Amy and Roger's Epic Detour Reviewed by Molly Varney

By: Morgan Matson ****

Amy didn't think her life was anything special. She didn't think her life could change drastically on a sunny Saturday morning. But when she's in a car accident with her father, who dies, she can't seem to believe what's all happening. Her mother decided to move to Connecticut, away from all of the memories of their old life. Amy stays at the house by herself to finish her junior year in high school while Charlie, her brother, was shipped off to a rehabilitation facility. At the end of the school year, Amy's mother calls to let her know that she wanted her to drive their old car from Calfiornia to Connecticut. She told Amy that one of their old childhood friends would be driving her. His name was Roger. The trip was originally supposed to be only four days, but as Amy got more comfortable with Roger they decided to see America. The month Amy spent alone in the house, she got used to ignoring eveyone around her. But with Roger she feels like she could talk to him and that he understood. Now Amy had to overcome that day, and with Roger's help, she felt like she just might be able too.

I thought this was a really good book. I gave it four stars because I think it started a little slow. However, as I continued to read it I found myself not wanting to stop. I liked that it wasn't totally cliche, where the boy falls in love with the girl when he first sees her. It was a really interesting story, especially when they drove through Kansas. I was laughing on a couple parts because they didn't know about all the resturaunts. I thought it was a good read and it made me want to go on a road trip.

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.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-- A Review by Sarah Gnefkow

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares

**** Stars

Bridget, Lena, Carmen, and Tibby's mothers all met in pregnancy yoga, and they have been best friends ever since. Every summer they spend together but this summer they are all going their separate ways. Before they part they go on one last shopping adventure together where they find a pair of jeans that fits all of them perfectly, regardless of their different body types. The girls decide to make a pact that over the summer they will send the pants to each other with stories of the amazing things that happened to them while wearing the jeans. Each of the girls summer is very different and dramatic and will test their time apart.

I really enjoyed this book and the movie! The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is really a good story about friendship and it has a lot of drama. Some parts of it were kind of slow and boring but most of the time I just wanted to keep reading. If you like dramatic romance books you will definitely like this.

Words in the Dust-- A Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Words in the Dust
by Trent Reedy

*** Stars

Zulaikhas a young girl living in Afghanistan whos life is definitely not very easy. She has a face deformity which she is constantly harassed about. The Taliban is no longer in power but it has still taken her mother away from her, leaving her with her father and his ill-tempered wife. She is afraid of her culture and her features until one day when she meets a woman named Meena who helps her with her writing and poetry. Then an opportunity of a life time is presented when an American Soldier offers her the chance to fix her facial deformity. Will she accept this mans offer? Or will she refuse and follow traditions of her culture?

This book was alright. I expected a lot more from it but most of the time I was just really confused. Some parts I got really into but a lot of the time I just wanted to give up because I had no idea what was happening because a lot was going on all at once. I recommend this to people who love books that have a lot of tradition and values of yound woman in it.

Dark Song-- review by Catherine Duncan

Dark Song

By: Gail Giles

*** stars



The Dark Song is about a 15 year old girl named Ames living in Boulder, Colorado. Her family has everything they could ever want and then some. They live in a beautiful mansion in the mountains and Ames goes to the best private school in the area. Everything in her life is going great for her until her friend Em asks about her dad’s job situation. Ames hadn’t heard anything. Then a few nights Later the truth came out. Her Dad had been released from his job. He searches for a job but no one will hire him. Soon money starts running low tension in the family is high and Ames Parents are getting more irritable by the second. Lies from the Past end up coming out and now Ames and her family including her little sister chrissy are forced to move to Texas into a dump. The house needs many repairs and one of Ames friends from the area comes and helps. 2 other guys accompany him. One of these Guys caught Ames’ Attention. Marc. He seemed dangerous and fun. Soon she is sneaking out of the house with him and going to see him when she should be at home. Then things take a turn for the worse in the Ford Household.

Dark Song brings up life issues that every person can go through. Lies, humiliation, peer pressure, parental pressure, verbal and physical abuse and many other house bound problems. In This way I think Dark Song was very good in showing me the trouble and the feelings Ames and her family were going through. I did how ever feel the first half of the book was dragged out and could have been shortened. And the ending could have been brought out a little more. I feel like the conclusion wasn’t as clear or drawn out as it could have been. If you like Teen Drama or suspense this book is for you. Over all I would recommend this for others to read because the story, as i said earlier, shows us the true struggles in life. It also shows us the even though everything on the outside might look fine. Everyone has secrets and everyone has their own problems they have to deal with… some dealt with alone.

Sucker Punch -- a review by Jorge Morejón

Sucker Punch

by David Hernández

** stars

Sucker Punch is a book about two Hispanic brothers (Marcus and Enrique), who live in California with their mother after their father left them. Marcus, or "Nub" as his some of his friends call him, is a senior in high school. Senior's in high school named Marcus Mendoza have lots of problems. They only have only 9 fingers after a bad skateboarding incident, their friend's dad just killed himself and they have to figure out what to say, and they’re too shy to talk to any girl; not to mention the fact that his little brother Enrique is better than him at almost everything. But there is one advantage he has over Enrique; he didn't get beat by their dad for 5 years since he left. Enrique's scarred by this, and practically falls apart without his anti-depressants. Marcus feels guilty for never doing anything to stop it, and after a few month's of getting high and tripping out with his friends, the two of them decide to make things better themselves after their mom tells them their dad wants to come back. Enrique has the bright idea of showing his dad what it feels like to be the one with no power, and Marcus, along with Ashley (Enrique's girlfriend who Marcus is oh so jealous of) and one of Marcus friends, come along too. Enrique and Marcus take a gun with them when they go talk to their father, and Enrique feels like what it really is like to be the one in power. After the incident with their father on the way back, Marcus finds out what it's like to have to take a life after a man's trailer crashes and his horse has to be put down. When they get back, there's a crow that stays with their family. Right after Marcus starts getting comfortable with the crow, he leaves and flies off, never to be seen again.

Overall, this book wasn't that good. I read it in 3 hours, one sitting, and wasn't that impressed. The story-telling was very casual, but the material wasn't that good. I found it interesting to read how Enrique was becoming more like the man he despised through the book, without it being completely spelled out. I never felt that close to Marcus. He feels alienated by people and his drug-ridden, dysfunctional failure lifestyle was presented in a way that made me feel somewhat alienated from him too. I just couldn't get that comfortable with his way of thinking and describing things. This book isn't all butterflies and rainbows, so don't expect that at least.

This book isn't available in the O'Hara library, but can be ordered through the public library for delivery to O'Hara.