Dirty Little Secrets - C.J. Omololu

Can you imagine living in a dumpster? This is what life is
like for Lucy. With her mom's obsession of keeping useless
stuff and shoving it futher into her trash-compacted
house, Lucy has never been able to have friends in her
home. But things are turning around for Lucy. Her long-
time crush finally wants to date her and she is making the
popular girls envy her. But one day she comes home to find
her life completely turned around. How will she live a
normal life? You'll have to read the book to learn
her "Dirty little secret".

In my opinion, this book is crawling with mystery, horror, and sorrow. I found myself crying for Lucy as she struggled with her temperamental
mother. I never met a dull moment in this book. Secrets are a part of everyone's life, but Lucy possesses a secret that could never be matched. I also felt like I was in the cramped house, crying with Lucy. I could read this book over and over and never tire of it. C.J. Omololu has
created one of my favorite books.

It's scary.

Reviewer Age:12

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

The Family Greene by Ann Rinaldi

The Family Greene, by Ann Rinaldi, is a post-Revolutionary War book about the family of a well-known general who served second in command to George Washington. The two main characters are Caty Littlefield Greene and her daughter, Cornelia, whose stories are told in the two parts of the books. The book begins with Caty as she ventures out of her small world and into an exciting new life with her aunt, and then moves on to Cornelia, who is confused and upset after being confronted with the realization that she might not be her father's child. Throughout the book, Cornelia seeks to find the truth about her parentage while her mother, Caty, deals with struggles of her own. Readers will be captivated by this historical fiction account of two women's struggles to find a place in their family.

This book, while not my favorite by this author, was an interesting read. I enjoyed getting to know the two main characters, whose likeable personalities made me want to keep reading. The setting did not serve to spark my imagination, but I was still interested in the characters' surroundings. I thought the relationships between the characters were strong and believable, but I was left wanting a little more action besides what they did in their everyday lives. In my opinion, the quality of writing was the same as other books by this author, but the plot was a little lacking. I liked the ending, and I also enjoyed learning about the real family, the Greenes, who this book was based on. I would recommend The Family Greene to all historical fiction lovers, or anyone else who enjoys a story with strong female characters.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI U.S.

Shadowglass by Erica Hayes

In the dark fairyworld of the Shadowfae, hidden in the human world, Ice is just one fairy trying to survive the violence and catastrophe that surrounds her. The fairies are obsessed with clubbing, sparklies, and sex. Ice lusts after the hot metalfare, Indigo, a dangerous thief with a secret. When he turns her down, yet again, she throws herself into the arms of the demonlord, Kane. After a sultry night at his apartment, she leaves and steals a shiny mirror from his coat pocket. Soon, she and her friends begin to hear whispers after they looked in the mirror. The mirror shows Ice her counter-self, and it scares her deeply.

This dark and sultry novel kept my attention all the way through to the end. The storyline was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat constantly wondering if the characters would figure out the mystery behind the mirror. The author made an exciting mix of romance, action, and psychology into this one novel. Although the storyline was intriguing, I was somewhat disgusted by the amount of sex scenes in the book. It seemed as though one was happening every other page. At the beginning of the book, I was reminded of Tithe by Holly Black because of the genre. However, Tithe is a more PG-13 alternative to the rated R Shadowglass.

Sex scenes

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, PA USA

Think Again by JonArno Lawson

Think Again makes you do just that (think again). Filled with short four-lined poems, this book keeps the mind intrigued while trying to guess at the deeper meaning in each one. The sometimes-puzzling poems get you thinking about the meaning of every word and are most enjoyable to read. Most of the lovely little poems are about mysterious young love and are very realistic. Every poem portrayed a unique mood, which kept the book interesting and guessing at what would come next. Each page has a cute well-drawn illustration that incorporates well with the poem. The author did a good job at using interesting words in every line to get the most appeal out of each poem.

I enjoyed reading Think Again and it was nice to pick up and read when I had a few extra minutes throughout the day. It was very convenient to read because it presented many different opportunities/places to stop at since it had a new poem on every page. I thought the poems were cute and pretty creative and the author did a good job at writing it. One thing I didn't like, however, was the shortness of the book. It didn't take very long to read and I was disappointed when I came to the end. I think Think Again would be great to take to the beach or just read before going to bed. It made me light-hearted and I got a few good laughs from this quirky book of four-lined poetry written by JonArno Lawson.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

The novel Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready features a relatively normal girl named Aura, who has the ability to see and speak to ghosts, like everyone else born after the mysterious Shift. She lives with her Aunt, Gina, since her father is missing and her mother is deceased. On her boyfriend Logan’s birthday, due to excessive alcohol and drug consumption Logan dies during the after-party, which is supposed to celebrate his band’s success at a performance. However, Logan sticks aroundas a ghost. Aura becomes confused as her relationship with Logan continues, especially after meeting the peculiar Scottish Zachary, who has quite a lot of convoluted secrets. He helps Aura with her thesis, which involves Stonehenge, Newgrange, stars, and her deceased mother. Aura learns some surprising secrets about both Zachary as well as her mother.

Shade was a decently written novel with a mildly interesting plot and characters. It seems as if pretty much as if all of the supernatural beings, such as ghosts, werewolves, and vampires, have pretty much been written to death, but that does not stop even more from continuing to be published. While Shade had some unique characteristics, such as using obsidian and the color red to ward away ghosts, for the most part, the story-line and setting were not especially unique. I was intrigued by the strong and willful character of Aura, who kept going, even after her mother and boyfriend died and her father disappeared. Shade was a decent read, but it was definitely not a masterpiece.

Alcohol and drugs were part of the plot.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck

In this wonderfully written little novel by James Leek, the illustrious character of Jack Lime, self proclaimed private eye, is out to tackle his high school's biggest mysteries, from vanishing bikes to hamster hostages to missing brainiacs. There is no shortage of modern adventure or intrigue as our cool and confident protagonist Jack wanders about getting into all sorts of sticky situations. The book stands as a new sort of mystery novel, giving a youthful, fun take on the classic whodunit genre, throwing in just enough teenage romance and cliches to keep it light and fun. A short and sweet book that combines a mix of cleverly crafted characters and witty escapades, The Adventures of Jack Lime radiates mirth and mayhem.

"The Adventures of Jack Lime" uses convivial details to add to a solid, enjoyable plot. Leck uses his characters to add great panache to the tale, cleverly supplying the main character Jack with catchy sayings and endearing quirks. The book doesn't aim to be thoroughly thought-provoking, and instead intends to entertain and amuse readers, something it does well in its concise 126 pages. Written entirely in the first person, the book continually involves readers although it does not flow as one long tale. The book begins in the middle of the action and ends with the proper back story into Jack Lime's P.I career, but this backwards way of story-telling manages to work with Leck's atypical flare. The book goes down like a chilled glass of lemonade in the summer: tangy, refreshing, and just what you need to kick back and relax with. A nice read for middle and high school students, The Adventures of Jack Lime proves an easy yet highly entertaining novel that will keep you grinning with every page.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: South Pasadena, CA U.S.A

Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Gaia Stone lives in a future world where she is a midwife alongside her mother. Gaia's world is divided in two, those who live inside the walls of the Enclave and those outside. Gaia is on the outside. Gaia serves the Enclave, as many do. Every month, the first three babies she delivers are brought to live inside the Enclave. When Gaia's parents are arrested for things Gaia believes they never did, she begins to question all she knows. Is life inside the Enclave really all its made out to be? Gaia has a choice, sneak into the Enclave and find her parents or live the rest of her life asking questions with no answers. Join Gaia as she learns the truth about herself, her parents, and the Enclave.

Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien was a good book. Birth Marked is a little bit creepy because it takes place in the future and could possibly, but hopefully not, happen. The creepiness is part of what makes this book so good. The science in this book is about DNA. The scientists in the book have to check people's DNA to make sure no siblings marry each other. There were a few slow parts in the middle but other than that it was very interesting. O'Brien's writing style reminded me of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Among the Hidden books. I enjoyed both of these authors so if you like the Among the Hidden series, you will probably like Birth Marked. Overall, Birth Marked was a very interesting and captivating book.

This book is fine for young adults, but, since the main character is a midwife, there is a lot about giving birth in it.

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

Worldshaker by, Richard Harland

Filthies are nasty. Filthies are dumb. Filthies aren't human. This is what Colbert Porpentine has grown up learning. But after a midnight visit from a Filthie, Col learns that he may have been lied to his whole life. As Colbert becomes more involved with the Filthie girl, Riff, his eyes are opened to the horrible injustice occurring on "Worldshaker," the juggernaut that Col and his family and many others live on. A revolution is rising. Relatives aren't what they seem, and Colbert Porpentine just might be in the middle of it.

This book was one of the best that I have read in a long time. It had a revolution, surprises, twists, turns, and just a little bit of romance. I kept turning page after page as fast as I could to get to the end. The author describes the juggernaut where the characters live with such vivid details that I think I might could navigate the structure! The part of this steampunk story that I liked the best, though, was when Colbert, the main character, realizes exactly what kind of person his grandmother and grandfather are. Let's just say nothing in this story is what you'll expect, but everything fits. ANYONE who gives this book a chance will love it. Guaranteed!

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX U.S.A.

The Gates by John Connolly

The book, The Gates by John Connolly,is a fantasy book
about a young boy, Samuel Johnson, and his dog, Boswell.
Not meant to necessarily be comic reading, the author
weaves the story with a funny twist, so as to render a
laugh or two in the process. Here is the plot of the
story. Samuel and his friends (and dog) happen to stumble
upon some strange activities going on at a neighbor's
house, just a few days before Halloween. The neighbors,
the Abernathys, while tinkering around with some
recreational devil-worshiping, just so happen to
mistakenly call forth Satan who ventures through a pair of
very large gates - the "gates" of Hell. It is then up to
Samuel and his friends to save the world from Satan and
his often funny demons by closing the gates before Satan
takes over the planet. The adults in his world don't
believe that the gates exist and that makes it harder than
ever to fight the battle.

Overall, I really liked this
book. I felt like the author brought me into the plot and
I could actually see myself as one of Samuel's friends,
running around with him and trying to save the planet.
I'm also a dog lover, so I easily identified with Boswell
and his keen senses and intelligence. As a follower of
many fantasy books, this one held my interest throughout
the entire story. There was enough of everything - scary
parts but not too scary, funny scenes, scientific
information (which I can identify with, too, since I am
interested in all types of science and experiments), and a
good, follow-along and kid-friendly story. I couldn't put
the book down for too long because I kept wanting to see
what would happen next. The characters were all developed
well and I could easily follow who did what and when. My
favorite characters were some of the demons. The story
flowed nicely and it wasn't too confusing like some books
can be. This book was probably one of my favorite to
review ever.

Reviewer Age:14
Towson, Maryland U.S.

Conspiracy 365: February by Gabrielle Lord

On December 31st Callum Ormond was told by a stranger to stay in hiding for 365 days, and that it had something to do with his father's mysterious death. After being framed for a crime Cal didn't commit, he's one of the most wanted teenage fugitives. Now its February and not only are the police after him but two dangerous gangs and worst of all he has no clue why. Relying on his best friend Boges, Cal must get to the bottom of what his father involved in, but who should he trust?

Since I read the first book I've been itching to read this one, and it lived up to my expectations. February's book went by really fast, but was still written very well and was overflowing with action and excitement. Even though I felt frustrated at the cliff hanger ending I still really applauded it. Before delving into this story, though, I recommend finding out how it all beganin Conspiracy 365: January. Ages 12 up.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , New Mexico USA

Lawn Boy Returns By, Gary Paulsen

In this book Lawn Boy continues his lawn business. Then a shady character named Zed shows up. After that Joey Pow, the boxer Lawn Boy sponsors, wins a fight he wasn't supposed to and then they have to fight off these guys who plan to really mess things up. So once they stop them Zed steals lots of food from Lawn Boy's house and leaves. After all of this Lawn Boy decides to move up north and quit the lawn business. Then the story is set-up so that there can be a sequel and the story is over.

I like how in this book it flows very smoothly from the last. I like how his friends come back and they help him out. I like the new character Zed. I really like the ending how Lawn Boy moves up north and gets an ice-cream maker. It sets the book up for another sequel.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas United States

The Book of Samuel by Erik Raschke

The Book of Samuel is about a twelve-year-old boy named Samuel. He lives a normal life with his two parents and his grandmother. He was a happy teenage boy, hanging with his friends, jumping at the ramps, and doing whatever it is that teenage boys do. Until his father goes out on a mission to preach to the world. After his fathers departure, Samuel not only does some crazy things, such as; blow up his friends garage, make-out with the hottest girl in school, and gets in some terrifying fights with a girl at school, but he also learns a lot about himself. Through it all Samuel makes some important decisions and grows in the process.



In my opinion this book was ok. It was definitely not my favorite book I have ever read, but it was probably the most interesting. Some of the things that I didn't like about The Book of Samuel would be, the plot. There really was nothing for me to hold onto in that area. I couldn't exactly get into the book when the main idea of the story was a mystery to me.
In The Book of Samuel there is some very questionable content. Some may not be very suitable for younger children. Such as graphic fight scenes, racism, and some foul language.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas United States

Green Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham

To ten-year-old Scamp Weaver, an old mahogany chest is just too incredible to keep whatever secrets it holds inside. Especially when he finds it by a dead dragon! When Scamp brings it home to open the chest with his older brother, Mather, and his best friend, Dannika, they discover that the chest contains an odd stone and a mysterious tablet. But before they can even wonder what these items might be, they are attacked by dragonslayers who come to take the strange objects for themselves. Forced to flee, the trio begins a journey to save their lives and possibly many others. Soon they find what they contents of the chest are from a stranger as a green dragon hatches from the stone.   

I very thoroughly enjoyed the Green Dragon Codex. The harrowing tale of a boy who stumbles upon a dragon egg was very intriguing. I think many would love this book for its surplus of high adventure and suspense.  Its fast-paced action and nerve-racking mystery really kept my attention. Of course, this is my opinion. So pick up this book and decide if you can handle the story. 

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

Swoon at your own risk

Polly Martin has quite the dating history, and along with each ex (or in Polly's

case ex-ex-ex-ex) a club she took up to be with them. Her latest ex, Sawyer,

got her roped into working at Wild Waves Western-themed water park. Now

Polly has sworn off guys, there's new temptations in the form of a once fourth

grade desk-licker turned cute mysterious skateboarder. Thank goodness her

advice columnist grandmother, Miss Swoon, is moving in! But will Polly be able

to learn to love and be herself? Only summer will tell.

While reading, 'Swoon

At Your Own Risk', I was found sitting in a room, by myself, literally laughing out

loud! I thought Sydney Salter did a wonderful job capturing the essence of a

hectic teenager's life. She was able to include many components young girls deal

with, such as a family's messy divorce, embarrassing swimming pool moments,

emotional breakdowns, and soul searching. I liked how the author was able to

create such a realistic world in 'Swoon At Your Own Risk'. This book was very

entertaining and I can easily see myself reading it again because it was so

enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, or rather, funny

romantic comedy.

Mature content and innudendos
Reviewer

Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Seaside, OR US

Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

When Cooper Blake suddenly finds himself victim of a horrendous car crash and his football career destroyed, he is also met another life changing surprise: Samantha. Samantha is beautiful, slightly obnoxious, only visible to Cooper and definitely not alive. This not only all Cooper knows about her, but all she knows about herself. Together, they are trying to unearth Samantha's hidden past and discover how she died. Enter Delilah, the head cheerleader with powers beyond Cooper's comprehension, and Brent, Delilah's ex-boyfriend who can hear everyone's most intimate thoughts. Brent and Delilah both dabble in the supernatural and are pushed together in order to discover who or what Samantha is, before she puts Cooper and those around him in grave danger.

Token of Darkness, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, is a fun, quick read. It is not overly challenging to digest but still has an imaginative and intriguing plot. It takes an unusual (but welcome) turn away from the typical ghost story and still maintains some of the familiar elements of the genre that will keep the reader in their comfort zone. Atwater-Rhodes presents interesting characters that are vividly rendered and always have a certain aura of mystery about them. The characters who I found most enjoyable to read about were Cooper and Samantha. The dynamic and fun banter between them were excellent elements of the novel and their developing relationship was a great part of the novel. The one thing I really disliked about the novel was the relationship between Delilah and Brent as all their interactions seemed contrived and out of place. I also think that there were too many loose ends at the end of the story that I would have liked to see tied up. Other than that, this novel was very entertaining and kept my attention the whole way through. The settings felt true-to-life and were very well described. The dialogue between characters was, for the most part, natural and flowed very well. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys reading about the supernatural and is looking for a quick, roller-coaster of a book. I definitely look forward to reading some of the author's other books in the future.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: San Diego, CA USA

Changing the World edited by Mercedes Lackey

Changing the World is an anthology (book of short stories) about the Heralds and Companions of Valdemar. This book includes stories about a young woman whose heart is broken when her love leaves to be a Herald... A young man who is so wrapped up in love that he can only be shown the truth by a Companion he refused to follow... A young herbalist who has to choose between her home and her duty to her country... and more! Companions are horse-like animals with silver hooves, soft blue eyes, and a dazzling white coat & mane. Heralds are people with gifts that are chosen to help the Companions. Some of the things Heralds do are solve family feuds that have grown too large, help towns in trouble and judge trials that will affect the whole country.

I thought a lot of these stories were great! In certain stories, the characters have a lot of depth. I think Mercedes Lackey (The creator of Valdemar) could have done a better job of editing. A handful of the stories weren't even about the Heralds and Companions. One of the stories called "For Want of a Nail" takes a lot of background to understand. Even though the stories weren't long, you got attached to the characters quickly. You felt their pain, happiness, and grief. Over all it was a very good book.

A few of the stories may require guidance for 13 and 14 year olds as they contain sexual innuendo or references. I didn't notice them, but my mother did and thought this should be mentioned. Most of the stories are quite safe though.

Reviewer Age:10

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

The Clearing by Heather Davis

After being in an abusive relationship, Amy just wants her
life to be different, even if different means moving into
a small trailer in a rural area with her Great-Aunt Mae.
Henry Briggs wishes that he wasn't stuck in the eternal
summer of 1944, avoiding the tragic events that would
occur if he had lived past that day. One day Amy discovers
a clearing, where she meets Henry, the most polite and
decent boy she has ever met. He helps her deal with her
past and she helps him deal with his future.

I thought
that this book was okay, but not great. I generally don't
read love stories, so on this type of book I haven't read
enough to compare it to other books. The story was great,
but it wasn't carried out as good as it could have
been.

Reviewer Age:12

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

Before I Fall

It seems like Samantha Kingston has it all: three best friends, a cute boyfriend, and adoring students at her high school. Sam is popular, and though she feels guilty at times for the way she and her friends treat other students, she still loves her life. That is, until Friday, February 12, when Sam has a fatal car accident. Sam discovers, however, that she is given a chance to relive her last day on earth, and she better make the most of it. As she relives the day over and over again, she struggles to learn what to do to break the cycle.

I really enjoyed reading “Before I Fall”. The novel was so original, because even though I have read books that involve a dead protagonist, this one had one day repeating over and over again. This concept might seem boring, but each day Sam does something different and the author reveals new information that makes you want to keep reading. I also really liked Sam as a character. In the beginning, she's not the nicest person. She's rude to other students at school and shows no respect to her parents at all. But as the novel progresses, Sam begins to appreciate life more and sees the mistakes that she has been making. I thought “Before I Fall” had a great message, to appreciate every day, and I think the author executed her ideas flawlessly in a well-written story.

This book contains material such as underage drinking, strong language, and drug use, which is only for mature readers.

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

A World of His Own by Arlette Gaffrey

Andre De Javon, a handsome, determined young Frenchman, arrives in New Orleans seeking a place to belong. What he discovers is a world far beyond what he could have imagined. Swept into a world of balls, beautiful women and wealthy families, his new home is a far cry from his life in France. With no surviving family, his goal is to make a name for himself, but he is unsure of what he wants to do specifically. Shortly after his arrival, his friend, Charles du Fray, introduces him to Monsieur Charleviox, a very successful plantation owner. Almost immediately, Andre decides that he wants to start his own plantation.

On top of meeting Monsieur Charlevoix, Andre also meets his daughter, Julie Marie, a stunning girl, but much younger than Andre. He thinks nothing more of it, and returns to the city with Charles, where he meets Gabrielle Ste. Claire. She is a gorgeous young woman, but as the reader soon discovers, she is spoilt, full of pride, vain and flirtatious, and will use her beauty to her advantage.

Andre is persuaded to marry Gabby, though he does not love her, he only lusts after her. Her large dowry convinces him that it is the right choice, and so she gets what she wants. However, she is clearly unprepared for many of the things that come with marriage, and Andre finds it very difficult to deal with her and keep her secrets and scandals from their family and friends.

Years pass, with numerous adventures contained in them, and Andre finds that his only sources of happiness are talking to Julie and reaping the rewards of his land.

Andre now finds himself facing an incredibly difficult situation. What will he do?

Arlette Gaffrey has interwoven history and fiction beautifully in this book. I really loved the depth of the characters and how none were completely stereotyped. The language is easy to understand, but does not lack in descriptiveness. I liked that the relationships in the story all faced unique problems and how the story showed that looks can certainly be deceiving. It was refreshing to see that not everyone in the story had a perfectly happy ending, making it more like reality.

I cannot compare the story to anything I have read so far, though parts of the story reminded me of the movies True Women, The Duchess and The Other Boleyn Girl.

As an Australian, I didn't know much about American history, and even less about New Orleans. This book was a wonderful introduction to the society of the Creoles and the situations that they faced in life. I found the book very interesting and was very happy with the ending, though I wanted to know more about the children. I would love to read a sequel that explores them growing up.

Although perhaps accurate to the society and period, there are quite a few sensitive topics. As a result, I would only recommend this book to older readers, at least 15 or 16 years old.

There are multiple sensitive topics in this book including alcoholism, slavery, sexuality, rape, depression, abuse, violence and suicide.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Brisbane, Queensland Australia

The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa

The Color of Heaven is an intriguing graphic novel about how seventeen-year-old Ehwa begins to understand and experience love and relationships as she says good-bye to her love, the man she plans to marry. She, only having her mother as a role model, waits for her love to come back to her. This book concludes the trilogy and is beautifully written to bring together Ehwa and her true love. The author, Dong Hwa Kim, creates interesting characters that the reader can easily relate to, in such ways as relationships, patience and love.

Even though the authors voice is clear throughout the book, it becomes tedious and redundant at times. The story is lovely altogether, but while reading this book you feel as if you're reading through pages and pages of the Ehwa, the main character, waiting for her love. A wonderful end to the trilogy, though not as good as expected.

Reviewer Age:14

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