Since You Asked --Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

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Since You Asked by Maurene Goo

I choose to give Since You Asked.. Three out of five stars because I got bored reading it. there was nothing there that kept me wanting more.

Sine You Asked begins with the fifteen-year-old high school newspaper editor who prints a horrifying article that ends up being the worst mistake of her high school life. Kim Holly summits an article that rips every one to shreds destroying any friendship had. To get through the rest of her year she writes another article explaining her emotions. All while still earning the respect of her strict parents considering she is a Korean. She is your typically teenage who just happens to have a big mouth. Kim is now face to deal with all the haters while earning back the respect.

Personally this would have not been my first choice, because I'm more in the paranormal and horror stories. Since You Asked  has no expense, there for me to keep interested. If you into typical teen drama then i highly recommend this book, but if your life me this book is not for you.   

Help For the Haunted - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Help For the Haunted by John Searles

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Do you believe in life after death, souls harboring eternal grudges, or just in general, ghosts of people long past and demons who have never set a living foot on the earth?

Being the second youngest child of semi-famous demonologist couple Sylvester and arose Mason, Sylvie doesn't even question it. Though her parents try to keep her and her sister Rose as far away from their practices and jobs as possible, it's a normal thing to the girls. Sylvia just believes. And then tragedy strikes her, on cold snowy night in February. Her parents are called to a church in the middle of the night by Rose, and suddenly their parents are gone from their lives. They were brutally murdered inside the church, and Sylvie was the one to find them. The problem is that she can't remember much from that night, her own terror blocking the memories from resurfacing. Now about a year later, Sylvie tries to move on in her life, but continues to be stuck. Then she begins investigating the mystery behind her parents murders, and slowly uncovers the deep and awful secrets that have haunted her family for many years. 

This was a different type of book than the ones I've been reading recently. And luckily for me, it was a really nice change of pace. It's a paranormal themed story, that isn't super scary, but adds a creepy feeling throughout parts of the story. The characters are very well-developed, and it's interesting reading about the different relationships between them: especially between the family members themselves. And even though the book doesn't pick up with Sylvie delving deeper into the family mysteries until halfway through, the way they lead up to it is captivating. They flip back and forth between present day happenings, and what happened in the past concerning events of the present. It adds a lot of necessary information to the story in a way that doesn't bore the reader. I gave the book four stars, and I hope to find out whether or not the author has any other books written, because I would be very interested in reading them! I would suggest this book to anyone interested in paranormal/supernatural themes.

Ashfall reviewed by Paige Espinosa

 

 

 

     Alex is just one of those typical, unremarkable guys in high school who likes playing World of Warcraft and wishes he could get a date. That is, until the volcano in Yellowstone National Park finally erupts and the world is buried in ash. With no electricity, no indoor plumbing and a scarcity of clean water, Alex faces a trek through multiple feet of choking ash to find his family who were on a trip while he was left home alone during this catastrophe. Along the way, of course he meets a girl who travels with him and since the world is seemingly ending and there is no one of the opposite sex for miles around, you guessed it, there's a bit of a budding romance there.
     I gave this book three and a half stars because it was a believable and original apocalyptic storyline. My biggest issue was with a few characters who were just way too ridiculous for me. For example, the recently-released-from-prison-axe-murderer that just seems to pop up everywhere! Even Alex and his friend that's a girl, Darla, seem a bit ridiculous at parts. Darla is 17-almost-18 and is giving this 15-recently-turned-16 year old boy the time of day? All I can say is gross. As a girl Darla's age, I personally want nothing to do with guys younger than me. As an adult, that age difference is nothing but as a teenager, that's like a 5-10 year age gap! Despite some of the unbelievable parts of this book, I still might read the rest of this trilogy.

The Fifth Wave reviewed by Paige Espinosa

   
     This is Cassie's story of survival and her efforts to rescue her brother- the only remaining member of her family. When the aliens came, they attacked in waves. After the first wave, electricity no longer worked. They second flooded the world. The third sickened most of the surviving human race. After the fourth, there is only silence. Cassie believes that to stay alive she must stay alone. Her trust in other humans has waned until the only person she wants to be around is her little brother who was taken from her. That is, until she finds herself in need of help and she must tolerate the presence of another human being in her otherwise solitary world.
     I gave this book four out of five stars because it was one of the most original books I have read in a long time. There were plot twists that actually shocked me and the characters even had histories that brought tears to my eyes. I read this book in one sitting and was totally enthralled the whole time but it lost a star because it got a bit unrealistic towards the end. I was also disappointed by the unoriginal boy-meets-girl-at-the-end-of-the-world story line. In that respect, it was a bit like Stephanie Meyer's The Host. Girl-with-a-little-brother-meets-attractive-and-protective-guy-while-aliens-take-over-earth really isn't all that original anymore. I definitely preferred Yancey's version over Meyer's and found Yancey's a whole lot more believable. These aliens aren't peaceful invaders, they want to kill us. Aliens seem pretty corny sometimes but this book definitely pulled off the alien invader story extremely well. (This book is also being made into a movie soon! Hopefully they won't ruin it...)

All The Truth That's In Me- Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

 All The Truth That’s In Me- By Julies Berry

I give All The Truth That's In Me five stars. This book is about a girl who had four years of her life taken from her and has to decide which road she chose to find herself. Whether she chooses to speak the truth of what she went through during those four years and risk reliving it again through her memories or does she keep her secrets to herself and stay the ghost she has become in her old town she has returned to.

Judith and her best friend were taken four years ago from Roswell Station. During this four years, something happen and she return completely mutilated, alone, and unable to speak. The ones who she thought would always be there when she needed them the most have turned their backs on her.  The only one she is able to rely on is Lucas and he doesn’t even realize it. Lucas is a childhood friend who she starts pouring her heart out, the only one her heart belongs to for as long as she can remember. She is force to come to grips and choose a path of hers, when the life she is currently living is put into harm’s way.

If you want to know the whole truth behind Judith words then read her story!

Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston Reviewed by Paige Espinosa

             

                                

     Nat- short for Natasha- doesn't remember much about who she is or where she came from but she does know that she's marked and needs to stay hidden. Her bright green-gold eyes would get her arrested if anyone saw them. She makes a living staying hidden as a blackjack dealer in a casino in New Vegas. The United States have long since been frozen and virtually destroyed, now called The Remaining States of America. Nat is taken by a rumor of The Blue, a warm place where there are animals and sunlight and no more poverty. To get there, she pays a runner, Ryan Wesson- Wes- to take her there.
     I gave this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars because some parts of it were riveting, page-turners, but then the next chapter was a letdown and bland worrying, "Does he like me?" "What if I like him?" "He's so attractive!" These kids are only 16 at the oldest! Their ship's navigator is 13! It was really ridiculous at some parts. Rotting people- aka zombies- were called Thrillers after, you guessed it, Michael Jackson's "Thriller". The premise started off as original but then just turned into a weird, futuristic, trying-too-hard-to-be-original mashup of Tolkein's "Lord of The Rings", Paolini's "Eragon", Cashore's "Graceling", with a dash of Disney's "true-love-is-the-most-powerful-magic" concept and some ugly, gambling pirates. I about lost it when a fatal bullet wound magically healed from true love. Nope, too much for me. Minus one star. "Drakonrydders" or oddly misspelled "dragon riders" also left me unpleasantly speechless. (Definite face-palm moment.) I'm curious how a sequel would turn out since almost every author turns around a writes a sequel, whether one needs to be written or not. I might recommend this book to a few people who I know would like it but it's not something I would go around raving about making everyone read. 

The Eye of Minds - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

If given the opportunity, would you choose to spend your time in a virtual world as opposed to the real world? A virtual world where anything and everything can happen?  And if you're a talented coder or hacker, you can bend the virtual reality to your every whim? If so, then welcome to the VirtNet, a world beyond your wildest dreams and your worst nightmares.

Michael is one of those talented coders and hackers. He has spent almost more time in VirtNet than he has in real life; trudging through school and home life only to return to his coffin and enter this computerized world once more. It's where he's made his best of friends (though he's never met them in the real world), had all the experiences he's wanted, and where he's generally just the happiest. But when randomly one day, he comes across a girl who manages to kill herself in both the game and reality, all the while screaming about someone named Kaine and how she won't let him get her, Michael's virtual takes a turn. He and his friends are soon assigned to located and take down, easily the great hacker of all time, Kaine himself. Though Michael, Bryson and Sarah are all talented with potentially lethal skills themselves, they aren't sure they will be a match for this crazed genius. A fast paced adventure/thriller, this book will leave you on the edge of your seat!

I liked this book relatively well, so I have it a worthy three stars. I'm normally not big on the whole scifi genre, but I decided to give is new book a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The idea of a virtual world being warped by those with the skill is a really cool and scary idea. And though I didn't really connect with any of the characters, I still thought they were decently written. The book started off right in the middle of action, and it kept that way throughout the entire rest of the story. It looks as though there will be more in this series, so it's another I'm interested in keeping up with if I get the free time! James Dashner also wrote the very popular Maze Runner series, so I would suggest those to anyone who reads and likes this book. They're pretty different in means of storyline (and I've heard Maze Runner is in many ways better), so if you did like this and are interested in more Dashner novels, those are ones to check out!

Skate -Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

Skate by Michael Harmon
I give Skate five stars. Skate has the intensity to keep you reading. It is a fast pace book, which means it gets straight to the point in each chapter. I thought this book was well written and had deep emotions tied into it. The book skate has a theme which some teens can relate to. It gives you the insight on just how strong a bond can be between two siblings. 

Skate is about a 15 year old boy who has been raising his younger brother since he was ten years old, at this age his father walked out of their lives and his mother turned to drugs leaving him and his brother to defend for themselves. Ian has the daily struggle of making sure his brother has something to eat every night. Sammy is special, he is not retarded just a slow leaner. I guess you can say he has a rough home life.

After another tardy slip at school Ian gets called into the vice principle. He gets this distinct feeling the school wants "clean up" and he doesn't fits the schools image with his punk hair and dark clothing. They tell him he would be better off at technical school. Iran becomes enraged and acts out. At this point he has gone to far and knows he will be sent to jail, sending Sammy into foster care. Iran knows he has to run to protect Sammy.

To know what happens next you should read this amazing book and to get the feel of what some teens our age are going through.You might have a different opinion on your own life and finally understand just how luck you truly are.

For those who are going through this I am sorry...

All These Things I've Done - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Trying to lead the normal life you desire is hard when you're the daughter of one of the most famous ex-mafia bosses, in the year 2083. And this isn't just because of the struggles of things such as high paper taxes and limited amounts of water. Anya Balanchine comes from a large family of notorious criminals, at the top of which was her father, worldwide runner of contraband chocolate production, Leonyd Balanchine. Though both her mother and father are gone now, due to brutal murders years prior, Anya still manages to get wrapped into this chaotic life that surrounds her family name, and manages to pull each member into its clutches. All because of the stupid family chocolate, her sociopath ex-boyfriend almost dies of Fretoxin poisoning, and sets in motion a chain of horrible events. Anya must fight to continue what little of a regular life her and her siblings (and bedridden corpse of a grandmother) have been leading. But throw a handsome, forbidden boy into the situation, and everything will go awry. Can Anya keep a steady hand over what's left of her family, or will that be left to ruin like everything else in this city? Check out the book yourself to find out!

I gave this book three out of five stars. From the inside cover synopsis, it seemed pretty weird, but like an interesting cool weird. The book in its entirety was not as great. They could've gone so much farther and in depth with the family mafia background, and their connections with top chocolate connoisseurs/manufacturers, and her immediate family's deaths and why they occurred but they didn't. It started off good, with the family goons and poisoned chocolate, but those just got swept to the side so easily when the love interest became the love interest. Then it got all sappy, and romantically focused, and that can be okay but only to an extent, and it just lost me. I was expecting some action, adventure maybe somewhat mystery book, but that really wasn't it. I did like, though, how she aptly portrayed the average teenage girl, especially with the pressure to provide for her siblings with little to no adult supervision. She was fiercely dedicated to her siblings, and went to great lengths to protect them. I liked the book, felt like it could've been done better, but didn't completely hate it. I will be interested in reading the other books in the series Birthright whenever they come out, to see where she takes the story!

December Book Club

Join us during December -- AOHS book club is reading this one!

From amazon.com:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Inhuman- Reviewed by Paige Espinosa

     Delaney Park McEvoy is just your average teenager growing up after a plague that wiped out the Eastern half of The United States. The giant wall separating the West from the East is a regular sight for her, she attends classes online to prevent spreading germs among other students and she dresses up to impress boys with her best friend, Annapolis. That is, she was normal until biohazard agents crashed a party she was attending and seized her to test for possible contamination with the Ferae virus.
     Ferae is a virus that has evolved over the years after the initial epidemic of plague. Now, humans living on the East side of the wall who are infected with Ferae don't just die, they mutate into feral animals, intent on mauling every other human in its path- or so the government says.
     I gave this book four out of five stars because it was well-written, a quick-read, and interesting and engaging from the first page to the last. I enjoyed how one of the boys involved in a budding love triangle acknowledged this development and decided he was out of it, there would be no love triangle. (However, later on there is still a love triangle; I wish it would have ended there and then when Rafe declared we wouldn't be a part of it.) I also had a few moments where the Ferae virus seemed so ridiculous I wished they were just zombies instead. Tiger-men and men with tusks just pushed the envelope to the brink for me and "manimals" pushed it too far. ("Manimals" are people infected with Ferae who are mutating but aren't feral yet. It also makes me think of Pillow Pets and it sounds like something that would be advertised on late night television for "just $19.95 plus shipping and handling!" The term the author used was just too comical for me at points during the book.) Despite my dislike for the ridiculously far-fetched apocalyptic premise, by the end of the book I really loved the characters and even loved a "manimal" that I couldn't stand when it first debuted in the book. Overall, it was an amazing book that I would definitely tell others to read!

Counting By 7s - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Willow Chance is a strange and sweet little girl. An unknown genius at twelve, she takes comfort in immersing herself in many strange quirks such as diagnosing the medical conditions of people around her, studying plant life with enthusiasm, and most importantly, counting by 7s. Due to these odd features though, Willow is awkwardly out of place and misunderstood in her preteen world. The only people she feels comfortable around are her adoptive parents, Roberta and Jimmy. But the worst things happen to the best of people, and when life brutally rips the two most important people from Willow's life leaving her practically an orphan, something breaks in her. No longer does she take comfort in her old habits, or anything at all even. The poor girl is taken in by the Nguyen family, a poor Vietnamese trio who run Happy Polish Nail Salon and live in the one room garage behind the shop. Even though she barely knows them, she feels most at home with them. With their help, and the help of possibly the worst ex-school counselor ever, Dell Duke, they keep her out foster care and leading a haphazard life, but a life nonetheless. Willow must learn to rebuild her broken spirit, and once again embrace life and all the positive things about it, instead of continuing on as an empty shell of her former self. "If you're lost, you might need to swim against the tide."

I really really really loved this book. It was so refreshingly individualistic, with the descriptive and unique writing style (plus the change in narrating through different characters), and the endearingly sweet characters who develop and learn through the course of the novel. And though a few aspects of the book came off as slightly unrealistic, I was personally able to look past them because of the quality things the rest of the book offered. Every character that encountered Willow ended up changing for the better by the end of the novel, and I really liked the idea of that - someone coming into your life and touching you in such a way that it moves you completely. This book itself kind of moved me in this way; I laughed out loud at some parts, and teared up at others. The moral of the story, that everyone has some good in them and need to make the best of the life they have, and that speaks to me a lot. All in all, I enjoyed this book from front to back cover, and I would recommend this to any of my friends, or anyone looking to read a sweet and emotional story. I'm looking forward to searching for other books by Holly Goldberg Sloan, and am glad to give this book five stars.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey Reviewed by Paige Espinosa

     Lady Almina was a remarkable woman as showcased in this book, written by the current Lady Carnarvon. Transforming from a young woman with a questionable father-daughter relationship to a Countess of Carnarvon, both wealthy and philanthropic. Almina's marriage is at first merely a business arrangement; the Earl of Carnarvon needs money which Almina can provide and she needs a higher social standing which the Earl can give her. Eventually this union appears happy and both individuals seem to like each other. However, during changing times and life-altering events, like World War I, the family of Highclere Castle changes quite a bit from throwing elaborate balls and redecorating for one guest's visit to healing injured soldiers and aiding in the war effort.

     I gave this book three out of five stars because, although the subject was interesting, the actual writing could be extremely dull at times, describing in detail clothes, fabrics, rooms, meals, and social engagements. It also only showed the positive side of this family- which was to be expected as it was written by a current family member. Precious litte was told about the servants and their lives and the skeletons of Highclere's closets didn't even see a glimmer of light. As the reader, I was left at the end with more questions, craving the juicy gossip experienced from the show, Downton Abbey. Well, maybe I wasn't expecting that much drama but I still would have enjoyed maybe an anecdote about an affair or a baby born out of wedlock or even a family myth about a long-dead ancestor's ghost! Overall, the word choice was merely okay, certain words were used a little too much (like describing Almina as "patently" doing something multiple times in one chapter!) and the writing style was very simple, like reading out of an 8th grade textbook. Lady Fiona Carnarvon didn't have much of a voice in her writing except for a few parts where her admiration for the late Carnarvon family members took on a tone of adoration, worship, or even obsession. I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone but I think fans of Downton Abbey might find it informative and maybe even a bit surprising when character names appear as real people.

Impossible - reviewed by Maggie Devero

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; remember me to one who lives there, for once she was a true lover of mine..."

An old folk ballad begins to haunt Lucy Scarborough, once she turns seventeen. All she wanted was to go to a normal prom, with a normal cute boy in a band, and enjoy herself. What she didn't expect, was her deranged biological mother showing up at pictures and throwing glass bottles at her and her date, then her date raping her in a closet after prom, and finishing it off by killing himself after he left. The thing is though...Lucy doesn't think her date, Gray Spencer, was in control of himself at the time. Not that he was inebriated or something...Lucy thinks that another person was possessing her date, and was the cause of all this. With the help of some hidden notes and a diary from the time her mother Miranda was sane, Lucy learns she has to complete three unbelievable, and magical tasks in order to discontinue a curse that has been passed down in her family for generations. With the help of her foster family, her best friend Zach, and the modern day things that weren't available years ago, Lucy can only still hope to win this battle, break the curse, and avoid falling into insanity.

I gave the book three out of five stars. The storyline itself was unique enough; I really didn't expect a rape scene to take place only chapters within the beginning of the book. The rest of the book had its twists and turns which kept it interesting. I don't really read a lot of fantasy/magical themed books, or at least ones like this, but I liked it! The writing style was good as well, descriptive enough to not be boring, but not detailed enough to be fully captivating like making me part of the story itself. Even the mini romances throughout the book didn't bother me as much as they usually do, probably because there was not the usual emphasis on them to the plot. Also the cover was really pretty, one of the main reasons I looked at the book in the first place. When I googled the picture for this review, this wasn't even the main cover to come up, but I like this one a lot better. So yes, the book was a nice change of pace for myself, and it was worth the three stars.

The Room Beyond-- Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

The Room Beyond by Stephanie Elmas

I give this book four out of five stars. I was recommended this book by Ms. Crawford for she knows I am into ghosts, love and dark paranormal things. This book can be a little creepy at time, but that is what draws you in.

The Room Beyond by Stephanie Elmas is two stories tied into one. It starts out with a young women, Serena. She begins her new life at 36 Marguerite Avenue in London. Here sits a beautiful mansion that Serena falls in love with. Later she uncovers that the house is laced with dark secrets. She is slightly confused at the fact that the house 34 Marguerite Avenue is missing, but says nothing. The house belongs to the Hartreve family, who she becomes the nanny of Beth the granddaughter.

Serena is welcomed with open arms and by being here she hopes to forget her ghosts of her own sad childhood and find her home that she so desperately wants.

The other story starts out in the year 1892 with the main character, Miranda Whitehouse. In the setting of this story, Miranda is fighting to save her marriage with her husband, Tristan, while being fascinated by the mysterious but strange Lucinda Eden. Lucinda Eden was abandon by her husband and is now living as their next door neighbor. When Miranda Whitehouse invited Lucinda over for her dinner party she didn’t realize the impact Lucinda would make on their lives.

My opinion of this book is its okay. I would have preferred it to be just one whole story instead of two separate stories tying in together. I found it a little difficult to understand and to stay focused. When I read I tend to find myself acting as the character itself. Going through the character's life from my point of view and with this story I found I just couldn’t get attached to any of the characters.

The Bone Season- Review by Paige Espinosa

     Paige Mahoney is a gutsy 19 year old criminal with a high-ranking position in a wanted gang. Her rare ability to leave her body and enter the minds- or dreamscapes- of others around her makes her a valuable ally- and a dangerous enemy. In 2059 London, the governrment is now called Scion and it is searching for all people, like Paige, who have these special abilities. These clairvoyants are hunted and, when caught, are presumably tortured and put to death or given an option to join a law enforcement division dedicated to hunting other clairvoyants; however, option number two means being under the thumb of Scion, turning in your own, and being given thirty years to live before being "put down" like a sick animal. 

     When Paige is captured, all she knows about Scion is suddenly tested when she finds herself in a city that was wiped off the map 200 years ago after a devastating fire. Scion's secrets are unearthed with her discovery of an ancient race, the Rephaim, who value clairvoyants for their fight against the flesh-eating Emim. Paige's only options are obey the Rephaim and join their army against the Emim- leading to an almost certain death in the jaws of a fearsome creature- or to fight back and most likely be killed by her captors. Find out what happens by reading The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon!

     I enjoyed The Bone Season and gave it three and a half stars. The story was exceptionally original however the brief appearance of a love triangle took away from the quality of the story for me. The continuance of hinting at this love triangle after a shocking revelation that should have ended it also grew old and boring by the end of the book. Paige Mahoney was a likable character, similar to Katniss Everdeen (from The Hunger Games trilogy). Both are strong female roles, coming from livelihoods made on the black market to situations where you have to fight to survive and your sanity is pushed to its limits. Other characters, however, such as Warden, Paige's master, weren't quite as likable. Warden felt a little too cliche, almost like another Edward Cullen- dark, mysterious, immortal stalker. (from the Twilight series) Personally, I felt that most of the characters weren't developed fully throughout the story and at the end of the book I honestly didn't feel like I really knew much about most of them. Hopefully in sequels to come, Samantha Shannon will continue to develop these characters as they have the potential to be extremely intriguing- if not likable- characters.  

Bad Girls Don't Die - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

It's understandable to think that you're the normal dysfunctional teenager; a sophomore in high school, one that's antisocial, a troublemaker, and pink hair to boot. But when you're sister starts acting strangely, and your mortal enemy (a cheerleader, god forbid) warns you she thinks it's possession...that's when you can safely assume you're a little more than dysfunctional. Alexis Warren lives in a very old, very large house with a family who is always too busy to bother staying close to one another. Except for her little sister Kasey, she has no other friends, and now Kasey has begun acting strange. She no longer seems to be talking to her doll collection, but something that's not there, she has acquired weird strength she didn't have before, and occasionally her eyes turn from blue to bright green. Alexis isn't sure it's quite her sister anymore, and she doesn't know who to turn to. Surprisingly though, cute blonde prep boy Carter Blume has started giving her a lot of attention so she can pour out her emotion in him. But the most unexpected is when Megan Wiley, top varsity cheerleader comes to her and tells her that she thinks her sister is possessed. Will Alexis be able to join with someone that she's spent her entire high school life trying to ruin? Will the two be able to help Kasey, and keep her from these evil forces working inside her? Read the book to find out!

So I gave this book two stars for multiple reasons. I was going to give it three, just to be nice but I just hit a certain point where I was like "no."  The plot was just so completely predictable and it just worked out so well. Oh, she's sad and lonely - magically a cute boy appears and wants to shower her with attention and comfort. Oh, her sister is acting abnormally - Ms. Perfect Cheerleader shows up, befriends her, and tells her she can help her possessed sister. It just all worked out too well, and was thrown together with no buildup. Also the dialogue was really weird at some points. It was read from her point of view, so her thoughts were often showed in the writing...and even though they were trying to capture the immature thoughts of a teenage girl, it was just so awkward and random! The storyline had a lot of potential, especially because I love scary stuff, but portrayed the way it was in this book, it just didn't hit it right for me. It might fit some others taste, so read it yourself to find out! Also if you're looking for books similar to it, come check out our halloween setup in the library, with all sorts of spooky holiday themed books!

November Book Club

Don't miss out -- soon to be a major motion picture!

Divergent by Veronica Roth - the first book in a trilogy.

In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more diffficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Stop by the library and pick up a copy today! If you'd like to join Book Club, please send an email to dcrawford@oharahs.org and you will receive an invitation to the Schoology group.

Crank-- Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

 I am giving this book four and a half stars out of a five star rating. Something you may want to know about this story before reading it isthe writing style. This book is written in free verse. This type of style is kind of hard to understand but is easy to read.

The book Crank is about a straight -A high schooler name Kristina, who gets mixed up in drugs and is raped. Over this past summer Kristiana decides to go and spend two weeks with her dad that she hasn't seen since she was very young. Her dad turns out to be nothing but wasted soul, constantly strung out on Crank. While she is down there she meets a guy named Adam, falls in love while getting addicted to Crank aka cocane aka the monster. The monster brings out her double personality. Kristina struggles to keep Bre tamed and undercontrol while losing the will to want to. Bre is addicted to the monster and will never let him go, until something makes her...

Two weeks like she goes back home knowing her father will never change or never own up to his responsibilities. When she goes back home, Bre has gone back to her home deep inside Kristina's mind until she alone again. During the last weeks of Summer, she feels the pain of heart break and the suffocation of her mom. She gets raped and finally let goes of Bre. Bre is free and let's the Monster back in. She finds a new love interest but doesn't know if they will make it..

When Bre finally let's go of the Monster she finds out she is pregnant...

Read the book to find out the ending..

My personally reference for Crank is that drugs are apart of life, it is our choice whether we walk away or join the monster. Most people don't understand is that once the monster have his fangs hooked in you, it's a battle from hell to break free. The monster will consume your soul if you let him... Bre and Kristiana were to completely different souls stuck in the same body fighting for domance while the monster rocked both of them.

Uglies - reviewed by Maggie Devero

Uglies (1st in Series) - by Scott Westerfeld

Reviewed by - Maggie Devero

Would you betray your own friend, to choose for both of you, a life of parties, fun, and being physically transformed into a beautiful human being? 

Tally Youngblood had always yearned to become one of the Pretties. She watched them in the shadows during her late-night escapes from Uglytown, captivated by their soft pretty faces and crazy ongoing parties, all happening right across the bridge from her own home. Tally had waited almost sixteen years, and soon enough it would be her turn, same as all Uglies when they came of age, to get the operation that would turn them beautiful and allow them a life in Prettytown. On one of her escapades, she makes a new friend named Shay, and they have their own adventures together. There is only one big difference between Shay, and Tally herself...and that is that Shay has no intention of turning pretty. Tally cannot began to comprehend why Shay is so against the operation, because who wouldn't want to be perfect? But before she knows it, only a week before the scheduled operation, Shay is gone. She disappeared to some broken down, old-fashioned, empty city called Smoke, where rumor had it no one was pretty and it was just like the old society had been. The day Tally is supposed to turn pretty, though, she is called in and told to find her friend and all those others who have escaped the town and operation. So Tally begins a new journey, to find her friend and the others, and eventually become a pretty herself. Little does she know that the things she will learn on the outside, will change her perspective completely.

I gave Uglies three out of five stars. I know the series was (and still is) a hot series to read, and is well liked among the YA readers, but I don't think I caught the same hype as everyone else did about the book. The plot took some foreseeable turns, and I think I had just had too high of expectations for this book. It was still pretty good, an enjoyable read that I hope to get around to finishing the rest of the series.  The scifi idea of the book, that people turn pretty at a certain age and then are accepted into the "perfect society" is interesting, and the futuristic elements such as hoverboards and the software to make yourself look pretty fit in with the storyline well. I have just personally heard so much rave about this book, that I expected it to b e little bit better than it was. Then again, scifi/futuristic genres have just never been my thing, so that might just be it! If you do read this book and like it, I would suggest you finish the series, the other books are: Pretties, Specials, and Extras!

Hold Still--Review by Desarae Coffey

Hold Still by Nina Lacour

This book is divided into seasons. It follows the main character, Caitlin Madison, over the course of a year summers, fall, winter, spring, and summer again. Though these are many themes running through the pages of Hold Still I wont say healing is the main one, being a junior in high school come fall. However during the summer before her best friend commits sucide by cutting her wrist in her bath tub. Caitlin realzes that her best friend had been very depreessed and tortured and had even taken medication forn it. As Cailtin begins school she also begins the journey of healing and learning to live life without Ingrid.

One day while looking for her remote control, she finds Ingrid's journel giving her insight into her best friend's world. It also folows Cailtin as she developes a new friend, with a new best frined named Dylan, who happens to be openly gay. Dylan tries to help Caitlin heal from her loss but at the same time her relationship with Dylan causes her to feel guilty, like she is betraying Ingrid.

And there is her relationship with Taylor who gradually becomes her boyfriend. Also Caitlin's photography, it becomes some what of a memorail to Ingrid. Relationships with other people and sleeping in back seat and building a very conmplex tree house, all theraputic in her path of healing.

I would rate Hold Still by Nina Lacour a four and half stars out of the five star system. I enjoyed the book and feel there are so many things to be taken from the story, the themes are deep and realistic but I do feel book is alittle long and drawn out some times.

I would classify this book as drama. I would recommend it to a friend I know likes drama, however, as I said I left it was a little drawn out. There are so many seasons one can learn from Hold Still and so many conversial topics dycussed however so I did enjoy the story overall.

Marcelo In the Real World - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Marcelo In the Real World by Francisco Stork

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Growing up, and being able to face reality or the "real world" is tough. It's even tougher though, for a seventeen year old boy named Marcelo Sandoval. All his life, he has been catered to, due to the fact that he has a type of autism, more closely related to Aspergers's syndrome. This does not impair Marcelo in any severe type of way; it just makes him high functioning, and socially awkward to a large extent, but otherwise he is normal. He soon learns that people in the "real world" seem to think otherwise though, when he is faced with the choice to either work at his father Arturo's law firm for the summer, or forego attending his special needs school Paterson. Marcelo chooses to confront the "real world" for the first time, and in doing so realizes just how awful it can be out there. Not only do these coworkers and people he meets think he's extremely mentally retarded and incapable of the work given to him, but they also treat each other, people like themselves, with horrible intentions. He is soon enough faced with a situation where he has to choose for himself the path he gauges to be right, a path that might possibly lead him farther away from the destination he wanted to come to.

I gave this book four out of five stars. It was a lovely read, one that touches on a topic most authors seem hesitant to approach, or if they do, they approach it incorrectly. There are so many people out in this world that deal with special needs of all different kinds. But just because they are a little different gives no one the excuse to treat them like some horrific abnormality. This book points out perfectly, how special needs or not, people in general just seem to treat each other negatively anymore. It also shows that no matter who you are, you have the power to fight against this, and possibly manage to bring about a change. Having two special needs siblings, one of them a brother with autism, it was sweet seeing characteristics of Marcelo that were so similar to that of my brothers. That such a gentle soul dealing with these kinds of things makes Marcelo a very unique character indeed. I greatly enjoyed this book, and hope to read another book similar to it (which also received good reviews) called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I would definitely recommend this book to those who feel weird about people with special needs, people who are familiar with those of special needs, and mentors of the people with them!

Cutting for Stone Review by Shelby Gomez

Cutting for Stone - Reviewed by Shelby Gomez 

          The book Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is a good read. This story begins with the birth of twin boys to a nun,Sister Mary Praise Joseph in a hospital in Ethiopia. Mary Praise Joseph dies during the birth of her children. While there father Thomas Stone who was the surgeon who delivered them. The twins Marion and Shiva are orphaned by there mother and father who disappears. The twins are raised by Hema and Ghosh, two Indian doctors. The boys grow up well loved and cared for to become doctors themselves. This story has mystery, is a love story, and a coming of age all tied into one.

          In my opinion I give the book  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese four stars.This book would fall under the genre of literary fiction. I don't usually read this type of book I am more into fantasy. When I first started reading the book I had trouble getting into it because it started off slow. One thing I had trouble with was pronouncing the names correctly as I read through the book. I ended up using an audio version of the book which was absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed being able to follow along while someone was reading it. I also think it really helps with all of the characters names and the names of the different places. Also the book was a bit long and I don't recommend for a quick read. I found after reading more I really started to enjoy it. The story picked up and the writing was phenomenal. I will be looking for more work by this author. The story was captivating and I would recommend this book to a friend.