Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero

Efrain Rodriguez is a senior this year, and he has high hopes for college. He is hoping to get into an Ivy League school, but he can't afford it. He has some money saved but it's not enough. His mom is already working two jobs to put food on the table, and his dad left their family for a younger woman. Efrain has to resort to other options to get where he wants to go. He needs to get money fast with graduation around the corner, and that only means one thing: the last thing anyone suspects.

Sofia Quintero did a stunning job expressing how hard it was to stay on top, and what the pressure can do to you. I now have a new respect for teens living in the slums, and who are having a hard time. The characters in this book were perfect. Efrain is the perfect example of someone who will do anything to make everyone proud; he makes mistakes, but still stays positive. Quintero did an outstanding job writing this book.

Content: 1
Rating: 7
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

Florence Crutchfield moves from an orphanage in London to Crutchfield Hall, her uncle's house out in the country. When she first arrives, she doesn't think she will have a happy life at Crutchfield Hall because her aunt hates her. She has other things to worry about too, like her dead cousin, Sophia, coming back from the grave! Sophia thinks her brother James should be dead instead of her so she tries to kill him to revive her life. Florence is part of Sophia's plan to try to kill James.

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall, in my opinion is a great book that is written in a fast moving pace. It was one of those books that you can't put down until you're done--I know I couldn't! If you like stories that are very suspenseful, you will like this book. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but the ghost was gross. It was a short book compared to what Mary Downing Hahn usually writes.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Friendswood, Texas United States

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

When Lenah becomes human after hundreds of blood-sucking vampire years, she doesn't know how to fit in. Although she is free from ruling her coven, taking innocent humans lives, and staying hidden, the real world is definitely different for her.

Going to high school is no challenge to Lenah. Lenah entered high school during the middle of the year but going to school is no challenge for her as she is one of the smartest students who knows practically every language. When she meets Justin Enos, she has a feeling she'd never felt before. Soon they are dating and Lenah learns to live. While they are at the winter dance together, something happens to Lenah which leaves her heart broken, but not by Justin.

Infinite Days is a very good book. Although it is about vampires, it has a different scenario; normally it's a human turning into a vampire but this book is the complete opposite, a vampire turning into a human. Readers who enjoy non-fiction books with lots of action and suspense with a little romance would love this book. This book is very detailed and written very well, and it seems like it is happening right in front of you! Infinite Days is a very fun and interesting book.


Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel

"A Huge Allied Assault of the most important bridges by Arnhem and Nijmegen took place on September 17, 1944..." Says Mrs. Helena to her grandson, Jeroen. One day, as Jeroen was digging through some old things in his grandmother's attic, he had noticed some old newspapers that were dated back in the 1940s and an old Jewish star. He had gone and asked his grandmother what the papers said. He couldn't read them because they were in German. When he asked about the star, Helena had told him that the star had belonged to her best friend because she was a Jew. She had started to tell Jeroen about the Nazi war, about how a crazy guy called Hitler was trying to take over. Helena had also mentioned to Jeroen that her dad worked for the German police, meaning that her dad was the one who took her best friend from her and sent her to a concentration camp. In a way this story had really helped me, because normally when you hear about the Nazi war in Germany it is usually always from a Jewish persons point of view, never from a German person. It was based off the point of view of the Grandma that had lived through that time but all she had to deal with was losing her best friend to the Nazi s. But seeing as Helena didn't want to remember it, she had never really mentioned this to her grandson, thus making that the Family Secret.

I really enjoyed this mainly. It's one of my favorite times in history that I love to read about, WWII. This book has a lot of historical facts in it about the Nazis and a lot of fictional things. I do prefer that you read this book if you like things on history. Seeing as it is a graphic novel, it tells alot more with the pictures than I think it could have if it was just a novel. It shows you the reactions on the faces instead of just describing how they looked. I think this would be a great book for all ages to read. Historical or not it is a very good book.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona United States

Almost To Die For by Tate Hallaway

Being a dhampyr brings its struggles for Ana. Her controlling witch mother tries to restrain her from seeing anyone but witches, and her vampire father tries to reclaim her for the vampire throne. What is hard about satisfying both parents? Vampires and witches are enemies and will do anything to stop each other. Ana must choose to side with her over-protective mother or her father who she only just met. Through high school drama, magic, and boys, Ana Parker goes through the craziest time of her life.

Almost to Die For is a novel that follows current trends. Vampires, boys, and action are in many new teen books. Tate Hallaway made her novel unique by incorporating witches as characters as well as normal humans. The plot is fun and interesting but rather predictable near the end. Though it is not a perfect piece of literature, this novel is worth reading to the teenage girl. Up-to-date vocabulary and slang make the dialogue seem realistic, and the first person narration draws the reader into the protagonist's mind. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the Twilight series and other vampire novels.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Secrets of the First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Secrets of the First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway is about the first daughter of the United States, and the problems that follow her everywhere - including England! Senior, Morgan Abbott, the first daughter, is perfectly happy. She gets to see her boyfriend, although it’s in secret, and she takes the role of class president after her enemy Brittany Whittaker is removed from office! Unfortunately for Morgan, nothing can go smoothly. With a secret relationship, Brittany, and now colleges, Morgan has her hands full. This is a sequel to Confessions of a First Daughter.

Secrets of the First Daughter is a perfect summer read full of love stories and hilarious mishaps. Although it doesn’t grab your attention at the beginning like its prequel, Morgan quickly gets herself into such a mess I found it impossible to stop reading. The author describes Morgan’s feelings well and makes the situations mostly believable, but still somewhat comical. There isn’t a complicated, intense plot or hidden symbolism. The morals are relatively simple. For me, this made it a nice book to read in between harder ones. It is a fun, easier summer read.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Strong, confident, courageous, and dangerous is what Gin Blanco is, also known as the Spider. Being one of the most dangerous assassins and one of the most gifted elementals, she has a reputation of being the most feared -until Gin Blanco retires from her life as assassin. Being bored with
her new retirement, she tries to find out why Fletcher, her tutor in the assassin world, left her a mysterious file after his death. This file has everything she would want to know about her life previous to becoming an assassin. It does not take long after her retirement, however, for trouble to find her again. After having a curious girl, Violet, asking about Fletcher, her restaurant being robbed, and then being shot at soon after, she has to find out what is going on. With the help of her Goth dwarf friend, Sophia, Fletcher's son, and an attractive detective she goes after one of the well known dwarfs in Ashland. While going on her next
killing, she keeps finding information that is making her second guess everything.

Web of Lies is the second book in the An Elemental Assassin series, and a good book to read if you like a little action. Set in a town called Ashland with giants, dwarfs and elemental magic such as ice, fire, earth, and stone powers, it is a good book for those who enjoy a perspective of a magical world.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, CT United States

eBully by David Conifer

Scott Halifax is a kid who knows the system. He never knew his parents, has been through four foster homes, and is now doing time at the County Youth Detention Center for shoplifting. Steve Lukather is a vice principle at Lakeland Middle School. One of his students tried to commit suicide after a horrific incident of internet bullying the previous year. Now, another student is a victim of an eBully and she appears to be going the same way. Lukather approaches Scott with a deal. Work undercover to find the bully and Lukather will clear Scott's juvenile record. Carly Gillette is the bully's victim. She does not know why this is happening and has never done anything to warrant this type of treatment& right?

As a past victim of internet bullying and a resident of an area where a high school student recently killed herself due to bullying, I was quite eager to read this book. It is simple to read and keeps the reader hooked. The characters are likable and the reader feels as if they, too, are experiencing the pain that Carly does as the bully becomes more and more vicious with their taunts and threats. This book is a good read, not only because of the story but also, the message behind the story. Bullying, online and otherwise, is a serious problem. This book does a wonderful job of illustrating that in a way for everyone to understand makes it so the reader is capable of entering the head of the bullying victim.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma USA

Windblowne by Stephen Messer

Windblowne is an engaging adventure story starring a boy
named Oliver. Oliver must stop his great uncle's evil
counterpart who is killing the oaks. Along the way he
discovers the secret of the oaks and learns that if your
talents aren't in one area, they're in another area. The
story has a message that technology can be bad, if in the
wrong hands. The story is also somewhat medieval in its
wording because of words like towne.

When I first
started reading the book, I thought it was going to be an
absolutely ridiculous story, partly because the cover shows
someone flying on a kite. Then when I started reading it, I
couldn't put it down because the chapter breaks practically
stop between letters so it's hard to stop reading because
you're so curious about what happens next. It's written in
a way that makes you feel like you're part of the story and
like you know the characters. It is written with
awesomely-worded descriptions that make it feel like you're
remembering a movie that you saw; for example, one great
visual description in Chapter 4 is Oliver thought the winds
sounded angry enough to rip the treehouse from the tree's
embrace and send it spinning away. I highly recommend this
book to everyone.

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City,
State and Country: Sammamish, WA USA

SOLID by, Shelley Workinger

Clio thought that she was a typical high school girl. She had been living a semi-normal life with her book-writing mom. That was before she learned that she was a victim of an experimental drug. Clio and many others had been gathered together in a special school to help them and the army learn more about their abilities. But Clio and her new friends find out that not everything was as it seemed. The groups started a quest for the truth and learn a shocking secret.

"Solid" was a good book but it's not the best I've read. It had a great plot and some good scenes but I found it hard to relate to since the main character was a girl. It's a good girls' book but not so much for guys. I did, however, find that there was plenty of action and suspense to keep me from putting it down. I think girls would enjoy this book more than I did.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America

The Search For WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi is an adventure/fantasy story. Eva Nine has lived her whole life underground. When the evil huntsman Besteel ravages her underground Sanctuary, Eva's guardian, a robot named Muthr, tells her to go above ground. All that Eva takes with her is a strange item she found with the letters w-o-n-d-l-a on it. When Eva reaches the surface, everything she sees is strange to her. She meets a blue creature called Rovender and a giant water bear, which she names Otto. Eva knew the planet was called Earth, even though Rovender insisted that they were on planet Orbona. Riding on Otto, Eva and Rovender return to Eva's Sanctuary and rescue Muthr. They travel through many towns and Eva is captured by Besteel and is trapped in the queen's castle. With the help of Otto and a pillar guard, Eva uses her wits to escape the castle and find the rest of her friends. They finally arrive at the ruins they have been heading for, but Besteel has tracked them, and he brought some friends. Can they outwit Besteel a second time? What is WondLa? And will Eva ever find other humans like her?

The setting of this book is almost indescribable. The mood was very E.T. (extra terrestrial). It was different from other adventure or fantasy stories I've read because it had more of a mixed main point. There were always two or three main things happening at the same time. Eva was an amazing character. I liked the way she argued with the omnipod when she met Otto because it insisted that water bears were microscopic but she knew she was seeing a giant water bear big enough to ride on. I could hardly pull myself away from this book; it was too good to stop reading! I think it would nice if there was a sequel to this book. I would recommend this to anyone who likes aliens, long journeys, odd friends and mysteries. The webcam idea was cool because it unlocked a 3-D map of their journey.

Reviewer Age:11

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

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Living in the small conservative town of Snope City, Tennessee, Haven Moore has lived a quiet and sheltered life. Simple and easy going as her life may seem, since Haven was young she has had visions of a past life. In her visions, Haven lives as a young girl named Constance whose life is filled with both a fairytale romance with a boy called Ethan, as well as her untimely and mysterious death. After several years without thought of her past life, while Haven watches television, she sees an image of infamous socialite Iain Morrow. Despite never having met, Haven feels an alarmingly surprising sense of familiarity towards Iain and rushes to New York to find him. Immediately, Haven and Iain begin an avid love affair, but despite their seemingly destined relationship, Haven is hesitant to believe that the mysteries of her past life have been solved. Seeking help to uncover the mysteries of her past as Constance, Haven takes on help from the influential Ouroboros Society, but unfortunately for Haven she has no idea what distorted reality she has just gotten herself into.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting, thrilling, and always kept me on my toes. I found the idea and storyline behind Kirsten Miller's The Eternal Ones to be new and original, like nothing I had ever read before. Despite how much I enjoyed reading this book, I found it to go back and forth a bit too much. At one point the story would have you thinking that Iain was a good and loving character while the Ouroboros Society was evil and conniving and then in the next chapter it would have you think the opposite. It would constantly have you switching your opinion so that it becomes easy to get lost and confused. Despite some confusion in the middle of the book, the end wraps it up and answers all previous questions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks to read something new and exciting.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America

Primeval by David Goleman

Being the fanatic that I am, I cannot, in good conscience, tell you the whole plot. However, the book opens some 22,000 years ago, in a flashback to the crossing of man from Russia to America via a long flooded land bridge. The mysterious They Who Follow are ever present throughout the trek. These intriguing creatures then settle in a valley, the valley of the They Who Follow, throughout the book, these beasts preserve their secrecy. We then launch forwards, thousands of years, to 1918, in the last days of the Romanov dynasty, a conspiracy is afoot. The They Who Follow make another appearance to return the silence of their presence. We then leap forth in time once again, to 1962, where the United States has authorized a nuclear strike on Communist Russia, the pilot crashes in a valley, yes, the valley of the They Who Follow claims another victim.

I was struck at the beginning of the book, if only because of the hunters of old stalking their prey. I first decided to read this book because of the Sasquatch-esque creatures, but as the book progressed, the multiple flashbacks gave me a little trouble. It was difficult to keep track of what was going on. I found the writing style to be rather history book-ish, and therefore difficult to stay on track. The multiple characters were all decently put together and the action was well coordinated. It was difficult, at first, to discern the outcome/direction of the story. Personally, I did not adore this book, but it was not pointless, either.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, IL United States of America

Venom: This is an ebook

This book takes place in a world where supernatural powers and beings are not uncommon. Gin Blanco is a young woman with those kinds of powers. Her family was killed by Mab Monroe. The family had been a target because of the feud between Gin Blanco's mother and Mab. Gin saved her baby sister, but doesn't know where she is. Flash forward, one of Mab's "friends" is having a problem with one of Mab's workers. Gin sees the problem. She decides to take action. When all is said and done, Gin decides that she will take out Mab's workers one by one until she can get to Mab to take her revenge.

In my opinion, this book was okay. It had some good parts where there was action and it was unpredictable. I had a hard time liking the "good" character Gin. She swears and kills. There were spots where the story seemed to move a bit slowly, but it picked up again. I would suggest this book to people who like action and fantasy books, especially to those who like strong female characters. It did leave me wanting to know more about the characters.

There is killing and swearing.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Jamestown, ND United States

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

Raye Archer hates being known as the scholarship student at the prestigious private school she attends. She also wants to be noticed more by the other girls. So when queen bee Ella Parker starts paying attention to her, Raye will do anything to gain popularity. Even if it means pranking Ella's ex, the handsome and crush-worthy Julian Kilgarry. But when Raye starts falling for Julian, the consequences could be extreme, especially when you have mastermind Ella planning the revenge.

For the most part I enjoyed The Julian Game. The plot sounds pretty standard: girl pranks boy, girl falls for boy, boy eventually discovers the truth. Rinse and repeat. But The Julian Game took a different approach, which I liked. Raye actually does what I want every character to do in this situation: she tells Julian the truth. And that act has very desirable consequences. I liked Raye a lot because she was tough, smart and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. Even at the end, when some of the other characters weren't treating her very nicely, Raye was still able to stand up for herself and preserve her dignity. It was nice to see a confident character, and this is the reason why I enjoyed The Julian Game so much. The plot was also interesting, the dialogue was witty and this book ended up being a very good read.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Cowgirl Way by Holly George-Warren

"The Cowgirl Way" by Holly George-Warren is a fun book. It goes from the nineteenth century to the modern day in revealing cowgirls. Stories of rebels, rodeos, bounty hunters, trick riders, explorers, and more are given. Quotes from cowgirls themselves are included. This is really a nonfiction book but reads like a fiction book due to its excitement and excellent storytelling.

With striking images and colorful pages, this book will get young ones' attention. While it is aimed at girls, boy may pick it up. The women profiled--for the most part--are feminine with a wild streak. Costumes and horses are shown for history and equestrian buffs. References to older movies or people may not be recognized by young readers, but they are explained enough not to leave younger generations confused.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Life Blossoms Like a Rose in Thorns by Raghavan Jayaprakash

Two reviews:

Review 1: This book was a very great and inspirational read. Smitha
is the main character and she is a rebel. She cannot stand
the way that the women of her Indian culture are treated.
She speaks to her mom about her opinions on the matter and
her mother just says there is nothing they can do about
it, our culture has always been this way. Smithas father
dies and her mother leans on her son in law for support.
He treats her unfairly, due to the way women were treated
as inferiors to men at the time. Smitha gets very upset
about the sittuation and goes out and speaks of how men
and women are equals. Smitha ends up getting married and
settles down. She has one son in the book and she is not
treated as an inferior by her husband. I really liked this
book and found it inspirational to women of every
background and culture.
This book was very inspirational with the way Smitha stood up for what she believed in. This book can be inspirational to women everywhere. It
realates to many womens problems. Smitha is like an average teenage girl who rebels and so teenage girls can relate to this book as well. Teenage girls can learn independence from Smitha's story. This book was a great
read and very inspirational.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Keiser , Arkansas America

Review 2: Thoroughly thought provoking and truthful, this is the story of a young Hindu woman named Smitha, following her through her teenage years, and then onto her adult life. She does not agree with her religion's (Hindu's) view on arranged marriages, and watching as her sisters marriage falls and crumbles, she wishes to have a choice in whom she marries, and so sets out on a quest to become someone in the world.
Written in four sections, each follows a different part of her life, it switches in part three to following her son Bhaskar's storey. Set in the late 1940's and onward, it is a storey that fully reminds the you, the reader, of the free life we have ; women treated with equal status and rights not just a possession of their husband. Like books such as '(un)arranged marriage' by Bali Rai, as a reader you come to understand a little more of what it would be like to have you're life planned for you. As in the books mentioned above, Smitha is determined not to be shaped and moulded by her parents and influential figures around her, and this is what she sets out to do. The 'voice' in which it is written, is not amusing or soft, but quite the opposite ; it tell it like it is.

Personally, I found it hard to relate too, due to the fact it is written so bluntly, but it does get to the point quickly. The ending comes together well, with only one question left un-answered but then the question in it's self is a little confusing! Even though the pace of the storey is rather fast, it's a light read and short too, at approx 160 pages. I would recommend this book for you if you enjoy religious books about other culture or storeys about women's rights and it would be a great study tool in Religious Education!

I would only recommend this book to mature readers, due to the sexual content that it contains.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Swindon, Wiltshire England

The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston

Loa Lindgren's life was ALWAYS centered around her little
sister, Asta. That's how life was, that's how the days
went. Asta suffered from a disorder that kept her a
baby...forever. But, with Asta dead, Loa is struggling.
Her best friend has also died. How can 16-year old Loa
carry out a normal life? The answer is, she can't. She is
suffering with flashbacks and bad dreams. Chaos, hardship,
and death best describe Loa's life. No wonder she is a
freak observer.

Two Hundred One pages of astounding literature. The book was a page turner, a new tableau at every paragraph. From the moment I was two words into the book, I could hear myself saying Instant Classic. This
horrific and stunning novel is perfect for the mysterious teenager! I grew up with Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown as my best friends. I've always been drawn to dark, depressing, mysterious things. That is probably why the book was such a hit with me. Although this is an amazing book, I recommend ages 12 and up, because it is creepy and spine tingling!

For the creepiness, deaths, and sadness.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Gin Blanco ( A.K.A The Spider) is one of the most
deadliest assassins in the world. She owns a restaurant
called the Pork Pit, which was given to her when her
beloved mentor Fletcher was killed. In giving her the
porkpit Fletcher also left behind a file. The file
contained information on Gin before her assassin days. In
finding more about the file and agreeing to help out
Violet Fox, Gin finds herself caught up once again in the
trouble she used to encounter. With the help of her
friends, Sophia, Finn, and Donovan Caine, Gin sets out to
kill a very famous dwarf.

This is the second book in the Elemental Assassin series. It was a page turner and had me up late each night, and early each morning reading
the words that drew me in. I was like a bug, and my book a light. Everywhere I went my nose was hidden between the two covers and they stayed there through out the day. I didn't want to put it down and miss the excitement of whatever trouble Gin got into. Each page had me attached
and I kept finding myself telling my mother time after time, not yet I am at the good part, or Five more minutes please! You can bet that when the third book Venom comes out I will be the first in line to buy it.

It had a lot of mature content and killing

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

The Limit by Kristen Landon

The Limit. It's a simple system, really. All you and your family have to do is not exceed your limit. Don't spend more than you limit, don't spend more than you make. For Matt Dunston, it seems as if his family has all the money in the world. They don't even have to worry about exceeding their limit, right? Wrong. When Matt's family suddenly and unexpectedly goes over their limit, something has to be done to get them out of their debt. In this case, the Dunston's oldest child, who happens to be Matt, gets taken away to a workhouse. He never knew anyone who was taken away and doesn't know what to expect. When he arrives at the workplace everything seems perfect! But Matt has his suspicions. Is it all too good to be true?

The Limit by Kristen Landon was a good book! The eeriness of the world Matt lives in keeps you interested and hooked through every chapter. What was happening in this alternate world was enough to keep me captivated and turning page after page. This book was filled with surprises and deception. It kept me wondering who was wrong and who was right. It also made me question whose actions were wrong and whose were right. The Limit by Kristen Landon was a great read!

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA

November Blues by Sharon M. Draper

When teen November Nelson finds out she is pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby, everything she knows changes. Her mother is disappointed,her college dream crushed,her schoolmates judging her. In the struggle she discovers what it's like to have real friends, supporters through hardships. And what is like to be sad and scared. In this story of ups and downs, Sharon Draper shows how things can change in a blink of an eye.

November Blues explores the truth of becoming a pregnant teen or even pregnant at all. Before I read this book I thought pregnancy looked a lot easier than it seemed in movies or books. But this book didn't cover up all the negatives of being pregnant, it showed what it was like to struggle with money, with peers, with eating the right food, and deciding on what to do with your future. Overall I think this book gives a truth and reality to becoming pregnant, losing what could have been, but finding something golden in the end.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, VA USA

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Bet Smith is just a girl who grew up with tragedy and just wants one thing in her life, an education. Unlike her foster brother Will, who will do anything but go back to school. When Bet comes up with the intriguing idea to switch places with Will, Will thinks she is insane and could never do it. As Bet starts to convince Will that she can do everything that he does, he starts looking at this as his way out to the military, where he really wants to be. Will and Bet make an interesting meaning to switching places as there lives switch because they fool everyone. Bet finally got her way to what she really wants but maybe at the cost of losing her foster father and brother.

This book wasn't really one of my favorites. It was well written however, very predictable and not an original idea. While reading it, it will seem as you have already read this story before.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, CT United States

Draw the Dark by Lisa J. Bick

Christian Cage is a very...different 17 year-old. He has lived with his uncle ever since his parents disappeared when he was a baby. When Christian grew older he realized he hears voices from a place he calls the sideways place where he believes his mother and father are trapped. Christian obsessively draws his mothers eyes hoping he can somehow get to where they are and save them. While Christian is trying to figure out what to do he stumbles upon a mystery in the small town he lives in, Winter, Wisconsin. A dead baby is found in a house that has been abandoned for years and know one knows how it got there. Christian also starts seeing visions of a boy from the same town only from years ago in the past. As he learns more about the secret past of Winter and the little boy, Christian knows that these events are connected somehow and that by figuring out about the buried secrets of the small town of Winter things will be unearthed and shaken that some people have kept secret since WWII.

The way the author wrote this book makes it very confusing until all the pieces are revealed. This book is a very dark book which is good for some parts but sometimes just makes the book eerie and creepy. Good parts about this book are that the author is very descriptive and places you right in the setting of the book. Also that the plot is very thought out and every bit of information you get is placed there for a reason. I think this book would have to be one of those books that you have to read at least another time to fully understand all the parts that you didn't pick up on the first time around. Over all it was an okay book, better than some books I've picked up on Flamingnet and one of the better written ones I've read on this site but not the best book I've ever read.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinios United States

Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery

"Kakapo Rescue" by Sy Montgomery boasts of its saving the world's strangest parrot. Terribly endangered, the bird is flightless and burrows holes in the ground at night. Okay--pretty strange. The science behind the bird is given in some biological detail that is not too hard for younger readers to grasp. Biographies and anecdotes of volunteers are given. Processes like finding / tracking the birds, as well as feeding and nursing from birth are expounded upon.

This book is great for any animal lover. While the main focus is on the kakapo, other creatures in New Zealand are gone over. The pictures are amazing in their clarity. They show both the animals and the science behind the volunteer methods. Suitable for all ages, this book will definitely teach readers something new about a parrot they probably didn't even know existed.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Xilse by Steve Augarde

It's the near, dim future and the earth has sprung into an epidemic of floods. The whole surface is flooded, only the roofs of old abandoned houses are left in the horizon with the exception of vast never ending sea. One island is a beacon of hope for young boys with the right goods. Baz is one of these boys and he is ready to flee from the mainland. Little does he know that the island is no vacation? In fact it is hard work. Preacher John, the cruel island leader, is a whole new level of creeper. He thinks human sacrifice is the answer. Baz and the other boys must band together and stop this crazed man before things go too far. Baz, riding on pure survival instincts and hope, must stop the evil workings of Preacher John.

The setting is almost pirate-like with all the boats and endless water. You definitely feel like you are in the setting, I can see it with vast clarity. The mood was tricky to depicter; I would say it is a dark dystopian feel. Like the world is in a panic state. Everything is gloomy. Even the main character is a downer. Most characters fly off the page but Baz just seemed to be flat. The author just seemed to write the story, perhaps the type of narration is the cause for this, but it doesn't seem exciting. No humor was used in the writing of this story. I love a book that has funny jokes spread throughout it and this one didn't.

I think the author's goal in writing this was achieved because it's a world plagued by destruction it won't be very happy or exciting so my opinion is merging with the facts, thus I must clarify. This book was a decent read, though not entertaining to me and my likes it could captivate another reader beyond their ability to contain it, they may yell from the rooftops proclaiming their love for this book. I just don't feel it. I think the writing was very effective in its purpose, to covey a sorrowful story of a world in peril. Not beautiful but meaningful, it promises light at the end of a dark and damp tunnel.

One strength this book conveyed was its impeccable setting description, you could feel the setting around you, a major plus. One weakness I found was the fact that it didn't hold my attention. Like the Hunger Games and Inside out there is a disrupted leadership, that when the people combined they concur, but again the main character wasn't bold enough to stand with Katniss or Trella.

I must be frank about this book. It wasn't very exciting at all in the beginning. I had to keep kicking myself to read it. And after awhile I got tired of king myself so I skipped pages to get to the end. Perhaps the book was just too slow or I was expecting a faster story none the less it didn't hit the spot for me. I enjoyed the twisted ending and all the surprises thrown in, it was the kind of adventure I was looking for. To improve this book I would say shorten it up and leave some details to the imagination.

What I learned from this book is that despite the looming fog and darkness that there is land looming near, that light at the end of the tunnel will be close. I might recommend this book but it depends on the person really. Most likely I will recommend it to somebody but not now.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Peoria, Arizona US

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

The Unidentified is a story about the Game--a mall converted into a school run by corporate sponsors who watch the students 24/7 on camera and use them for research to create new consumer products marketed directly at them--told from the point of view of fifteen-year-old Katey (AKA Kid) who doesn't fit well into this existence. One day after witnessing a shocking and controversial anti-corporate prank, she tracks down the people behind it and traces it back to a group called the Unidentified, named so because they refuse to be labeled by corporate sponsors. Kid eventually intermingles with them and learns their true purpose. But what happens when the Unidentified and Kid are turned into another corporate marketing fad? They do something even bigger--something that could change the way the Game is played forever.

I rather enjoyed reading this novel and particularly liked the sort of Orwellian Big Brother (see the novel 1984 by George Orwell) theme behind the Game, combined with the notion of popularity being based solely on marketing, and marketing depending on the consumers--people trying to be famous or popular . It is an obvious statement about teenage culture and popularity, and a subtle statement about not only marketing and the consumer, but the government as well. Despite the political connotations, however, it is also told from the point of view of a typical teenage girl with teenage girl problems that those who would not normally read a book like this can relate to and understand, which in turn, can help you understand the book as a whole. Overall, I give this book a 7/10 rating and recommend it for teenagers ages 14 and up.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sykesville, Maryland, United States

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

When Tessa Gray's brother sends for her, she is excited to start over with her beloved brother in England. After the death of her aunt, her brother is all Tessa has, and upon arriving in England she discovers that he has gotten himself into another sticky situation, thanks to his gambling issues. This throws Tessa into a whole new world complete with not one, but two extremely desirable men.

Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel is an amazing prequel to The Mortal Instruments series. Every character has amazing depth and the entire story is full of twists and turns and plenty of romance. If you like the tortured soul type, and who doesn't, you will immediately fall for Jem, the beautiful brooding Shadowhunter. If you like the open book, sweet and quiet type, and who doesn't, Will will pull on every one of your heartstrings. Throw in vampires, demons and Magnus Bane, and you have one amazing book!

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Colorado USA

Goal: Glory Days by Robert Rigby

He is back in England. Who you may ask? Santiago Munez is back in England and has been selected for the 2010 World Cup. This is it, his life long dream, so close he can taste it. But, there are problems in his personal life, such as his troublesome brother, his wife Roz and her new job, and taking care of 3 kids. Can he do both? Will he have to pick? To make matters worst Santiago Munez gets injured, badly. It starts to look like his dream is over. Will he be ready in time to play in greatest competition of them all, or will it be too late?

This book is a great book for young sportative teens, such as myself. As I did like the book, I do whish the author made the book setting more visial. At times I could not picture the setting. I would recommend the book to my friends, and I have done so allready. My most favortive part of the book is how the author wrote the book. I love the writing style of the book. I learned something from reading the book. No matter if your rich or poor, if you fellow your dreams you will be big.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Germantown, Tennessee USA

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

The Red Umbrella is a first rate novel that will hold the interests of nearly all pre-teen readers. Full of twists and turns, The Red Umbrella tells the story of a 14-year-old girl named Lucia who lives in Cuba. Life was usually peaceful in Cuba, but that was before the revolution started. Now soldiers are everywhere and parents are sending their children away so as to escape the revolution. As this happens, Lucia's father runs into problems with the government and is almost sent to jail! The government forces Lucia s parents to send Lucia and her brother, Frankie, away to America to stay with a family there. Lucia's parents are devastated but they have no choice except to let Lucia and Frankie go.

Will Lucia's and Frankie's new family, even if only temporary, be a good one? And will she and her brother ever see their parents again? Gonzalez's realistic characters come to life in this intriguing story and show how amazingly brave two people can be through the hardest of times.

The Red Umbrella is well written and full of twists and turns. However, if I were to read it again, which I am sure that I will, I would hope for a more exciting and gratifying ending. The vocabulary is very age appropriate and while reading this book, I learned quite a few Spanish words. Throughout The Red Umbrella, there are short phrases and words that are listed in the glossary in the back of the book. In this moving and entertaining story, I feel the realistic characters are easy to relate to. It is also easy to imagine them as real people which is why this is such an amazing story. I highly recommend this book to all pre-teen readers interested in dramatic novels.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States of America

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner is a story of unconventional love and the pain of death. Cass is a high school student whose best friend, Julia, is a theater star. Cass always felt she didn't belong and when Julia dies she feels more isolated then ever before. So she plans a trip. Something Julia had proposed months before, bike from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. The story continues with the personal journey that ensues when she returns home. In alternating chapters of "now" and "then" readers travel with Cass as she across the country, falls in love, and putts on a play written by none other than her dead best friend.

I found it very difficult to become "hooked" on the book. Although I loved the story I found it difficult to come back to it. Losing a friend is difficult, and I enjoyed how the author portrayed a group of teens coping with it. Hanging on to their friend in any way they could. What I disliked was the love story aspect. It did not seem to fit with the other parts of the plot. It was awkward and it didn't seem right to have such a basic plot with such an original one. Until the end, I did not like reading about the developing love, because it seemed so misplaced. In all honesty though the author did an amazing job of portraying human nature. Particularly human nature of teenagers. Few adult authors are capable of this. She also wrote about the reactions people have to death with great accuracy. I just wish some of the plot had not been as basic.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States

Kid vs. Squid by Greg Van Eekhout

Kid Vs. Squid is a book about a kid named Thatcher Hill who was spending the summer at his Uncle Griswald's museum house close to the beach in Los Huesos. At the museum, Thatcher has to dust, polish, and clean things for a job. Everyday Thatcher gets a new to-do list of what to clean and polish. When an object called the What-is-it??? is stolen, Thatcher and his new friends Trudy and Shoal need to retrieve it. Then all three of them have to go on a dangerous quest to recover the What-is-it??? and learn what the What-is-it??? is. Their journey becomes a whole adventure all over Los Huesos where Thatcher and Trudy discover the Atlanteans, figure out about their curse and have to save them. The three friends have to to fight monsters, solve mysteries, meet the King of Atlantis, defeat the witch Skalla, and finally fight a squid.

Kid Vs. Squid is a well written book that is easy to follow with no bad language, a bit of suspense, and a lot of funny parts. It also has a hint of mythology. It's a great action adventure book that is appropriate for ages 9-13. Greg Van Eekhout also did such a good job of the details that I could clearly see everything in my mind. The author's voice seemed real, like Thatcher could be my friend, in sort of the same style that Percy Jackson was written. If someone were to ask me if I were to recommend the book I would say yes because the book was really a great book that I greatly enjoyed.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas U.S.A.

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum

Thomas and the Dragon Queen is an adventure-fantasy story. Thomas is an extraordinary boy in two ways: he is much shorter than most boys his age, and has a higher rank. You see, Thomas is a knight, though he is only twelve, and most boys are not even made squires until they are fourteen. After the king knights him, Sir Thomas sets off to rescue Princess Eleanor from the Queen Bridgoltha of the dragons with no more than a donkey, his sword, Starfast, and a padded vest. Halfway to his destination Sir Thomas runs into the monster of the lake. When he shoves his sword into the monster's mouth, the sword breaks and the monster dies, but not before it kills a legion of the king's knights and the king's stallion, Heartwind. Thomas lends his donkey so the king may be taken to safety and continues on his journey. He finally reaches the Barren Isle, finds Princess Eleanor, and learns she is not a captive, but a nursemaid for Bridgoltha's dragonlets. Once when Thomas is in the cavern alone, Bridgoltha wakes up in a bad mood. How will he keep her from burning him to a crisp? And even if he does, how will he and Eleanor get back home?

Thomas and the Dragon Queen was an amazing story. The setting was quite warm and cheerful throughout the book, and it was easy to imagine fighting the lake monster, playing with the dragonlets, and even cowering before Bridgoltha. I especially loved the way the dragons ended their storys As was the way, it was done. I enjoyed how behind her fierceness Bridgoltha was really very kind. I thought it amazing how a fierce dragon queen and a knight set out to kill her could become friends in such a short time. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons, knights, princesses, adventure, and swords with hilts made out of the teeth of ancient monsters!

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

Deception by Lee Nichols

Deception, by Lee Nichols, follows the far-from-ordinary life of Emma Vaile, the daughter of two artifact-collectors prone to leaving her by herself while away on important business trips. On one such visit, Emma plans to have a massive amount of fun, especially after her newfound friends volunteer her to have a party. Unfortunately, someone calls the police. It’s found out that Emma’s been living alone for a while and she ends up in the care of Bennett Stern. Emma is enrolled in an elite boarding school, Thatcher Academy, and begins to experience odd visions. She learns that she can see ghosts and that she’s the second Emma Vaile... the first died decades ago. There are of course secrets that she uncovers and it turns out that she’s incredibly powerful, at least in terms of controlling ghosts.

Deception was an unusually decent book. It was written well enough to keep me reading and I was overjoyed by the fact that there were absolutely no vampires. While fairly predictable, the plot was still pretty original, a welcome change from other paranormal books. Though not a masterpiece, Deception was a nice light read and had enough suspense to keep the reader occupied. Emma and her feelings of confusion concerning her ghostly capabilities were well-described and plausible. I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a quick read with substance.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

Halloween Night Fever: End of the Long Walk by Dan Graffeo

Willy Hynes has a strange dream one night, in which he is given a patch of caribou skin. The following day, he meets a strange group who call themselves the Pniese, who are in charge of keeping the supernatural in control on Halloween. All have pulled a caribou skin out of the dream, and Willy finds he has one too. He trains until the big night, when his skills are put to the test. Can he find a missing gorgon child and a leprechaun’s gold? All in a night’s work; but an uninvited guest make their troubles multiply.

Halloween Night Fever: End of the Long Walk was a good book, although it did not live up to my expectations. The first half is not very exciting and slightly repetitive; Willy is just training and he learns a bunch of necessary skills. The rest of the book has more action and overall has an interesting plot. Except for the last three chapters, which seemed like a drawn-out epilogue, the book leads up to a good ending. If you choose to read this book, don’t stop mid-way; read it all the way through.

Content: 1
Rating: 6
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Santa Fe, TX USA

Poser by Sue Wyshynski

Poser by Sue Wyshynski is a realistic fiction book about a teenage girl named Talluah. Talluah is used to moving, but she is still anxious to make friends. She wants friends so badly that she could even lie to become popular. Throughout the book her tendency to say just the wrong thing at the wrong time, especially around certain people, can make her life miserable. Somehow, Talluah always ends up making it through the trouble and learning lessons about friendship on the way. She may even make a few friends in the process!

Overall, I thought Poser was well-written. There was just the right amount of description; enough to visualize the setting but not become bored reading it. The author creates a loveable personality for Talluah that everyone can sympathize with. Although there was a small lull in the action toward the beginning of the book, I could hardly put the book down. Some situations seemed unrealistic, but the majority of the book was believable. I especially liked how Talluah always would learn important rules of friendship, even if she had to learn them the hard way.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Milwaukee, WI USA

Behind Green Glass by Amanda Von Hoffman

When Isolde moves to a new town, she’s hoping for a new start, or just to be invisible. What she doesn’t know, until a run-in with some of the townspeople, is that the house she moved into is haunted. One day while cleaning, she finds a secret compartment with a green glass inside. Looking through her new find, she meets Lyric and his family, and mistakes them for ghosts. Along the way she finds love in her magical friend and a nobody from town, Matt. Can she solve the mystery enveloping her newfound friends? Will she be able to choose whom she belongs with before it’s too late?

Behind Green Glass is a book that will forever keep you on your toes; there was never a moment when I wanted to put it down. Even though other YA books have used faeries in their stories, Von Hoffman has added a twist to the basics of fay lore, the Forgotten Ones. This book has definitely made it to the top of my list for fantasy novels. The story was wonderful, but it lacked an appropriate ending for a novel. It kept me hanging, wanting more, something I personally loathe in a novel. Other than that, I can’t wait to read it again.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha tells the story of Jeremiah Fall, a Puritan living in early America. His world is turned upside down when his father is attacked by a monster while farming. When his father returns to Fall's house after being presumed dead, he only looks like his former self and has actually been transformed into a terrifying creature. He transforms Jeremiah into a beast like himself and kills Jeremiah's mother before being murdered by his own father. From this point, Jeremiah is plagued by a blood thirst that is nearly impossible to fight and must battle against his nature while he searches for a mythical stone that possesses the power to restore his humanity. After more than a century of his immortal life, he finds the Rosetta stone: the key to translating historical documents written in ancient languages and the only known way for Jeremiah to become human once more. From here, the war to obtain the stone begins against armies of great empires and followers of a buried and dangerous religion.

Blood Prophecy is a unique take on the traditional fantasy story that involves exciting glimpses of history and is told from a monster's perspective. Petrucha manages to make the reader feel like he is part of the story and really witnessing history along with Jeremiah. The novel is clearly well researched and is fast-paced to read. I felt very engaged in the story the whole time, although the beginning of the novel was slower and did not lead the reader to expect the fantastic story that followed the introduction. I thought Jeremiah was a realistic seeming character and the reader could relate to him, even if he is a monster. Also, that the protagonist was a monster gave the novel an interesting twist. I did not really dislike any aspect of this novel although the romance plotline did feel weak at times. I thought the Petrucha's descriptions were always well incorporated into the story and created vivid images for the reader without dragging on or taking away from the story. I would highly recommend it to others as a distinctive read that stands out from many other fantasy novels I have read.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: San Diego, CA USA

The Fairy Godmother Academy by Jan Bozarth

Kerka’s little sister, seven year old Biba has never spoken and her older sister Rona has used dance as a hideout since their mother died. When Kerka lands in the dream world of Adventurine once again, she is sent on a quest to find Biba’s voice. Braving glass fish, a wolf, slick ice, and a trio of cranky elves (If any elves read this I’m very sorry) Kerka sets out on her journey. Along the way Kerka finds the missing pieces to herself and Rona. Kerka learns Biba’s voice may be a little closer than she thought.

This book is action-packed and exciting. As Kerka is a Fairy-Godmother-In-The-Making everything is explained well for someone who hasn’t read the first book (I would know). The author did a great job describing this book. I can feel the ice slide beneath my feet and see the ribbon of wind that carried Kerka. I would recommend this to any fantasy lover looking for an original book.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA

Blank Confession

Blank Confession by Pete Hautman is a cross between a mystery and an adventure about a mysterious boy named Shayne Blank who walks into a police department and confesses he committed a crime. His story is that he is new in town and attends a new high school. The first friend he meets apparently owes 500 dollars that he doesn't have and doesn't, in fact, owe to a high school drug lord. Shayne and Mikey must try to mend the situation and bring down the drug lord's drug operation in the process. They do this by using the crazy fighting skills that Shayne has. What crime does Shayne commit?

This book is an insightful, witty, gripping look into a drug riddled high school and two boy's fight to stop the drugs from flowing through the high school. Hautman uses authentic voices to tell his story, and the narration is clear and focused. Mikey's voice is witty, and Shayne's voice is dark and serious. I could always picture the setting, and I was always right there with the characters. This book is very moving, with a great twist at the end, and I always wanted to read just one more chapter. I learned about integrity from this book, and so will you. I would only recommend it to mature readers because there is some violence and drug usage. I give this book a complete A+.

This book includes drug use.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Evansville, Indiana USA

The Perfect Family

The Perfect Family is a book of modern discrimination
against homosexuals. Jamie, a sophomore in high school,
has been struggling with the idea that he might not be
attracted to women. He is very timid at first, but soon
finds he is not the only one. Luke, a classic sophomore
jock, has also been struggling with this problem, and they
find relief in each other. When they come out to public
with this idea things aren't as great as what they would
like them to be. Luke's parents blame it on Jamie, and
hate everything about Luke's homosexual feelings. Jamie is
having a lot of the same problems with his family. His
brother Brian is struggling immensely at school because of
it. Jamie's father struggles with questions about
religion. And his mother struggles to keep it all together.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't really enjoy the
topic, but this book was a page turner. I couldn't put it
down. And I would recommend it to anyone interested in the
topic. It pointed out many pros and cons.

The Perfect Family is a book of modern discrimination
against homosexuals. Jamie, a sophomore in high school,
has been struggling with the idea that he might not be
attracted to women. He is very timid at first, but soon
finds he is not the only one. Luke, a classic sophomore
jock, has also been struggling with this problem, and they
find relief in each other. When they come out to public
with this idea things aren't as great as what they would
like them to be. Luke's parents blame it on Jamie, and
hate everything about Luke's homosexual feelings. Jamie is
having a lot of the same problems with his family. His
brother Brian is struggling immensely at school because of
it. Jamie's father struggles with questions about
religion. And his mother struggles to keep it all together.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't really enjoy the
topic, but this book was a page turner. I couldn't put it
down. And I would recommend it to anyone interested in the
topic. It pointed out many pros and cons.

There is a little bit of sensuality, and homosexual
thoughts, and some adult language

Reviewer
Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Dorr, Michigan
USA

black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

Kallie Riviere is a hoodoo apprentice visiting the Hecaten Alliance's annual carnival. However, Kallie finds herself as a suspected murderer when her lover is found dead in her bed. Now she has to find a way to clear her name and protect all the people she loves. Kallie's search leads her to Gabrielle, Kallie's aunt, who has helped her through her difficult past. The more Kallie searches, the more likely that it seems that Gabrielle is the person who wants her dead.

This book was not one of my favorites. The characters were well developed and realistic, but the story just kind of dragged on. It was kind of confusing at parts because I don't know a lot about hoodoo magic and that is mainly what this book was about. There were a couple sex scenes that were kind of unnecessary and I wish had not been included. This is a book for mature readers.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City,
State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana, United States of
America

Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines by Beverly S. McClure

Lizzie Stamford is a fourteen-year-old girl living in the South during the American Civil War. Everyday she has to struggle against broken moral prejudices against girls, and the separation of her family; she has to struggle to survive this war.

This book is mediocre at best. The one thing I really did like about this book is the protagonist, Elizabeth. She would be a very good, rounded, and dynamic character if the author was more skilled at writing. However, her spunk and defiance against the sexist practices during this time period gives the book a very feminist outlook.

The plot was a little like a badly written soap drama; there was no real development in the events, and all of them were pretty predictable. Also, the plot was not very compelling; I was counting down the chapters until I finished the book.

Some of the moments in this book were truly touching and well written, but most of the time the writing was laden with cliché phrases like, “I had found a beautiful friendship to treasure” (McClure, 101). The historical accuracy isn’t bad, but the voice of the novel sometimes slips and sounds modern. If you’re looking for a good historical fiction read, don’t bother with this one.
There are plenty of other well-written books about the American Civil War.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, IL USA

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Charlotte's world is turned upside down by a simple gummy bear in the first book of this series, Ghostgirl. She dies and enters the afterlife, where she is forced to work at a hotline for troubled teens. Charlotte's old friend, Scarlet, desperately needs her help because her big sister, Petula, is gravely ill. Charlotte's friend, Maddy, in the neighboring cubical
intercepts the call from Scarlet. Forced to find another way to get to Charlotte, Scarlett enters the afterlife world herself to find Charlotte. When she finds her, they go on a search for Petula's holding room . Along the way, Maddy tries to lead them astray (because she is trying to
steal Petula’s life for herself). In the end, Petula is saved
and crowned Homecoming Queen.

I enjoyed this book because the author made me feel like I was there. The characters were great and worked together well, like best friends or sisters. The author’s voice also changed throughout out the book to what every mood they were in at the moment (funny, serious.). She gave great detail and I was never left wondering what was happening. I found this book to be entertaining and interesting. I think the ending was great because I like happy endings. I would recommend this book to others.

Content: 1
Rating: 9
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State
and Country: Mineola , Texas USA

"Noah's Castle" by John Rowe Townsend

Noah's Castle is a great fiction thriller filled with the suspense that something is about to happen. A few decades after the Great Depression in England, Barry Mortimer and his family find that the cost of living is skyrocketing out of control. This dilemma not only affects Barry's family, but the entire country of England as well. Barry's family is faced with the fear of a second great depression and Barry realizes that his father is spending hours down in the cellar without anyone knowing what he is doing.

In this well-woven story, Barry is faced with choices that could change his life forever. Townsend's characters seem to come alive in this breathtaking story and reveal how truly terrifying life can sometimes be. While reading Noah's Castle, I found myself on the edge of my seat and turning each page quickly.I think this story will intrigue many pre-teen readers interested in historical fiction with a suspenseful twist. There was a good balance of detailed information in Noah's Castle. When I closed my eyes, I could easily imagine the setting and characters. The characters act and speak so realistically that they seem alive, and the setting, time, and place appear very accurate. However, this book is characterized by an unrealistic chain of events. At times, it seems like too many things are happening, one after the other. Also, I hoped for a more captivating ending.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States of America

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Genevieve Welsh is excited, summer has finally come, so that means that she'll get an awesome summer vacation...right? Not necessarily...her mom is a super history geek. Loves the outdoors, loves the adventures, blah, blah, blah. Gen likes cruises, beaches, cute boys, and swimming with her best friends, Kristin & Ashley. Anyways, instead of going to the normal place, Club Med, her mother signs them up for Camp Frontier. Camp Frontier, run by Betsy, Ron, and their daughter, Nora, is a place where you ditch everything. Well, everything that matters to Gen: her iPod, sneakers, t-shirt, and make-up. Betsy puts her into a bib, a petticoat, pantaloons, wool stockings, a wool floor-length dress, and boots. Basically what you would wear if it were 1890. It is what you wear in Camp Frontier, where you spend a summer living in the 1890's. There are some highlights to this trip, like the other families who, for some reason, decided to do this "vacation", like Caleb's family, or more specifically, Caleb, and Kate (Ka). But it seems anytime Gen wants to have fun, one person is there to ruin it-Nora. Soon Gen realizes how terrible this can be, how hard it is to grow your own food, chop your own wood, wash clothes in a creek, and milk a cow, and on top of that, they get graded! Graded for a vacation! Will Gen ever be able to survive this "Little Hell on the Prairie"?

Little Blog on the Prairie was a funny, and somewhat of an entertaining book. I will be honest-it was not my favorite, but it was still a good read. I would think that girls would enjoy this book. If you guys like a little drama, farms, and a big twist, you might also enjoy it.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Winslow, AR USA

Invisible City, by M.G. Harris

When Joshua Garcia's father dies in a plane crash in Mexico, Josh decides to find out the mystery behind his father's death. He starts a blog about his journey, and finds a friend in one of his faithful readers, Ollie. After discovering some evidence of the reason behind his father's disappearance, Josh teams up with Ollie and Tyler, a boy from his Capoeira class to decipher some hieroglyphics on the ancient document. They discover that it is half of a letter telling where the IX Codex is. The IX Codex was said to contain information about the end the world that the Mayans had predicted centuries previously. Their findings lead to a trip to Mexico. But they are not alone in trying to find out why Mr. Garcia ventured to Mexico in the first place. An international hit man is on his tail and the CIA agents are close behind the trio. The agents delay Ollie and Tyler at a hotel to question them about their findings regarding the document. Josh escapes and continues the journey to find the lost city of Ek Naab with the hit man hot on his heels. When he uncovers the secret of Ek Naab, his life changes forever. And he is now the keeper of the best kept secret in the history of all mankind.

I loved this book! It was very intense at times, such as during the car chases and when the main characters were getting shot at and being driven into a lake, and heartbreaking when you experience the internal debate in Josh when he has to decide to save himself and leave his sister behind to drown in the rapidly sinking car. Times like those I wanted to cry as if I were Josh. The author made me feel as if Joshua's struggles and my own were one, just as I could find myself running through beautiful Central American jungles and journeying through the forgotten city Ek Naab. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves action-packed books with great storylines. This book has a bit of everything in it; action, deceit, heartbreak, betrayal, and a tiny spark of romance.

Rating: 9
Content: 1

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Garden Ridge, Texas USA

Awakening on Orbis 4 by PJ Haarsma

Johnny Turnbull imagined life on the rings of Orbis as a perfect utopia, where he could live life to its utmost. His previous excursions on the rings hadn't been terrible, even though he was a kudnik. Being a kudnik rendered JT meaningless to the citizens of Orbis, but life went on, mainly because of his sister and friends. But things begin to change upon the discovery of his sister's unique and unprecedented powers, and JT is pushed into a land of unfamiliarity. In "Awakening on Orbis 4", JT discovers many things about life, and becomes more in-tune with his inner self. However, his personal gains come at the sacrifice of a great many things, things he thought he would cherish forever.

Awakening on Orbis 4 was a well-written, emotional, and powerful novel. The futuristic setting developed in the mind of the author is both creative and descriptive, perhaps one of the most intriguing I have ever encountered. The book also contains small, yet effective romance scenes that have a huge effect on the overall feel of the book and the layout of the plot. It is because of these very realistic human emotions such as love, fear, and desperation that the characters seem very real and true to themselves. The voice of this novel isn't very strong, as it uses much dialogue to tell the story. But when there is no dialogue, the narration is rather matter-of-fact. However, this fault does not impede on the quality of the story, as it is not very apparent.

Having read the prequel, I found this book to be everything I expected it to be, and much more. I felt the emotions of the characters, as they experienced pain, love, and confusion. This was perhaps the greatest strength of the book. Another strength was that the vocabulary was age appropriate, and so was the content of the book. A minor weakness was the book slightly confused me at the beginning, because the settings were very intricate and complex. However, the complexity of the book also adds a dimension that was very intriguing. Compared to other books in the Sci-Fi category, it was one of the best, even better than its prequel. I found the book very interesting and moving, and am eager for the next book to be published. The ending was excellent, setting the scene for many more stories to come. I would definitely recommend Awakening on Orbis 4 to anybody who has read the previous books in the series, and wants a phenomenal book to read.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, MD United States

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal ones is about the concept of reincarnation and
ever lasting love. In it, a girl named Haven has both of
these things, she is reincarnated to find her ever lasting
love. This love comes in the form of Iain, a sexy rich bad
boy, who rocks the tabloids and rocks the ladies. But this
is not Haven and Iain's first time meeting each other,
they have been in love for many thousands of years, with
different names and different appearances, always finding
each other and searching for that happy ending. We mainly
focus on their last meeting, as two people named Constance
and Ethan, a couple which tragically perished in a fire in
each others arms. Throughout the book, we question whether
Ethan/Iain really loves Haven, and whether he could have
started the fire that ended his life. We also look into
the existence of the devil, who may or may not be the
reason that Constance and Ethan didn't get there happily
ever after in the first place. Find out what happens in
The Eternal Ones.

As you can see, this is an extremely
complicated book. It has a fantastic plot line that leaves
you frantically flipping pages late into the night. The
wonderful descriptions make you feel like you could call
Haven up and ask about her day. However, sometimes the
plot line doubles back onto its self, making the book not
only complicated but extremely confusing and hard to get
through at some parts. Also, the twist at the end was TO
twisted, making the ending not good enough. It was
unrealistic to the plot (and that's really saying
something in a book all about people coming back to life
tens of hundreds of times) and made it so the ending to
this book didn't settle well in your stomach. So, in
conclusion, if you have any interest at all in
reincarnation, or just these concepts, this book is a
fantastic read, but if you aren't capable of getting so
caught up in a book that you can overlook some bad parts,
then just don't bother.

This book deals with some
difficult subject matter.
This review is being resubmitted because it was wrong the
first time.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Exeter, NH 03833

Full Metal Jacket: Certified by Jackie Kajzer

Full Metal Jackie: Certified is intended to be, in the

words of its frontcover, as an exposition on the 50 most
influential heavy metal songs of the 80s, and the true
stories behind their lyrics. The book consists of an
anthology of the songs, with a short section consisting of
a few pages and black and white photographs devoted to
each, along with a section containing color pictures in
the center. The 323 page compendium contains several
sections containing background and relevant information
for every song, and also often contains interviews and
unique tidbits of pertinency. Much of the book is devoted
to analysis of the lyrics of the songs themselves, at
times deriving these analyses from the songwriter
themselves, or from contextual information researched by
the author. It also provides surprisingly profound
commentary on the impact and origins of the songs,
especially to the political and social situations that
stimulated their authors.

My review of the book must be
considered in light of the fact that I chose it
accidentally. It was my hope to encounter classic rock
songs from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, and
AC/DC. However, most of these were necessarily ruled out
when I noticed the caption after recieving it, which
limited the time frame to the 1980s. Thus, as I admit that
I am no expert in (recent) Heavy Metal music, my review of
this book will be be through the scope of a novice,
uncolored by the filter of appreciation for the songs this
book was chosen about. Resultingly, I will review this
book on the merits of its writing and content alone, and
not on the songs or bands selected or any of the
characteristics that will appeal to the Heavy Metal fans,
familiar with the subject matter, who it is clearly
directed at.

The book is quite long; as mentioned before, it is over
300 pages. Although this pales in light of recent and
historical novels, for an anthological analysis it is
quite large, and thus requires a generous time commitment.
However, while not exactly absorbing, it does prove quite
interesting. The prose demonstrates maturity and
thoughtfulness in its analyses, revealing an intimate
knowledge of the topic and presenting a firsthand account.
There exist several dimensions of analysis, ranging from
subjective to contextual, much of which is supplemented by
statements from bandmembers and interesting sidenotes
about the relationships of the members. At the same time,
the content eventually approaches redundant and
repetitive, relying too often on political and
rebellious sentiments to account for lyrics. Although
this might be out of sheer necessity, additional topics
would be appreciated. Presentation wise, Full Metal Jacket
proves mostly utilitarian, the grayscale color scheme
rubbing thin at times later on. Whether this is
intentional, to reflect the moodyness of the topic matter,
or merely a fiduciary measure, it does not significantly
impact the overall appeal of the book. A section devoted
to color photographs halfway through is a nice touch, as
are the accompanying captions.

Overall a fine book and excellent coffee-table material,
Full Metal Jacket: Certified's contradictory facets
detract somewhat from its overall score.

Adult Language/Profanity at times

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer
City, State and Country: Shrewsbury, MA USA

The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla

The Girl Next Door shows a true friendship, when a friend is in need. Jess and Sam have been neighbors for most of their lives. When Jess's world starts breaking down when he develops cancer Sam tries to help him through all his pain and grieve. But because of this she misses out on school;she came from a straight A student to F's.Their world is spinning and Sam just doesn't know what to do.


This book really makes you appreciate where you are in life based on Sam and Jess's situation. The author makes Sam's character seem as if she can't do anything for Jess but she can. Sam doesn't believe in herself during school. She doesn't think she can do anything, which isn't true. Jess himself is a really strong person. This book's mood/tone is mostly sad, there are some funny jokes though. The author also didn't tell you if Jess died from his cancer. The author's writing is very powerful because you really see the characters from the descriptions the author provides for you, the book itself is very emotional too.The weaknesses of the book were I thought there seemed to be gaps in the book where she forgot to include some minor details. I wouldn't recommend this book because it is very sad and wasn't "a page turner."
 
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: braintree, MA America

Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee

Anjali Banerjee writes a great story about a girl named Poppy Ray who is 11 years old and loves animals. She wants to be a veteranarian when she gets older but her mother is allergic to anything with fur. When Poppy's parents go to India for buisness, Poppy stays with her Uncle Sanjay and helps him in his pet clinic. But Poppy has a hard time fitting in with her Uncle and everything turns out wrong. Will Poppy be able to help all the animals and pull herself together?

Anjali Banerjee writes a great story, and I really enjoyed it. This story was a page turner and I recommend it to anyone. I could picture the setting if I closed my eyes. Banerjee gave the right amount of details and this book was told in first person. Banerjee also did a good job of wrapping up subplots.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Elkton, Maryland USA

The Tilting House

The Peshik family moves into a strange old house that has tilting floors and writing all over the walls. Jake isn’t sure if he’ll be able to live in such an eccentric house. How is he going to have friends over? But he and his little brother, Aaron, find out through a few misadventures that the house has secrets. The previous owner’s mysterious life and death is evident in the writing on the walls and other things he left behind. Jake comes to realize how cool his new house really is.

This book was a real page turner. I read it in less than a day. But it was a little out of my age range. It’s probably better for someone aged 9-11, but I still liked it and would recommend it to anyone. The tone of the book was kind of goofy and cheerful, despite some of the more morbid bits. In the part that directly deals with death itself, the author adds over the top accents and coffin shaped men to keep the goofiness going. The first person was okay, but I think third person would have worked better for the whole theme, especially since Jake was not a very interesting character, but it didn’t really hurt the book. The book was like a collection of short stories united by the ending, which was an effective technique and seemed to get the job done. The plot was the strongest point of the book, but I think the characters weren’t terribly interesting or sophisticated, although it didn’t end up being fatal to the book. The ending was quite satisfying and tied up a lot of loose ends that those previously mentioned short stories left hanging. Overall, it was very satisfying and I would recommend it because it’s a fun read for just about anyone.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairfax, Virginia, USA

Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey

I recently read the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey. You would find it in a library under realistic fiction. I found the book to be interesting and very realistic. This book was about 10 year old Effie Maloney going away from home for the very first time. This was very exciting for Effie because no one in her family had ever gone on vacation before because her mom was trying to "make ends meet". See, Effie's mom was Effie's only guardian because her father had been arrested for stealing money from people. Effie was delighted to be able to go to camp without Maxey, her annoying older sister, but apparently, that's not going to happen. Also, Effie has to learn how to swim-fast- as she is not the greatest swimmer in the world. Can Effie survive Camp Calamity? Read Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity to find out.

The book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity was a rather interesting story. I found the setting to be rather believable, as if I was in Texas with Effie and Maxey Maloney. Throughout the book I felt two distinct moods coming from main character Effie Maloney. The first mood was radiated by Effie in the beginning of the book when Effie is excited to be going to camp. The second mood was radiated by Effie in the second half of the book when she gets homesick and wants to go home from camp. The writer makes me believe in the characters as people because the characters were kind, thoughtful, and yet, they would get on each other's nerves sometimes and do some irrational things that I thought made them human. I think the author had put in a good amount of information, and there were also parts that left me hanging so that if there ever was another book and this became a series, I would definitely read it. I think the author achieved her purpose and really connected with the kids reading this book. The writing was kid friendly, and the vocabulary was definitely age appropriate. The strength of this book is that kids everywhere can connect to Effie and the other characters. However, I thought that one weakness of this book is that the author dwelled too much on Effie's homesickness. This book is definitely on my top list of realistic fiction books I've read so far. I found the book to be interesting, and the only thing that I think could be improved on is not dwelling on the homesickness for too long. I thought the ending was good, and made me want to read another book featuring Effie Maloney if one should ever come out. I liked the ending because it finished off the story nicely, yet made me want to read more. I didn't learn much from this book, being as it is a fictitious book with no facts, like most fiction books. I would definitely recommend this book because it is a very interesting book that will keep you turning the pages until you have no more pages to turn! As you can see, this is what I think of the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner

"Project Seahorse" by Pamela S. Turner is about seahorse conservation. Diving into the behavior and science of the fish first, the book teaches readers many fun facts. Some include the fact that male seahorses give birth and the fact that seahorses can change the color of their body to camouflage themselves against predators. Seahorse exploitation is given in great detail as are ways to combat them with marine conservation.

This book is full of information. It describes the cultures that hunt for seahorses. While the pictures are vibrant, some may not be best for younger readers. One picture has dead seahorses sold for Chinese medicine. Two have spears through fish. Lastly, one has a scantily clad "researcher" in a bikini top. All in all, this book is informative and great for any marine biologist enthusiast.

Some pictures may disturb very young children

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

The Skinny on Willpower by Jim Randel

“The Skinny on Willpower” is a motivating book that teaches the reader that the key to success is not how good or bad a person is at what s/he is trying to achieve, but how when a person channels the willpower and energy within s/he can turn it into success. This book is deeply researched, and as I read, I felt in good hands. It takes on all different approaches to teaching the reader the ways to success, showing others who are successful and the roads that they took. All of these roads had something to do with willpower. The


book also talks about how once a person gets going it is like inertia; and unless someone steps in to stop him/her, it will continue to go. This book is an extremely quick read, an

hour give or take. I suggest that everyone who has a dream but does not quite know if they can achieve it to read this book!
I personally thought that this book was

inspirational! I've already taken a highlighter to it. “The Skinny on Willpower” is such a short book that's filled with a lot of information. Not a word on the page was a waste of time. I suggest the book to anyone and everyone because it's so informative and appeals to basically everyone. I think willpower is a great thing for people to explore, and this book is a great place to start! There are other “The Skinny on...” books and I'm definitely going to look into them in the future!



Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country:

Libertyville, IL United States

The Secret to Teen Power by Paul Harrington

Paul Harrington's The Secret to Teen Power offers advice to readers about how to live life to its fullest, to find one's inner strength, and overall to make things happen. It focuses on an idea called the law of attraction, the idea that one's thoughts have more power than one realizes. It proposes that if you Think something will happen, then it will come to you. This motivational book focuses on the thought process and believing in one's self. Perhaps positive thoughts could bring more experiences that are positive to one's life.

Honestly, I could not derive personal betterment from the secret. It was disappointing to read that the way to make everything you want in life come your way is not to work for it, per say, but to Think that it will come to you. The book not only touches upon your achievements, but also your health. Unfortunately, it is hard to believe that by actively believing that you will not contract an illness, you will not get one; with passages like this, Harrington slashes apart his credibility. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but if you do decide to read it, please heed this bit of advice: take what you read with a grain of salt.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA

Xtreme Art Ultimate Book of Trace and Draw Manga by, Christopher Hart

This book is about how to draw (or trace) the basics of Manga. It is divided onto three different sections Draw Manga, Draw Manga Chibi, and Draw Manga Monsters. At the beginning of each section it tells you what you need to know before you begin drawing. For each different drawing there are only four steps. This book is good for beginning and advanced artists. It is a book that can be loved by many.

I think that this is a good book for artists of all ages. It was very good and improved my skills. Before I read this book I wouldn't be as half as good as I am now. This book gave me some important tips and ideas for my drawings. Out of all of the drawing books that I have read this is by far the best.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas United States of America

Summer Sanctuary by, Laurie Gray

Summer Sanctuary was one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and I've read a lot. Its the perfect combination of what teenagers are going through now, and a harsh bite of reality. It made me want to read more, I truly loved it. I found a real sanctuary in this lovely book, and I know you will too.

Summer Sanctuary by Laurie Gray is about two main characters, Matthew and Dinah. They meet each other in the strangest way, but find that they are the perfect match for true friendship. Matthew is going through hard times with his parents, his mom is pregnant for the fifth time, Matthew's best friend Kyle is gone, and his younger brother Mark is surpassing him in all athletic ability known! And to Matthew's surprise, Dinah is having an even harder time. She's homeless, on the verge of being put in Child Welfare. Matthew needs to help his new friend, and your going to love the way he does. I think this author made it so uncommon, I loved how he mixed the two lives together of Dinah and Matthew. I couldn't get enough of this book! The author really did achieve his purpose in this book. Like I said, I found a sanctuary of my own in this Summer Sanctuary. I loved it so much, and I know you'll enjoy it just like I did.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas USA

Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks

Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks is about a funny, sweet, smart, and charismatic teen named Miranda who faces obstacles in what is supposed to be a good summer. First she lands a job babysitting a young piano player, which is good right? Wrong. The young girl, Amelia, is more interested in practicing her piano than talking to Miranda. Miranda makes efforts to open Amelia's eyes to new things but nothing seems to work. While doing this Miranda worries about her parents continuous arguing, her spoiled and model-like sister, and her hunky boyfriend's ex girlfriend suddenly showing her face around town. Not to mention, her boyfriend has been acting very suspicious lately. But the most important and exciting decision Miranda must make is also the most life changing and relationship ruining decision. This decision could change her life for- well ever. In the end, all ends well and Miranda helps others and herself get through the summer of a lifetime.
Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks was a very enjoyable book. It did not rank high in my 'Top Ten Books List', but it is still very enjoyable. The writing is acceptable. It has its moments with witty outbursts and funny scenes but nothing too exemplary. For the most part, it reminds me of every other teen book: plain, and no significant underlying message. It has an interesting story line, sure, but is this story really going to change the reader's outlook on things? Probably not. The characters are very individual and thoughtful, but they don't get far past that. The writing style is rather good. It is light-hearted and cheerful throughout the book. This is a good read for summer, especially if you'd like a light, cheerful, book on the side of all your summer fun. But probably not a book that will change your view, or impact your life.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Park, Texas U.S.A.

Nuts by Kacy Cook

When Nell and her brothers, Jack and Charley, find two baby squirrels, which they name Mantha and Jess, in their backyard, they really want to help them. When their parents say yes, Nell finds a person who has raised squirrels named Libby on her website. Nell is not happy when she finds out she should take the squirrels to a wildlife rehabilitator. She wants to keep the squirrels so badly, she ends up lying to Libby about her age and where she lives. Nell also lies to her parents about taking the squirrels to a wildlife rehabilitator. Will Nell and her family be able to raise and release the squirrels with the help of Libby's advice?

I think this is my favorite book I have reviewed. I felt like I could relate to all of the characters in some way. The vocabulary was also age appropriate. I also thought this book was very interesting. I also learned some things about squirrels from this book. I would recommend this book to people who like animals.

Reviewer Age:13
eviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish

D. M. Cornish starts his latest novel in the Monster Blood Tattoo series (a planned trilogy), Lamplighter, where his first book, Monster Blood Tattoo, left off. Lamplighter follows a Foundling (orphan) boy, Rossamund, who has been summoned to train under the military branch of the Lamplighters, soldiers who walk the Empire's monster-plagued streets and light the Great Lamps for the safety of travelers. Rossamund arrives at the Lamplighters' barracks, Winstermill Manse, and begins his training as a prentice. Not extremely long after his beginning at Winstermill, Rossamund's military prentice quarto (that is, the group he is assigned to) heads out on a prentice-watch to light and dowse the Great Lamps from Winstermill to the Wellnigh House, along the Wormway, but after the overnight stay at the Wellnigh House, on the way back to Winstermill, a carriage comes racing headlong down the Wormway -- a carriage with vicious horn-ed nickers attacking it! Will Rossamund survive his first theroscade, or monster encounter, as a Lamplighter? Who is in the carriage? Read Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish to find out!
I absolutely loved Lamplighter. I was excited when I saw that D. M. Cornish had come out with a sequel to
Monster Blood Tattoo. The book matches, if not outmatches, the creativeness of its predecessor. I thought that the characters all showed their personality well, and you could see Rossamund transform from a weak
Foundling boy into a courageous adventurer. Like the first book in this series, the text is filled with words that
you would never find in Mr. Webster's dictionary : terms like "gretchen-globe," "enkle," and "slot and drag." But not to fear, both books include their own glossary, and it's a whopper at nearly 100 pages. (By the way, you'll also find a few of Mr. Webster's odder words in there too: "pledgets" and "sillibub" make an appearance.)

I recommend this book to readers who liked Monster Blood Tattoo as well as anyone who enjoys intricate plots and detailed descriptions of the fictional world that a story is set in.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country:  Saugerties, NY USA

Amigas, Fifteen Candles, by Veronica Chambers

Alicia Cruz lives in Miami, Florida with her 3 amazing friends. There is Jaime, the fashionista. She loves hip hop and is the fashion know-it-all. Then there is Carmen, the designer of the year. Carmen could totally be a model, but instead she chooses to make the most amazing clothes anyone has ever seen. Last Alicia is friends with Gaz, but lately she has developed feelings for him and she isn't sure if she should go for her feelings or hide them in case it ruins their friendship. On top of the big issue, Alicia has decided to start a quince-planning business. To her seems like everyone is perfect for the job, Jaime with her fashion, Carmen with her sewing, Gaz with his band, and Alicia with her dancing. It is all great until Alicia falls under pressure with the time crunch, and with her new internship. Will she and her friends be able to pull it all off?

Amigas, Fifteen Candles was a pretty good book. I thought that there was a good setting and part of the ending was unpredictable. I loved the characters in the book; they are what kept it interesting. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that it was pretty predictable.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

On Sienna's 15th birthday she receives a plane ticket to Indonesia. Something she didn't want after her mom died in a plane crash over the Indian Ocean. Sienna reluctantly accepts and agrees to help children recover from their losses during the tsunami.


While in Indonesia Sienna meets Deni, the most handsome man she's ever met. Sienna and Deni fall in love too quick and soon Sienna would be going home. While with Deni they travel back to Aceh, Deni's hometown. There Sienna sees the damage from the tsunami clearly with mass graves and the death wall. Also Sienna is caught by surprise from someone unexpected looking for Deni. Sienna had to leave for home not only without Deni but also with a broken heart.

Sea was a very good book. It was a love story woven with suspense. I would recommend this book to teen readers looking for a romantic novel. Heidi Kling was very good with bringing everything to life with so many details. She also made the book seem like it could really happen.
 
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

Is Anybody Out There by, Nick Gevers

Have you ever wondered if other kinds of life existed somewhere out in space? Fuel your imagination with fifteen original stories about aliens. Gaze up at the stars and think about the possibilities that aliens might exist. Could it be that these stories are not just fiction? Ask yourself, is anybody out there?

"Is Anybody Out There" was many things. It was comical, suspenseful, horrifying, and many others. I enjoyed this book because of its variety of views on alien life. Anyone who reads will find something they like in this book. Some of the stories really make you wonder, is anybody out there.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America