Gary, she is forced to decide whether to take
a chance and date him or break her school's tradition of
dating outside their own walls. Pushing her fears aside, she
lets herself fall for his athletic body and talents. Soon
they share a deep and dark secret that will change their
lives forever as Rachael and Gary are forced to make
decisions they are not ready to make. When Gary leaves for
college and stops responding to her emails and texts,
Rachael hops into a taxi with a driver who takes her away
from her problems and offers her the most valuable advice
she has ever had in her life. Read the book to find out what
happens to Rachael and how this amazing, summer of romance
story ends.

This book allows you to realistically live through an
experience and hope that you (and anyone else) will never
really have to face such an ordeal. This journey creates a
page turning book with a meaningful message. The author's
purpose shows how teenage girls should not give up on their
babies. Everyone enters this world with a purpose and could
make a difference in the world. I think this book is really
good and it will help young teenage girls realize what they
are giving up and make them think twice about some of their
choices. The book weaves together Rachael's reality and
dreams which creates suspense for the ending.

This book would be successful if a teen read it and
discussed it with an adult.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Cumming, Georgia United
States

Rich Girl

Okay, raise your hand if you have ever dreamed of living
alone. You can have parties, eat unlimited junk food, not
clean your room... the things are endless. But imagine
living alone in a huge house, your parents halfway across
the world, and you are in a country you've never been in
before. Oh ya, did I mention that you are going to one of
the richest schools in the bay area, and to the oh so bratty
kings and queens of the school, you are nobody but a nerdy,
foreign exchange student. That's Victoria Lee for you, and
since her parents are halfway around the world (in China )
they wouldn't know if she decided to throw a party to get
her dream crush Scott's attention... now would they. But as
the clock strikes midnight, who will be Victoria's prince
charming? Scott, or... someone else!

While Rich Girl is a very good book, I couldn't help but
feel nothing as I continued reading. Total blah. The story line was good but as soon as I started reading, every twist and turn was predictable. No surprises! I knew as soon as Gabe showed up that Victoria would fall for him. I couldn't help it, it was just obvious to me. The odd thing was that even though I knew what would happen, I still enjoyed reading the book. And maybe, to other people who read this book, what happens won't be obvious to them. It will just be a great book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, AZ United
States of America

The Sacred Sin

Jude Foster is a homicide detective in Los Angeles who is
about to have a mental breakdown. About one year ago, Jude
was left to die by his once close friend and partner,
Morgan Cross. Cross had betrayed him, and now Jude is one
the verge of a mental crash. He is seeing a psychiatrist
whom he strongly dislikes so that he can be reinstated into
the department and all the while, everything around him is
moving just too quickly. His brother, the only family he
has left, is in need of help but does not want it, and Jude
tries his best to give it to him.
A body is found in West Hollywood, and Jude realizes that
this is just the first of many bad things to come. There
are markings on the body which are actually a trail all
leading to a new evil. Jude has to uncover the sacred sin
of a killer who murders his victims without even touching
them, only by stealing their souls. And time goes by all
the while, given Jude only a week to find "the darkness
that lies within all men."

This was a very good book.
The way it was written, I just couldn't put it down.This
book has so many different emotions in it that you can't
see what the author, Estevan Vega, will make you feel
next. Overall, it was a really great book and a definite
page-turner.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

This book may be scary for younger children because it
deals with a murderer and his victims.

Reviewer
Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: East Islip, New
York United States

The Prometheus Project: Trapped by Douglas E. Richards

Ryan and Regan Resnick's parents have just been relocated for their job to rural Pennsylvania. One day, they overhear their parents talking about a secret project called Prometheus. They decide to stake out their parents' workplace and end up breaking and entering. This leads them to solve puzzles of every shape and size. They soon discover that puzzles aren't the only thing they have to solve. When they get into Prometheus, they discover an unknown alien environment. Inside a dwelling are their parents, who are now top-secret scientists. Everything is being explained to them when a huge diamond drill falls and hits their mother on the head. Their father sends them to get help, and fast!! They realize they can't get out of the alien environment. So they go back. Everyone has disappeared! The children are now thrown into a race against time to save their mother!

This is definitely not a book for those in the higher reading levels. This book is meant for a fourth through sixth grade reading class. The problems seemed unchallenging; the way Richards went about solving the problems was a little lame. The children didn't really do a lot. Also, Richards was trying to be witty, but came off all wrong; the wit sounded like a bunch of bad jokes strung together. Then again, the ideas behind the novel are very fascinating. I have honestly never read a book like this ever before in my life. Truly, a unique work of children's literature when you look at the plot line. The idea of an alien race populating our planet is a fascinating one. There wasn't very much change in the characters. Ryan and Regan didn't develop much at all; good dynamic characters change dramatically from the beginning of a book to the end. This book was definitely designed for classroom use.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, USA

What the Cat Dragged In

Jacques the Ripper and Cleopatra have to move with their
humans to White Sands, Alabama, when they inherit a
beach front home. Cleo is a female cat that loves to be
noticed, while the male, Jacques, is a rough, tough monster
of a feline. Their owners, Kate and Jeremy, take them to
the new house on the beach, which they will have to share
with another relative, Jake Novak, who inherited a half
interest in the house. They move in downstairs while he
moves in upstairs. The catch to inheriting everything is
that together they must care for the menagerie of animals
that the old lady owned before she died, but things quickly
get interesting when they learn Jake despises animals. Then
a murder occurs, and Jeremy is the main suspect! Will Cleo
and Jacques help solve this weird mystery and prove Jeremy
isn't the killer?

WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN is the first
book in the Jacques & Cleo, Cat Detectives series by Gilbert
Morris. It centers on Jacques and Cleo, two cats who like to
solve mysteries, and the lady who owns them. Since I enjoy
suspense novels and I love cats, I thought this book was
pretty good, even though it is really written more for
adults than teens since it is about two adults falling in
love. The book does include a couple teenage characters to
provide interest for us teens. There wasn't very much
action and the mystery was kind of boring even though I
didn't solve it ahead of time. A few references to drugs,
cheating, and sexual things make this book a more
appropriate choice for adults rather than teens, however.
There are two other books in this series, THE CAT'S PAJAMAS
and WHEN THE CAT"S AWAY, which I will also be
reviewing.

references to drug use, cheating on tests,
sexual references such as porn magazines in teen's
drawer
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Upper Strasburg, PA USA

Not Anything

Susie Shannon seems to be a very depressed girl. She is in
high school and is super intelligent though. Her mother had
died years ago, and Susie never got over that tragedy. Her
father seems to feel the same way, although Susie wouldn't
know that as they barely talk to each other,and when they do
it is very concise. Mr. Murphy is Susie's favorite teacher
and he asked her to tutor one of the hottest guys in school;
Danny Diaz. At first, the tutoring does not work out, but
after a while they start to warm up to each other. However,
problems occur with everyone....Susie's best friend Marisal,
her neighbor Marc, classmates, and even Danny as it gets
closer to Homecoming. This certainly doesn't help Susie at
home either. It is the time of the year when her mother died
and her father might be seeing someone else; Marisal's
mother. How does Susie deal with all of her problems and
does she like Danny more than a friend? Or does he like
someone else?

Before I started reading Not Anything I expected it to be
an 'okay' book. However, once I started to read it, I could
not stop. The plot picks you up right from the beginning and
keeps building up the entire way to the end. The vocabulary
is very modern and appropriate for young adults. It is an
easy read because a lot of the issues in the story are ones
that actually happen in real life so you can relate to them.
I liked the character Danny because he was interesting to
get to know, and was similar to people I know. I wish the
ending was different because I think Susie should have made
different choices, but the ending was still very strong. I
definitely recommend Not Anything to any female wishing to
read about a high school girl.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
United States of America

The Sacred Sin by Estevan Vega

Jude Foster is a homicide detective in Los Angeles who is about to have a mental breakdown. About one year ago, Jude was left to die by his once close friend and partner, Morgan Cross. Cross had betrayed him, and now Jude is one the verge of a menta crash. He is seeing a pshychiatrist whom he strongly dislikes so that he can be reinstated into the department and all the while, everything around him is moving just too quickly. His brother, the only family he has left, is in need of help but does not want it, and Jude tries his best to give it to him.

A body is found in West Hollywood, and Jude realizes that this is just the first of many bad things to come. There are markings on the body which are actually a trail all leading to a new evil. Jude has to uncover the sacred sin of a killer who murders his victims without even touching them, only by stealing their souls. And time goes by all the while, given Jude only a week to find "the darkness that lies within all men."

This was a very good book. The way it was written, I just couldn't put it down.This book has so many different emotions in it that you can't see what the author, Estevan Vega, will make you feel next. Overall, it was a really great book and a definite page-turner.

This book may be scary for younger children because it deals with a murderer and his victims.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: East Islip, New York United States