Kaitlin
Junior
Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
By: Khaled Hosseini
Imagine having every aspect of your life decided for you from the time you were 13. Who you live with, who you marry, what you wear, who you talk to. These are all beyond Marium's control, and later beyond control of Laila. Set in Kabul, Afghanistan during the 1980s, A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of these two unlikely friends and how they get their start from the same controlled setting. Soon, they have to decided for themselves and those around them whether or not they want to live, and do what it takes to survive. I picked up this book because I loved Hosseini's first novel The Kite Runner and I continued to read because this book is full of suspense and won't let you stop reading! I would give this book to anyone looking for an amazing read about the lives of women in Afghanistan and all the horrors they face everyday. I give this book 5 stars! *****

Zom-B

Name: Serina

Grade: 12+

Title: Zom-B

Author: Darren Shan

B is an average teenage delinquent with a freshly shaved head and a very bad temper. B likes to stay out at night with friends, listen to music, and bully people. While B breaks a lot of rules and is on the racist side, B never thought that life would be different from what it was. At first B doesn't believe what is on the T.V. and thinks it is some kind of prank that someone is pulling by putting their zombie movie footage on the news, but B soon finds out that it is real. Zombies attack B's school, sending everyone running in terror or being torn apart and eaten by the walking dead. Once they are killed, the fallen students turn into zombies themselves. B and friends are trapped in the school; someone has blocked all the exits, and it is becoming increasingly apparent to B that this slaughter has been done on purpose. But who would do such a thing and why?

Darren Shan, author of Cirque du Freake, has put out another gory, gut churning beginning of a series with Zom-B. Unfortunately, the writing is a bit flat and the main character is hard to like, but things may change for the better in the future books in the series. However, there is a pleasantly surprising ending for the reader who picks up this book.

I picked this book up because I read everything by Darren Shan.

I finished this book because it was a quick read.

I'd give this book to any horror movie zombie gore fan.

Rating: ** It was okay

The Truth About Forever

Name: Michelle Sherwin
Grade:12+
Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen

What was Macy Queen to do with a whole summer with her boyfriend Jason away at Brain Camp? Well that depended on who you wanted to talk to. For Jason she was to be filling in for him at the library's reference desk with two snobby, better than though type girls who thought that she could hardly handle even the most simple of questions. For her mother it was studying and strive to be one day as good as her sister. For her the memories of her dad  and watching him die haunted her with every time she turned the corner it seemed.For her sister it was helping with every detail of the beach house renovations the rest of the family doesn't even want to consider. But everyone has a wild side and Macy's was about to show up for better or worse. After a chance meeting with a bumbling catering group called Wish who could use a little help and a few emails back and forth between her and Jason Macy finds herself lost in what she should be doing and contemplating everything she thought summer was going to be. Wish however chaotic seems like just the thing that Macy wants. A little fun and chaos is sure to turn her world upside down, but will living her own dream hurt the ones she loves more than it is worth? Will the boy she meets be bad news, a heart break, or the best thing that could have ever happened to her? Find out in The Truth About Forever.

I liked the compelling and often romantic aspects of this book. It brought a new and exciting level to how the choices we make do affect our lives, but weather that change is good or bad it will change none the less.


I picked this book because I had enjoyed Sarah Dessen books before and thought I might enjoy this one as well.

I finished this book because I wanted to know where all of the choices Macy had made would take her in the end.

I'd give this book to anyone who would enjoy an adventurous, funny and romantic book.

My rating *****

Leslee
11th Grade
Wringer
By:  Jerry Spinelli

Palmer Larue lives in a town called Waymer.  He grows up with a tradition that is held during Family Fest- a festival of contests, amusement rides, and fun.  The main tradition is known as Pigeon Day, where shooters compete for a Sharpshooter's trophy by shooting at pigeons.  The birds that are only wounded and not killed are retrieved by 'wringer-boys' that wring their necks.  This tradition is somewhat of a rite of passage, because you are allowed to do so as a boy when you turn ten.  It is considered an honor.  The problem is that Palmer has been forever haunted from when he was very young when he first attended this ritual.  He does not want to be a wringer.  Through keeping a pigeon named Nipper as a pet, being pressured by Henry, Beans, and Mutto, convincing this group of boys that he is one of them, and the upcoming Pigeon Day, Palmer struggles with this difficult issue of disagreeing with society and tradition. 

I picked up this book because I thought it seemed interesting and continued reading because I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  I would recommend it to anyone who loves animals and standing up for what they believe in.  It is great for all ages. 

This is a great novel that touches on moral dilemmas, vulnerability, doing the right thing, and having courage to change tradition.  I give it a 4**** rating. 

Oh My Goddess!

Name: Serina

Grade: 12+

Title: Oh My Goddess!

Author/Illustrator: Kosuke Fujishima

College student Keiichi Morisato is down on his luck until he accidentally calls the Goddess Techinical Helpline, which promptly sends him the Goddess Belldandy to grant one wish. Not knowing what to wish for, he jokingly says that he would Belldandy to be by his side always. Before either of them can stop it, the wish goes through and is granted, leaving Keiichi with a beautiful, stranded Goddess in his dorm. This wouldn't be much of a problem if women were allowed in, but he is quickly found out and given the required boot by his friends from the Motor Club, a renegade group of oddballs with a love for anything that can be driven. At a loss of where to go, Keiichi stops by a few of his other friends' places, but all of them have their eyes on his gorgeous Goddess, so he and Belldandy end up taking refuge at what Keiichi thought was an abandoned shrine. However, it is occupied by a Buddhist Priest that is convinced Belldandy is a demon. But after seeing many of the miracles Belldandy can perform, he decides she must have achieved true perfection and that he must leave the shrine in her care while he takes another self enlightening journey. This leaves Belldandy and Keiichi with a new, albeit odd, home, but Keiichi still has much more to worry about. The contract he formed with Belldandy means she has to be near him at all times or bad things will happen. This results in Belldandy placing herself in Keiichi's college, which gets all the girls annoyed at her perfection and all the guys mad at Keiichi for landing such a babe. Even with a Goddess at his side, life is everything but perfect for Keiichi, with insane rivals, suspicious teachers, and possibly even more Goddesses to handle. What's an average guy like Keiichi to do?

I picked this manga up because it looked amusing.

I finished this manga because it was hilarious.

I'd give this book to any guy down on his luck or anyone who enjoys slapstick comedy.

Rating: *** Liked it

With the Light

Name: Serina

Grade: 12+

Title: With the Light

Author/Illustrator: Keiko Tobe

Newly made mother Sachiko Azuma is very excited to have a baby boy, who she names Hikaru, because he is the light of her world, and she feels happier than ever before. But after bringing hikaru home from the hospital, Sachiko notices over time that Hikaru is not like the other children his age. His development is slow, and he doesn't like to be cuddled or touched. When it comes time for Hikaru to start speaking his first words, he remains silent and doesn't react when Sachiko and her husband try to get him to listen to them. At a doctor's appointment, the doctor tells Sachiko that he thinks Hikaru may be deaf. Not wanting to believe her son can't hear, Sachiko gets a second opinion, one which may be more difficult for her to handle than the first: Hikaru isn't deaf, he has autism. Sachiko lapses into denial, wanting to believe her child is still the perfect ray of light she thought he was before, but things get harder and harder as even outside people start to notice Hikaru's differences. Sachiko has to make a choice. She can pretend that nothing is wrong, or she can get Hikaru the help he needs. Being a good mother, she goes with the latter, even though it estranges her from her husband and her mother in law. Sachiko and Hikaru have to struggle everyday, dealing with everything from enrolling Hikaru in a special school to creating a schedule that Hikaru can easily follow. They face problems at every step they take, but Sachiko is determined to give her ray of light the hope and chance he deserves in a place that isn't very understanding of autism.

I picked this book up because it was a manga that covered a topic I had never seen done before.

I finished this book because it was so interesting, funny, and at points heartbreaking. It gives an awareness of autism that I haven't found in other books.

I'd give this book to anyone with an autistic child, anyone with autism, or anyone who wants to learn about autism.

Rating: **** Really liked it.

F for Effort: More of the Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson

Like the first book, this addition showcases funny incorrect answers. The first section is elementary school (probably 4th-6th grade) and the errors tend to be misused or misspelled words. The section section is high school and divided up by subject. If you were the teacher grading a zillion of these, it would probably drive you insane. But as a reader, it is definitely a good laugh.

Why I picked up the book: I liked "F in Exams". I didn't realize there was a second book. We needed a laugh in my house so I grabbed this one.

Why I finished it: Super fast and they beg to be shared. Most of the humor in the elementary section comes from seeing the spelling errors and the handwriting.

I'd give it to: Anyone high school and up, and especially teachers and parents who need a laugh.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

View all my Goodreads reviews

Click here for my "F in Exams" review