Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

When Payton finds out the hard way that her family has been hiding her Dad's diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis from her for six months, she is devastated. She is forced to attend meetings with the school counselor, who asks her to pick a focus option to get her through the hard time. After long contemplation, she decides on the head of the boy sitting in front of her- Sean Griswold's head. She realizes that after many years of sitting behind him, she still doesn't know hardly anything about him. As part of her "researching" she decides to learn more about him and his history. In the Book Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt, Payton learns what things in life really matter, and the real things she should be focusing on.

Sean Griswold'd Head by Lindsey Leavitt was very relatable, I could understand where the thought and feelings of the main character were coming from. This book was very fast-paced. The ending was perfect-it left me satisfied with how everything worked out. I would recommend this book to most people. It was a little on the girly side, but it showed overall what the experience of having a family member with MS in a very understandable way. This book was not the run of the mill chick-lit, it had all of the aspects I like plus extra feeling and depth that blew me alway. I was astounded and loved this book!!!

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake BLuff, IL USA

Ask Amy Green: Summer Secrets by Sarah Webb

Amy Green's life had just gotten perfect, and then her family had to go and ruin it. Her parents decided to go on a family trip; with her mom's ex-husband and his wife and kids. Meanwhile, her new boyfriend is going to be spending the summer in Rome, without her. Thankfully her cousin Clover is going too, so Amy won't go nuts while on vacation. Just as Amy's summer started to take a turn for the worse, Clover's magazine company decides to send her to the U.S. to interview America's new teen movie star and uncover his secrets. The best part is: Amy gets to go with her! Will Amy's summer finally get better, or will it only get worse?



Sarah Webb has put together a wonderful book for teens. This book takes place mainly in Ireland, and it uses just the right amount of the Gaelic language to make the setting authentic. The only thing I would have added would be a glossary at the end of the book to tell the readers what the different phrases of Gaelic mean. I would recommend this book to younger teens, and girls in-between the ages of twelve and fourteen.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

You Killed Wesley Payne is a neo-noir, murder mystery novel set in the town of Salt River. Dalton Rev, the protagonist, is a Private Dick, or detective for hire, who transfers to numerous high schools to solve cases. Dalton is hired to investigate the suspicious death of Wesley Payne, a focal figure in the Salt River High School caste system. Thrust into a school divided by profit-driven cliques and a corrupt administration, Dalton must search through the bloshite and learn who to trust in order to discover who killed Wesley Payne. However, as Dalton digs deeper into the story, he realizes Wesley's death is only the tip of the iceberg.

This novel reminded me of the 2005 film Brick starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. What I loved about You Killed Wesley Payne is the element of noir that gives the book a vibrant setting. This adds an additional layer to the book which separates itself from other school mysteries. The author is very ambitious in the storylines with complex issues surrounding Dalton and the students at Salt River High School. However, some of these storylines were not necessary. I could not determine what the subplot of Dalton being courted by a Harvard admissions representative added to the story. Also, the chapters devoted to Dalton's past could have been integrated more seamlessly into the pace of the story. Nevertheless, You Killed Wesley Payne is an entertaining and enjoyable read. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mysteries with a teenage backdrop.

Reviewer Age:21
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Four Seasons by Jane Breskin Zalben

Allegra Katz has been playing the piano ever since she was four years old. And ever since she was ten, she has been attending the Pre-College Program at The Julliard School. Now Allegra is feeling the pressure of being perfect. She has some choices to make; Piano or math? Let her parents down or Let herself down? And what about Brad or should she choose Alex? What on Earth is Alley going to choose?

I thought that Four Seasons was a very good "coming of age" type book. The characters were very engaging to follow throughout the story. I also thought the themes in the book were very similar to life even if you aren't a musical prodigy. The plot was a little slow since you followed Alley throughout an entire year, but it was ok overall. Four Seasons is a very good book if you are interested in music or if you just want a good book to curl up and read with. I would recommend this book to a friend.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan United States of America

Baby Grape and Huskey by Thom Rogers

Baby Grape and Huskey is the story of an adventurous boy named Toby who finds himself in trouble with the law after he injures another boy while defending himself. Feeling the need to dissapear for awhile, he accepts a job delivering a still from Pittsburgh to Sligo, Pennsylvania. He is accompanied by a man, Lew, who Toby's late father had once described as mean spirited. Lew proves Toby's father correct, and soon Toby is forced to take responsibility beyond what he had imagined the delivery would require. On the journey, Toby discovers a plot to steal the still, befriends a servant girl named Gina, and continues on the hard road to delivery, meeting many interesting people and visiting unforgettable places along the way.

Baby Grape and Huskey was a great adventure story with realistic characters and an interesting plot. Toby was very believable as a person, and the detailed writing made it easy for me to picture him and the other characters throughout the story. It was also easy to imagine the landscape, weather and general atmosphere around the characters thanks to the wonderful descriptions. The story was somewhat episodic, with many sets of characters that appeared in the story with their own mini-plots. I enjoyed this, because it kept the story moving while still coming together to tell a larger story. While reading this story, I got a feel for what it would feel like to live in the mid-1800's, and what Pennsylvania looked like at that time. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes historical fiction and adventure stories, along with a smidge of romance. I would not recommend it to those who don't like historical fiction, because the book takes place in 1845.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Pennsylvania USA

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Celeste Parker has everything; she has the perfect boyfriend, amazing friends, and lives on the Eastside or right side of Legend's Run. All that changes when Brandon moves to Legend's Run. Celeste is instantly drawn to him, but her friends would never forgive her if she dumped her perfect boyfriend for him. When Celeste gets lost in the woods everything changes. But for a girl who tries to see the good in everyone, she may lose her faith in someone.

This book was good, but the beginning was not very good. It droned on and on, but it did get better. I was instantly drawn to Celeste and Brandon. I do not think this was as good as Vampire Kisses but it was interesting. I recommend this book to people who like Vampire Kisses, Shiver, and Need.


Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, Colorado United States

Flamingnet.com ‎$500 Scholarship Essay Contest - THE IMMORTAL LOST

Flamingnet.com ‎$500 Scholarship Essay Contest - THE IMMORTAL LOST

Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews April Giveaway Book
Book reviews and reading lists for preteens and young adults, including advance literature reviews.

Ranger's Apprentice - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

In the beginning of the book, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, you find yourself in Nihon-Ja with Horace.  Horace ends up being in a revolt against Emperor Shigeru, who is the Emperor of Nihon-Ja.  Will, Halt, Alyss, and Evanlyn have to come to his aide.  They end up having to train the Kikori as soldiers against an almost invisible force known as the Senshi.  The odds are against them but will they still win?  Read this truly  amazing book to find out.
In the beginning you know that you are reading a book like no other.  John Flanangan's writings take you away to a world that you can only dream about.  He closes the series with a book sure to be read over and over again.  Any 12-100 year old will instantly fall in love with it.  His writing is going to leave you wanting for more.  I have read all of his books and although they are all great, this one is
by far, the best!   
Reviewer Age:12: Uxbridge, Ma USA

How to be a Werewolf by Serena Valentino

What type of werewolf would you be? Find all types of facts about werewolves in the book, 'How to be a Werewolf' by Serena Valentino. One interesting fact was that there is more than one type of werewolf. I would like to turn into an arctic wolf.

The book was informative about the topic. It was, however, a disappointment. I found that it was quite repetitive in means of content. It seemed as if my mother was nagging me to clean my room, over and over. The book was also quite a short read. The pictures were captivating, but the words did not bring them to life.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Coconutcreek, Florida U.S.A

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Ellie is a reincarnated warrior with her guardian Will by her side. She fights the reapers; creatures that take souls to directly Hell. The difference is this time her memories are coming back too slow and she had 40 years between her and her last reincarnation, when it is only suppose to be 18. When the memories refuse to come back, Will intervenes and tries to help but it is no good. The reapers continue to fight and Ellie's power becomes stronger and stronger until she faces the reapers that haunt her dreams and memories.

Angelfire was fantastic. It was written perfectly for young adults with the setting and characters jumping out of the page. I thought it jumped into the story a little too fast but after that it was amazing. Because it was told in first person, I really felt Ellie's emotions and pain. I can't wait for a sequel to come out. I recommend this book to people who like Shadow Chase, I am Number Four, and Invasion.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, Colorado United States

Fallen Grace

Two sisters, orphaned in London, must seek a way to survive another winter. Grace, our protagonist, had been raped nine months ago. Just as she begins to cope with the fact that she is pregnant, she is told she gave birth to a stillborn. With this terrible event in her life she decides that she is going to begin a new life for herself and her sister, Lily. Unfortunately things take a wrong turn when she and Lily end up homeless. With nowhere else to turn she becomes employed as a servant for the Unwins. All the while, the Unwins have made an astounding discovery—Grace and Lily are the heiresses to their father's fortune. The Unwins then attempt to steal the fortune from the unenlightened girls. Soon after the Unwins' plotting begins, Lily disappears and Grace finds out the truth about her fortune. Now it is up to her to reclaim her father's fortune and find her sister before it is too late.


I adored this book. I knew little about the 1800's in London but I was able to grasp every bit of detail and piece together pictures of life for the poor versus the life of the rich. The only problem I really had was that I knew nothing about this time period, so I had to look up a lot of terms used in the book. Other than that I couldn't put the book down. I recommend it to everyone. Even if you do not have an interest is this sort of book, you will definitely like it. This book, although it does not use the term, is referring to rape.

Reviewer Age: 20

Reviewer City, State and Country: Az city, Arizona USA

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Publisher's Book Trailer


Kylie's life is breaking down around her: her parents consider divorce, her boyfriend dumps her and immediately starts going out with another girl, and a stalker has been introduced into her life. It isn't until Kylie gets caught at a party -- with under-aged drinking and drugs galore -- that her life gets turned completely upside down. Her Ice Queen mom decides to send her to Shadow Falls Camp, a psychologist-recommended institution for troubled teens. And soon, Kylie discovers herself stranded in the midst of brainwave-reading paranormal creatures that couldn't and shouldn't exist. Confused but feeling an undeniably weird sense of belonging, Kylie begins to realize just how special she really is. Kylie's stalker also starts to make sense -- a startling relief after all the anxiety. But then trouble invades the camp, and the paranormals are pointing fingers at each other. Beware, happy little campers, someone has an agenda of their own, and they are quite the determined bunch.

C.C. Hunter's debut, Born at Midnight, was attention-grabbing and hard to put down. However, the plot started out incredibly slow. It is slightly understandable, as the author has to first describe the characters and the setting of this new series. But the predicament, which should be central to every novel, was brief and felt like an after-thought. Imagine this: pages after pages of descriptions and little action, a few chapters devoted to the build-up of tension, the short resolution, and then the end of the novel, which ends up feeling like accidentally running smack into a brick wall and maybe losing a few teeth in the process.
And onto the apparently mandatory element of a YA PNR book: the love triangle. The one that exists in this book felt pretty much superfluous. There was no reason for its creation in the first place, and Kylie's indecision and fluctuating feelings becomes a bore to read about after a while. Girl, it is not right to be lusting after three guys (her ex-boyfriend included) at once, especially if you alternate between thinking about kissing one boy and then switches to thinking about the hotness of another a second later.
Born at Midnight is a nice read, not entirely original, but still interesting nonetheless. The second installment of the series, Awake at Dawn, will be released in October 2011.
Teen pregnancy and drug use
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA US

The Fairytale Trilogy by Valerie Gribben

Marianne and her brother Robin are orphans. Their parents were killed by the wizard Grimholdt. In the first story, Fairytale, Marianne finds her brother ( they had been separated ) and discovers that a paperweight containing a dragonfly, when broken, can become a full grown dragon, whom she names Leopold. With Leo's help, Marianne and Robin travel a long way, and in one town, Robin purchases a disk with a dragon etched into one side. After a while, Marianne is kidnapped by Grimholdt and Robin must rescue her from the wizard's clutches. In The Emperor's Realm, Marianne and Robin visit a place in China, where they are accused of having stolen the dragon disk and learn that not everyone is who they seem. In the third story, The Three Crowns, Marianne discovers that she is destined to be the next queen of the fairies, and humans threaten to take over the final fairy colony. How will Marianne face the tasks that will bring her to the throne and then save her new home from extinction?

The Fairytale Trilogy was an amazing set of stories. Marianne and Robin had many disputes and challenges, but they managed to get past them all. I love the idea of a paperweight that could turn into a dragon. I thought it was unusual that the fairies eyes were swirling clouds of color, and only the royal line had wings. The Journey Fruit was also interesting. I wonder how many types there were. These stories had many wonderful and intriguing qualities, and I would recommend them to anyone who loves fairytales and wants something a little different.

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

The Glass Minstrel by Hayden Thorne

It's winter in mid-19th century Bavaria, and two men,Andreas Schiffer and Abelard Bauer, are trying to overcome the pain of their sons' deaths, and the scandal they left behind. When Schiffer sees a glass minstrel in Bauer's shop, he know's that Bauer is trying to keep his son alive, and is angry with him, having blamed him and his son for the scandal. However, Schiffer must learn to live in the now and take care of his family, as Bauer must try to understand why his son died.

Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Jakob Diederich has a problem of his own. He becomes infatuated with a traveling Englishman who is staying at the Inn he works at. As he tries to understand himself, and learn more about the scandal that Schiffer and Bauer's sons were involved in, he is drawn to Bauer, tying the three characters together in the end.
 
Normally, I don't read historical fiction, but this book was wonderful. The author really hooks you with the flow of his writing and accurate details. He gives a life to this time and these characters that keeps you reading until the very end. Jakob was probably the most fleshed out character, and I love how accurate the author was concerning the thoughts of someone his age. He was three-dimensional and well-balanced. Schiffer was featured less prominently, and so I didn't feel the same sense of character, but you could still connect to him in his hardships. Bauer didn't really develop as a character until the end, but he mixes into the story very nicely when he does develop. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and have lent it out 3 times already. I give it a 9/10 and recommend it for ages 15 and up because of allusions to sex, and a homosexual character.
 
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sykesville, MD United States

Killer Pizza: The Slice by Greg Taylor

In the beginning you find yourself at the Killer Pizza Headquarters in New York City with Toby Strobe and
Annabel. They get sent on a chilling mission to track and help a Dekayi girl called Calanthe, all the while being chased by a morphing invisible Rukh. They get her safely away with the Rukh hanging on his last shred of life. Calanthe then becomes a "normal"  Hidden Hills teenager.  She admits that she is expected to be the offering to one of her gods in a sacred ceremony. Then she tells them her people will stop at nothing to get her back. Will they win the battle and save Calanthe from death? Read this monster busting book to find out.

 Greg Taylor creates a world where danger hides behind every corner. The book makes you feel like you're fighting the monsters yourselves. This is one of the great monster books for teens and older kids. Fans would want a third book. This book may lead you on to other action books!

Reviewer Age:12  Uxbridge, Ma USA

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Leah Clifford's "A Touch Mortal" is all about a human that sparks the attention of an angel. The angel falls in love with her and the drama ensues. Suicide and death inch their way into the story, too. There are categories of angels and special rules for what happens when angels and humans interact. There are also various sides that humans and angels take. Love triangles form and new characters are shoved into the plot in an attempt to somehow make the story more interesting. There is some mystery as readers are trying to figure out all the different types of angels and who is against whom.

Full of cursing, this book is not for young readers. While the romance is not overtly graphic, it is still there. Most shocking is the notion that people fall "in love" very shortly after meeting someone and spending time with them. Also, cohabitation being approved of will raise some eyebrows. Clifford is subtle in how she uses characters to voice opinions about spirituality. However, she does not use angels in the sense that they are used in the Bible (even though she quotes a verse about immoral women at the beginning of the book). Some dialog hints at the fact that it is okay for angels (and humans?) to be gay, angels can be "good" while still lusting after humans, that there is no God, there is no Heaven, and that there is no Hell. For those that like lewd fantasy novels, have your fun, but for everyone else, please know that the ideas present in this book are not at all Biblical in the least.

There is a plethora of swearing and inappropriate romance.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Troy, NY USA

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Blessed, the third installment in the series with Tantalize and Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith, continues the tale of vampire Quincie P. Morris from Tantalize and the angel Zachary from Eternal. Quincie must find time to run the family restaurant, clear her best friend Kieren (a werewolf) of murder and must also make sure the vampire who turned her into one, Bradley, doesn't come back. With the help of new friends from Eternal like Zachary, Nora, Freddy and Harrison, Quincie learns more about the vampiric world. Unfortunately for them Bradley is trying to take over the powers of Dracula. If he succeeds in becoming like Dracula there would be no stopping him from coming back to the town and taking Quincie to live with him forever. Will Brad succeed in becoming Dracula? Or will Quincie and her cohorts find a way to stop him forever?

This was a great conclusion to the series. It was cool to have both sets of characters for the first two books combine into the final installment. The combination of Bradley and the essence of Dracula were very interesting since Bradley became basically insane by the end. This book was very well written and developed nicely. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes the supernatural-ish books like Twilight and House of Night.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois United States

First Generation White Collar by L. Marie Joseph

First Generation White Collar is about college graduates staying out of debt and becoming wealthy. It's a guide from everything such as debt and saving to life insurance and your kid's college fund. The author begins telling you ways to stay out of debt and how much you should be saving to one day become wealthy. The author also talks about investing, living simply and buying things the right way.

This book was very helpful to me. I may only be a college freshman but one day I am going to graduate and I will have lots of student loans. This book is perfect for any college student or graduate who is starting to think about their future or just trying to start out things right. After reading this book, I am going to wait a long time before opening a credit card. I would recommend this book to every single person living in my college dorm. In my opinion every young adult should read this short book before going out into the real world. I got through this book in less than a 3 days and it helped me out greatly.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ USA

Blood Heat by Maria Lima

Blood Heat by Maria Lima is a story of a Kelli heir, who has returned from training to take her rightful place to the throne in the place of White Rock. The news of neighboring werewolves going missing catches the attention of Kiera. White Rock is a seemingly innocent place but the more research that is being done on White Rock the guiltier the residents of White Rock seem. The werewolves tried to fit in the White Rock community. Being new to the town and having a different religion causes sticky situations. Read this book if you like a good mystery including murder, cover ups, and hate crimes.

When I close my eyes picturing this plot I see the forest on the werewolf property and the unbearable sun beating down through the trees. The feeling I get is suspense, because of the mystery and excitement. I didn't know what to expect, and the book constantly kept me on my toes. The story has a mysterious voice. I liked the writing style because it gave enough detail without giving too much away. The ending was great! The book definitely is better than other books I have read, because it had a little of everything. The beginning of the book is a bit boring, but improves if you stick with it. I would recommend this book.

Reviewer Age:13,  Uxbridge, MA USA

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Two broken people, destroyed by circumstance and the irreversible passage of time.

There is Tom -- the uni drop-out who spends his time pining for the girl whose heart he broke so many winters ago. Drowning in regret, he finds solace in escape, just as his alcoholic father blots out the world when life becomes too much to handle. And then there is Tom's Aunt Georgie, confused and yearning for understanding after that one little event that fractured her life, even though the one person who can mend her is the one who broke her in the first place.

This is the story of the rediscovery of hope, as bits and pieces of Tom and Georgie's lives continue to chip off and crumble in front of their weary eyes. This is where the healing begins.

I would never have given this book a second glance if shown its American cover: A boy guitarist in a striped shirt? Come on - How much more unoriginal can you get? However, I've had the luck to read a few of the brilliant Melina Marchetta's works before and have thoroughly enjoyed every single one. To say that I was excited to start The Piper's Son would be the understatement of the century.

Who would have thought that Marchetta could take something that resembled a cheesy Asian drama in character and plot and portray it as something so raw and real? You have your heart-broken protagonist with the messed-up family and the unrequited love and an adult counterpart with a marriage ripped apart by an affair. As usual, angst is always present, snaking its way through the story and leaving slimy trails of betrayal in its wake. It takes talent to write cliche into something of beauty and sadness and growth and forgiveness. Even though this book is as far from the fantasy genre as you can get, The Piper's Son was magical. Yes, realistic novels can be magical, too.

And despite the almost depressing feel of the synopsis, there is also an abundance of humor - puns, sarcasm, and witty remarks about random things such as a certain grandfather's bum in super short jogging shorts and the mortification that accompanies said shorts during morning jogs around the neighborhood.

A sort-of sequel of Saving Francesca but with a side character as the main one instead, The Piper's Son is one of those rare books that deserves a re-read. Even the second time will be as engrossing as the first.

Profanity and sexual content.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA US