If I Grow Up Review by Liz Hill

If I Grow Up

Todd Strasser

****stars

If I Grow Up, starts out with a twelve year old, DeShawn. You are instantly shown how life is growing up in the Fredrick Douglass Projects, where DeShawn has lived his entire life. DeShawn has to constantly worry that, he will get caught in the middle of a gang shooting, and is not able to live the life of a care free kid, but to DeShawn, that is just life. DeShawn is not like all the kids in his neighborhood though. He is smart, and has real potential to go far in life. Living in a small cramped apartment with his Grandma and sister, Nia, they continuously struggle to keep milk in the refrigerator. DeShawn is tired of always having to worry whether or not he will have to go hungry, and as he grows older and older, he has to face the hard decision of joining the neighborhood gang, the Disciples. If he where to join he would have all the things he needs, clothes, food, and safety. Although through out his whole life he swore he would never join the gang, temptation is pulling at him, and he starts to consider becoming a member. The gangs leader Marcus, takes a liking to DeShawn, and feel he can trust him. With all these temptations will DeShawn give in and join? Or will he stay on the right path and succeed in life. Read this book to find out.

Torn to Pieces Review by: Liz Hill

Torn to Pieces By Margot McDonnell

****

Anne has somewhat of a normal life outside of the fact that her mother was never home. She was always going on business trips, never really there for Anne. But Anne’s not surprised; she’s use to her mother’s flakiness. Her mother always came back home after her trips. So Anne never really worried until one day her mom didn’t come. A day late turned into a week. Anne knows something isn’t right. Anne tries to contact her mom thru the hotel she was staying at but the phones had been disconnected. Anne starts worrying more. But nothing will make her more worried than the voicemails a strange man keeps leaving on her phone. After doing everything she can think of she turns to her grandparents. Her grandmother gives her a letter her mother wrote her before she left. As she continued to read she finds way her mother has disappeared. She also finds that she might be in more trouble and not as safe as she tough.I really liked this book. I thought it was very well written and it always keep my wondering forcing to read on and not want to set my book down.

Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid Review by Liz Hill

Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid

Tanya Nicole Kach and Lawrence Fisher

****

Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid is about a girl, Tanya Kach. She is a strong fighter and this book tells her haunting true story. When Tanya was in grade school she was kid napped by her school's security guard, Tom. She thought Tom was her hero and she was brain washed into believing he was there to help. Tanya was held in Tom's house for over ten years. He abused her sexually and mentally. Tom never let her out of his very small room. Tanya didn't try to get away because she was to scared. Tom told her he would kill everyone she loves and then her if she left. Did Tanya get away? Where is she today? Read more and find out what truly happen in Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid.

Legend reviewed by Molly Varney

By Marie Lu *****




In the Republic, June is a prodigy. Born into a good family and the only person to ever get a perfect score on her Trial, June was destined to be a great military leader. She lived with her brother, Metias, after their parents died in an accident. Day, on the other hand, was the Republic's most wanted criminal. He was born into a poor family from the Lake sector and was one of few others who failed their Trial. The two couldn't have been more different and had no reason to ever meet each other. But after June's brother is killed and Day is blamed, she must hunt him down. However, as they start to talk more they both start to figure out all of the secrets of the Republic that are kept from everyone, about the plague and the horrible things the Republic do to win the war. They find out how far the Republic will go to keep their name clean. Now June had to choose between what she was raised to believe or what she is slowly uncovering about her life.


I gave this five stars because I've never really read a book like this one. It was very action packed and had a lot of twists that I liked. It wasn't ever boring and I really enjoyed reading it. Throughout the book, you get to read from both June and Day's perspective which gave you a good understanding of what was going on in more than one place and let you see how different the characters were. I liked the entire storyline because it had a few surprises that kept you reading until the last page. It was also a smaller book so it was easy to read and didn't disappoint at all.

Divergent--reviewed by Nallely S.

Divergent: Veronica Roth

* * * * * Stars

"ONE CHOICE CAN TRANSFORM YOU."- Divergent

Living without making your own decisions.....will drive you crazy.
Beatrice Prior has been in Abnegation(the selfless), a faction, all her life. Until she makes a choice that ruins her family forever. Leaving Abnegation for the Dauntless(the brave) Beatrice renames herself Tris. Being the only Abnegation to transfer into Dauntless, Tris' life is living hell. Her only friends Christina, Will, Al, and Four. Tris must pass the initiation or become a Factionless. Tris must fight her friends and her enemies if she wants to be with the Dauntless. Tris knows she can't tell anyone her secret...because it may be her death.


Alone, in a world where even your friends might become your enemies...Tris must fight for her place in Dauntless...she must fight for her family...for her growing affection to a certain infuriating boy. Will Tris make it into Dauntless? Will she find others like her? Will Tris find answers to her mother's demands? Read Divergent. X) I promise you'll love it~!



I gave Divergent 5 stars because....it's amazing~! The cover itself is enough to fall in love with~! The way Roth portrayed the need to be free..the need to fight for what you want...was beautiful and sad. It's similar yet different to other futuristic books I've read. The way Tris and her love life folded out was written perfect. Although I sometimes wanted to kill Tris....she is an example of someone fighting for what she wants yet fighting for what is right and wrong at the same time. This book is very well written and I hope I still like the characters in the sequel to come. X)