Kaitlin
10th grade
The Lucky One
By: Nicholas Sparks
This book tells a tale about a young U.S. Marine, Logan Thibault, in Iraq that finds a picture of a young woman. From then on, he has good luck, winning poker games and surviving daily combat. After his tour ends, he sents off cross country on foot to find this girl and thank her for keeping him alive. This book was a very heart warming feel good book, with a few twists here and there. I picked up the book because I have read so many other books of Sparks's that were very well written. I finished this book because I wanted to know if he traveled cross country for nothing, or got what he wanted. I would give this book to anyone looking for a good summer read or a love story.
I give this book 5 stars! *****

This book is also coming out in theaters so hurry and read it then go see the movie!

Frankenstein

Name: Serina

Grade: College

Title: Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus

Author: Mary Shelley

Captain Robert Walton and his crew never expected to encounter a soul on their Arctic expedition, but when their ship became trapped in the ice, halting their journey, they spotted a strange figure in the distance, riding a sled pulled by dogs. The encounter was surprising enough as it was, but even more so because the man guiding the sled was a giant, gangly creature like none Walton had ever seen. Not much longer after the creature sped out of sight into the snow, the ice broke apart and the ship was able to proceed once more, however, much to Walton's astonishment, another man was spotted. The man was pallid and very near freezing to death, but he refused to come aboard until he knew to where the vessel traveled. Once he found their answer satisfactory, he allowed himself to be rescued. Walton immediately felt drawn to this strange man, who seemed like he had been gentlemanly at some point in his life, even though now his eyes were hollow and he was driven by a mad urge that he refused to explain. Until, at last, when he was informed about the sighting Walton had had of the creature. At Walton's urging, the man finally decided to tell his horrifying story, as well as his name: Victor Frankenstein.

I picked this book up because I have always wanted to read it, but never got around to it.

I finished the book because it was very different than I had expected.

I'd give this book to any science fiction fan, because Mary Shelley is rarely credited as being to inventor of the genre.

Rating: **** Really liked it!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games! This yearly event is the height of Reality TV. Think "Fear Factor" and "The Amazing Race" meet "Survivor".

"The Hunger Games" are hosted by the Capitol of Panem, the nation formerly known as North America, and is the punishment for the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Each of the 12 remaining Districts is required to send 2 tributes who have been chosen during the Reaping. One that day a lottery system selects one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate. In the case of this year's finalists from District 12, Katniss has stepped forward to take the place of the chosen tribute, her younger sister Prim.

Here is how the competition works. The 24 tributes (contestants) are placed in an outdoor arena specially designed by the game makers who have watched the tributes train and prepare. Once in the arena the tributes must do whatever is necessary to survive. The last tribute standing wins.

The competition is televised live so everyone in the country can watch and cheer on their tributes. The winning tribute will return home to a life of luxury. Their district will also receive a year's worth of food.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Why I picked it up: I have been meaning to re-read the series since "Mockingjay" was released in 2010, because I couldn't remember all the details. The release of the movie & our party here at the library were a good reason to start again. (I listened to the audio the first time, read book this time.)

Why I finished it: I was hooked. Even though I was going slow and taking notes, I couldn't put it down. I could see the arena, smell the fire, etc. Even though I knew the ending, I kept rooting for Katniss and hoping Prim wouldn't be reaped.

I'd give it to: fans of dystopian and "The Maze Runner". Readers looking for a strong character. People who have time to read a whole series! Readers looking for a book they can't put down. People who go to watch the movie and want to know more about where it all started.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hazel is not your average teenager. Even though she is only sixteen, Hazel has been out of high school for three years and is taking college classes. At her parent's request, she also attends weekly support group meetings for teens with cancer. Hazel was diagnosed at age thirteen with stage IV thyroid cancer which spread to her lungs. She almost died but thanks to an experimental drug and round the clock oxygen therapy, Hazel is terminal but alive.

During one support group meeting, Hazel spies a new guy who won't stop staring at her. This handsome gentleman is Augustus Waters, age 17. Augustus is a survivor who lost his leg but not his humor, wisdom, or thirst for life and truth.

Hazel and Augustus begin a fated friendship/relationship. Hazel shares her favorite book, "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten, and Augustus shares his love of sniper video games. When Hazel mentions that she'd like to meet Mr. Van Houten and find out what happens after the book abruptly ends, Augustus has a plan.

Do you believe in fate? True love? Even if we aren't promised tomorrow, someday, or forever, are you living your best life today?

Why I picked up the book: I love John Green and I've read his first two books, "Looking for Alaska" and "The Abundance of Katherines". I think he is one of the best voices in literary YA.

Why I finished it: While the topic is heavy (teens with terminal cancer), the author injects humor, quirkiness, and fun into the novel. I've heard other reviewers say they don't think real teenagers talk the way the Green's characters do but I think that is part of the author's genius. He writes the above-average intelligence character and appeals to the more literary readers. (Secret: I've actually read this book twice. I finished it and immediately wanted to read it again. I did but waited a month before doing so.)

I'd give it to: John Green fans, who will definitely not be disappointed.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey has always known he is different. Michael and his mother have moved a lot, most recently to Idaho, in an attempt to protect him. Because he is small, Michael is often the target of bullies. One day Michael decides enough is enough and fights back in his own unique way, by giving his three attackers a small electric shock. You see, Michael is electric. He doesn't know how this came to be and his mother has convinced him to keep it a secret, although he has told his uber-brilliant best friend Ostin.

As it turns out, Michael isn't quite as unique as he had previously thought. Taylor, a cheerleader at his school, witnesses him shock the bullies and shows him her own ability. The two of them along with Ostin form a group and call themselves the Electroclan. They are on a mission to find out where their powers came from and why they have them. The group soon uncovers part of the mystery, but in the process brings their whereabouts to the attention of the people who have been searching for them. Michael and Taylor are only two of many with electric abilities and the Elgen Academy wants them and will stop at nothing, including kidnapping and murdering, to get them.

Why I picked up the book: It was recommended to me by a teen and seemed like it might be a good possibility for an upcoming One Community One Book: Middle School.

Why I finished it: It is a fast read. Even though I wasn't super wowed by the writing at the beginning of the book, before I knew it I was halfway through.

I'd give it to: fans of "I Am Number Four"; teens, especially boys, looking for a fun, fast-paced, exciting read. It will be a series, with the second book being released in August 2012.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

"Even the dead tell stories". Sig's father, Einar, has told Sig and his sister Anna this many times and until now Sig hasn't quite understood what his father meant.

It is 1910 and they are living in a cabin by a frozen lake, six miles outside of the Swedish mining town where Father works. Father had gone into town and but never returned to the cabin alive. Sig found his father's dead frozen body on the ice and was barely able to bring home the body without falling through the ice himself. Anna and their step-mother Nadya have gone to find help and left 16-year-old Sig alone in the cabin with Father's frozen body.

An unexpected knock at the door changes everything. The burly, menacing stranger, who calls himself Wolff, claims to know Sig's father from when they lived in Nome, Alaska 10 years before and has come for what Einar owes him. Wolff wants to the gold Father stole from him and won't leave until he gets it. The revolver on Wolff's hip tells Sig just how serious this stranger is. But Sig doesn't know anything about gold. He does, however, know where Father's Colt revolver is hidden.

Why I picked up the book: It had been on my radar due to it being a Printz Honor Book. When it was picked by the teachers group at CY, I finally took the opportunity to read it.

Why I finished it: The first sentence draws you in "Even the dead tell stories." It is fairly short novel and very well written.

I'd give it to: guys looking for a thriller/mystery/adventure or readers who know a lot about guns. Readers who don't mind narratives that switch back and forth through time (1899/1900 Nome, Alaska & 1910 Giron/Sweden). The action is somewhat slow to start but the mystery is worth it.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Kaitlin's Review: In My Hands; Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong

Kaitlin
10th grade
Title: In My Hands; Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer
Author: Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong

This book is about the tragedy that was the holocaust. Irene was a young Polish girl going to medical school when the Germans invaded. She was forced to either surrender, or join the resistance. This book tells the recollections of young Irene and gives you another perspective on what happened to young beautiful girls during WWII. This book is about a true Holocaust hero and what she went through to save her friends.

I chose to read this book because I am very interested in the Holocaust and I can relate well to Irene and her problems because she was a young girl just like me.
I finished this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen to her after the war.
I would give this book to anyone who thinks their life is hard. They need to read this book and see how hard their life could really be all because of some crazy man.
I give this book 5 stars! *****

Name: Eric

Grade: 12

Book: Lord of the Flies

Author: William Golding

Stephen King is the Master of Horror, and that is generally accepted. However, before his psychological thrillers was a novel that stands alone; it has been banned in many areas because of its' dark message, and any and all who read it experience a level of uncomfortableness rarely found. I speak of course, of Lord of the flies.

In Golding's masterpiece, a plane full of 13 year old and under boys crashes onto a desert island. What follows is a true epic; a metaphorical journey of the rise and fall of civilization, true human nature, and the darkness within us all. What makes it a novel worthy of legend is its ability to illustrate these concepts using a group of 13 year old boys. The reader finds connections in these boys, because they represent humanity; Piggy's naivety, or Ralph's bravery, or Jack's darkness. It is the depth of these simple characters and the expanse of the story that make this novel engrossing, and impossible to put down.

I picked this book up because it was a classic!

I finished this book because of how engrossing it is.

I'd give this book to anyone who appreciates the classics, or wants a psychological thriller.

Rating: *****

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham

Theo's friend, April Finnemore, disappears from her house in the middle of the night. The evidence in her disappearance suggests that she was taken rather than running away. There was no forced entry and so it is believed that she left with someone she knew. It didn't appear she had time to pack. And most disturbing, a distant relative, who April had been exchanging letters with, has recently broken out of a California prison and was spotted on a security camera in town.

Theo is questioned by the police, as he was the last person to communicate with her. Theo knows another piece of the puzzle, one he isn't sharing with the police. April had been home alone for the past few nights and was scared. So scared that she had locked doors and windows as well as shoved chairs under door handles. Her father is out on tour with his middle-aged rock band and her mother was on drugs and not home.

When the escaped convict is captured, he refuses to talk. And it isn't long before something is found. Something that suggests April might not be alright. But are the police looking in the right places or are they hitting a dead end. Will Theo Boone be able to help find his friend before it's too late?

Why I picked up the book: I usually don't make time to read sequels, especially because my to-read pile is a mountain, but I just finished the first book for the 2nd time and had to find out what would happen next. He gave enough background that if you haven't read the first book, you wouldn't have felt like you missed anything.

Why I finished it: Just like with the first book, or any John Grisham title, you get sucked in.

I'd give it to: fans of James Patterson. Teen guys looking for a fast-paced novel without a whole lot of mushy feeling stuff.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Name: Serina

Grade: College

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Jacob was always envious of his adventurous Grandfather, and loved hearing his intriguing stories about how he had grown up with some children with very special abilities and how they had to stay hidden away on a mysterious island to stay out of the hands of monsters. However, as Jacob grew older, he began to doubt his Grandfather's fantastical tales, even overlooking the bizarre photos that his Grandfather had of the children he supposedly lived with. But at his Grandfather's deathbed, Jacob receives some ominous last words and a strange letter from a mysterious woman named Miss Peregrine that sends him packing and traveling to an island off the coast of Wales, where his Grandfather had spent his childhood. What Jacob finds there is not what he remembered from his Grandfather's stories, and it appalls him as well as sets him off on an adventure he will wish he never had...

As a bonus, this book has vintage pictures of the peculiar children through the chapters.

I picked this book up because it looked interesting.

I finished this book because it was so strange!

I'd give this book to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary.

Rating: ****

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theo Boone dreams of being either a famous trial lawyer or a judge. His parents are both lawyers, as is his Uncle Ike, so he was literally born into it. At thirteen, Theo knows more about the law than most adults and he is on a first name basis with almost every lawyer, judge, court clerk, and policeman in town. Theo even has his own "office" in the library at Boone & Boone, and is often asked for legal advice by fellow students.

Theo's connections enable his government class to attend the opening day of a murder trial, one of the most talked about trials in Strattenburg. With little evidence, it appears that a cold-blooded killer may get off scot-free. That is until Theo is handed a piece of evidence that could change the course of the trial. Is it possible that a thirteen year old could possess the information necessary for a conviction? Witness the start of Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer.

Why I picked up this book: John Grisham is one of my favorite authors. When I discovered he had written a legal thriller for a younger audience, I had to check it out.

Why I finished it: Theodore Boone is classic John Grisham for a younger audience. Grisham did a great job of explaining legal concepts at the tween/teen level. Rather than the "cliff-hanger" ending, I wish he would have ended it with Theo going after a new case.

I'd give it to: tweens/teens looking for a new series. Fans of other cross-over authors like James Patterson.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg

Have you ever uttered the phrase “I prefer not to”? Like I prefer not to take out the garbage or I prefer not to eat tomatoes. I prefer not to make my bed or go out in freezing cold weather. How about I prefer not to do that math assignment or my homework? I’m sure at one point or another we’ve all preferred not to do something. Margaret Rose Kane would have preferred to spend her summer with her parents in Peru or with her eccentric uncles at 19 Schuyler Place. But neither her parents nor the Uncles had any intentions of her spending the summer with them. The Uncles suggested that since she is an only child the experience of camp would be beneficial to her. So although she preferred not to, Margaret Rose began the process of choosing and applying for summer camp. And that is how Margaret Rose ended up at Camp Talequa. But because she prefers not to join in camp activities, it isn’t long before Uncle Alexander comes to her rescue, springs her from the tortures of summer camp and whisks Margaret Rose back to the tranquility of 19 Schuyler Place. Margaret Rose loves her Uncles and their house. She especially loves the towers they have built in their backyard. For over 45 years, the Uncles have created these masterpieces out of steel, glass, crystals, and a multitude of paint shades. But as Margaret Rose soon learns, not everyone sees these towers as art. The Homeowners Association views them as a safety hazard and a deterioration to property values. And while Margaret Rose preferred not to participate in camp activities, she is determined to find a way to save the outcast towers at 19 Schuyler Place.

Why I picked up the book: The first time I read it, I was drawn in by the cover which has the pattern of rose petals with the tower and by the fact that I love the name Schuyler (pronounced Skyler).

Why I finished the book: I'd prefer not to say. Kidding.

I'd recommend it to: readers looking for a nice, clean story and something that makes you think about what you believe in. If they have read "Silent to the Bone", I think they will appreciate getting Margaret's back story. I haven't read it but will pick it up next.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Found

Name: Michelle Sherwin
Grade: 12th
Title: Found
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
This book begins lady by the name of Angela is having many problems on her first day at work at a company by the name of Sky Trails. She loses codes and is constantly having to ask her supervisor to give them to her. To make things worse an unidentified plane lands at a gate no one is attending to and she therefor has to go and help them. To her surprise all of the passengers on this plane are infants and there is not even a pilot or stewardess. The book then flashes 13 years into the future in the lives of two thirteen year old boys Chip and Jonah who are both adopted. They begin receiving strange letters at the same time. Upon Jonah becoming more upset his parents, his sister and him go to meet with an FBI agent who is said to be connected to Jonah's adoption. When they arrive the agent refuses to give them any more information, saying only that he can not tell them any more and that they should not have even gotten his information, but the children receive information from a folder placed on the table by a man no one saw put it there. From this folder comes information that has something to do with Chip, Jonah and their adoption, but when few people will talk how much information can they really find out? Will this venture tear their new friendship apart or solidify it for life?
This book is very interesting because it provokes the reader to ask how much they know about themselves and how much of what they know can fall apart in an instant. It is also interesting how with each of the new discoveries they make about their adoption the boys begin to wonder more and more who they are.
I picked this book up because my brother got me the rest of the books in the series and I wanted to read this one again before I read the others. I also enjoy the author's writing style and the suspense that is intertwined in every one of her books.
I finished this book because I wanted to remember how it ended.
I would give this book to anyone who enjoys suspense and action stories. I would also give this book to people who were interested in self conflict and a journey of self.
My Rating of this Book:
***** It was amazing

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The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

How do you imagine the "City of the Future"? For me, it is a place where we've figured out how to stop harming ourselves, our environment, and each other. But knowing how far technology has come in such a short time and how it has dominated all our lives, it isn't hard to imagine a world like Satellite City, a super city of 25 million. The Satellite controls everything from news, traffic, to rotating the location of buildings. But the Satellite is going haywire and creating chaos.

In this future world, orphans, known as no-sponsors, are taken in by places like the Clarissa Frayne Institute for the Parentally Challenged. In order to keep its doors open, the Institute must make money by any means necessary including risking the lives of the no-sponsors, who don't normally live past age 15, due to all the food and drug testing they undergo. Cosmo Hill is a no-sponsor who doesn't want to die at Clarissa Frayne, so he is always on the lookout for an escape.

When a Satellite malfunction provides Cosmo with an opportunity, he takes it. But his escape is less than perfect and as Cosmo lays dying, he sees a mysterious blue creature land on his chest and begin to suck the life from him.

Before he blacks out, three teenagers appear with weapons pointed straight at him. Cosmo later awakens in their warehouse and learns that this group, who call themselves the Supernaturalists, can see these blue creatures and are trying to destroy the Parasites.

Can the Supernaturalists be able to defeat the Parasites and continue to evade capture from the government? Is anything really what it seems to be?

Why I picked up the book: I'm rereading it for my middle school book club. I read it once about five years ago.

Why I finished it: I kept wondering if this really what the city of the future will be like and hoping it won't. I also really wanted to know what these Parasites really were all about.

I'd give the book to: anyone, especially fans of adventure or futuristic/dystopian sci-fi.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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19 minutes

Name: Eric

Grade: 12

Book: 19 Minutes

Author: Jodi Picoult

America was rocked by the Columbine shootings, and later, those of Virginia Tech. These are events that are perpetually evil in our eyes, and seen as the simplistic good vs. evil. Jodi Picoult, however, explores the idea that the monsters we see on TV and in the news are not always what they seem, in her novel, 19 minutes. A story on one level about a school shooting, but more accurately, about the social ties and nuances that drive human behavior every day. 19 minutes captures the story of a boy and a girl(as every good story does), and how their paths intertwine into one climactic moment, when as a reader, you begin to question your world around you.

Jodi Picoult is known for her romances, and in a way, this novel is also a romance. Yet is not a romance in the traditional Lover style, it is more the love felt between Friends, Family, and That Person You Once Knew. I am not a fan of mushy books; I find them to be lacking in body and cheap. But this story is deep, meaningful, and impacting. I enjoyed it immensely, and would recommend it to any and all students especially.

I picked this book up because I won it in a contest, and decided to give it a shot.

I finished this book because of its power. It pulls you in, as you begin to feel for the most unlikely of subjects.

I'd give this book to any and every student. Shootings are a part of life now, and are a very serious matter in today's school systems. But this book brings a whole new light to that area, and acts as a method of prevention for such tragedies.

Rating: *****

Kaitlin's Review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews

Name: Kaitlin
10th grade
Book Title: The Noticer
Author: Andy Andrews

Seventeen-year-old Andy had just lost everything, his parents, his home, his friends. He was living under a pier by the ocean when one day, an old man saw him laying there in his sleeping bag, and told him, "Son, step into the light." Come to find out, Jones, the name of the old man, knew everything about Andy. Andy had never seen this man in his life before and was sure of it. This man carried and briefcase and called himself a Noticer. Throughout the book, Jones gives Andy, and a number of other people, a new perspective on life and the situations they are in. No one knows where he came from or where he goes every time he is not with them, but they think of Jones as a blessing. This was a real eye-opener for me and really changed my perspective on life. Pick it up if you need a moral booster.
Why I picked the book up:: It was recommended by a teacher.
Why I finished it:: I wanted to know what happened in the end.
I'd give this book to:: Anyone who needs a new perspective on life.
My rating for this book:: **** Really Liked It

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Katrina wasn't looking for a reward or even a pat on the back. She just did the right thing, a random act of kindness. While emptying the trash on a cold morning outside her grandmother's coffee shop, Anna's Old World Scandinavian Coffeehouse, Katrina sees a homeless man curled up in the alley asleep. So she places a hot cup of coffee, day old pastries, and a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans on the doorstep for him. What happens next isn't so ordinary. The man shows up at Katrina's school, during an assembly and announces to the whole school that he must reward her generosity and selflessness. Not only is Katrina embarrassed but she refuses to accept the reward.

It turns out the man, Malcolm, is a messenger angel. He is between missions and can not/will not be able to leave until Katrina lets him grant her wish and give her the thing she most desires. Is this guy for real? Would you be able to refuse the charms of a cute "Coffeehouse Angel"?

Why I picked up this book: I love books about coffee and the cover grabbed me as well. This has been on my to-read list for a long time. I've probably checked it out a dozen times and never had a chance to read it. Started it this time because I was looking for something fun, easy, and light. Fits the bill and might work into a great book club.

Why I finished it: It is a sweet story about friendship, family, and forgiveness.

I'd give it to: fans of light romance, teens and adults.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Lockdown (Escape From the Furnace #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

What is your worst nightmare? I would be willing to bet that you could never dream of a place as horrible as Furnace. Furnace Penitentiary was built following the "Summer of Slaughter" when teenage gangs reigned, terrorizing and murdering, sending society into a state of fear and panic. Now it is a state of zero tolerance. You do the crime, you will do hard time, forever. If you are convicted, you are sentenced to life in this underground prison, where horrors beyond your wildest dream exist. Muscular, meat-eating guard dogs. A warden with black eyes like vortexes that seem to suck out your soul. Guards who wheeze due to the gas masks covering their faces, the gas masks that appear to sewn into their skin, the guards that come for you in the dark of night.

In exchange for safety and security, the government and society have turned a blind eye to the prison. If they only knew what was really going on, would they allow the teenagers prisoners, who are children really, to be treated this way? Don't they deserve a second chance, especially if, like Alex, they maintain their innocence?

Welcome to Furnace, where there is no escape. Or is there?

Why I picked up the book: My alternative high school book club picked it. It had been recommended to me before but I'd never made the time to read it.

Why I finished it: I was hooked from the first page as Alex is running up the prison stairs to avoid whatever monstrous thing is chasing him and the other prisoners. I'm underwater claustrophobic so I know the threat of spending my life in an underground prison would do me in. I will definitely be picking up the sequels (will be 5 in the series by 2013).

I'd give it to: fans of horror, like Stephen King or Darren Shan. In fact I gave it to my King/Shan fan the minute I saw her. Definitely teen boys, especially those looking for a new series, although I've had girls like it too.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Hater

Name: Serina

Grade: College

Title: Hater

Author: David Moody

It all started on an exceedingly normal day when a seemingly harmless businessman suddenly impaled an elderly woman with an umbrella. No one saw it coming, nor could they possibly fathom why he attacked her out of nowhere, and why he looked so utterly terrified of her while he did it. What seemed like a singular freak incident suddenly becomes an epidemic of violence. People everywhere, no matter what age and gender, are suddenly becoming murderers, and their targets are just as diverse, but all are killed in shocking, bloody ways. A girl smashes her friend's head in with a rock during a leisurely walk in the park. A guitarist of a popular band suddenly flies off the handle during a concert and bludgeons a fellow band mate with his guitar. The media begins to call the onslaught of aggressive people 'Haters' and the Haters could be anyone, a stranger, a best friend, or even a loving family member. No one is safe, either from becoming a victim, or from becoming a Hater themselves...

I picked this book up because it had a very interesting cover.

I finished this book because I had to know what was happening!

I'd give this book to anyone who can stomach it.

Rating: **** Really liked it!

Double Identity

Michelle Sherwin
12th Grade
Double Identity
This book begins with a girl, by the name of Bethany, who has been sheltered her entire life being suddenly dropped off with a relative she had not even heard of before. The woman she is dropped off with, her Aunt Myrlie, is left with no phone number and no knowledge of where her Bethany's parents are going. Throughout the novel she begins to learn about her aunt, her cousin and her sister Elizabeth as well as learning more about her parents. Thought the entire book as Bethany finds more out about her relatives she discovers why her parents dropped her off in this place, why she had been so shelter her entire life and why she did not know any of these relatives she was now staying with. I enjoyed the new arising questions with every one which was answered. I also enjoyed unexpected twists that came each time she met a new person.
I picked this book because I had read several other books by this author and had enjoyed many of her other books.
I finished it because up until the very end there was always another question to be answered and more to be asked.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy suspense, mystery and excitement.
Rating: ****

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

"Imagine this:
You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.
What do you do?
The choice, I think, is obvious:
You take down the red notebook and open it.
And then you do whatever it tells you to do." (page 1)

Lily left the aforementioned red notebook next to Salinger's "Franny and Zooey" in the Strand, a hip used book store in New York City. It was discovered by Dash. Dash decides to follow the literary clues and then leave one of his own for the mysterious Lily, thus beginning a city-wide "treasure hunt", passing the notebook back and forth yet never meeting. Dash and Lily employ friends and family in the quirky and often hilarious dares, sharing their thoughts and feelings along the way. Is it possible to start a friendship or even a relationship when you have never laid eyes on the each other? I dare you to pick up this book and find out.

Why I picked up the book: I like author Rachel Cohn and have seen the movie based on their book "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist". Dash & Lily was the next book for CY's Teachers as Readers book club so it gave me a good reason to finally read it.

Why I finished it: It was a fun and festive holiday book and a nice change from supernatural, undead fiction. Lily reminded me a bit of Mia from Meg Cabot's series "The Princess Diaries". I think it was her quirkiness but could have been the NYC setting. Dash, on the other hand, was very verbose and a bit quirky in his own way. Snarly, as other characters referred to him.

I'd give it to: readers looking for a little holiday cheer. Probably high school and up, because there is some mild language, a small reference to drinking, and some kissing.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Animal Farm

Name: Eric

Grade: 12

Book: Animal Farm

Author: George Orwell


This book in its simplest form is about animals taking over a farm. Manor Farm is run by the negligent farmer Jones, and is taken over in a revolution by the animals, led by the pigs, and turned into Animal Farm. This is not however, what this book is really about. Instead, animal illustrates the nuances of Communism, democracies, and the "animal" like nature of humans. Using the heirachal nature of everyday farm animals, Orwell makes an excellent analogy to how humans view themselves when lined up with eachother, and how our goverments truly run. Characters like Snowball and Napolean the pig will seem familiar to those who know their history, while everyone will recognize what the hard working horse represents.

This does not mean that the book is dry or a history lesson however. Instead, it paints the issues of humans in a fun and relatable way, that anyone can enjoy. While it is one of Orwell's lesser known books, it is one of his best, in this reviewers humble opinion. My only warning would be that it is based in England, and as such certain references and jargon are lost on an American reader. I would enjoy a seeing a modernized version, myself.

I picked this book up because I had read George Orwell before, but had never heard of Animal Farm, and was intrigued.

I finished this book because it engrossed me. I had an obligation to the animals to see it through to the end.

I'd give this book to anyone who knows their history or is politically inclined, but also anyone who is a fan of Orwells.

Rating: ****

Mangaman

Name: Serina

Grade: College

Book: Mangaman

Author: Barry Lyga

Illustrator: Colleen Doran

In this bizarre book, East meets West when Ryoko, a Japanese manga character, falls through a rip into an American comic book. There, he is almost immediately disliked for his very feminine anime looks, and also for the strange powers he possesses, like being able to jump from one panel to another and easily defeating anyone that challenges him to a fight with his martial art moves that defy the laws of gravity. Since he cannot get back to his own comic book, he decides to attend the local High School, where he also has great difficulty fitting in. However, something good does come out of his tumble into the Western world, and her name is Marissa Montaigne, the most gorgeous and also one of the most popular girls in the school. Ryoko gets hearts in his eyes whenever he see her, which greatly creeps out his male classmates, and with a bit of luck, Ryoko is able to befriend her and describe his own manga universe to her, as well as teach her a few of his panel jumping tricks. But will his love for Marissa, and her possible love for him, be able to survive between their two very different worlds?

This graphic novel was very strange, funny, and actually quite satisfying to read. There were quite a few parts of it that were a bit dry or unsettling for me, but most of it was a very unique look on how manga and western comics are different, as well as how they are also the same.

I picked this book up because I had never seen anything like it!

I finished this book because I wanted to see what happened at the end.

I'd give this book to any fan of comic books, whether they are a manga fan or a Marvel fan, or both!

Rating: *** Liked it!

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Josh and Emma have been neighbors for as long as they can remember and up until the incident last November they were best friends. Now it is May 1996 and they haven't been in each other's houses in six months. Emma just received a computer from her father and so Josh brings over an AOL CD-ROM that she can download to get 100 hours of free Internet. What she didn't expect was to get access to a strange website called Facebook. Sure, you know what Facebook is, but did you know it wasn't actually launched until 2004?

As Emma and Josh begin to investigate this Facebook, they realize what they are seeing is their future selves in 2011, fifteen years in the future. And everytime they log on or refresh Facebook their future is a little different.

If you could see your future, would you like it? Would it make you want to change the present? How would it affect your relationships with others, and most importantly for Josh and Emma, the future of us?

Why I picked up the book: In May 1996, I was a sophomore in high school and did NOT have my own computer until the summer before my junior year of college in 2000! I remember going to my other parents' house to use their computer to type papers and listening to that horrible pinging dial of the Internet when my younger brother would log on. We never used AOL but constantly got the CD-ROMs in the mail. (when did that stop anyway??) I wonder if any of my teens would even remember the sound of dial-up, which I haven't had since 2003.

Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler are rockstar YA authors so of course, I had to read this! Plus it is a change from the dystopian, zombies, and vampires I've been reading lately.

Why I finished it: I'm a sucker for this type of novel. It was like brain candy and just want I needed. Like I mentioned, I kept thinking about myself in high school and would I have been content with where I am today (by the way, I am loving my life right now, but again what would my 16 year old self think?).

I'd give it to: fans of realistic fiction with a small amount of romance (nothing over the top). Teens who like to think about what their future will be like and adults who can look back and remember how they felt at 16 about their future life.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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