Savind Maddie by Varian Johnson

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson is difficult to put into words. The synopsis makes it seem as if this is about a wayward girl with low morals that is brought back to the Church by a preacher's son that must resist her temptations. However, Maddie never returns to the Church. She claims to still believe in God but renounces organized religion. She drinks, smokes, wears provocative clothing, and is not sexually pure. She does seduce the preacher's son and causes him to rethink why sex before marriage is wrong--something the author does not explicitly use Scripture to back up.

There are some parts in the book that are unnecessary. Sure, Maddie and the preacher's son never "make babies," but they get awfully close and in detail that readers will not want to hear. Also, while God is mentioned, there is not any explicit discussion of Jesus. There are even points in the book where Catholicism is subtly demoted compared to other forms of Christianity. Towards the end of the book, readers discover why Maddie acts the way she does. There is a seed of sympathy, but that seed is not planted on good soil (pun intended for Bible scholars). The book is engaging, but readers are left unhappy with the ending, longing for a more Christian basis for a book with a cross on the cover, and an edition of the book with perverse scenes deleted.

Inappropriateness

Reviewer Age:18

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

Still Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Mina (Hamilton) Smith is a regular teenage girl about to start her senior year of high school. She has a boyfriend, George and a best friend, Serena, both of whom she cares for deeply. She argues with her parents and even does a little bit of rule breaking. There is one thing, however, that makes Mina different from other girls her age. She is a newly turned vampire. After her changing, Mina's life starts to go downhill. The Vampire Council stages her death, changes her name, and forces her family to relocate. Against all rules, she manages to let Serena know about everything that is going on. But her life continues to get worse. Her family moves to Cartville, a tiny town in the middle of Louisiana so that her dad can play historian with some vampire doctor who is older than the earth itself; her boyfriend goes to Brazil to reconnect with his absentee parents and she has not heard from him since he left; the only other vampire teen in town, Cameron, is oh-so-complicated, mysterious and smells way too good to be allowed; and, to top it all off, a weird, vampire wannabe, Goth girl, who got kicked out of Mina's vampire (propaganda) preparation classes, is stalking Serena. Add to that the fact that neither girl should know anything about the existence of vampires and Mina is in a whole lot of trouble.


Kimberly Pauley sucks the reader in with her capture of Mina's voice. Her writing style makes a reader feel as if Mina is their close friend. Her sarcastic and witty humor keeps a reader laughing at every turn. I was glued to this book from start to finish and if a reader enjoys teen fiction, then they will be too. Mina's life is a roller coaster of laughs and thrills all the way to the finish.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma USA

The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger

The Seven Rays, a fantasy and science fiction novel by
Jessica Bendinger, is about a girl named Beth Michaels, a
seemingly normal girl who's a senior in high school and
on her way to go to Columbia University, after a lot of
hard work. She receives a strange golden envelope, at her
school, with an intriguing message that's not even
addressed to her, rather to an Aleph Beth. Then she
starts seeing things, strange things, like dots, bands,
and ropes. She has surgery done to her eyes because she's
so worried about her strange vision, but it doesn't work.
She also falls in love with a guy from school, Richie. He
happens to be the brother of her best friend's love
interest. Beth eventually ends up in a mental institution
because she keeps seeing things and has episodes. She's
diagnosed as a schizophrenic. While she's there, she
befriends a girl that happens to be deaf, learns difficult
truths about her mother and best friend, who actually
turns out to have a terrible character, and discovers that
she's actually not crazy.

The Seven Rays started off
pretty boring, when Beth got her golden letter. It got a
lot better in the middle, when Beth was at the mental
hospital, but got worse when she got even more messages in
golden envelopes. It was somewhat interesting when she
broke out of it. The plot was interesting, though not
spectacular, and Beth was a decent character. It was,
however, pretty predictable. I could tell that something
was off about her mother from the beginning. This was not
one of my favorite books, but neither was it one of my
least favorites. It was pretty strange when Beth got a
tattoo and started talking to a deaf person, who talked
back, at the mental hospital. I got mildly sad after
Richie, Beth's boyfriend, left. If you're looking for a
fantastic book to read, go somewhere else. If you're
looking for a decently written book with interesting
characters and an somewhat unusual plot, then read The
Seven Rays.

There were some inappropriate and
disturbing scenes with Beth and Richie.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC US

Prowling The Seas by Pamela S. Turner

Daniel Corrigan just moved to Nodle's Green, Pennsylvania and notices something strange. Soon, he figures out that his new friends have superpowers. One can fly, one is super strong, and another can turn invisible. These kids watch over the town and keep everyone safe. The only problem is that the superheroes are disappearing one by one because when they turn thirteen, their powers and any memories of them disappear. To find the villan that is stealing the powers of the kids of Noble's Green, everyone will have to work together and stop him once and for all.

This book is now one of my favorites! The author made me feel like I was actually there. I felt like I could relate to all of the characters in some way. I also liked how the author described eveything in great detail so you knew exactly what was going on. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure or mystery.

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

I Kissed A Zombie, and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

Alley knows how it is with vampires.She has them as daily life.When she goes to review the Sorry Marios there is a mysterious new guest that she falls under his musical voice. When they start dating she is so head over heels in love she can't see that he wears the same clothes,has a weird smell,and can't talk a lot. He's a zombie... She knows that they have to break up but,later learns that she can't shake him.Then figures out that another guy(dead) is after her and has an expirement in mind.Will she survive the expirement and dating her boyfriend?

The book I would say have mainly the ideas of the book have love,fighting,death.I would say Alley has the characterictes of in a popular and a stab in the back with disses.She really likes to make fun of people.It was kind of dull. Adventure here, attack over there. Lots of talking. A little weird with some of the things.Make it some more romantic. If she did a vampire I think it would been a little more exciting.I don't think I would recommend it to others with how the story went.

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

Hunted by P.C.Cast and Kristin Cast

Zoey Redbird, and her friends are at it again. The secret about Stevie Rae and the other red fledglings is out, but there is a new secret to crack; Neferet has a new console, Kalona. No one else seems to think there is anything suspicious about him, but Zoey and her friends have their doubts for various reasons. He is gorgous, and he seems to have everyone under a spell that makes them blind to the truth about him. It's up to Zoey to try and break the spell, but along the way, she discovers truths she dosen't want to know, and secrets that she feels should be kept hidden. With all the pressure of boyfriends, and the red fleglings that seem tohave aged, but have they really?

I thought that Hunted was an amazing book. It was really suspenseful, and had me reading all the time. I couldn't put it down. This book is filled with action, friendship and romance.Zoey's romance problems were unpredictable, and exciting. I recomend this book to anyone who likes vyampire fantasy.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield , Ohio US

Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf M.A.

Defining twilight is a workbook that helps you learn vocabulary that often appears on SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT. Brian leaf has done all of this and he also uses one of the most popular books written in the past fifty years. Stefanie Myer's Twilight! This workbook helps you learn over 600 vocabulary words. Also you learn synonyms, Latin word parts, and memorization tools throughout the workbook.

Teen girls will find this book very useful with their studies. They may even find it fun, I know I did. Brian Leaf found a way to teach teens vocabulary, and it's fun. This workbook makes you think and if you are a vocabulary buff like me it does have words that even you won't know. I hope this book helps you I know it helped me :)

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, Ohio United States

Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby

Christmas is near, and the Ferguson family has just finished decorating thier Christmas tree.But later, when the family is drifting to sleep, others are waking up. In the living room, on the tree, the ornaments, lights, and other decorations are awakening from a year of slumber. As "Tree-Dwellers" catch up with one another, Larry, a joly snowman, spends hours searching for his brother, Terrence, who has seemed to dissapear. After giving up on his search, Larry- along with his girlfriend, Debbie; his long time companion, Tinsel; and a new-comer, Splint- breaks the laws of the Tree Elders and escape the prickly branches in search of Terrence. But how will Larry and his friends fin Terrence without being noticed by the family and the "Tree-Dwellers?" Will they make it back to he tree in time to be packed away? And why is this new-comer so eager to help?

Secrets of a Christmas Box is a wonderful holiday story. Steven Hornby captures the essence of Christmas while making the book thrilling and exiting with a happy and justified ending. Beautifully sketched illustrations help tell this tale without taking to much away for the reader's imagination. The story made me want to run out to my garage and find my family's Christmas box. All in all: a magical children's tale any one could fall in love with. Soon to be a Christmas classic.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fortuna, California USA

Timeshares by Jean Rabe

Timeshares is a book made up of short stories. All the stories are related to timeshares in one way or another. Sometimes the narrator is a customer or maybe a rival or just an employee. Timeshares is a travel company; they can take you anywhere, wait, no anywhen. All of the stories have at least one problem. If you expected that every story has a happy ending, then you are far wrong. In some of the stories, the character fails, it might be in their mission or they just might die. There are also some happy endings too though. Most of the times the author leaves you on a cliffhanger so you have to infer about what would happen next.


This book is an okay book for me. I don't really like short stories but since timeshares is all related to the timeshares company, it is better than some of the other short story books that jump from one subject to another. I liked this book the way i do is because to me, the subject of time traveling is confusing and challenging to understand but that's what I like in a book. The last short story changes everything if it WAS real life. It's pretty surprising. I really like the last sentence in the book: I did it for mystery" I cannot tell you why without spoiling some of the stories and taking away some of the suspense.

There are cuss words and adultish stuff

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: katy, texas United States Of America

Cat Burglar Black by Richard Sala

Cat Burglar Black tells the story of K. She is an orphan who has lived a fairly difficult childhood. One day, she is invited to a mansion by her aunt, whom she hasn't seen in a very long time. When she gets there, she finds three other girls at a mysterious academy her aunt runs. Only one issue: her aunt is very ill and the staff of the academy have taken it over while her aunt is laying in bed. They begin to train K to become an expert burglar, which they have already been doing with the other three girls. They have to steal paintings from around the village to solve a mystery hundreds of years old.

This book was fairly interesting. The plot was a little slow at certain points of the story, yet it was still captivating and I was excited to see how the book would end. The artwork was slightly distracting, as it was drawn in an intentionally unpolished style. I got used to it after awhile, but I found it somewhat hard to concentrate on the story with the drawings the way they were. I would recommend this book to fans of other graphic novels and definitely for fans of spy stories.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Westerville, OH United States

The Sapphire Sirens by John Zakour

This book is about Zachary Nixon Johnson,who is the last Private Investigator on the earth. The story takes place in the future, when humanity has evolved into a robot friendly environment. His own best friend is a hologram with a brain! Things are going great for Zach, and he seems to be putting together a life that works for him.

Then, one day, he is kidnapped and brought to the island, Lantis, with only women, to solve a crime. The queen of Lantis had been killed and it's up to Zach to find out who the killer is, and the suspects include the queens daughters themselves!

I really liked this book because it has tons of action, and even a trial of faith between Zach and the Amazonian women! The book went a little slow, but not everything in life is fast, and the author stayed in the role of Zach the whole time. Some parts are hard to understand and I found myself skimming every once in a while, but then the action grabs you and keeps you on your toes until the end! I felt that the setting could be our possible future, and the author portrays everything excellently. I would recommed this to peoplewho like to read fiction and science fiction.

I rated this a two becuase it would be a little mature for som people under 12.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: New York, New York United States of America

Moyasimon 1 by Masayuki Ishikawa

Tadayasu would have loved to experience the college life as soon as the year began. Of course, he could not. The first day that he arrives at his university, Tadaysasu meets his professor at a possible human murder scene. The second day of school, he is already sick from eating infected curry. To make matters more interesting, Tadayasu can see bacteria with his naked eye. More than one person at the university wants to take advantage of his ability, whether for bootlegging sake or research. Who will he help?

Moyasimon is a book that does not follow the normal manga plotline. Oddly, Tadayasu does not meet any cute girls or have a fan club. Instead, his character serves as a puppet for the other characters' desires because of his ability to see bacteria. I love science, and this book was all about microbiology. This made it very interesting and unique to read. Being a manga, the end of the story leaves plenty of room for more volumes to come out. I look forward to reading them too.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

The Goldsmith's Daughter by Tanya Landman

In the book, The Goldsmith' Daughter by Tanya Landman, fourteen year old Itacate lives in Tenochtitlan, at the heart of the Aztec Empire. Ruled my the emperor Montezuma and blessed by the gods, the city thrives, but Itacate lives in fear, for it has been predicated that she will bring ruin to those around her. When her father, a goldsmith, discovers Itacate's talent for crafting fine jewelry and statues, she becomes his apprentice, even though the profession is forbidden to women. Her skillful work is soon noticed, and when it attracts the attention of the emperor, Itacate finds herself playing a dangerous game of deception. But nothing is staying the same in Tenochtitlan, as the rumors of pale strangers approaching the city cause fearful acts. Itacate wonders if her the prophesy foretold at her birth is coming true. With her heart full of fear, especially for her family's safety, how can Itacate live through it all?

I truly loved this book, from the moment it begun. Every page is filled with so many enticing details that the author included, and made the book all the better. The way the author writes makes you think you yourself are in the bustling city of Tenochtitlan. There was not any graphic writing or inappropriate context that would make the book more belonging to the young adult category. I give it ten out of ten stars, and I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a good, suspenseful story from the ancient past.

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

The Pricker Boy by Reade Scott Whinnem

What happens when you live in a forest and you see a boy whose skin is gray and resembles dead bark with thorns covering his body. Well that's exactly what happened to Stucks Cumberland. When his friend Ronnie tells all of his summer friends , Vivek ,Emily, and Robin, the story of the Pricker Boy everything goes down hill. If you are caught alone in the woods past the Widow's Stone then you will get kidnaped by the thorns and disappear forever. Is the Pricker boy real, or is he just someone making a big joke. When you adventure with Stucks and the gang you will find out in this thriller adventure what is really out there.

I believe this book was pretty good. Some of it was confusing but it all made sense in the end. The author did a really good job in making it feel like you were in the woods for the summer figuring out this mystery. I really liked what happened in the end and it really tied up all the loose ends well. This book "played" with all your emotions. I was very sad at some parts and cracking up at others. I believe the author found a good balance of mood. It also kept me on my toes the whole time I read it. I didn't find out every thing till the end which was good. I believe it was a little slow at some parts and that was the only thing that the author needed to change. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a woodsy ghost tale and to people who like thrillers and adventures.

There was an incline to suicide, kids smoking cigarettes, and some cursing.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott

This is a good book but, it goes very slow.In this book, Genna gets transported into Brooklyn in the time of the Civil war.I got to page 50 and she still didn't get transported.This isn't a book where the author captures you and makes you want to keep reading.If you like reading about history,be ready to wait.

I found this book not a book to read.I found this book dull.After 20 pages I felt like abandoning the book.This book also has colorful words(bad words).I am never going to read this book again.

For book's content I gave it a 2 because it has colorful words(bad words).

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Katy, texas United States of America

A Brief History of Mantmaray by Michelle Cooper

The kingdom of Montmaray lies on a tiny island in the
Atlantic Ocean. It consists of a few villagers, a three
remaining princesses, and a crumbling castle. You'd think
it would be boring...but think again. Jump into Princess
Sophia's diary and experience her day to day adventures.
From nursing a love for the housekeeper's son, battling
storms, calming her tomboy sister, and occasionally
combating her mad uncle to unannounced airplane visits and
Nazi soldiers, Sophia's life on the brink of World War Two
is anything but boring. Experience the anxiety, love,
tears, and relief of "A Brief History of
Montmaray."

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will
have their jaws dropping in amazement when they finish
this story. The story is told through Sophia FitzOsborne's
diary and begins with an interesting plot: an almost
forgotten kingdom with a small, sweet family of royals.
Michelle Cooper did a fantastic job of giving her
characters individual personalities that everyone could
relate to: Veronica, a bookish young woman who seems to
always be in control; an ambitious Simon Chester; a young
man, Toby, who's not quite ready for his responsibilities;
a tomboy by the name of Henry; and of course, a mad uncle.
I think some of the best parts of this story are the
subjects that are not necessarily discussed in other books
in this genre such as a king's funeral. I think anyone who
is interested in a thoroughly enjoyable good read would do
well to pick this book up and give it a try.

Reviewer
Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX
U.S.A.

The Less-Dead by April Lurie

In the book, The Less-Dead, Noah Nordstrom hates being the son of the famous Bible Answer Guy, and constantly likes to rebel against his parents. Whether it's eating crackers topped with apricot-has jelly or coming home drunk from parties, Noah loves to test his father's patience and claim that he's spreading hate. When two gay teens are murdered, Noah is almost positive that it's been a frequent caller on his dad's show. Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy that understands him. But when he finds out that Will's gay, he gets a bit freaked out, and even more when Will seems really into him. Meanwhile, the killer is still out there, and has found it's next victim. Will. Filled with guilt, Noah is determined to find out who has been killing off these gay teens. After pocketing Will's journal at the scene of the crime, Noah uses clues with the killer wrote down in a poem format. The closer Noah gets to uncovering the murderer's identity, the more his own life is put into jeopardy.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The suspense scenes made me chew on my lip, and can easily keep reader's wondering what comes next. On a rating scale of one to ten, I give it an nine. The way the details are written by the author are very descriptive, and makes you envision the characters and the setting. I don't have any negative comments, except for that their could have been a few more clues to who the killer was and that would've lengthened the book by a little more. There was a lot of content that was always there, but took some studying of the words to get the concept. I suggest no on under the age of 13 reading this.

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

Watching July by Christine Hart

"Watching July" by Christine Hart is a mix of teenage angst, thrilling mystery, and supernatural sci-fi. When July's lesbian mother is killed in a hit-and-run incident, July [with her other mother's partner] move to where her mother used to work as a shrink and bring the family on vacation. Sad and lonely, July writes in her diary, eventually manages to make friends, and even snags a hot boyfriend. However, she is perturbed by odd sensations she feels in her rural home that make her think she is being followed. Drama escalates when July's boyfriend becomes controlling and jealous.

This book feels a bit like "The Lovely Bones," but it has enough differences to not seem like a direct copy. The author has some predictable moments, but others are truly twists (e.g.- who July's mother's real killer is, who is following July, etc). In terms of lessons, it's great that July's gorgeous boyfriend is seen as obsessive. Usually, culture paints the good-looking as virtuous, and it is essential for teen girls to learn that appearances do not always reflect character. In terms of detail, there are no explicit details of relations, but the author hints at events that make this not suitable for very young readers.

There is some swearing, sexual innuendos, and the fact that the main character has "two mothers"

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Mango for the Beginner Chibis by Christopher Hart

"Mango for the Beginner Chibis" by Christopher Hart is an instructional drawing book for kids. A chibi is a term for a short, stock, cute character in Japanese manga (cartoons). They tend to represent children or are supposed to be adults transformed by emotion. Their bodies are only about as long as three of their large heads, and their expressive eyes take up most of their face. This book both shows and tells readers the basics of drawing them and then goes into the more complex nature of motion, backgrounds, costumes, sidekicks, and more.

This book is great for kids that want to draw cute little chibis. Girls will probably enjoy this book more than boys because, while there are some action drawings and weapons, for the most part, the drawings are fluffy and girly. While chibis are a form of Japanese manga, this book does not show just Asian-looking characters; providentially, there are some Aryan looking characters as well as some African looking characters. Additionally, while some manga has a bad reputation of depicting boys and girly grossly immodestly, this book shies away from that and does not draw characters with "adult" bodies. Overall, this book would make a great gift for young artists, especially girls.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Dark of the Moon

Brittany, a young girl, strives to be a Dark Guardian, a group of powerful shifters. She wants so badly to be a Dark Guardian. But, to be one, you have to be a shifter. Unfortunately, Brittany did not experience shifting and she was devastated. She acted normal, assuming everyone thought she was a shifter. She became close with Connor, a longtime crush. Connor and Brittany were captured by Mason, a scientist, and while they were locked in a cage they grew closer. Will they escape?

I really liked this book. I was not at all into fantasy books before reading this. But this book kind of ties romance with fantasy, and it makes the book more interesting. I would totally suggest reading this book! It describes vividly what is going on and puts you in the moment.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Park, Texas United States