Red Moon Rising- Review by Aspen Gates

Red Moon Rising

By Peter Moore

****star

Fifteen year old Danny is not only half vamp, but he is also unfortunately half wolf. I say unfortunately because being a wolf means you are nothing but a beast. So to prevent this from happening, Danny's parents give him and his older sister Jess treatments that will stop the wolf have of them from growing and they will just be and look like vampires. However, Danny is not able to finish his treatments because he gets sick, but he and his parents think everything will be okay since he still has all the traits of a vampire; no sunlight, has bloodlust, and needs SynHeme which is synthetic blood. Since everybody believes he will be okay, his parents split up and overtime Danny stops seeing his dad because he is ashamed of the fact the fact that he his still part wolf and tries to live a normal life, but all of that begins to change. At school Danny is starting to reject SynHeme, and his senses are becoming sharpen to the point where he can hear, smell, and see from miles away. Not to mention he has been having to shave more than three times a week. After considering these symptoms, Danny goes to pay his dad a visit and explains everything to him not knowing just how much his life is about to change.

I thought Red Moon Rising would have been something completely original and boring, but it completely threw me off. Here we have a society that considers humans and vampires the top dogs in society, while werewolves are considered barely even citizens. The whole story jsut blew my mind away, but at the same time the ending seems like the author is going to write a sequel and for that I gave it four stars. You should definitely check this amazing book out at the O'Hara library and then you'll see why I give Peter Moore such high praise for writing this crazy and wonderful story.

Angelfire --- a review by Amy Lyon

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

****stars

Ellie has had nightmares for as long as she can remember, but now things are escalating. And after the murder of her economics teacher, Ellie meets a strange guy, Will, who seems to have taken a special interest in her. Then one night, Ellie is out in her front yard, when Will mysteriously shows up "to talk". Not long after, an unrecognizable monster arrives wanting blood(specifically Ellie's). When Will touches Ellie's forehead, her mind goes blank except for the need to kill this thing and swords appear out of nowhere, enabling her to succeed. Ellie wakes up hoping that everything was a dream, but no such luck. Ellie just entered a war thats lasted thousands of years, and it seems she's been fighting in it from the beginning.

Angelfire is an interesting twist on the new fallen angel genre recently exploding in fiction. It seemed predictable at first, but I can honestly say that I didn't expect the ending. I actually liked the main character, she wasn't the typical twit(thank gawd). I can't wait for the second in this trilogy.

Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising -- A review by Ian Zig.

Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising

By Anthony Horowitz

**** Stars

The teenage spy, Alex Rider, is back in his newest adventure! Alex has left MI6, but the world renowned criminal organization Scorpia has plans that center around Alex. Scorpia wishes to expose Alex as a teenage spy to Blackmail the British government, and of course their plans involve the death of Alex for the humiliation that he caused them! An evil scientist that first wants to experiment on alex for his disturbing "scientific" study on measuring pain before killing him! Scorpia has displayed fantastic misdirection, all to play Alex directly into their trap in Cairo. Alex was attacked at school by an unknown shooter, causing MI6 to send relocate Alex. But MI6 has just been presented with a mission that just happens to be perfect for alex in a international school in Cairo... But Jack Starbright has refused to let him go alone and insisted on being sent with him. Will Alex defeat Scorpia once again?.. Or will he suffer the fate of the terrible curiousity of a scientist?.. Read and find out!

I really liked Scorpia Rising! This entire series has been such a great thrillride! I highly recommend reading this book to all lovers of the Alex Rider series. I gave this book 4 stars, mostly because I give hardly anything 5 stars anymore. But this book was an awesome adventure that really draws you into it. It was a trully great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - a review by George Morejon

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

by Lish McBride

**** stars

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer starts off introducing Sam and his 3 friends, Ramon, Brooke, and Frank. They all work at a McDonald's like fast food place and love to slack off and fool around. One day this becomes a problem when a game gone wrong leads to Sam being tracked by a strange, terrifying man. After being scared out of his life when a man attacks him, he thinks he's finally safe... Until he gets the most disturbing message of his life telling him to met a man named "Douglas" at the zoo, where he finds out what he really is: a necromancer.

This took me about 6,5 hours to read. From the first chapter i liked this book. The way the kids acted was really relatable and hilarious at the same time. It reminded me of Going Bovine, although the writing style wasn't as good. The necromancer thing wasn't something I had ever read, but the way that so many people he talked to knew just what he was talking about kinda surprised me. I felt bad to the person that 'had' the message, but her reaction was pretty positive in their outlook.

Tales of the Madman Underground -- Review by Hope Austin

Tales of the Madman Underground
by John Barnes
****stars

The year is 1973 and it's the first day of senior year, and there's one thing Karl Shoemaker wants to be: normal. No funny looks, no forced sympathy. That's easier said than done. Normal kids don't have boozers for parents, nor do they have to work five jobs to support themselves. Worst of all for Karl, normal means distancing himself from the Madmen, a group of kids who, for whatever reason, are sent to group therapy from people who don't know how to deal with them to people who don't want to deal with them. Over the years, they've been like a slightly more stable family for him. Luckily, Karl has has his two best friends, Paul and Squid, and the new girl Marti (a "genius" whose parents were forced to let "take it easy" for a year) to help him figure out what normal really is.

There is a definite Catcher in the Rye-esque feel to this book. Not so much in the subject matter, but more so in the tone of the story. Karl is an angry, angry boy and has every reason to be. The thing I like best about this book is the realism. No one is cartoonishly evil, nor is anyone ridiculously beautiful. it also really ties in to one of the main themes of the book: you never really get the whole story; everything has layers. As for the setting, you don't really notice that it's the seventies that much. There aren't obnoxious pop culture references on every other page reminding the reader that the story does, in fact, take place in 1973 and like that. Overall it's a pretty phenomenal coming of age story. Definitely check it out.

Nightshade- Review by Aspen Gates

Nightshade

By Andrea Cremer

***stars

Seventeen year old Calla Tor is not only a werewolf, or according to her a guardian, but she is an alpha female of the Nighshade pack that is promised to be married to Ren Laroche, alpha male of the Bane's pack. Together they will be the new pack leaders and protectors of the Keepers who they serve, and in return the guardians are provide with homes, food, education, and safety. Calla and Ren are pretty much set on there future until Calla breaks the rules of the Keeper's and saves a human named Shay from being mauled by a bear. Calla believes everything will go back to normal after she knocks him out, but things seem to get worse when Shay is now the new student at her school. She tries to ignore him, but can't help to be curious about him at the same time since most humans fear the guardians, but Shay doesn't and it starts to cause a problem with Ren who is wanting to teach Shay a lesson about messing with his territory. Yet, things keep getting more and more uncomfortable between the three when Calla is asked to protect Shay from their enemies the Searcher's who want Shay badly. At first Calla is very outraged at this idea including Ren, but quickly turns to liking Shay when he convinces her to start reading forbidden books about her people's history. It's these books that will change Calla's life forever and now she must decide on whether or not she should follow her heart and runaway with the love her life Shay, or stay and be married to Ren who also loves her and to serve the guardians.

Nightshade was a very different different kind of werewolf story and thats what made me really connect and like this book. I gave this book four stars because the ending could have had a better cliff hanger but all in all it was a wonderful book and I can't wait to read Wolfsbane which is the second of this series. I would definitely recommend this book to all who are tired of the traditional werewolves, vampire stories because this is something completely different than any I have ever read. So check Nightshade out in the O'Hara Library because if you like supernatural creature stories like me, you will love this series.

Peak - Review by Halea Coulter

Peak
by Roland Smith

* * * and 1/2 Stars

Peak Macello's face is stuck to a building. And he is about to be arrested. Why? Because he just scaled a New York skyscraper, the top of which his face is currently stuck to.

Peak follows the story of a boy named Peak who gets in a bit of trouble for scaling New York skyscrapers and painting blue mountains at the top. He is sent to juvie and is gonna be in jail for awhile, especially since a kid tried to copy him, and died. He was going to be sentenced to a few years in jail, but then, his father, who isn't much of a father, saves the day . . . by taking him to Nepal. Peak hasn't seen his father, Josh, in seven years, which is a good amount of time considering Peak is only fifteen. But why would Josh take Peak to Nepal? The climb Everest. Josh owns a company that takes people up Everest, and now, he is determined to make Peak the youngest person to ever climb the mighty mountain. The book follows Peak as he struggles up the mountain and struggles with a bit of competition and a mysterious old monk.

I thought the book was pretty good; a nice, quick, easy read. It was interesting to see how climbing Everest affects the body. I feel like the author did a lot of research for this book to come together, especially with the affect of lack of oxygen on the body. This book was refreshing because the mother was actually a really nice person and the father was the one that was really an antagonistic character. I really liked the book, it was very different from what I normally read, so I enjoyed it quite a bit, if your looking just for something easy and interesting, go for Peak.

Blink and Caution-- Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Blink and Caution

By: Tim Wynne-Jones

*** Stars

Blink is a boy who goes from hotel to hotel stealing peoples leftovers to eat. One morning as he perfectly stratigized sneaking some breakfast he thought he almost got caught. But what really happened is he stumbled upon something far out of his league. What Blink really encountered was a fake kidnapping of an "abducted" CEO. Now Blink is on the run for his life, which isn't hard for him as long as he stays calm. Caution is a girl who is also on the run, but for a different reason. She is trying to escape her drug-dealing boyfriend and a mistake she is trying to get past. Blink and Caution run into and meet at a bus station. Caution origionally plans to use him as a ploy to get away from her problems but they end up falling for each other. They both decide to trick their way out of their problems. But what will happen to them?

I gave this book three stars because to me it was good but it didn't keep my interest up because it is not my type of book. At times I felt like it got really boring but a lot of complexity and action aroused my attention again. If I was into these types of books it would actually be really good! I recommend it to anyone who is into mystery and complex situations, these characters certaintly won't let you down.

The Brothers Torres- Review by Aspen Gates

The Brothers Torres

by Coert Voorhees

****stars

Francisco Towers, better known as Frankie has been quiet his whole life with best friend Zack, and now thats about to change his sophomore year. Frankie comes out of his shell and finally asks Rebecca Sanchez, the most beautiful girl at school to homecoming with him, but like every nervous person he hesitates and losses his chance to the most popular guy in school. Now completely embarrassed he walks away and gets a lecture from his older brother Alex about respect and how he needs to get it. However, that all takes a wrong turn when he gets into an altercation with Mr. Popular and winds up getting beaten up pretty badly. Now things pretty much change from his brother coming around more to protect him, to Rebbeca Sanchez changing her mind about going to homecoming with him. And as we all know with every positive there comes a negative. From Frankie's parents selling their family restaurant, to his brother taking 'respect' to a whole another level and suffering the consequences. Read The Brothers Torres, in the O'Hara library to find out what happens to Frankie and his brother in the end.

I thought The Brothers Torres had a really great story to tell and it kept me entranced in the book until I finished it. I gave this book four stars because at times I felt like it was dragging, but other than that it was completely on point and I never put it down unless I was made to. I recommend this book to young men and women even though it's told by a boy's point of view, and to anyone who likes stories about high school life and what you go through to become somebody.

I Am Number 4--- a review by Amy Lyon

I Am Number 4
by Pittacus Lore
****

Nine Loriens--aliens from the planet Lorien--have come to Earth after their natural resources were destroyed by the Mondagorians. The Mondagorians destroyed their own planet--Mondagore--and hoped to restore it with Lorien resources, but that failed and now they've come to Earth. The Mondagorians are no longer concerned with the welfare of Mondagore, they plan to take over Earth, and in the process kill the nine Loriens taking refuge on Earth. They've succeeded in killing three and now they're after number 4. This is his story.

I am Number 4 was an interesting twist on the paranormal love scene(normal girl falls for paranormal guy). Number 4, currently going by John, is confused about his identity. He is Lorien, but he's only really known Earth. He and his Cepan, Henri, move and change names a lot to stay ahead of the Mondagorians. This novel is more about John's self discovery than the war between aliens, the war the Earth may soon be a part of. The characters were a bit predictable, but overall the book was good and the plot kept me reading. I can't wait for the next in this series. I would definitely recommend this book.

Bright Young Things - a review by George Morejon

Bright Young Things

by Anna Godbersen

**** stars

Bright Young Things takes place during the 'roaring 20's', following the story of three girls. The first character is Cordelia. The book starts just an hour before her wedding to a boy she met and fell for the earlier summer. But it's not all it seems, as it's a forced marriage her aunt arranged. She needs someone to help her. The second girl, Letty, is just the person to do that. Letty's a petite girl who's been Cordelia's best friend since they were both little. They decide that day to finally run away from their podunk Ohio town to the city of dreams, New York City. Almost missing the 6;52 train, they make it and find a women's tenant house to stay at. But the first night, they get drunk at an easyspeak and evicted when they get back home. With Letty's dream of becoming a star seemingly crushed, this causes a fallout between Letty and Cordelia, who go their separate ways.

Cordelia goes on to look for her father (the real reason she came to New York) by crashing a party at the house of Darius Grey, who has the same last name as her. She's called out by someone for party crashing, but the third girl, Astrid, takes Cordelia under her wing and protects her. When Cordelia is able to have the chance, she tells Darius she's his daughter. The party fall's silent, and finally he says how glad he is to see her, to her relief. Astrid and Cordelia become best friends, and share more than secrets and romances. All the while while Letty is learning the hard way that breaks don't come easy in New York, and it isn't easy becoming a star.

I thought this was an okay book. The 20's were something I had just learned about in history class, so that's why I picked it. I thought the characters were interesting, and the way it switched perspectives in between chapter was really smooth. Letty's story seemed the most interesting. She had the hardest time and wasn't always out at rich people parties. I think her story showed what it was really like trying to move to New York. (I don't remember how long it took me to read the book. Oops)

Bee Season - Review by Halea Coulter

Bee Season
By Myla Goldberg

* * * * 3/4 stars

Eliza is a nobody. She isn't very smart, not very pretty, and not noticed, at least, not until she almost wins the national spelling bee. Aaron an ex-Jew turned Hare Krishna. Miriam is a lawyer, and a kleptomaniac, on a mission to become whole again. And Saul in an ex-hippie Jewish rabbi that loves studying mysticism. So what do these four people have in common? They are one big dysfunctional family.

Saul was a Jewish hippie that did a lot of acid and did a lot of girls, but when he met Miriam, it was the end of that. She enticed him intellectually and she was innocent, she was the one. For Miriam, a very smart, and slightly unstable girl, Saul was an intellectual match and he made her feel a bit more whole. Years later, they have two children, Eliza and Aaron. Aaron is the perfect child, smart like his mother and like his father, poised to become a rabbi. Eliza on the other hand, is a let down; she isn't very smart and shes nothing special. But when suddenly Eliza starts winning spelling bees, she gains the attention of her parents and send the whole family spinning off into directions that made the book very interesting. Saul becomes obsessed with his daughter winning, so he pushes Aaron aside. Aaron feels like he doesn't matter anymore, and strays away from Judaism, and Miriam, like always, she's off in her own little world, it's just worse than before.

This isn't a YA book, it is adult fiction, and I absolutely am in love with it. This is probably one of my favorite books I have ever read, and that is saying something. The family dynamics in this book were very interesting. The relationship between the children and the father changed so rapidly after Eliza started winning spelling bees it was incredible. I felt terrible for Aaron, who starting having issues with his religion around the time his father stopped focusing on him. He turned to a very different type of religion which later in the book created an interesting tension between father and son. There was also the relationship between Saul and Miriam, the mother and father, it was just so strange. Mostly because Miriam was off her rocker, but still, the relationship between them was tense at times and at other times they really just floated around each other. Their sex life was interesting to hear about, mostly because it told us a lot about who Miriam is and how screwed up she really was. Overall, the four main characters were amazing, the book constantly switched from one to another and I always found myself eager to get to the next one. They all had such interesting point of views and story lines, and they were such complete and well developed characters that not only could I not put the book down, it was the only book I've ever read that I consider close to perfection. Between the struggles with faith, and family, and all the terrible things in between, this was an amazing book. The reason I did not give it a perfect five stars is because the ending wasn't exactly what I was looking for but it wasn't bad. The ending to the book was excellent, to me though it just left a few things unresolved, but looking back, they were things that were fine left the way they were. My advice is to read it, Bee Season was amazing.

She's Come Undone -- a review by Hope Austin

She's Come Undone

by Wally Lamb
*****

Dolores Price has had tough childhood. As if being bullied and picked on wasn't enough, she also has to contend with her parents' divorce and her mother's subsequent institutionalization, among other things. Dolores copes with them the only way she knows how: by sitting in front of the television and eating junk food. By the time she's deemed ready to enter the "real world", she weighs a little over 250 pounds. Now Dolores is on her own and determined to make it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love reading about people's life stories, real or fictional, and this one is no exception. Even though my life is nothing like Dolores's, I could really relate to how she was feeling. What's really amazing about this book is that the author is a man yet gets inside the head of a girl so easily. Anyone who's interested in books about the personal struggles of others should definitely read this one.

Where the Heart Is-- A reviewby Sarah Gnefkow

Where the Heart Is

By Billie Letts

**** 1/2

Novalee Nation is a hardworking, yet unlucky, girl. She finds herself in a bind every time she is associated with the number seven. Ever since her seventh birthday, when her mom ran away, she knew that seven was her unlucky number. Novalee seventeen and seven months pregnant was traveling with her boyfriend to California when she needed to stop in a Wal-Mart. As she was leaving she went to the the cashregister and her change was $7.77, immediately she knew that meant something bad. As she ran outside she noticed her boyfriend had left her and she was stranded in a place where she knew no one. Novalee thinks that her life is over at this point and she has no idea what is going to happen with her or her baby. What she doesn't expect is that she will meet people who will care about her and love her to the greatest extent.

I loved this book so much. Just like the movie it was unforgettable and moving. I gave it four and a half stars because number one it was amazing but also it got slow at some parts. The thing I like about it is it keeps you on your toes for the most part. If you like stories with characters who seem to have a serious of unfortunate events, with happy endings, you will love this book! I recommend this to anyone who likes drama and a lot of stuff going on.

March Book Club

The meeting today to discuss North of Beautiful was attended by 22 persons. Thanks to all for a great discussion on a very thought-provoking book. Please return all books to the library as soon as possible.

I'm looking for a book for next month -- please comment on this post to give suggestions. All are welcome!

Ms C.

Payback -- A review by Ian Zig.

Payback

by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby

****

Danny and Fergus Watts are back and ready as ever! They've been on the run from the British government for six months now, and "It's time to stop running." Danny has grown tired of his grandfather's ever-present routines to avoid discovery, and nearly gets killed when he deviates from the routine while staying in Spain. So once again, they're on the run. But Marcie Devoureux still has plans for the two, and contacts them with a deal and a way back to Britain. Elena, Danny's best friend, is still helping them as much as she can, but Marcie knows who she is and has included Elena in her fiendish plan. Will Danny and Fergus finally find evidence of Fergus's opperation as a K? Will they once again fool Fincham before he or his SAS team kills them?... You'll have to read it to find out!

I quite liked this book, it is definitely my type of fiction! I gave it four stars because I felt it was dragging slightly at points. I love the detail put into it, and how the authors incorporated all of the military lingo. If you like lots of action and military precision and detail, you will certainly like this book. I recommend this to anyone who leans towards action- packed thrill rides for this is certainly in that catagory!

Ship Breaker - a review by George Morejon

Ship Breaker
by Paolo Gacigalupi
**** stars

Ship Breaker is set in the future, somewhere along the Gulf coast. Thanks to things like giant sea storms, among other things, it's a harsh life in the day of someone on light team, what the scavengers who strip light materials from the old ships call themselves. Nailer's the main character, and around 15 and scrawny with a mother who's not there and a father who doesn't care. Perfect for a light crew worker. Life's hard in the crew though, always having to get enough goods like copper to survive. Miss your quota and you're done. There's no other work.

One day Nailer's out and about in the ship getting some copper like usual when the floor breaks and he's dumped in a room flooded with oil. After being betrayed by one of his fellow crew mates, he makes it out alive. Next time he goes down after a big storm, he finds a girl in an untouched ship. Would he return the favour of not saving someone in trouble, or would he save the girl?

Ship Breaker's an interesting book. It's also big, at around nine hours of reading. Everything's all super poverty, which is something I don't usually read. It's amazing how bad everything can seem, how cut throat. Nailer's personality made me feel on his side throughout the book, and the girl was interesting. For a rich girl, she was very street smart.

Hex Hall --- a review by Amy Lyon

Hex Hall
by Rachel Hawkins
****


Sophie Mercer has moved eighteen times in sixteen years. Sophie has always had a problem fitting in, and not just because she's always the new girl, but because she's a witch. And with a love spell gone horribly wrong, Sophie ends up at Hecate Hall (aka Hex Hall) rooming with a vampire. Yikes! But wait, their room is covered in...pink? And Hex's resident bad boy, Archer Cross, is tall, dark, and gorgous and he just saved her life.

The first day is full of....interesting experiences: first, the three most popular girls knock on the door in the middle of the night, asking her to join their coven, but these girls seem a little too evil and they don't take Sophie's refusal easily...next, Sophie watches two fae get in a fight with a shapeshifter, then she gets slobbered on by a werewolf, only to get back to her room in time to see her roommate having a midnight snack...

The first day of classes is just as promising, resulting in cellar duty for a semester, on the bright side, it will be with Archer. On the other hand, maybe that's not so great...

While part of the book is a cliche, it doesn't detract from the rest of the novel. There are some interesting twists that make me want to read the next book and the characters aren't as cliched as the overall situation. Anyone who likes paranormal should definitely read this.

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard -- a review by Hope Austin

The Lying Game
by Sara Shepard
***

There are only two things Emma Paxton and Sutton Mercer have in common. They look exactly alike, and both want to find out who murdered Sutton. Sutton is a ghost, following Emma around, trying to make sense of what happened. Emma is a foster kid trying to survive the next school year with her hellish foster family. Through a series of of convoluted events, Emma ditches her Nevada foster family and winds up in Sutton's hometown of Tuscon, Arizona. Emma is instantly mistaken for Sutton and introduced to the lifestyle of the rich and fabulous. Even though Emma knows next to nothing about Sutton, she tries to adjust as best as she can. Although Sutton and Emma can't communicate, they both desperately try to find the answer to one question : Who was Sutton Mercer, and why would somebody want to kill her?

If you're going to read this book, you'll need to have a strong suspension of disbelief, or you'll be staring at the book saying, "You have got to be kidding me." Even so, it was a fun quick read. If you're looking for a book with a deep meaning, skip this one. However, if you just need to pass the time, this is a great book for that. I've said this before, but Sara Shepard knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seat. What I really liked about it, though, was that it only bore a few similarities to Pretty Little Liars, so you know that Shepard isn't just a one-trick pony. I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series.

Rules of Attraction--Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Rules of Attraction

Simone Elkeles

***1/2 stars

Carlos Fuentes has lived many places in the seventeen years of his life. He originally was raised in Chicago before his older brother Alex started to get into gangs trying keep his family safe. Carlos' mother moved their family to Mexico after Alex had left the gang. Now Carlos is moving back to the United States a year later to live in Colorado with his older brother (which is now on the right track) who tried to carve out a life for Carlos that he doesn't want. Carlos doesn't abide to anyone else's rules but his own. Kiara a straight A student was asked to escort Carlos around his new school for the first week. They both are dealing with social situations at school, for Carlos its his current reputation and for Kiara its her stuttering problem. Carlos decides that he doesn't need a guide and blows Kiara off. By doing this Kiara wants to get even, which ends up attracting each other. But will these sparks be enough to get over their social issues?

This book was pretty good, but definitely not as good as Perfect Chemistry. In a way they were both really similar and after reading the first one the outcome was quite predictable. The book goes by alternating speakers. I didn't really want to put it down, but in a way the endings were the exact same so I gave it 3 1/2 stars. It was a pretty good series so I do suggest checking these books out.

Stolen - Review by Halea Coulter

Stolen
By Lucy Christopher

* * * * Stars

Ty has always been there. Ever since Gemma was 10, and he was 18, Ty has been watching over her, listening to her tales of fairies, beating up boys that got to close, protecting her, and learning about her. She has been his life for six years, and now it's time that Gemma is made aware of his presence. So, Ty walks up to Gemma at an airport, offers to buy her drink, and while she's not looking, doses it with drugs. When Gemma wakes up all she knows is that it's hot. She is in a very tiny house, it the middle of nowhere, the desert, obviously, she is no longer in England. As she comes to find out, she is in Australia. At first Gemma hates Ty, but slowly, she learns that she has to accept being around him. Gemma tries every way to escape but nothing ever works, and as time goes on shes ok, she even seems to enjoy Ty's company. As the story progresses, Ty seems to know more about Gemma than she does herself, and its frightening to her because most of it is true. Even near the end of the book, Gemma doesn't believe that she'll ever be free, so that's the question . . . can she escape?

I really liked this book. It was very interesting, and it wasn't just the story line, it was the relationship that developed between the two characters and how intricately Ty and Gemma's characters were woven together through stories recounted through the book. I didn't care much for Gemma, but she wasn't that bad as a character. But Ty was a fascinating character, just through his childhood and all the stories he tells, and how he treats Gemma, and what he does for her, he is one of my favorite male characters I've ever read. The book was also interesting in the way it showed Gemma's development of Stockholm Syndrome, which is when the person kidnapped begins to like and enjoy their captor. I know that Gemma developed Stockholm Syndrome, but it was something I didn't want to believe. The relationship between the two characters was so fascinating, and they both came to a point where they respected each other, and it just upset me because I know it was Stockholm Syndrome, but the book makes the reader want their relationship to be pure, actual emotion. I would classify the book as suspense, or really as an adventure, because that's what it was, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it.

The Running Dream- Review by Aspen Gates

The Running Dream

Wendelin Van Draanen

****stars

In the book, The Running Dream, Jessica is a 16 year old girl who is a star at track, and was hoping to get a scholarship to college along with her friend Fiona. However, all that changes when they were coming from a successful track meet and a drunk driver rams into their bus killing one girl and crushing Jessica's leg so bad that she had to get it amputated. After a couple of days in the hospital she is finally released when doctors are convinced she can take care of her leg properly. When she finally get home she begins to shut everyone out until she realizes that she is not the only one suffering, and decides to move on with her life yet scared at the same time. When Jessica comes back to school she is completely overwhelmed with homework and almost doesn't pass math until she meets Rosa who not only helps her understand math, but helps Jessica realize that her life is not over. With this new realization, Jessica must rethink what she wants to do with her life since she can't run anymore. Or can she? Read this gripping story and find out not only what happens to Jessica, but what she does for Rosa as a thank you for everything.

I thought this book was going to be quite predictable, but my was I wrong. It took a completely different turn and I loved every second of it and because of that I gave this book four stars. Wedelin Van Draaen keeps the readers attention in this story and makes you not want to put the book down for any reason at all. So if you like reading books about tragedy and overcoming it, then The Running Dream is definitely for you.