The Silence of Murder by Dandi DaleyMackall

A young girl named Hope Long is on a mission to prove her older brother, Jeremy, is innocent of murder. Hope still believes Jeremy didn't kill Coach John Johnson, even though many witnesses saw him flee the scene with a bloody murder weapon in hand.

Jeremy is a little odd. He hasn't spoken in many years and collects empty jars as a hobby. The town of Grain is starting to notice, Jeremy doesn't quite fit in. As the trials continue on Hope deals with her obnoxious mother, who forces her to call her by Rita instead of mom, who (along with the rest of the town) is certain Jeremy killed Coach. 

Hope must also endear her brother's defense lawyer, the Sheriff's curious son Chase Wells, and her long time friend T.J. Many twists and turns happen along the way of the trial with the shocking truth revealed at the closing argument.

At the beginning of The Silence of Murder. I was very close to tossing the book out the window. As the book progressed and I became more attached to the characters, I actually began to enjoy myself. This book wasn't one of my top 5 or anything, but I sure did love how I grew attached to the characters as the trial droned on and on. I felt in areas the writing style was too childish for a young adult book. I wanted a mystery book that gave me chills and scared the living daylights out of me, but to my disappointment, the chills didn't come.

The vocabulary choice was about a 5th grade level and so were the character names. When I read a book, the characters' names really have to pop for me. I believe the author achieved her purpose by writing a grand mystery with twists and turns, but she fell short in making me jump out of my skin as the story line progressed. Her writing wasn't dull per se, but it didn't really speak to me.

I would say the strengths of The Silence of Murder was I never expected the ending, but the book failed to reach my expectations of a suspenseful mystery. I don't believe this book will be the next huge Maze Runner or Hunger Games for my age level but a shoo-in for grades 4th-6th. I enjoyed the ending but I wasn't impressed with the beginning or body of the story. It began to drag on and I found myself paying more attention to my bed cover than the words on the pages. The ending shocked me and had a huge twist right before the end. I started to foreshadow the characters actions as I read along!!

I believe the author could have been more dramatic with the murder and really tried to scare the teenagers reading her book. I didn't learn anything new from her book. I would not recommend it to anyone my age because I felt it was too young for my age and an easy read. I could have easily finished the book in two days if I hadn't had stuff to do every evening after school.

Content: 1
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH United States

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller

The Lost Crown shows the effects of the Bolshevik Revolution on the Romanov family.  Sarah Miller starts out the book in the months preceding the revolution.  She highlights the family's humanity through their jokes and their taking care of soldiers returning from the front lines.  Their lives change as their father abdicates and the Provisional Government takes control.  This change brings in the meat of the book, where the royal family is confined under house arrest.  As the revolution progresses, the Provisional Government moves them from house to house and into more unfamiliar terrain.  Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the daughters: Anastasia, Maria, Tatiana or Olga. Miller works to show the inner turmoil within the family and the bravery each member has.  She gives personality and depth to a recognized, but solely symbolic family.

I strongly recommend this book to any reader who is interested in historical fiction.  Though at times slow-paced and dense, it follows the demise and treatment of the Romanov family during the Bolshevik Revolution.  Miller has done her research; she accurately captures the Russian language and culture.  Without either basic knowledge of Russian customs or Soviet history, this book could be slightly tedious.  I was initially confused because of the changes of narrator and because none of the supporting characters are defined.  For anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of a revolutionary Russia, this is a book to consider; it is rich with culture and displays the royal family not as figureheads but as real people.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, Virginia United States of America

The Buried Covenant by Shawn Keenan

Jayke is not your average 17 year old. He has some strange abilities.  The only thing he can t seem to do is talk to girls. The minute he tries even making normal conversation, his hands get clammy and he starts to sweat and he can t seem to utter a single word.
When he finds out he s been in a coma for the last 7 years, he wants to find out about his life before the coma. Unfortunately, he can t remember a thing.  However, something finally registers in his brain. School. When he asks his foster parents if he can attend Saint Augustine High, they are reluctant to let him go. Eventually they give in, but this is the worst possible decision they could make. Why? Because at school, there is someone who wants to break a covenant. Which puts Jayke s life in danger.
This is truly one of the funniest books I ve ever read. Some of the situations Jayke gets into are ordinary, but the way he deals with them is anything but! His humor and insight made me laugh more times that I care to admit, and he seemed very relatable.
It s been awhile since I ve read a story with such life-like characters that I actually cared about, and Shawn P. Keenan did a marvelous job making them seem realistic.  Overall, Shawn P. Keenan did a marvelous job with this book. The only complaint I have is that the beginning was a bit slow for my taste. Other than that, this is a must-read for any teenager who wishes to just sit down with a book and have a good laugh.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa , California USA

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Emily Winters is really happy when the boy she has liked forever shows some interest in her. The only problem is he is her best friend's boyfriend. Chase did something really stupid a long time ago. Now his life is turning upside-down. A mysterious and beautiful girl takes an interest in him. He thinks life is looking up until awful things start happening. Three girls punish those who do wrong. Chase and Emily must be punished.



I give this book 1 star. The first word that pops in my head when I think of this book is drama. The really well-written and interesting parts didn't make sense with the rest of the story. The idea was a great idea that just wasn't done as well as it could have been. I also rate it R for mildly inappropriate content and extreme amounts of bad language. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
The book had inappropriate contents and awful language.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cibolo, Texas United States

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

Beautiful Days, the second installment in the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen, follows the lives of Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid, three best friends living in the peak of the Roaring Twenties. Cordelia is still mourning the death of her father, the infamous bootlegger Darius Grey, and is stuck between missing Thom Hale, the man she thought she trusted, and hating him for causing her father s death. Letty Larkspur, Cordelia s friend from Ohio, must navigate through the world of performing arts in order to find her niche as a singer and still remain true to herself. Astrid, engaged to Cordelia s half brother, Charlie, is torn between her love for Charlie and her unhappiness with his bootlegging. The girls must distinguish between infatuation and true love, all the while staying away from the constant danger that surrounds the Grey family.
Anna Godbersten s novel, Beautiful Days, is a delightful continuation of the Bright Young Things series. The book proved to be as engaging, if not more so, than the first novel, and added many twists and turns in the three girls stories that is sure to keep readers interested. I enjoyed the perfect balance between the historical aspects of the Roaring Twenties, and the fictional descriptions of the girls and their stories. Each of the girls have their own adventure, and the method of changing the focus of each girl for every chapter helps to keep the reader focused and intent on the ever-changing storyline. I would recommend this book to any girl who loves historical fiction and enjoys following the lives of girls their own age.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI USA

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet is a troubled girl who follows her fraudulent medium mother around London city selling phony s￩ances. When Violet and her mother are invited to a country house for a series of seances, Violet finds that she can actually see and talk to ghosts and is pulled into a murder mystery of the sister of one of the guests. When Violet s mother gets discovered, Violet must step up and replace her. On top of all that, Violet has fallen for her long time companion, Colin. Can Violet hold seances, solve a murder, help a ghost find peace and take control of her love for Colin?
Haunting Violet is a story that has you on the edge of your seat. It s a story with romance, mystery and the super-natural. I liked the book a lot, it s the kind of book that keeps you up all night reading. There was a bit of violence but nothing terribly gruesome. I frankly think there was a little bit too much going on at some parts, it was a bit confusing, but otherwise the characters were very authentic for the time period that the story was set in, and I really like the plot. I think all readers will enjoy Haunting Violet.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: UKIAH, CA United States

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

When Kate and her crush, Aaron, find clue after clue that some type of drug is affecting the football team, they work together to uncover the truth. Coming to the conclusion that the football coach is giving most of his team steroids, Kate tries to come up with a cure. In the mean time, students are disappearing, loosing limbs, and becoming flesh-eating zombies. Unfortunately, no one knows how to stop it, until Kate realizes she has been bitten but there is no side effects. Her seizure medicine prevented her from turning into a zombie. Kate creates what she thinks is the cure and Aaron helps her devise a plan to inject it into the effected students. Will they be able to save the effected population or is it too late?
I though this book was very interesting. It kept me wanting to keep reading on to see what happens; I hardly set the book down. Carrie Harris used a lot of detail and desciptive writing styles that keep you entertained. Also, the characters seemed very real to life and I felt I could relate myself to them. I would recommend this book to any teen that likes an action novel with suspense and a little bit of romance.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio 45324

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Princess Celie loves her castle because it makes additions to itself, usually on Tuesdays.  When her parents go to her eldest brother's graduation from the college of wizards, all that returns is news of an ambush by a pack of bandits in a pass on the way home. Celie's father, mother, and brother are believed dead.  A couple of princes from nearby kingdoms come to Castle Glower in hopes of gaining the throne.  When the schemes of one prince become life-threatening, Celie and her sister Delilah hide in a new castle tower with magic spyglasses and secret passageways.  By watching the secret council chamber, they learn just how serious this prince is about destroying them.  Can Celie, Delilah, and their brother Rolf save the castle from his evil plotting?

Tuesdays at the Castle was absolutely stunning.  It was a beautiful tale of sorrow, pain, betrayal, and humor.  I have read a great deal of other books by Jessica Day George, but this one was by far the best.  I think it would be fun to live in an ever-changing castle.  This story is completely original.  It's nothing like any other book I've ever read(and I've read a LOT of books).  This book is sure to delight Jessica Day George fans, and encourage readers new to this author to read her other books.  In other words, it's the perfect book for fairy-tale lovers.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

The Unknown Spy by Eoin McNamm

When Danny starts to wonder if his parents are his real ones or not, a strange attack happens. He then leaves the Upper World after a remarkable discovery, and goes to the Lower World, where he is reunited with Wilson's Academy, a school for spies. He is sent out on a dangerous journey with death and sacrifice. Will he survive?
This book was AMAZING! It is now one of my favorite books! It kept me interested, and I just had to keep on reading! It showed me different points of view and explained everything thoroughly. I want to read this book over and over again! There where some slight violent scenes which may be too much for younger kids, but besides that it was absolutely awesome! If I were you, I' d buy this book straight away!

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, CA USA

Dreams of Significant Girls

Dreams of Significant Girls by Christina Garcia is about

three girls who are nothing alike. Their names are
Vivien, Ingrid, and Shirin. They meet one summer at a
camp in Switzerland. At first, they do not get along very
well. They end up being roommates for two more summers,
which causes them to become best friends. They back each
other up when they are going through issues or first
loves. They form a bond that lasts for years after their
last year in Switzerland. The girls' differences pulled
them closer together as friends.

I thought that this
book really made me feel as if I were a part of the
characters. I thought it was well-written. I also liked
how the point of view changes from Ingrid's point of view
to Vivien's point of view to Shirin's point of view. It
made it a bit different and interesting. The plot of the
book was good though some parts were a bit inappropriate
for younger readers. I would recommend this book to older
teenagers.

strong language; inappropriate scenes for
younger readers
Reviewer Age:14 Uxbridge, MA USA