We All Looked Up ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

           

"Those who have much to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous."

         Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels: The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever. But then we all looked up and everything changed. They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end. Two months to really live.

                       We All Looked Up is a book about the world coming to terms with the world. 

I went into this book with high expectations. I've seen a lot of great reviews about how this book and how it breaks down barriers in high school. But, really I just thought it put some barriers up.

The book was pretty good I must say, with varied characters, well-fleshed-out issues, and an interesting setup. The ending didn't set properly with me I must say, but maybe it is just me. It definitely seems like a personal preference. Please don't take my rating to heart. 

The book introduces us to four high school students: Peter; the most popular guy in school who is an athlete and dating the most popular girl. Anita; the perfect A - grade student with strict parents who are forcing her into an Ivy League education. Eliza; the girl with a bad reputation. Andy; the slacker. Wallach does a great job of hopping from one POV to the next. It never feels stilted. It's also interesting how intertwined yet different all their lives are.

 As the book progresses we begin to see other sides of these characters and learn that their lives aren't so simple after all. They aren't high school cliches and actually have a lot more depth to them. Eliza is a talented photographer and has a bad reputation as a coping mechanism thanks to her mother abandoning her and her father on the brink of death. Anita is a talented singer who has been forbidden to sing by her parents and she is desperate to escape from their controlling clutches. Peter is bored with life and wants something more; something different. He is a Christian and loves to help out with charity. Andy is dealing with parents who aren't around much and a crappy best friend and is also a really talented musician/songwriter.

The best part of this book, by far, is the layers to these characters. I really connected with each and everyone of them. They aren't perfect, they all have flaws, but that only makes them more real and more relate able. 

The ending was too open for me, I did not like how it left the door open for you to continue thinking about what you would do in a similar situation. I wanted to experience a more of a closure feeling for the characters.

We All Looked Up, is extremely thought provoking that makes you really consider what is important and what matters. 

I give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.  

  

Red Rising reviewed by: Portia Rockers

 

Red Rising is about a guy named Darrow who is a Helldiver and a Red. A Helldiver is a person who lives in a cave under the surface of Mars, there are about a thousand people who are Helldivers. In this society it is a color coded caste system, red being the lowest. Many generations of Helldivers have worked in the mines all their lives for precious minerals that will allow the planet to be transformed. For the mine workers knowing the planet will some day be habitual is enough for there sacrifice. The Earth is dying out, and Mars is the only hope the human race has left. But when Darrow finds out that Mars has been inhabited for generations, by a group called the Golds. They think of the Helldivers as slave labor, and don't realize all the good that they do. The Helldivers have a rebellion, and disguise Darrow as a Gold and goes to there school, planning to be the eyes on the inside. The command school is basically a battle field, and no one can really be trusted.

I gave Red Rising five stars because this book really deserves it. Every page made me want to find out more about the book. The story had some gruesome aspects to it, but I think they were really important to the story. A lot of story was high stakes, and the way the society was set up reminded me of the Hunger games without totally copying it. I did like that the author did not try and squeeze a love triangle in the book like so many authors do. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. If you like this book you would also like The Hunger Games and The Enders Game. Red Rising is also part of a trilogy, the second book is called The Rising Son and the third is not out yet, but I cant wait to read the second.           

If The Witness Lied - Reviewed by Portia Rockers

If The Witness Lied- Reviewed by Portia Rockers

Author: Caroline B. Cooney

If the Witness lied is about a family who has a murder happen. The family has four kids: Madison, Jack, Tris, and Smithy. Madison Fountain who is the main character and the rest of her siblings are forced to live with their Aunt Cheryl, due to the death of their father's. Madison and Jack, two of the older Fountain teens start to learn that their father's death may not have been an accident. And maybe their aunt may not have been as innocent as she seems.

I really enjoyed the book a lot, it was a fast read, and made me want to keep reading. I loved the fact that  Madison acted mature and was smart yet calm. She handled a lot of surprising things in a very calm and adult way. Madison also took time to think about a lot of her plans and was a quick thinker. One of the problems I did have with the book was one of the Fountain siblings was Smithy, and she was a female which struck me as odd. Another thing I disliked about the book was how nasty Cheryl was. I also had mixed feelings about the ending, which had a twist to it. The reason I gave the book four stars was because I felt the book could of gone into more detail. Also there were few scenes that made me upset or angry. If you enjoy If the Witness Lied you might like Jane in Bloom and Bull Rider. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy murder and mystery type books.

Better Than Yesterday reviewed by Kaitlin Kimbrell

better than yesterday

by Robyn Schneider

"Sometimes, when we are not looking for a solution, but rather a different way of viewing the problem, it is permissible, even appropriate, to break the rules." Skylar, Marissa, Blake, and Charley became best friends’ freshman year and had together created a group called the Hell Risers, but much has happened since then. Skylar became known as the dirty girl, Marissa was more of just a nerdy girl, Charley had to please his parents with everything he did, and Blake left Hilliard. Now, however, Blake is back and wants to put the old gang of Hell Risers back together again. Since Blake has been gone though he has changed too much and they are scared that something might happen to him, plus they need to keep a secret from him so he won't hate Skylar. Will they stay best friends? Will they fight for what they believe? Will they just forget about each other and never look back? What will happen? To find out read the book.

This book was good! I enjoyed it and it was a quick read because of how interesting it was. There was such a mix of feelings and everything that happened will make you love each character. I honestly loved this book and am thinking about looking into this author for more books. Love and scandal all in one, what could be better? This book really kept me intrigued the whole time and I am glad I chose it to read.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone reviewed by Molly Varney

By: Laini Taylor *****

Karou's life, she thought, was simple enough. From her naturally blue hair to her ex-boyfriend who wouldn't leave her alone. Except for her family, which consisted of four Chimaera, monsters people would only think about in stories. In Karou's world, getting called in to go to Paris or a place on the other side of the world to get teeth is normal. She has no idea what Brimstone, the one who raised her, uses them for. She doesn't find it unusual since she was raised by these monsters. She spends most of her time drawing them and showing them to her friends at school who think they are just Karou's wild imagination. If someone asked Karou's friends what they knew about her, they couldn't tell you much since Karou couldn't tell them where she was from. When black hand prints start to show up on doors all around the world, Karou's life is about to be shattered and she is suddenly thrown into another world and its ongoing war. Soon, she'll get all the answers to her questions, but what will happen when she knows the truth?

So I loved this book! It was really different than all other books I've read. It was a pretty big book but it is completely worth reading. It was kind of twisted but it was such a good story. I loved Karou's character because she was funny and very surprising. The book has a lot of twists so it never had a dry moment and was full of action, drama, and over all was completely amazing.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.
by: Ally Carter

For Cameron Morgan becoming a spy was without a doubt going to be her life. She really had no choice in the matter anyway. With her mother as headmistress of the top all girl spy academy, Gallagher Girl, and her father having died while working for the top agency, she really did not want to have a different live. Cameron, known as Cammie or The Chameleon, was very good at being a spy. Cammie was very skilled at not being seen, hints the nickname Chameleon, until one day when she meets Josh. Josh makes her happy and makes her think about what life would be like if she was not a spy. Cameron knows that she should not be talking to him, but some how he always seems to see her when the girls are in town. She cannot just go back to being invisible to him, or can she? Will Cammie the Chameleon go back to hiding and spying or will she choose a life with Josh?  

To me this book, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, is very intriguing. It kept me guessing until the very end and I was even still wondering after the book was over about what was going to happen next. I was glad when I found out that the second book, Cross My Heart And Hope to Spy, came out because I liked the first one so much. There are four books to this series now and I have read them all, if that tells you anything about how much I was intrigued by this book. I have recommended this to some of my friends and I would recommend it to every girl I come in contact with because i believe that this book, even though it is about spies, shows what many girls go through with boys, friends, and parents.

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja -- A review by Ian Zig.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja 

by John Flanagan

*****

The medieval dream team is back in the tenth book! Will, Halt, and Alyss are in Arrida, supervising a national treaty when low and behold! Evanlyn, the Royal Princess Cassandra, has unexpectedly arrived with news that Horace has gone missing in a foreign country! Horace was in the strange country of Nihon-Ja, when a sudden coup arises and Horace unintentionally involves himself by saving the Emperor Shigeru, pitting himself against the oppressive tyrant who staged the coup. Evanlyn collects the team and sets off to find Horace. Horace, racing through mountains and valleys to get to a fortress, that some believed to be mythical, to prepare for a battle with the odds weighed heavily against them. Can they outsmart the tyrant in this last battle?.. Read and find out!

I loved this series, and this was an awesome addition! I wish it ended a little differently, but you cant have everything. I highly recommend reading this book, and if you haven't read the series you should cause it was all pretty BA!

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!

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.

Skybreaker-- a review by Blake Hughes

Skybreaker
by Kenneth Oppel
***** Stars

The book Skybreaker is about a determined ex-cabin boy named Matt Cruse, a rich and smart Miss Kate de Veres and a group of different people who are risking it all to find a famous airship called the “Hyperion”, which is the ship that belonged to the famous inventor Theodore Grunnel that has been lost for 40 plus years. It starts out where Matt is doing an internship as a assistant navigator on a freighter called the “Floatsom”, and during one of their trips the lookout calls down and says that he sees a ship that is at a height of 20,000 feet, which is the “Hyperion”. They try to reach it but as they get higher and higher they start losing oxygen so they have to turn back. Then he goes back to Paris, where he is going to the world famous Airship Academy, he goes and has lunch with Kate and tells her about all that he has been through. Then Kate gets the idea that she wants to go get it and asks Matt to help her do it. Then after that his principle tells him that Theodore Grunnel's grandson has asked if Matt will give him the coordinates of the “Hyperion”. Matt goes to meet Grunnel's grandson and he finds out that he is a fake and is a pirate. They try to take him away so that Matt will give them he meets a girl named Nidria who says she has the key to the “Hyperion”. Then Matt meets another man whose name is Hal Slater who is the captain of a airship called a skybreaker named the Sagarmatha. And the journey begins. It is a great book full of action, thrills, and a little bit of romance. I highly recommend this book.

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!