The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor

The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor, by Edeet Ravel

This book is the first in the series, Pauline, btw. It is
written in a new format, as Pauline is recording her story
as a novel, which she may want to try to publish. As school
lets out for the summer after 6th grade, Pauline decides to
devote her summer to writing her novel. She has lots to say,
about her friends, family, and a certain boy named Yoshi.
Her parents had divorced, and her mother has started dating
again, while her father is busy painting pictures of old
shoes. As her life becomes more and more complicated, she
realizes that writing your life story, however hard it might
be, is actually easier than living your own life.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.
It did not have a very filling story line, and felt like
just a chapter in a bigger novel. I was pleased to see that
her problems greatly resembled the problems of the pre-teens
and teens of today. It was an interesting book, but it was
written as a first-time novelist might write, with many
notations such as, Zane says I need to unveil hidden truths,
so I shall in the next chapter. Rather than a novel, it was
written more in Diary format, with chapter headings instead
of dates. I wouldn't recommend this as a first-choice book,
but rather as a book to read in-between trips to the library.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA USA

Springfire

Donavah, a young teen girl, sets out on a hunting adventure
with her two friends, Grey, and Traz in the novel
SpringFire. Xyla, a red dragon and one of Donavah's allies,
is flying the crew to a forest, where they can hunt. While
they are flying, DragonMasters attack them and they are
plunged into another world; the Stychs. When Donavah, Traz,
and Grey regain consciousness, they are in a mysterious
cave. A few days later, a woman named Shandry appears to try
and help them. Traz, Donavah, and Shandry have to venture
out to the closest village in order to save Xyla, who is
very sick. Donavah faces several challenges and must battle
many people in order to stay alive.

Springfire is amazing! I was glued to the book and my
heart was racing as I flew through each page. It's a very
easy read, but there were many details (some grotesque), but
I think they were necessary for the genre. When you read
SpingFire, you feel you're right there in all the action as
Donavah uses her maejic. The reader feels the pain of her
battles. Terie Garrison made SpringFire a heart wrenching
adventure. If you are looking for a magnificent dragon
fantasy adventure, this is the one!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United
States

Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe

Soldier of Sidon is a novel whose purpose is to entertain. It is the third book in a series about a soldier. The story is set in ancient Egypt and the surrounding lands, all of which are filled with divinities. One soldier, called Latro, can see these gods and goddesses. He cannot, however, remember what happened to him even the previous day. In an attempt to preserve his past, he writes down important events on a scroll. The novel is in the form of his entries on the scroll. Throughout the story, there are battles and romantic scenes, but the main conflict in the story is Latro trying to regain his memory.

This novel was a very interesting and entertaining read. Though it was the third in a series, the narrator's poor memory caused many key events in the previous books to be explained. Latro's short memory also makes for an entertaining story. The downside to this is that there are gaps in the story where the narrator did not write down what happened and then forgot and the narrator will repeat or relearn information in several entries. These minor problems actually add to the story overall rather than detract from it, but it can occasionally be frustrating. The ancient deities are an added bonus to the story. All in all, I recommend this book especially to anyone interested in ancient history, mythology, or stories with unreliable narrators, but anyone would enjoy it.

Content: There are some sexual scenes, as well as limited violence. None of this is too explicit or offensive.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, Pennsylvania United States

Trigger by Susan Vaught

A young boy makes a sorry attempt at suicide only waking up to find that he survived. Confusion, Hurt, Loss, and Dissability are a vast part of his life now. The bullet's placing has now left him almost motionless on one side of his body and long as well as short term memory are almost useless at this point. Everything before the suicide is blurry. He's left with questions like; Why did i do it? Why does everyone hate me? Is the House Okay? How long has it been? He is stuck piecing his life together bit by bit with an old friend, who herself will never cease to amaze him.

I think this book is VERY well written. It depicts the struggles of disabled people greatly and it shows the change in mental health perfectly. The young boy's mentality goes from 15 years old straight down to 7 years old and he struggles to understand his life as it had been. There's absolutely nothing better I have ever read that could relate to such true accounts in our daily lives. THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK!

Content: There is some brief swearing and some of the topics such as suicidal motives, abuse, and violence may not be suitable for some readers.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

It is pretty much the end of the world. All chaos, magic, glamours, old gods, and Faeries were supposedly gotten rid of a long time ago. Maddy Smith knows that magic is still around because she was born with a 'ruinmark'. The other townspeople fear her because she is a witch. Then a traveler comes along, named One-Eye, and he sees Maddy's mark. He tells her she has a destiny. Maddy starts learning about runes, cantrips, and glamours so she can follow that destiny. All of this is mixed into old Norse tales and ancient powers that must be released to make the world again.

Runemarks was a very long book. However, it was extremely unique. This is because of all the Norse tales and the interesting characters. Maddy Smith is an interesting character because she is very different than the rest of them. She is stuck in her world of magic when everyone else fears that. Words that were made up were very amusing because it was something creative. The rest of the vocabulary was easily understandable, yet not too easy that I fell asleep. This was a very great book and I'll probably read it several times.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Springfire by Terie Garrison

Donavah, a young teen girl, sets out on a hunting adventure with her two friends, Grey, and Traz in the novel SpringFire. Xyla, a red dragon and one of Donavah’s allies, is flying the crew to a forest, where they can hunt. While they are flying, DragonMasters attack them and they are plunged into another world; the Stychs. When Donavah, Traz, and Grey regain consciousness, they are in a mysterious cave. A few days later, a woman named Shandry appears to try to help them. Traz, Donavah, and Shandry have to venture out to the closest village in order to save Xyla, who is very sick. Donavah faces several challenges and must battle many people in order to stay alive.

Springfire is amazing! I was glued to the book and my heart was racing as I flew through each page. It’s a very easy read, but there were many details (some grotesque), but I think they were necessary for the genre. When you read SpingFire, you feel you’re right there in all the action as Donavah uses her maejic. The reader feels the pain of her battles. Terie Garrison made SpringFire a heart wrenching adventure. If you are looking for a magnificent dragon fantasy adventure, this is the one!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United States

Hear Us Out by Nancy Garden

In this collection of reviews and short stories are the struggle, progress, and hope of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, and people who are questioning whether or not they are (GLBT). In each section, 1950- the present, two different stories are told by the people struggling. At the beginning of the section, a summary of the decades progress in acceptance and civil rights and how they effected the lives of GLBTQ emotionally and physically. The stories begin with the lives of Angie and Elizabeth, two best friends who fell in love. Elizabeth's mother finds out about the bond between the girls, and forbids them to see each other. However, both the girls keep writing to each other. Will their relationship succeed, or will Elizabeth's mother win? The stories end in this decade with Lisanne, thrown out by her parents for being a lesbian. Will she be taken in by friends, or will she be forever homeless?

Hear Us Out answers most questions about GLBTQ kids, and lets you inside their thoughts and emotions. Each story has a small plot line that leaves you hoping for the best for each character, and every essay tells of a history full of prejudice, loss, happiness, and hope. Nancy Garden wrote a wonderful book that opens the eyes of its readers to a few new causes to fight for, including the AIDS foundation. I found this book very moving and interesting, because it gives insights to the lives of GLBTQ kids. I would recommend this book to others because it shows what becomes of people's prejudice against GLBT people.

Sexual Content, Language

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville , Texas United States

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

Henry York is traveling to Henry, Kansas to stay with his aunt, uncle, and four girl cousins because his parents were recently kidnapped. While he is with his relatives he finds (in his own bedroom) hidden cupboards all over the walls. What he discovers with one of his younger cousins in, through, and about these cupboards is extremely mysterious and possibly dangerous. The right decisions need to be made, but Henry is not sure if he is up to it.

100 Cupboards is N.D. Wilson’s first installment in his new fantasy trilogy. He brings to life many new and different characters and this added to my enjoyment of his book. When you read as much as I do you can see similarities in characters from completely different books. I appreciated the uniqueness of Wilson’s characters and enjoyed their adventures. One thing that stood out and was impressive was how I was able to connect, and sometimes even feel like, I was participating in this story.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Durham, NC USA

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

In the experimental City, the tyrannical Mayor and his Educators strive to make each citizen a docile, complacent member of society by controlling education. However, a group of outcast students, called the Truancy, arises to fight the Educators for control. Caught in the midst of the battle is Tack, one of the many students oppressed by the school system. When Tack meets Umasi, he finds relief and listens to Umasi’s wisdom. Umasi becomes his mentor, training him physically and mentally for challenges ahead. But then Tack loses his sister during a Truancy attack, and he runs away from school and home, bent on revenge. Tack is taken in by the Truants and quickly rises as second in command to Zyid, the leader. As he becomes more involved with the Truancy, Tack is torn between following his conscience and avenging the death of his sister.


I think Truancy is a fantastic book. It is full of adventure and action, a definite page turner. It also contains surprises and plot twists which kept me interested. Even though Truancy was set in an alternate world, the Isamu Fukui really made me feel like I was there watching the action. He made the characters were easy to relate to and interesting, especially in bringing out the human side of the seemingly heartless Zyid. Overall it was a great book that I would recommend to any reader who likes science-fiction, fantasy, or action-adventure.

Content:violence

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Poseur by Rachel Maude

Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene attend exclusive Winston Prep in the Hollywood Hills. And that's all they have in common. But hang out together? They'd rather be hanged. Borrow one another's clothes? They'd sooner borrow a zit. So when these four sophomores are forced into a class to create their own fashion label, they Clash with a capital C. Janie thinks Melissa and Charlotte are Beverly Hills brats. They dismiss Janie as a Valley rat in sheep's clothing. And Petra...well, Petra couldn't care less. Can a cool coquette, a shy punk, a hippie goddess, and a ghetto-glam egomaniac make beautiful couture together? At Winston Prep, survival of the fittest comes down to who fits in--and what fits.

I loved Poseur! It was entertaining, interesting, and addictive. It was such a good book and a definite page turner. The characters were easy to relate to and very unique in their own ways. It was easy to get caught up in this book because of Janie's drawings, which made it easier to visualize what was going on and what everyone looked like. Poseur was a really funny and enjoyable book, and I can't wait until the sequel!

Content:This book had sexual content, the use of drugs, and underage drinking.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

Raleigh's Page by Alan Armstrong

This adventure takes place when the U.S. was called the New World by Britain. The protagonist, Andrew Saintleger, starts as a young boy of eleven, not knowing anything about the New World other than its rich farming soil and vast, unclaimed acres of land. When his father finds a job for him, he takes it on; but with caution. The employer is harsh, but perhaps his shell is different from his heart. As Andrew gains height and trust, his employer, Mr. Raleigh, begins to send him on more and more dangerous missions. Finally, he sends Andrew with a crew to Virginia. Finally, Andrew has his dream -- but is his dream a nightmare? Raleigh's Page is a wonderful suspense story, balancing mental and physical scenes perfectly.

Alan Arstrong has triumphed in his second book, as was to be expected by judging how well his first book (Whittington) came through. I have enjoyed both books due to their adventure entwined with just enough mystery and romance, though he still is able to keep it at a level appropriate for many ages. With a winning streak of books just waiting to be written, I can expect wonderful literature yet to come from Mr. Armstrong. This particular book surprised me, at first, by my level of enjoyment. I was expecting a book specifically for younger ages, but I enjoyed it just as much as any other.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

What They Found.........Love on 145th Street by Sheela Gogula

What They Found...Love on 145th Street is a book of short stories that connects a community of African Americans in Harlem. Each story is about one person trying to find love in unlikely places. Some are looking to learn to love themselves, while others are looking to be loved. In every story the characters go through a journey, and by the end of it they are closer to what they were looking for. One story follows Curtis Mason, a man fighting the war in Northern Afganistan. Being away from home is hard for everyone, but its even harder when you're fighting in a war. But, Curtis finds love over there while he is fighting to stay alive for himself and his family. Another story is about a young girl, Noee, who is looking for a boy. She gets herself a "date" with a man named Burn, who doesn't have the best reputation within the community. They both go to a turnaround cruise for handicapped children to help out. Burn entertains the kids but, Noee can't help but notice that he is uncomfortable talking to her or the other adults. Through her journey with him she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. But she also learns about herself and the strength and compassion she has.

This is a believable book that makes you feel as if you were there. The language that Myers uses embodies the characters well and the detail he uses creates a picture in your head. Each story has a mood to it which makes it difficult to trasition between them. The stories jump from being humorous to being sad. Myers writes in a way that makes you feel like you are the character which is a great way of drawing you in. The stories that Myers writes are very powerful and have a strong moral at the end. He does a great job of showing the emotion of the characters and creating a connection between the reader and the characters in the book. Overall the book is very mixed. I enjoyed some of the stories while others tended to drag. Personally, I think that the enjoyment of the book is linked to how well you can relate to the characters. The more you understand what they are going through, the more you will enjoy it. I would recommend this book to people who are looking for an emotional, powerful book that makes you think.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA

High Spirits

High Spirits by Dianne K. Salerni is about two real historical figures. These girls, Maggie and Kate Fox, started rapping out messages from spirits as a joke to scare their family. Soon everyone in their family and town believes them to be mediums that are able to communicate with the dead. Their older sister starts using their "gift" for money-making purposes, which leads the girls to creating a national craze known as spiritualism. When Maggie meets an Arctic explorer, she must choose between the man she loves and her spirit rapping.

I really enjoyed this book. It has the right amount of humor, spooks, romance, and character development. You step into Maggie's shoes and see the mid 1800's as she does. The book spans over several years of her life, and you begin to grow up with her. It is very detailed and informative, and Dianne K. Salerni does a wonderful job of storytelling. Even if you don't like historical fiction, this book is a great read, especially since all the characters actually lived in the past.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:15

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

The God of Mischief

The murder mystery, The God of Mischief takes off with a
mysterious body being buried in the garden of Sir Septimus
Cloy; and after that it's a roller coaster to the ending. As
soon as the intrepid twins, Mog and Nick, watch the corpse
being buried, a string of events that endanger both of the
twins lives follows. It's probably a coincidence that their
governess was found hanged right? Or is it a curse that is
causing all of these evil things to happen? Or maybe it is a
God causing these things to occur... A God of Mischief, perhaps?

I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I thought I
would. It was confusing for me to follow, and I often had to
go back and re-read parts of the book for me to understand
what had happened. But I believe that people who are into
these types of books, the kind that talks about Gods and
curses and the like, will have no trouble at all reading
this book. After a while, though, I really got into the book
and I was shocked by the ending. And it was nice to know
that all the questions I had about Mog and Nick's past were
answered in the end.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona
Unites States of America

The Case Against My Brother

Carl Matsuki and his brother Adam are living in Portland,
Oregon with their Uncle Pete ever since their mom died.
Adam has always been the one that Carl relied upon,
especially now, being Polish Catholics living in an
anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic area. However, Carl's world
is turned upside down when his brother is accused of
robbery. Carl sets out to clear his brother's name, but
uncovers a secret underworld on his journey. He takes
charge to help his brother, even if he must witness
blackmail and murder to do so.

This book was a thought provoking novel. I learned a lot
about the time period it was set in. However, the story
seemed too short.There is very little actual action. Most
of the novel just seems to describe the time period and the
characters. It was still good, but could have used more of
a plot and more action.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Royersford, PA United States

American Fringe

Spring has arrived in Brooklyn, and everything's coming up
roses. Adora Benet is madly in love with her boyfriend,
Noel, and she's landed her own teen advice column in the
local paper. Imagine her surprise when one of her articles
makes her a national sensation! Adora wouldn't mind all the
attention, except that the media frenzy and her unexpected
crush on a new guy are suddenly distracting her from Noel.
Unfortunately, she's also far too distracted to help out Eli
and Liza, whose friendship has hit a rough spot. Well, if
Adora, the advice queen, can't help them patch things up,
maybe the cute barista at the local coffee shop can do his
part by serving Eli a spring fling that will make her forget
all her troubles...

American Fringe is one of the best books I've read in a
long time. It was hilarious, entertaining, and realistic.
I definitely could not put down this highly amusing page
turner. I thought this book was very well written and I
really enjoyed reading it. I often found myself laughing out
loud. The characters were funny and very likable. They
seemed like real people that I could relate to. I also
really liked the plot because it very interesting and
unique. I loved American Fringe, and I recommend it to all
teenage girls!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

This book contained some profanity, sexual references,
and the use of drugs.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Missouri USA

Iron Thunder

Iron Thunder by Avi is an outstanding book about a thirteen
year old boy, named Tom Carroll. In this story his father
died fighting in the Civil War, so Tom has to work in order
to take care of his mom and little sister. He finds a job
building The Monitor, a unique ship made of metal. This ship
is supposed to help the Union win the war, but in order to
do that they need it to remain a secret. The crew,
especially Tom, is constantly threatened and bribed to
discuss the Monitor. This book takes you through the entire
life of the ship all the way from the making of it, the
final battle, and then to the destruction of the ship.

Iron Thunder by Avi is a historical fiction. In fact,
the Monitor was an actual ship in the Civil War; if you look
in the last few pages of the book you can learn more about
the ship. This book keeps your attention from beginning to
end; it is none stop suspense. It is a fantastic book that
is not only interesting, but also educational. This book
makes you feel sorry for all the teenagers who really had to
fight in the Civil War after the death of a parent. It is an
extremely well written book and one of the best historical
fiction books I have ever read.

Since it is about the Civil War it is fairly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA

The Third Eye

If you're looking for a book with fairies prancing through
meadows, or high school basketball players shooting hoops
till 8:00 at night, The Third Eye is definitely NOT the book
for you. Zarku, a mysterious new healer comes to the village
of Morni, a Hindu village in India. Tara, and her brother,
Suraj, live with their dreadful stepmother, Kali, her wicked
daughter, Layla, and their father, Shiv. After Tara and
Suraj have enough of their step- family's odd wickedness,
they escape into a supposed haunted forest where men of
Morni, return in a deformed manner, known as the Vetalas.
The Vetalas are a translucent green, with a huge wound on
their forehead, and a strange black liquid which oozes its
way out. Their feet are turned backward from the ankle, and
their chests are 100% transparent -- you can see a black
heart pumping the black liquid throughout the whole body.
Suraj struggles to survive as a fever takes over. Tara
struggles to find her mother, Parvati, and Prabala, her
grandfather, in time to save their village from the evil
Zarku, and free the captives in this thrilling story.

The Third Eye, by Mahtab Narsimhan was a definite page
turner. The Third Eye described Hindu mythology and its
gods, including: the God of the Sun, the Underworld, the
Lord of the Dead, and the Heavens. This was a particularly
easy read, but some sections of the story were a bit
confusing. The Third Eye's genre would be classified as
mystery/thriller/adventure. Narsimhan included wit when it
was necessary, but most of the novel was serious. This book
wasn't very predictable, and took some subtle and some
obvious twists and turns. The Third Eye isn't the type of
genre I would typically read, but I found it very well
written.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Very violent situations and some situations where some
younger children may not understand.
NOTE- Not an advanced proof and several spelling errors.

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United
States

Snakehead

Snakehead is about Alex Rider, a fourteen year old spy,
being sent undercover into a Chinese gang, Snakehead. His
mission is to discover how Snakehead is illegally
transporting Afghanistan refugees into Australia. Being
forced to accept this assignment, Alex is not given any
weapons or support, but he is determined to survive. Of
course, he gets caught in a couple of tight places and is
forced to think on his feet. In true Alex Rider style, he
manages to come out of dangerous situations spectacularly.

Snakehead is a ten out of ten all the way. This book
is the seventh book in the Alex Rider Series, and just like
the others, this one was a thriller. Snakehead is a fast
paced adventure. Having read all the previous Alex Rider
books, I would rank Snakehead as my second favorite.
(second only to (Scorpia) The author, Anthony Horowitz,
usually ends each book with a cliffhanger. The previous
book, Ark Angel, left Alex in a capsule falling from space
into the Pacific Ocean, only to be captured by the
Australian Secret Service in Snakehead. I'm an avid fan of
the Alex Rider series and I'm already checking to see when
the next book will be released.
Some gunfire and a few deaths
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Some gunfire and a few deaths.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton, OH USA

Beautiful Stranger

Anna decides to take an end-of-summer getaway--to get away
from her drama-filled LA life. So she packs her Louis
Vuitton, grabs her close friend Sam, and heads to the Big
Apple. Between trips to the Met and shopping at Bendel's,
the girls are living the A-List life on Anna's home turf.
But their trip isn't exactly a vacation. Sam is here to spy
on Eduardo and decode his recent strange behavior. Will
what she discovers send her hopping on the next private jet
back to Beverly Hills? And who is the beautiful stranger
who appears on Anna's Upper East Side doorstep? Anna begins
to wonder whether she wants to head back west
again--especially since Ben seems to have moved on...with
someone who isn't a stranger at all. When it comes to the
A-List, there's drama coast to coast.

Filled with humor, romance, drama, and everything in
between, Beautiful Stranger was a wonderful book. The plot
was interesting, suspenseful, and pretty original, making it
very hard to stop reading. Although I haven't read all of
the A-List books, Beautiful Stranger was easy to read
because everything from the other books was explained so I
didn't get confused. I liked how I really got into the book
and could relate to the characters. It was also interesting
to see how the rich and glamorous live. The only thing I
didn't like was that some of the plot seemed a little
unrealistic. All in all, I loved Beautiful Stranger. I
would definitely recommend it to teenage girls.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Missouri USA