Max -- a review by Justin Osborne

Max by James Patterson

****

Max joins us again in the fifth and last installment of the Maximum Ride series. This book is about Max and her flock (group of bird kids) pretty much running away from their scientists that created them. She and her equally-mutated friends spend their time trying to save the world their way and being chased. Max's friends or her flock Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, Gasman, and Total the dog are along with her saving the world. These kids have wings so this makes their lives a lot easier escaping and all.

In the previous books, it has been the same things for these kids such as saving the world, not having to go to school, and not even taking baths. In the last book the flock was working on global warming. Max begins with the flock performing in air shows that were organized by Max's mom, Dr. Valencia Martinez. This book is about Max and her flock (group of bird kids) pretty much running away from their scientists that created them. She and her equally-mutated friends spend their time trying to save the world their way and being chased. Max's friends or her flock Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, Gasman, and Total the dog are along with her saving the world. These kids have wings so this makes their lives a lot easier escaping and all. Their main goal is to make the public more aware of air pollution. As the group is performing, a sniper attacks them. Not only is their life in danger but there is another major problem. In this book, Max's mom has been kidnapped. The person who takes them is a part of an unknown group and is unknown as well(You will find this out if you read the book). Apart from the danger they are facing, millions of fish are suddenly dying because of an unknown reason, and this poses a threat of their extinction. So to solve this problem, Max and her friends get recruited by the government to find out the cause of the problem while they try to save their selves at the same time.

James Patterson somehow makes this book sound interesting and gripping. This book is not only to those teens looking to read an adventure, but for some that are bored with the of books they're reading. Even though this book is on the teen level, adults will find this adventuresome book entertaining also. I have read all of the books in this series and I think this one is the best one yet. After reading this book, you will be waiting for the next book to come out.

A Long Way from Chicago -- a review by Joshua Madden

A Long Way from Chicago
Author: Richard Peck
Rating: 4 stars

A Long Way from Chicago is a book about two young city children from Chicago named Joey and Mary Alice in 1929. Every summer for 7 summers they visit their Grandma Dowdel's who lives in a boring old town in Illinois. For those 7 summers each one was never the same different adventures, one funnier than the next. What is so ironic about this town is that even though it seems like a town full of nothing but boredom; it's really full of fun and adventure. On these visits they have some crazy events that take place that a person would never forget for the rest of their lives. So go ahead and check this book out and take part in these wild and crazy adventures.

The book A Long Way from Chicago is a really good book I liked reading it. I really loved the way the author, Richard Peck, helped make a vivid picture in my mind of the events. It made me feel like I was there with Joey and Mary on every wild and crazy adventure. I liked the book because it made me think of the things me and my family used to do in the summer. Also it made me laugh from the time I picked it up till I put it down. I would surely recommend this book to people that love adventure and humorist style of books. So go ahead and check this book out at Archbishop O'Hara High school and I promise you that it will have you laughing till the point you start streaming tears.

Inside Out -- a review by Connor Burke

Inside out

By: Terry Trueman

*****

Zach Washhsted is not a normal boy. He has a brain condition that makes him a whole lot different from everyone else. An incident happened that would change his life forever, Because of this Zach is put into an even bigger incident. While waiting on his mom to pick him up at the diner, it gets robbed by two teens who call them self’s frosty and stormy. Things go wrong for frosty and stormy because as they are about to leave the cops show up and ruining there heist. Zach starts asking them questions about movies and has conversations with them. Zach has medicine that he takes to keep his imagination from going wild. During this heist the cops are trying to get the hostages and frosty and stormy aren’t trying to go to jail, or get in a lot of trouble. The others that are getting held hostage are two suits, two old women, a mom and child and two workers. All those people are getting mad at Zach because he is asking random questions and is the only one no scared. The cops ask frosty and stormy release all the hostage, but they think that if they do that they’ll just bag in. so Zach says that he will stay back. By this time Zach really really needs his meds or he could have another incident…

This book has a genre of teen angst. if you liked No Right Turn by Terry Trueman you'll most likely like this book as well

Evermore: The Immortals -- a review by Liz Hill

Evermore: The Immortals

By: Alyson Noel

**** Stars

Ever Bloom is a sixteen-year-old girl who has just lost her family to a horrible car accident. Dealing with the lost of her family Ever is forced to move with her aunt to California where she has a new house, new school, and a dead family. For Ever this is a harder switch than others because not only was she the only one to live but after the accident she was able to see people’s auras, hear their thoughts and know someone’s entire life by a single touch. Ever has a daily struggle of avoiding human contact labeling her as a school freak. Until she meets Damen Auguste. Damen is exotic, wealthy, and the best looking guy in school. He is also the only one that can silence the world; with a single touch he warms Ever’s entire body. But Ever soons finds that she is felt with more questions than answers. And has no clue who Damen really is- or what he is. But without fault she is falling deeply and hopelessly in love with him.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it kept me wondering what was going to happen next, forcing me to read more. But the more I read the more I love this book. It was kind of an easy read for me. I would recommend Evermore to anyone who likes the Twilight Saga because it is kind of similar in many ways. I am very excited to continue the immortals series with Alyson’s next book Blue Moon.

Along for the Ride --- a review by Alex Fennesy

Along for the Ride
By: Sarah Dessen

****

Along for the Ride is a romance novel about an 18 year old girl, Auden. Auden is very intelligent. As she grew up, her parents fought non stop, thus leading to divorce. As a child and young teen the only way Auden thought she could gain their attention was by achieving good grades and participating in anything academic at her school. Between her parents constantly fighting and the strain of maintaining good grades, Auden missed out on a normal childhood. Instead of coping with her problems, she became an insomniac, and avoided everything by staying awake studying, or drinking coffee at her favorite twenty- four hour café.

Her brother, Hollis, was always the “outcast” of the family. He constantly moved all over the world, doing everything against his parents wishes. Auden secretly wishes she could be as free as Hollis, but her parents have set such high expectations for her. About a week before school gets out, Auden decides she’s had enough and wants to escape the constant her mother’s constant dinner parties and guests. She plans to spend the summer before her freshman year of college in Colby with her father, his new wife, and their newborn baby, Thisbe. While she’s there, Auden discovers something about herself through her stepmother, her new little sister, and working at her stepmother’s store with the girls her age. But most of all, through Eli, the mysterious biker, she learns that she can still have a normal life.

Although the plot of the book is predictable, I loved every minute of it. It was entertaining, fun, and you became involved in the story. If you like other Sarah Dessen novels, then I think you will enjoy Along for the Ride. I would recommend it to others.

Born to Rock --- a review by Jeremy Shaefer

Born To Rock
By: Gordon Korman

***
Leo Caraway is a very intelligent boy who has a full ride scholarship to Harvard, but sadly his luck will change. Melinda, Leo's best friend for as long as he can remember is the biggest punk and goth fan ever, which is strange because Leo is nothing like that. Leo has a full-ride to Harvard but supposedly getting caught cheating on a math exam ruins his chances unless he can come up with $40,000 to pay in order to go. Leo finds out at a young age that the dad he knew his entire life isn't his biological father. His mother tells him that King Maggot a famous punk rocker in the 80's is his real father. Luckily Melinda invites Leo to go to a convention to see King Maggot for the first on stage in twenty years. While there Leo stupidly rushes on the stage and confronts Maggot with a note saying that he is his son. After being thrown out and Melinda being so mad and won't even talk to him, Leo finds his way home and a few days later gets a call from King Maggot's manager if Leo would be willing to come out and get a DNA test to make sure that he really is the King's son. Once they finally meet each other the doctor says the test results will take about six to seven weeks to analyze. So during that time King offers Leo to come on tour with him for the summer so they can get to know each other for a little bit. Does Leo say yes to going on tour with King Maggot? Does Leo find out if King really is his father? Read to find out.

Carter Finally Gets It --- a review by Ryan McDowell

Carter Finally Gets It

by Brent Crawford

*****

From the first page I liked this book. The novel is very straight forward. The book follows Carter and his friends, and shows them making gay jokes and going about high school like most guys do now. I like how the book captures today’s culture from the thoughts going through a young boys head, cussing, peer pressure and gossip. In the novel Carter just wants to fit in and be in the cool crowd. He joins the football team to become a “jock” .We see Carter's journey between being the cool “jock” and trying to figure out who he truly is. We see him realizing he can do the things he wants for him, not the things his boys want him to do.

Carter Finally Gets It is a mix between a humor, and a school story kind of book. I would compare the book to The Gun because both of these two books relate to life for teens. I would recommend this to another student. This book is the first book I the series.

Candy --- a review by Alex Keffer-Swaney

Candy

by Kevin Brooks

* * * *

Joe is a well rounded kid that has a nice house, goes to a good school, and enjoys music, and playing in his band, the Katies. Although his family situation is a little messy, whereas his parents who were once married, are now divorced. But they are dating again. Joe’s sister Gina says that their mom wanted a divorce from the kids and not their dad. While out of town at the train station Joe is distracted by a girl. From that moment on his life had changed. Her name is Candy and she takes Joe for the ride of his life. With the first day that they meet trouble seems to be around them at every corner, whether they are at McDonalds, the London Zoo, or a club that Joe has a show at that night. Gina and her boyfriend Mike don’t really approve of Candy and Joe hanging out, after the night in the club when Gina walked in on her smoking heroin in the bathroom. Also because Candy is a prostitute and her “friend” Iggy, seems to always be there in the mix of the trouble.

I would recommend Candy to others. Not only is it about teens and how we all feed off of the other people that we hang around but also what those people do when we are around them. The choices that they make and how they affect us could end up fatal to some. This book is also about how even though we are scared we still need to think out actions and take small risk. As when Joe did when he first called Candy out for a date.

On the Devil's Court --- a review by Blake Hudon

On The Devil’s Court

by Carl Deuker

****

In a new town for his last year of high school, seventeen-year-old Joe Faust made a promise not to spend it as his anxious father would have him in a private school. Instead, he hopes to make this year his best on the basketball court, playing on the city's strongest public school team. But, as it happens, Joe's senior year turns out be entirely different from what he had expected. He attends a school he despises and watches his skill on the basketball court deteriorate until he can't even make a decent pass or easy lay-up. In desperation, he entangles himself in a situation so fantastic he can't tell if it's real or imagined a dilemma set in motion. After reading one of his father’s books, Doctor Faustus, Joe decides to make a deal with the devil to turn him into a superstar basketball player for his school. But in the end was it all worth it for him?

After reading On the Devil’s Court I was utterly amazed on how good this book was. The story was really good, and the characters seemed so real. This is one of those rare sports books that include a lot of sport action. I’m not really into books but this book really got me, I loved the story. It followed some of the everyday problems with teenagers like me that I could relate to that also helped me understand and follow the book better. Kept me on the edge and not for a second I got tired of it, if you need a new book to read in your life this is definitely a book you should pick up and read.

The Lovely Bones --- a review by Kaitlyn Fennesy

The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold

*****

“My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” Susie is in heaven now, or what she calls the in between for while, because letting go to the people she loves and her murderer is harder than she thinks. Susie isn’t alone though, she has friends in the in between who guide her and help her let go of the past. Just keep moving forward. When Susie was alive she took something’s for granted but now looking down from her in between she wishes she could take it back. On the final days of Susie’s life, an important item given to Susie is a hat her mother knit with a bell on top that jingled every time she moved. An important memoir was of her crush Ray Singh and their first and only kiss. On the day of her murder, Susie walked through the cornfield as a shortcut to get home faster. When she saw Mr. Harvey, she didn’t think of it as anything weird, he was just her neighbor, so she listened to him and followed him. Mr. Harvey had built a little shack under the earth in the middle of the cornfield, as a club house for the neighborhood teenagers; she never expected it to be her burial site. Susie struggled when she was brutally raped and murdered. Susie feels the people around her emotions, but she isn’t suppose to interact with the living only what is in the in between and try to reach her goal of moving forward to heaven. Mr. Salmon never gives up hope for trying to find his daughter, whether she is alive or dead. He believes he knows who murdered her but no one believes him. Lindsey Salmon, Susie’s younger sister by a year, tries to move on. Enough though she appears to be fine, she secretly wishes someone would ask her about it. Susie watches her murderer from her in between state and watches how he covers up his tracks as the weeks and months pass by. Will there be a body of Susie Salmon or will her memory be the only thing left on earth?

I enjoyed the book, The Lovely Bones because I love how it told a suspenseful and funny novel about memories, love, joy, heaven and healing. Alice Sebold tells a story that most people in the 70’s didn’t hear about, most teenage girls weren’t reported missing or even murdered. The genre of the book is mystery, fantasy, and paranormal. One of my favorite quotes from the novel was, “Don’t worry, Susie; he has a nice life. He’s trapped in a perfect world.” Maybe heaven or even the in between state is a perfect world that once our time on earth is up, were trapped in a world of never ending possibilities.

Hawksong- Review by Alex Stockard

Hawksong

By: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

***** stars

Danica is a young woman who loves and cares for her people. She has not been crowned Tuuli Thea, but she strives to prove to the people and her mother that she will be a great leader. She wants to prove that she can lead her people to peace with their greatest enemy, the Serpiente. For Danica has only known death because of this hatred and warfare and is tired of keeping emotions trapped in by her avian reserve.

Danica and the people she leads are known as the Avians. The Avians shape shift in to different bird forms, such as Danica who shape shifts into a Hawk. The Serpiente, who shape shift to snakes, are lead by Zane Cobriana who is also tired of this war. The reasons of war have been forgotten, but each side still fights on. Tell one day Zane sends his last remaining sibling, Irene, to make negotiations of peace. The offering of peace from the Serpiente was not fully accepted by many of the Avians, but the offering was not totally ignored. Danica and her mother traveled to the Mistari lands, which was a land owned by shape shifers whose animal forms were tigers. They were known for their knowledge, so the Avians and Serpiente sought their leaders advice.

The Advice given to them was completely rejected by each side, except by the two future leaders Zane and Danica. The advice given to them was to tie the two Royal Families together. The Avians later leave the Mistari lands, totally ignoring the idea of letting the allister of the Tuuli Thea be a serpent. The rest of the steps of the story will go into many directions that will be unexpected: death, love, rejection, fate, ceremony, and betrayal.

Hawksong was honestly one of the best books I have ever read. The emotions throughout the book are completely unexpected, which enticed me to keep reading. Even though it is a fantasy and science-fiction novel, it is very romantic with a loving core. This book is not alike others that I know of, but it does have a sort of vibe you would receive from the Harry Potter series.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner- Review by Katelyn Gutteridge

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

By: Stephanie Meyer

**** Stars

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a book that goes along with Eclipse from the Twilight Saga. In Eclipse there was a newborn vampire named Bree who had surrendered to the Cullens. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner follows Bree Tanner’s life from when she is created to the end of the fight with the Cullens in Eclipse. With Bree’s life just beginning as a vampire she has many things to learn. All she knows is to stay with the clan and listen to all of things Riley says. She only has three rules to follow: stay alive, don’t draw attention to yourself, and be home before the sun rises. This all changes when Bree meets another vampire from the clan named Diego. Together they start to think why they were created and the secrets behind their leader Riley. They also unlock some of the secrets to being a vampire.

I thought this book was a very good follow up to Eclipse. It helped to show what else was going on in the story besides the Cullen’s point of view. Also, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner helps give you a better understanding of what it can be like as a newborn vampire. I would recommend this book to people who liked the Twilight Saga and who have read at least the first three books. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner has all the romance and mystery that Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn have.

Dreamrider- Review by Brett Coatney

Dreamrider

by Barry Jonsberg

*** stars

Dreamrider is a book about a boy named Michael Terny who has been to seven different schools in the last four years because he is bullied about his weight. Michael tries to go through his life unnoticed, but it is hard to miss a kid of his size. His classmates laugh and make fun of him, though he believes if anything is done by authority figures it will make things worse. It is hard going to a new school, but Michael meets a nice girl at school who he really likes named Leah. She helps him along throughout the book and always seems to be by his side, one of the few students who have shown Michael kindness at his new school.

The title Dreamrider comes in to play whenever Michael dreams he knows he is dreaming and can control what occurs in the dreams. Michael’s dream world is his only safe place; it’s a place where he can control everything that unfolds. While reading the book there were times I didn’t know if he was dreaming or it was reality, much like main character Michael. Dreams and reality become hard to discern because the two worlds are colliding. It could be an amazing power, or too much to handle.

The writer of the book used a short sentence, not much detail style. To me that is good because it makes the read short and easy. It also won’t put you to sleep with long boring details, but it might fail to grab your attention in the first place. Though the ending is not quite what I expected, I found it sort of disappointing. I did like the book, but I would not recommend it because the ending.

The Brave- Review by Austin Price

The Brave by Robert Lypste **** stars The Brave is a sports adventure book about a 17 year old Native American boy named Sonny Bear. Sonny is a semi-professional boxer that ran away from his home on the indian reservation because he felt like he was being discriminated against because he was half white. Sonny decides to go to New York City becausethat was the last place he knew that his mom lived. Apon arrivng in New York Sonny met two people, Doll and Stick and little did he know that they would land him in the middle of a major drug war of New York. After a few run ins with the law Sonny met a man named Alfred Brooks, an ex-boxer turned cop from harlem. Brooks want to train Sonny to be a Professional boxer; does Sonny have what is takes to make it, he must control, what he calls, the monster which is his inner anger. Sonny is faced witha ton of choices like to desert his new friends and the girl he is slowly falling in love with and chase his real dream of being a boxer with Doll and Stick's enemy, the law.The book shows Brooks real motive is to helping Sonny is to catch Stick; slowly his atittude changes and Sonny really starts to grow on him. Will Brooks teach Sonnyto be a prize fighting boxer? Will Sonny find a happy medium between his two loves,boxing and doll? find out by reading The Brave. I would recomend this book to only a couple of my friends because Robert Lypstye is an authour that knows what he is talking about when it comes to sports and you would have to know about sports to completly understand what he is saying. The plot of the book is outstanding it is a wonderful story that keeps you guessing after every page you turn. Overall The Brave is a great book!

Stuck in Neutral- Review by Rayshaun McDonald

Stuck in Neutral

by Terry Trueman

**** Stars

The book Stuck in Neutral is a story of a 14-year old boy by the name of Shawn McDaniel. Shawn has cerebral palsy, this is a disease that affects the nervous system and makes it impossible to control ones’ body movements. Shawn is highly misunderstood by his family and peers. People in the story do not understand Shawn’s inner feelings and emotions; all they see is the outward appearance. Shawn seems to be really smart and has a mindset of trying to understand people who cannot understand the real him. It’s hard for Shawn because he cannot express himself verbally due to his condition. Along with all of Shawn’s issues he has one that is greater than all. His father is planning to do something to him that could change his life forever. If there will be one! Read the story to go inside Shawn McDaniel’s head and heart and go deeper than any man can imagine.

I really enjoyed the book it really makes the reader think outside the box about people who are disabled. I would recommend it to others especially teenagers because we are around others with special needs on an everyday basis. Another book that relates to this book is Cruise Control, which features Shawn McDaniel’s brother. If you like books that keep your interest from beginning to end and will keep you thinking, this is the book for you.

The Juvie Three- Review by Pat Berney

The Juvie Three

by Gordan Korman

**** stars

The Juvie Three is about three young teenagers who were all sent to different juvenile detention centers for different reasons. We first meet Gecko Fosse. He lives his life by "not thinking", which ended up getting him into prison for driving a getaway car for his brother. Next we meet Arjay Moran. This giant, guitar-playing teen was sent to juvie because he was being harassed by some football players, so he hit one, the guy hit his head on a statue, and died. Last but not least, there's Terrence Florian. He set up a robbery to get into a gang, but was caught and sent to a farm.

Douglas Healy picked these three boys for a new program. It was kind of like a halfway house. The boys would live with him in an apartment, go to school, do public service every day, and go to therapy. But, with one slip-up, all three boys would be sent straight back to where they came from. Although Arjay and Gecko wanted to follow the rules, Terrence had plans of his own, to run away and join a gang. One night while trying to run away, Arjay, Gecko, and Mr. Healy stop Terrence. After some pushing and shoving, Mr. Healy falls three stories down to the street. The boys hurriedly drop him off at a hospital and run back. If they are caught, they will be in worse trouble than before! Luckily, Mr. Healy doesn't remember who he is, so he has to stay in the hospital. The boys decide to pretend like nothing happened, so maybe no one will notice Mr. Healy is gone. But when Terrence tries to join a gang, the trio gets some bad people coming after them. How long can they stay out of trouble, or better yet, stay alive! Find out when you pick up a copy of the book, The Juvie Three, by Gordan Korman.

This book was a very good read, and it kept you on the edge of your seat. It also shows you that not all people sent to prison are necessarily bad, but may have just gotten unlucky. The intended audience of The Juvie Three is probably for teenage boys, but I'd recommend it to just about anyone. With its comedy and thrills, it'd be a good read for any teenager. This book definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

Hatchet- Review by Cody Cooper

Hatchet

Written by Gary Paulsen

***** stars

The main character of the book is a 13 year old boy from New York named Brian. His mother and father had just recently gotten a divorce and it was taking a book toll on him. The book starts off with him getting on a plain to go stay with his day for the summer. His dad lives in Canada. On the way there the pilot suffers a heart attack which kills him. So Brian is left alone thousands of feet up in the air with a plain that he has no clue how to fly, a dead pilot, and flying above the Canadian wilderness.

I believe this was an awesome book. The book was full of adventure and keeps you wanting to read to the next page to find out what was going to happen next. I really don't like to read but I believe this book is my favorite. This book at the end also has a good meaning to life and really makes you think about how good your life is and also shows you that in life there is going to be hard times but to never give up. So now go to any library and pick up this book!!!!!

Over the End Line

Over the End Line

Alfred C. Martino

***** 5 Stars

The class superstar, the best on the soccer team, a straight-A student and the highest on the Milburn High’s social ladder, Kyle Saint-Claire is everything Jonny Fehey wishes to be. They have been best friend’s sense they first met as children but on the soccer field Kyle is a starter while Jonny starts on the bench. Everybody gathers to watch Milburn High play soccer and in their championship game Jonny scores the winning goal. He finally feels his life has changed from being a backup on the bench to someone of popularity and now importance. All is well until the after party where everything goes downhill. A fellow classmate is raped and some of the players are filled with so much guilt it will test them to the end. There is no happily ending in this book and will not only surprise Jonny but will have your mouth dropped open as well.

This probably was my favorite book I have ever read. I liked this book first off because it had to do with soccer but as I read on it had a little of action and suspenseful things that caught me off guard. I would recommend this not only just to soccer players but of any sports background. It’s a great high school teenage book. Over the End Line is the only of its kind with no series. I couldn’t tell you what books it could be compared to because I’m not much of a reader myself but now I’m going to search for more like this one.

Watchmen -- Review by Ryan Wald

WATCHMEN
By Alan Moore
Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Watchmen was one of the most anticipated novels of 2008. It is the story of six masked vigilantes who acted as heros in the mid 1980’s. They called themselves the Watchmen. Then the government passes a law that would ban these heros from wearing their masks, called the Keene Act. This put them all to rest. Then one night a man shows up to one of these ex-hero’s’ door, and kills him in the dead of the night. When one of the old Watchmen finds out, he creates a theory that a masked murderer is out to kill all of the old heros. Throughout the story we meet all the heros and receive a background of all of them, leading up to the events in the beginning of the novel. A recurring phrase appears throughout the book that reads, “Who watches the Watchmen?”, which lingers overhead the entire novel. As the plot unfolds and more danger becomes eminent, these heros discover a series of disturbing truths about both them and their fellow heros. There is a sense of mystery that causes you to feel as if you have no idea what is going to happen throughout this novel. In the end an ingenious and catastrophic plot in unveiled that is the most shocking, twisted, and brilliant plan you could never imagine. I gave this book a rating of four stars because as good as it was, I wasn’t satisfied with the end of the book because the plot was so intricate I found it hard to follow. I would, however, recommend this book to a friend.

The Unwritten Rule – a review by Christi Wise

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
**** stars

When I picked this book up I thought it would be about a couple so I didn't wanna read it at all but I had something telling me to read it so I did and it took me about two chapters to get into it. Not a lot of chapters to read to grasp my eyes so I have to say it is a great book! I could not put it down because I am pretty much going through the same situation that she was going through. This book was pretty interesting because it always left me wondering what will happen next and will she get what she really wants but they again will he best friend be mad at her and never talk to her again or will her best friend be just fine if it happens. But what if she gets mad at her best friend because it never woks out. Everything kind of does work out in the end. I think if you like books that are about couples but not all romance you should most defiantly read this book! Even if you're not into that kind of books still pick up this book and try to read it. You probably wont be able to put it down.

Someone To Love Me -- A review by Lauren Patton

Someone To Love Me
Written by Anne E. Schraff and Paul Langan
*****
Someone to Love Me was written by Anne E. Schraff and Paul Langan and it’s also apart of the Bluford High series. The main character is a young lady by the name of Cindy Gibson. Cindy grew up with a single mother and essentially always felt alone. To make matters even worse Cindy’s mother had no type of care (or at least it never seemed like she did) for Cindy. Sure, she was Cindy’s mother, but she never acted like much of one. A mother would have been there to support, encourage her, and just be there to be a shoulder to cry on. Adding to her mother’s neglect was her mother’s boyfriend Raffie. He tortured Cindy making her feel ugly, worthless, almost like she didn’t matter. Besides the problems at home, Cindy had very low self esteem and didn’t even feel like going to school anymore.
Things begin to turn around for Cindy when she meets Bobby Wallace. Bobby Wallace is nobody new to Cindy because he used to date her best friend Jamee. Jamee was no longer with Bobby because he abused her and lied to her so nobody quite understood why Cindy would even give him the time of day. Before long Cindy and Bobby were boyfriend and girlfriend. Cindy returned back to school and even got a job with the school newspaper thanks to Jamee and Grandma Rose’s encouragement. Grandma Rose was an older lady who lived not too far from Cindy and was one of her classmate’s grandmothers. Bobby became Cindy’s escape from all the pain and heartache at home. She was finally getting the attention she never had but always longed for, but all of that comes to a quick halt when Bobby starts to change. The change wasn’t the good kind of change and it was due to a long process of drug abuse and misuse. Would Cindy listen to the advice of her best friend Jamee and leave Bobby, who she had grown to love and devoted all of her time and energy to or deal with the “tough love”? Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.
In my opinion Someone to Love Me is a must read. I loved the book mainly because it was so relatable. For every scene I could attach some kind of mental picture, almost like watching a movie. I never wanted to put the book down, which is why I gave it the five stars I think it deserved. The book brought forth real life situations that affect many teens every day. If you like drama and every day life situations when you read you'll love this book.

High Heat – a rewiew by Mario Cordova Salcido

High Heat by Carl Deuker

*** stars

High Heat is about Shane he plays baseball, he has a very fancy house and he goes to a very fancy school too, everything is going very good in his life until his dad killed himself. This was a very hard moment for all thefamily for Shane, for Marian and for their mom. So the try to carry on but of course they lost a lot luxuries about their life.

Shane changed to a public high school so do Marian too, but Shane keeps playing baseball and then he realizedthat the world doesn't stop because you are suffering, he realized that you have to carry on. One day Shone was throwing because he was a closer and he hit to Reese on his head and he was very sad but later the became friends again.

Shane was the one that bought his old house, so at the end of the story Shane faced to Reese again in a baseballgame and Shane strike out to Chris with a 91 mph fastball. Also Shane was called to get a scholarship in a college so the family was very happy by Shane.

I liked this book but really I was expecting other kind of end because it was like the same in all the book, it was goodbut I think it could be better with other kind of ending. I liked the baseball theme but maybe the book need to have more fun stuff, like funny stories or something like that, but it was a good book.

Can't get there from Here -- Book review by Carmen Corsino

Can't Get There From Here

By Todd Strasser
****
The book ‘Can't get there from here’, by Todd Strasser, is rated a 4 to me. It is an adventure or teen angst book about a girl, Maybe, and her struggles growing up on the streets. A ‘gang’ is created and Maybe watches as, one by one, the friends she hangs with die from disease, abuse and illness. The other teens on the street with Maybe include Maggot, Rainbow, Jewel and then Tears, a 12-year-old runaway. On a day to day basis, their life consist of begging for change, doing chores for money, finding food and shelter, and ripping off tourists with fake drugs. Being clean is a luxury and Rainbow and Maybe are sexually harassed in a public library restroom. "Street urchins," as they are called, like Maybe, cant afford medicines so they are out of luck if something goes wrong.

It’s a generally serious, life telling story about the life of young people on the streets. Rebellious, Rainbow refused to be helped by adults as there are freedoms on the street, but warm beds in shelters. A night at one of these shelters shows Maybe that the rules might just be worth it and makes her realize Tears could have more than all this. When Maybe meets a hopeful librarian, will she realize she can't get a better life from refusing help? Find out in ‘Can't get there from here’ by Todd Strasser. Over all I liked the book but would only recommend it to people into books about hardship.

Bewitching Season --- A Review By Amy Lyon

Bewitching Season
by Marissa Doyle

****

Twins Persephone (Persy) and Penelope (Pen) are preparing for their first London Season. Pen can't wait to go to all the balls, flirt with gentlemen, and finally have the freedom she's always craved. Persy, on the other hand, would rather study magic with Ally, their governess, than go traipsing all over England. But when Persy's childhood crush, Lochinvar visits unexpectedly, she decides maybe London won't be so bad. Unfortunately, Ally must go ahead to prepare the city staff and call the dressmaker.

When the family arrives, Ally isn't there; in fact, Ally hasn't been seen in days. Pen and Persy know immediately something is wrong, especially when a note shows up from Ally. Deciding not to trouble there parents, the twins start there own investigation, with a little magical help. As the girls dig deeper, they discover that not only is Ally not the only victim, but Victoria, the Princess Regent, is the target in this dangerous game.

Meanwhile, things start to heat up with Lochinvar; not only is she unsure which twin he prefers, but Persy found out that rumor has it his mom was killed by witches. Can Persy maintain a calm front while searching for her friend and keep this possibly budding romance?

Bewitching Season was a fascinating series of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the novel. Doyle hit on many topics: romantic confusion, issues with the patriarchal society, faith in loved ones, self-sacrifice, and of course there's the magical element. I enjoyed reading about these quirky twins, with opposite personalities, they were very entertaining. I'm sure I'll read more by this author.

Castaway Kid --- A Review By Skyler Young

Castaway Kid

by R.B. Mitchell

****

In this book you meet a young boy named Robby who is going through a rough part in his life right now. One day his mother drops him off at a place where there are alot of kids and a few adults. Robby soon realized that where he was was a home. Wondering why his mother doesnt love him? Why she would do this to him? He goes into a depression stage. Robby meets a lady named Nola in the home who he wishes would have been his birth mother. Nola looked out for Robby and took care of him more than she did the others.One day, Robby's mother came back for him on a rampage she snatched him and rushed out the home. Nola worried and distraught thought of Robby everyday he was gone and scared for his saftey.Robby and his mother lived in a terrible apartment with no television and one bed. When Robby was home one day and his mother drunk in the other room the police knocked on the door and arrested the mother and put Robby in a detention home.Robby goes into a stage of anger and vows never to let someone else hurt him this bad.

Follow Robby's troubled life and future with love & family in this novel and I promise you will not regret it. Castaway Kid is very similar to many people's lives in this world. Kids wondering why their parents gave them away ? Why they cant live with them? So many people can relate to this book and that is why I think it is a good book. I also like this book because it puts you in the mind of a unwanted child and what are the things that go through their mind and it makes you feel sad and blessed that you have the life you have. I recommend this book to people who are intrested in real life issues and like to read about them.

The Warrior Heir --- A Review By Sam Baird

The Warrior Heir
by Cinda Williams Chima


****

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is set in a modern world just like today. In the book we follow jack, a sophomore in high school who was born with a heart defect and was saved by a doctor when he was a baby. His aunt Linda comes to visit him and takes him and his friends on a hunt for his dead grandmother’s grave. What they find is a sword and Jack finds a whole new world that was hidden to him before and he is in the center of it. Jack found himself in a modern day world of wizardry. Jack is a warrior and will be played by wizards in a fight to the death for control of the world.

I liked this book because it tells a story that I can actually think about happening. It makes you feel as if this sort of thing could actually happen in real life. The Warrior Heir is the first in a series of three books followed by The Wizard Heir and The Dragon Heir.

Prom -- a review by Hope Austin

Prom

by: Laurie Halse Anderson

***

Prom is about Ashley, a lower-middle-class girl in urban Philadelphia who touts herself as "normal". She has a job and a boyfriend who she plans on moving in with after grtaduation. She doesn't care about much: college, her sky-high stack of detentions, and least of all, prom. Ironically, that makes her abnormal, as every other girl in the senior class is absolutely crazy over prom, including Ashley's best friend, Nat. Nat is the leader of the prom committee. Ashley could not care less about prom, much to her mother's chagrin. Unfortunately for her, fate has other plans. The math teacher steals all of the prom money, leaving the school without a prom. Even though Ashley doesn't care about prom, she knows that the a great deal of girls and their families made massive sacrifices for that one night. At the urging of Nat, she begrudgingly joins the prom committee. Hey, it beats detention. Now Ashley must take on one of the biggest responisbilities of her life: planning an entire prom in about a week.

The other Laurie Halse Anderson books I have read are Speak, Catalyst, and Wintergirls. Imagine my surpise when I opened up this book and found a great deal of humor. It's good to know that an author who writes about such serious topics can be lighthearted at times, too. i could really have done without the comparisons to Cinderella, however. It's more of story with fairy-tale elements, but there's little comparison with any sort of Cinderella story. Otherwise, it's a good, fun story.

Fever 1793 – a review by George Morejon

Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson

**** stars

Fever 1793 is set in Pennsylvania just a little over a decade after the Revolutionary war. Mattie lives with her mother and grandfather in their family coffee house. In the summer and fall of 1793 however, their quiet lives are interrupted as yellow fever breaks out across the area. At first, none of them think it'll be that bad; but that all changes when a good friend of Mattie's dies of the fever.

Panicked by all this commotion, Mattie's mother sends the rest of the family away to a far right as she gets sick to keep them safe. But because of the paranoia surrounding the fever, they can never make it to their safe haven.

Mattie has to find her way back to Philadelphia with her sickly grandfather after they get stranded, before they both pass out, nearly dying in the forest. They get nursed back to health though and get back to Philadelphia, but what they see when they get back is shocking. Dead bodies everywhere, everything broken into, and a baby that Mattie has to do something with.

Overall, I liked this book. It was historical fiction, which isn't something I had ever really been into before. This was a welcome change. I liked how Mattie rose up to the challenge of everything when the fever came, going from 14 year old girl everyone bossed around to her own woman in-charge of a business.

Catalyst -- A review by Ian Zig.

Catalyst
by Laurie Halse Anderson
*

The Catalyst is about a regular "plain-jane" girl who excells in chemistry and relies way too much on her original plan. Kate is a bright daughter of a minister, with extremely high hopes for going to MIT. MIT is her dream, it is her goal, it is her life. The problem is, she has absolutely no fall back plan. Good Kate, against all logic and reason, has only applied to MIT. But as she waits expectantly for the acceptance letter of her dreams, her life refuses to hold its breath as well. Her neighbor's house suddenly burns down, and her father being a good friendly pastor and neighbor, invites "miss" Teri Litch and her younger brother to stay with them. Teri Litch is pretty much a brute of a woman. Teri is always getting into fights with the football team at school. Not only that, to Kate's displeasure, but Teri is also a compulsive thief. Kate, who already was the woman of the house taking care of her little brother, now has quite a handfull.

The Catalyst started out perfectly, it really drew me in and grabbed my interest immediately. Unfortunately after a few chapters, it quickly ran downhill. I thought it wasn't at all realistic. Kate's made out to be such a smart girl with a bright future ahead of her, except for the fact that anyone with half a brain would apply to several colleges and have a fall back plan. That is the main reason I gave this book only one star. I felt that Kate's inability to sleep was horribly pathetic, sleep is something that comes naturally and if you really can't sleep you tell your parents or go get something to help you sleep. All in all, I definitely would not recommend you read this book, just because of how disappointing the story becomes.

Teenage Love Affair -- a review by Marli Bartlett

Teenage Love Affair

By: Ni-Ni Simone

*****

This is Ni-Ni Simone’s fourth novel and by far her best. The novel begins with characters Zsa-Zsa, Asha, Courtney and Malachi in June of 2004. Zsa-Zsa is living two different lives between school and home. At school she has Malachi professing his love for her and begging her to be his girl, but at home it’s a completely different story. On Friday nights when her dad is drunk he comes home beating his wife, in front of their children Zsa-Zsa and her younger sister Hadiah. When the beatings would occur, Zsa-Zsa and her sister would sneak upstairs to Malachi’s house and spend the night there, until Malachi moved away.

The story picks up in 2009 and Zsa-Zsa is now seventeen. She thinks her life is perfect. She has her best friends Asha and Courtney by her side, and her so-called wonderful boyfriend Ameen. In the beginning Ameen seems to be a great guy, until his temper starts to flare and Zsa-Zsa finds herself in an abusive relationship, but she too is in denial like her mother. While out with Ameen, Zsa-Zsa sees a familiar face she hasn’t seen in awhile. It’s Malachi! While Zsa-Zsa is overjoyed, Ameen becomes jealous and his jealousy turns into anger. Zsa-Zsa is starting to take the same beatings her mother had taken and is doing nothing about it. Malachi wants to pick up where they left off before he moved away but Zsa-Zsa is in “love” with Ameen.

I gave Teenage Love Affair 5 stars because it’s a great story on love. Teenage Love Affair is also a story on abusive relationships. Ni-Ni Simone does a great job of exploring these topics and making them relatable to teenagers that could be in the same situation. If you are a fan of the Bluford High series, you will LOVE Ni-Ni Simone’s Teenage Love Affair.

Yellow Flag -- Review by Chase Scott

Yellow Flag

by: Robert Lipsyte

3* rating

Genre-School Stories, Adventure, and Sports

Kyle Hildebrand is a teenager in the high school band. Kyle's family is a family of racers. Kyle's grandpa, Sir Walter, was a Nascar legend, and his dad was also a big name racer. After Sir Walter retired and and his dad got hurt in a race, Hilebrand Racing wasnt making very much money. Now Kris, Kyle's brother, is trying to bring Hildebrand Racing back by getting a sponsor in the next big race. Kyle however never got into racing like the rest of his family and would rather play in his band. Kyle has a masters class for his band he wants to go to but his dad tells him that he cant go because Kris' normal spotter is in the hospital. Kyle is not happy but agrees to go even after getting lectured from his band coach. Kris plans on doing a move called the sling in this race and needs Kyle to help him through it so in the last lap Kyle tells him when to go and it wins Kris the race. A green car ,that Kris passed, angrily bumped the back of Kris and mad his car flip right after he crossed the finish line.Kris seems alright but the next morning Kris passes out and they find out he has a concussion. Now Kyle is forced to race in his brothers place and is then faced with the situation on wheather he wants to stick with his band or help his family and take over for his brother.

This book is a good read and is entertaining even if your not into racing. Robert Lipsyte did a good job of keeping it simple and easy to understand even if you dont know to much about racing. I would recommend this book if you enjoy a quick fun read.

Cut -- a review by Vicky Jun

Cut

By: Patricia McCormick

★★★ stars

Have you seen any of your teenage friends cut themselves? According to Self Growth, there are millions of American teenagers and adults who voluntarily injure themselves today. A 15 year old girl, was named Callie, was sent to the hospital, by her parents. They found her cutting herself in silence. It was not a normal hospital, because it was a place for teenagers who were mentally ill. The first days in the hospital, Callie wasn’t improving at all, because all the people were talking about their children living in a “residential treatment facility.” Callie acts like she doesn’t care about what people say, or do, however she listens and worries about what people are saying so much that she is stressed. She doesn’t like to talk anyone. When she was young, she had to take care of her brother who was sick; while she was caring for him, he was rushed to emergency room. After it all happened, she thinks her parents hated her, and decides not to talk to anyone in her family. She wasn’t very happy with that, and decided to cut herself. What is going to happen to Callie in the hospital? Is she ever going to talk? Is she going to stop cutting?

After reading this book, I was scared to talk to people. I started to think that perhaps I could hurt someone's feelings without knowing it. I am also a teenager, and sometimes I feel the same way Callie does. The author says that I am the only one who can keep me safe and control of me. I was sad that Callie didn't have any physical problems; however her mental problems caused her to not talk.