Speak

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Farrer Staraus Giroux, 1999. 198 pages. (Realistic Fiction)

How harmful can an end of the summer part be? The answer: extremely! Melinda Sordino and Rachel bruin were best friends until the unfaithful night they decided to attend a senior party where the worst thing, besides murder, happened to Mel; she was raped by Andy Evans. Mel calls the cops on the party and everyone knows she was the one who did it, but no one knows why. Her first year of high school starts out horrible, but only gets worse. Before Mel thinks things can get any worse, the unimaginable happens.

Laurie Halse Anderson did an amazing job writing Speak. It leaves you feeling empathy for the main character even though she’s fiction. To even be able to begin to understand how a girl like Mel must feel is impossible. The book is a great read as long as you have time because once you open the book you won’t be able to put it down!



Reviewed by: BlueBerryBuddy

Kissed by an Angel

Chandler, Elizabeth. Kissed By An Angel, The Power of Love, Soulmates. NYC: Simon & Schuster, 1995. (Romance / Suspense)

Tristan and Ivy. They met at a wedding, Ivy’s mother’s wedding. They fell in love.

Death came too soon for him… a car accident-
was it really an accident?

Now Tristan is Ivy’s guardian angel, he knows she’s in danger. But how can he reach her when she no longer believes in angels?

Ivy lost her boyfriend and her belief in angels in a car accident. Now she can only lean on one person, the only one who truly understands what she’s going through. But as time goes on, she slowly starts believing in angels again, and she realizes that the one who helped her through might be the one to end it all.

This was a really great book! It’s good for people that like suspenseful, chilling books, but also like romance stories. It’s not one of those books that are obvious, but when you think you know how it’ll end, everything changes and you’re left wondering again. I recommend this to almost anyone who doesn’t mind a creepy book.

DancingPenguin96

Blue Moon

Noel, Alyson. Blue Moon. New York City: St. Martin’s Press, 2009. 284 pages. (Supernatural Suspense / Romance)

Ever has entered the world of the immortals with Damen. Just as it seems like they are to have all of eternity to be together, Damen gets sick. That would be normal, but immortals don’t get sick, they don’t sweat, and they don’t forget. And Damen’s been doing a lot of all that lately. In fact, he acts as though he and Ever were never together, as though he doesn’t care about her. Just when she is heartbroken and alone, Roman shows up and messes with everything, chilling her with his sunny facade. Desperate, Ever travels to Summerland for some answers. Watching the past and future unfold in a temple in Summerland, Ever is forced to make a decision she never knew existed, a decision that involves her true love, or changing the past…

This book was a wonderful continuation to the story of Ever and Damen. As the second book in the immortals, it was as addictive, suspenseful, and twisting as the first book in the series: evermore. With this author, a happily ever after is not exactly guaranteed. Don’t miss the next book in the series: Shadowland, coming out February 2010.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Evermore

Noel, Alyson. Evermore. New York City: St. Martin’s Press, 2009. 301 pages. (Supernatural Suspense / Romance)

Ever’s family died in a tragic car accident, yet she escaped alive. But since Ever woke in the hospital, she’s been able to see people’s auras, hear their thoughts, see the future, and know a person’s life story by touching them. In order to drown out all the noise and chaos in her head, she blasts her iPod and hides under her hood at school, making her a freak and a total loser in the eyes of her classmates. Then she meets Damen. He’s exotic, gorgeous, dark, dangerous and totally in to Ever. As Ever gets closer and closer to Damen, she can’t help but feel like she’s looked into his dark eyes before, that there’s something not quite right about this gorgeous guy who seems to know so much about her. That there’s more to him than just a pretty face…

This book was really captivating! I’ve never read any of Alyson Noel’s books before, but she’s an amazing author! There’s so much suspense, but it’s not a creepy thriller book, which is good. It’s also not an over-the-top romance. It’s really cool because it’s about the supernatural, so it’s never boring. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy.

DancingPenguin96

The Magician

Scott, Michael. The Magician. New York City: Random House Children’s Books, 2008. 464 pages. (Fantasy)

Sophie and Josh Newman were two regular teenagers. Except for the fact that they are twins. And the fact that they are the twins from a legend, prophesized to learn the elemental magics and save the world.

Sophie has had her powers awakened and has learned the first elemental magic: Air. Along with her brother, Josh, Nicholas Flamel, and Scathach, she travels to Paris to learn the second elemental magic: Fire. But Dee has more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s willing to do just about anything to capture the twins.

Trapped on the abandoned island, Alcatraz, Perenelle Flamel is a prisoner of Dee. Although she’s a prisoner, she’s far from helpless. Along with the help of ghosts on the island, she befriends many centuries’ old enemies to defeat whatever Dee throws at her. But will it be enough to get her off the island and save her life.

This series is truly amazing! It has so much detail, and so many things going on at once, but it’s not hard to keep up. It’s never boring, and just when you think a character is gone forever, they show up and surprise you again. Make sure you read the first book: The Alchemist, and the third book: The Sorceress. These books are definitely worth your time.

Reviewed by: DancingPenguin96

On the Run Book 1: Chasing the Falconers

Korman, Gordon. On the Run Book 1: Chasing the Falconers. New York: Scholastic, 2005. 154 pages. (Thriller / Action / Adventure)

Meg and Aiden Falconer escape Sunnydale after Aiden sets the whole farm on fire “accidentally.” They become fugitives who are innocent of no crime. With their parents in prison for life after being framed, no one will take the Falconer kids in. Aiden and Meg must find their way across the country without getting caught to prove their parents innocence and get their lives back. They discover that while on the run, there is no way to stay free without breaking laws, can they do it?

Chasing the Falconers, was an interesting book and caught my attention. It’s an easy read for the junior high age group, but still draws you in. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who likes to read about action and adventure.

Reviewed by: BlueBerryBuddy

Peak

Smith, Roland. Peak. New York City: Scholastics Inc, 2007. 246 pages. (Adventure)

Peak Marcello is in major trouble. He was caught climbing the Wentworth Building in NYC and he has been charged with criminal trespass, vandalism, reckless endangerment, a kid’s life… the judge lets him off the hook- for a fine of $150,000, probation until he turns 18, and he must disappear. His dad, who hasn’t been in touch with Peak for years, offers to take him away for a while. Peak is thrilled to be with his dad, but sad to leave his mom, stepdad, and twin sisters. His dad has more than a few surprises for Peak, and it turns out he only offered to help out to benefit himself.

This book was breathtaking! I knew it had good reports, but I didn’t think it would be anything as good as it was. It was an exciting adventure, but it was also about friendship and deceiving. The characters where each so different and original, and the plot was different than any other I’ve ever read. I would’ve rather it had a different ending, but it was very heroic and emotional. All around an excellent read! A five star book!

Reviewed by: DancingPenguin96

The Lost Symbol

Brown, Dan. The Lost Symbol. New York: Double Day/Random House, 2009. 509 pages. (Thriller / Mystery)

Washington D.C: 7:00 pm.

Robert Langdon, Harvard Professor and symbologist, received a call from the secretary of his longtime friend and mentor: Peter Solomon. He said that Peter needed a favor: Langdon was to present a lecture in DC… to a very important bunch of people. When Langdon arrived he did not find what he expected to-not even close. He learned that if he did not act quickly, Peter may suffer the deadly consequences.

This book was phenomenal! Dan Brown is my favorite author, and there’s a reason his books are international bestsellers. For anyone who was enchanted by The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons, this book will captivate you once again. Like the two books I just mentioned, this book stars Robert Langdon, but all of the other characters are different. This book involved Noetic Science, proving that human thought can affect matter, which is fascinating. In my opinion, the villain in The Lost Symbol is the most complex, chilling antagonist yet. His passed is revealed only at the end of the book in the most thrilling scene. This book is filled with secrets, suspense, and deceiving. This book surpasses every other book in complexity and writing style. To say that this book is a five star book would be a serious understatement. A must read thriller!

Reviewed by: DancingPenguin96

The Bar Code Tattoo

Weyn, Suzanne. The Bar Code Tattoo. New York City: Scholastics Inc., 2006. 265 pages. (Sci-Fi / Thriller)

Kayla Reed lives in a harsh world- the future. The government has made it law to be tattooed with a bar code. Kayla and other resistors know that this tattoo has the ability to ruin your life, or bring you to the top of the social ladder. If your genetic code has any hint of a disease, or is anything less than perfect… everything you have worked for will be taken away. Kayla and the Drakians, a group of bar code tattoo resistors, have been trying to figure out the reasons behind so many tragic things that have been going on, and the truth is worse than they ever imagined.

On a scale of 1-10, I would say this book was an 8.5. It was very riveting, suspenseful, and even heartbreaking at times. I think it was a creative and original book, but the writing technique was not quite A+. All around it was a great book, but it could have used a little work on dialogue to make it seem more realistic.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Counting on Grace

Winthrop, Elizabeth. Counting on Grace. New York City: Wendy Lamb Books, 2006. 215 pages. (Historic Fiction)

Grace is a doffer, working a right-handed job… but she’s is left-handed. The slowest doffer in her family, she costs her family money they need to pay off bills. The one day in the week Grace has to look forward to is Sunday. After Mass she and her friend Arthur walk to the schoolhouse to take private lessons with their teacher, Miss Lesley. Arthur grows restless with his time spent in the factory, so he hatches a plan to escape to Massachusetts, where they won’t let underage workers in their mills. Grace knows she can’t join him, and she can’t imagine helping to close down the mill, either. The mill is the only work they know, the only work they’re good at. Without the mill, or even just without Grace in the mill, her family wouldn’t be able to pay the bills, or to stay in their house. But when Lewis Hine, a photographer and children’s rights worker, comes along with a camera, Grace will have to choose which path to take: a life in the mill or to work to change her life.

I usually don’t like historical fiction books, but this book was great. I had previously started it a couple of years ago and hadn’t finished it. But this year we were discussing Immigration, factory work, and child labor in SS and I remembered this book. The fascinating thing about this book is that it was based on a picture of a ten year old girl named Addie Laird from a mill in Vermont. The picture was taken by Lewis Hine, and was the inspiration for this book. Although the facts in this book are historically accurate, it is still an adventure that I encourage you to explore. The plot is heartbreaking at times and cheerful at others… and it has a very satisfying ending.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Prophecy of the Sisters

Zink, Michelle. Prophecy of the Sisters. New York City: Hachette Book Group, 2009. 343 pages. (Fantasy / Mystery)

Lia Milthrope is in the strangling grasp of an ancient prophecy, too complicated for her to understand. Her twin sister, Alice, however, has known of this prophecy ever since she was a child. The voices of the lost souls whispered to let them through to this world before she could even understand her loved ones, they taught her to harness her powers even before she could talk, and they taught her to fly the Plains, the place in between our world and the place beyond, even before she could walk. A complicated pregnancy led to a mistake in the prophecy, and now it is not Alice’s choice to let the souls in to this world or not, it is Lia’s. The things that have protected Lia from the souls for so long has been destroyed by them, and the thin protection left by her mother has been destroyed by her own twin sister. Lia must leave behind the easiness of her old life and take on this responsibility, for if she makes the wrong choice, the souls will come. For her, for everyone.

Prophecy of the Sisters is an intricately woven tale of life, love, and death. I really loved this book! It was a mystery, but it didn’t lose the emotional factor to suspense and fear, though it was suspenseful. It is quite obvious the work and time put into creating this work of literature, for everything is well thought out and not rushed. I was unable to stop reading from start to finish. I was disappointed in the ending, it was sort of like a cliff hanger, the conflicts were not solved and there was no battle as they promised. But this book was published in 2009, so I’m sure there will be a sequel to conclude the story properly. I recommend this book to anyone who loves suspenseful, emotional stories.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Hush, Hush

Fitzpatrick, Becca. Hush, Hush. New York City: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2009. 391 pages. (Thriller / Romance)

Nora Grey lives in a farmhouse with her mother, never had a boyfriend, and is best friends with Vee. This is how it’s always been. Little does she know, a switch in the biology seating chart will put all that at risk.

Home alone one night, Nora wakes up to find a shadowy figure outside her bedroom window. The next day she hits a man in a ski mask with her friend’s car, but when she tries to show her friend the damage, it’s gone. The more strange things that happen, the more Nora feels weary of her new biology partner, Patch. He seems to know more about her than her closest friend and the more distance she tries to put between them, the more she feels herself being pulled in. When her mind fails her more than once, she begins to think she is going crazy. Determined to find out more of Patch’s past, she confronts him. The answers she receives will be enough to make her never want to be near Patch again, but that’s not quite what he has in mind.

This book was phenomenal! It was suspenseful and completely unpredictable. One thing I really liked was that it led you to believe one thing, and then the story took a completely different turn. I really liked the characters and how they were all so different from each other. One thing I feel I should mention is that this book reminded me a lot of Twilight. It had a similar character plot and the feeling of danger was much the same, but the romance was flip flopped. It started as a thriller, but sort of swerved toward romance, so it was very interesting! A great read, I finished it in less than a week!

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Rampant

Peterfreund, Dianna. Rampant. New York City: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. 402 pages. (Fantasy)

Astrid Llewelyn has a boyfriend, a job, and a crazy mother. Life couldn’t get any more complicated, at least that’s what she thinks. One night, her boyfriend is attacked by a unicorn and that’s when her life changes forever. When her unicorn-fanatic mother finds out there is a unicorn hunting training camp in Rome, she packs up her daughters belongings and ships her off. Astrid arrives to find a crumbling building and an overwhelmed caretaker, but she stays, knowing her mother wouldn’t let her return home yet. As the other hunters arrive, she finds they all have one thing in common, ashamed of it or not. Her cousin, Philippa Llewelyn, also arrives, and together they find their way outside the crumbling building to the unknown world beyond. In the city, they meet Seth and Giovanni, two Americans in Rome at school. Each time they meet, that one little thing that allows them to be hunters is jeopardized, until it is finally broken. With one hunter down, the remaining huntresses find themselves in all the more danger, and every time they meet the unicorns, they have to be prepared to give up their lives, and the lives of others.

This book was phenomenal! It was so different from most books, and it had many, intertwining, and twisted paths that were unknown until the very end. I could not put this book down; it was written so well and was so suspenseful. For anyone who enjoys fantasy, this is a must read! I would give it a five star rating, because I simply cannot find anything to criticize!

Reviewed by: DancingPenguin96

Wicked Lovely

Marr, Melissa. Wicked Lovely. New York City: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007. 328 pages. (Fantasy)

Aislinn knows a secret not many people know: out world is largely inhabited by faeries. The only reason she knows this, much as she wish it weren’t true, is because she has the Sight. The Sight allows her to see the Faeries around her, even without their glamours, when they would otherwise be invisible to humans. As fascinating as this may seem, she is miserable with the Sight. Her grandmother, living in constant fear of the faeries, is always threatening to take away her freedom if Aislinn breaks any of the rules:

#3: Don’t stare at the Faeries
#2: Don’t speak to them
#1: Don’t ever attract their attention

Certain rules have always kept Aislinn safe from the faeries, but as two begin to stalk her, those rules seem to crumble, and she is left completely vulnerable to their sheer power. The male knows too much about her, and suddenly everything is in danger: her best friend, her freedom, even her mortality.

This book was truly and uniquely magical! The author did a fantastic job of describing most of the character’s looks, personalities, and actions. The only character I didn’t have a mental picture of was, ironically, the main character, Aislinn. There were some descriptions of her, physically, but they were not in enough detail to make much of a difference. This book was original and creative, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy. Five stars!

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Paper Towns

Green, John. Paper Towns. New York City: Penguin Group, 2008. 305 pages. (General Fiction / Mystery)

Quentin Jacobsen lives a small life in Florida with his parents and his friends, Radar and Ben. His routine days happily blend into each other until one night. While in his room, Margo Roth Spiegelman, a school legend, climbs into his room, and for one night, into his life. Together they embark on a journey of revenge. After spending the whole night out, they return, and Quentin in left wondering what their new relationship will be like at school. With high hope, he arrives at school to find disappointment. Margo isn’t there. And the next day, the same. With everyone looking for her, the cops, his classmates, and her parents Quentin finds a trail of clues. Clues which he is sure are for him. With nothing to lose, he follows.

What a great book! I loved it because it was original, insightful, and creative. The material John Green wrote about letting everybody be who they are, because they will never be perfect and they will never be you, really made me think. I loved the characters in this book, they were interesting and different, and most of all, they were real. I feel like this story is only giving me a glimpse of a true story, that’s how real the characters are. This is a great read for anyone who likes a highly intuitive, romance, and adventure book!

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

The Goose Girl

Hale, Shannon. The Goose Girl. New York City: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 2003, 2005. 383 pages. (Fantasy)

Anidori- Kiladra Talianna is Crown Princess of Kildenree. On the day of her father’s memorial service, her mother, queen of Kildenree, announces that Ani’s brother is now Crown Prince of Kildenree. Confused and angry, Ani confronts her mother only to receive an unbelievable answer. Her mother has arranged for her marriage to a prince in a neighboring country, Bayern, to keep peace between the nations. Betrayed and ashamed, she agrees and, with a large guard, she sets off towards Bayern. On their trip, all is not as it has always seemed at the castle and Ani is forced to run for her life, leaving behind friends and enemies. Arriving in Bayern, she is forced to take a job tending to the King’s geese, as nobody knows who she is. As the winter months drag on, Ani finds herself realizing a sense of belonging she never felt in her own home. But nothing seems to go right for Ani as the enemy is hot on her tail. So, grabbing every witness she can, she heads to confront the king and her enemy.

Shannon Hale has done it again! This masterpiece is just one of the four books making up The Books of Bayern. This book was filled with secrets and was so gripping, it actually had me rooting for Ani and analyzing her decisions instead of just reading along. I love all of the characters, Ani especially. Instead of being a shallow, unreal character, she evolved into someone complex and real, so real that it almost seems as if she is really out there somewhere. It is a wonderful fantasy that can be placed with the best of them.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

The Everafter

Huntley, Any. The Everafter. New York City: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. 144 pages. (Afterlife / Fiction)

Maddy Stanton is dead, yet her existence remains. In a place she calls Is. All around her float objects she lost in her life, and with them she can travel back to the moment she lost them. As she rediscovers more and more of her life, she realizes she can change some things just with her willpower, but she struggles with some remaining questions: Who are the spirits she senses around her? Why can’t she remember her life? And, most importantly: How did she die???

I loved this book! It had such a unique and original plot that it was irresistible. It is interesting to see, as the book goes on, how the main character, Maddy, changes in her thoughts, values, and goals. One aspect I really liked was that the author set certain boundaries and rules throughout the book and stuck to them, so it made it seem more orderly, instead of random. I really liked how this book had a suspenseful side, but not in a creepy thriller way. The mystery of Maddy’s death was hanging there throughout the whole book, and the ending was shocking, and completely unexpected! I love this book, as it is completely unlike any other book I have ever read.

Reviewed By: DancingPenguin96

Eli the Good

House, Silas. Eli the Good. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2009. 295 pages. (General Fiction)

In the summer of 1976, Eli Book was 10 years old. He lived with his beautiful mother, his war-traumatized father, his rebellious older sister, and his trees. With his best friend Edie right next door, this was going to be a great summer. The first sign was his beloved Aunt Nell coming to stay with them for the summer. A former war protester, she and his father, a Vietnam veteran, often had clashing beliefs. Day after hot day passed, and Eli fell into a happy routine of swimming, reading, sitting with trees, dancing with his mother, and listening to records. Though the summer seemed perfect, it was gilded. Eli’s beloved aunt was fighting something that could take her down once and for all, his father was fighting the after affects of the Vietnam War, his mother and his sister were constantly bickering, and his best friend was having family problems. As the summer rolled along, Eli discovered how magical is to be a child, and the complications of growing up.

What a thought provoking book! I really loved this story because it grabbed a hold of me and pulled me into this small town. It seemed very realistic because, although many things were going on, it didn’t have one big adventure. It had many important, but little things going on, and sometimes, life just went on as normal. It seems like it didn’t really have a normal story plot with the rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and if I was asked what the climax was in this story I wouldn’t know what to say. The plot seemed more like how life would really be in a summer in a small town. All of the aspects of the book came together to make me wonder if this was based on a true story, that’s how real it seemed. I think this book would be a great one to read in class because it talks about many important issues and about growing up. I loved this book and I would give it a 5+ star rating!

Reviewed By: DancingPeguin96