The Mediator :)

The Haunted Mediator by Meg Cabot is unlike any other book I have read. WARNING! You have to read the other 5 books in order to understand what's going on... Just thought I'd warn you :). Also, thre are very few swear words and alot of death. BUt it isnt gross or very descriptive. The main character of this book, Susannah Simon, is a superhero. Not like Superman, I mean she doesn't run around in spandex or catch bullets with her eyelids. No, she see's the dead. Now you're probably thinking, "Gosh, so boring!" Well what she does with the dead is unbelieveable. (HENCE THE FICTION *cough cough*). Suze, she refuses to be called Susannah except by her centry old boyfriend (I'll explain that later!) and her mother, is what we call a mediator. She sends the dead who haven't moved onto Heaven, to Heaven. But along the way she meets serial killers, pysco revengful murderers, oh and a certain boy who wants to kill her and kiss her at the same time... That one person is Paul Slater.

Now Paul Slater may not sound evil, but in book 4 Paul tried to killl Suze. But let's begin at book 1. Suze and her mother lived together in New York City, just the two of them. Her father comitted suicid right in front of her when she was around 6. Since about then she has been able to talk to ghost and help them move along. Granted her father still pops in on her every now and then to see how she is holding up, and each time he refuses to allow her to move hime along to Heaven. She is now 17, has done over hundreds of mediations since then and has grown. Her mother has married Andy and has moved her to sunny California. Once there she realized two things. One, she gain 3 stepbrothers, Dopey, Sleepy, and Doc, plus a stepfather. You'd have thought that being ripped from her old home and life, shipped out to an entire new world and finding a (her words not mine...) sexy ghost in her bedroom would phase a woman. NoPe. Like I said, Suze is a regular Wonder Woman. Things take a durastic change when a former student at her school comes back for a vistit, although this time she's dead and no one can see or hear her. Her name is Heather and she killed herself all because her boyfriend dumped her. All in all, the poor girl was literally crazy in love. Now Suze must face facts and accept that ghost will follow her everywhere, not just in New York.

I really really really love this series! Suze is sarcastic, smart, really funny, and reminds me of my friends. But do not puck any of these books up before you go to bed cause you will find yourself being forced to read them to the end. Hope ya enjoy :)

The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke, is a jaw dropping fantasy adventure that kept me reading and reading! 345 pages of non-stop adventure for a kid named Scipio and his gang. Though not knowing "The Thief Lords" true backround, Prosper, Bo, Hornet, Mosca, and Riccio find lodging in a run down movie theatre waiting for Scipio to bring in the latest steal. Prosper and Bo ran away from their aunt and uncle to find their dream home in a magical place their mother always talked about: VENICE! But little did this run down city know about these runaways and children with their incredible secrets! A major break in will get the kids millions of dollars but who would have thought that the house keeper would be their only hope for survival in the future? Prosper's aunt hires a detective to find his little brother Bo, but the little theifs out smart him big time. He is a key part to an adventure to break onto an island to look for a magical merry-go-round. The merciful sisters had this merry-go-round for all of the orphans but what they didn't know was that it held a magical power to turn kids into adults, and adults into kids. This book shows that it doesn't matter how small you are, just live your life to the highest degree. Through weaving canals to magical merry-go-rounds, Venice is full of surprises for you to discover. A-

Midnighters

As you can see, this book is called Midnighters: The Secret Hour. It's very well written by Scott Westerfield, who also wrote the Uglies series. It is about a girl named Jessica Day, who just moved from Chicago to a very small town in Ohio. How small? Less than 200 kids go to the high-school. Jessica sticks out like a sore thumb. She befriends a group of misfits, who are Dess, Rex, and Melissa. These social outcasts are struggling their way through high school. Although these kids are misfits, they have something special. They have the secret hour. Every night at midnight the world stops. Everyone, except for the midnighters who were born at exactly midnight, is frozen in time. They have an hour to themselves, a shelter from their everyday lives. They soon find out that there is a lot more to this secret hour than they expected. Innocent creatures who left the midnighters alone before aren't so innocent anymore. All because of Jessica.

This book is original, fast-paced, and includes just about everything expected in a good teen book. It has romance (although thankfully it isn't a focal point in the story), humor, and action. On the cover there is a quote from Ursula K. Le Guin. She says, " Fast-paced and spooky-- a good read for the dark hours." Yes, it was fast paced and was a great read for late at night (I was definitely up later than I should have been while I was reading it) but spooky? Not so much. No need to worry, your pants will stay dry.

Scott Westerfield did a great job writing this book. He illustrates his point page by page. This book is mainly written to entertain, but can also teach a valuable lesson. The main characters are all extremely socially awkward. They are put through terrible things at school, but when the secret hour comes, it is a whole other story. In the secret hour, they can truly shine. He helps us realize that there is a place for everyone. No, it may not be as cool as the secret hour, but everyone belongs somewhere, teaching us that there is no such thing as a useless person.

In the end he set it up for a sequel (of course), making any reader desperate for the next book. I really enjoyed this book, with it's quick, original plot, easy to relate characters, and unique style of writing, I would definitely recommend it to any teen looking for a good read. B+

Twelfth Grade Kills

Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer is an action packed suspense. It’s the final book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod (make sure you read the other four books first). This book is, obviously, about Vladimir Tod, and his struggles with school, an annoying “pest,” being a half vampire, vampires, and vampire slayers. He sees his father, who died when he was ten, and has to survive a “trial” with the Elysian council. Also, He has to find his father’s journal before December 31^st or he’s screwed (going to die). At the very end of the last book (this is NOT a spoiler) he drinks this insane vampire's blood. Right after he drinks the blood he sees his father, so he's not sure if he's halicinating or not. SIDEAFFECTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: THE BOOK SEEMINGLY BEING GLUED TO YOUR HANDS, INSOMNIA, AND PAPERCUTS. WARNING: ADDICTION TO THIS BOOK IS POSSIBLE AND MAY REQUIRE FINISHING THE LAST BOOK SLOWLY TO AVOID WITHDRAWL. All in all, this was a great ending to the series. I give the book an A+.

Pathfinder

What's got an interesting beginning, slow, but occasionally exciting middle, and an amazing, cliff hanger end? That would be Pathfinder, a science- fiction, by Orson Scott Card, all about some kid named Rigg.

Rigg is a young boy that works with his father, trapping animals for their pelts. But, as most main characters in books, Rigg is special. He can see anywhere anyone has been. He sees the path that they took, hence the title "Pathfinder". All of Rigg's life, he has used his ability to find animals, so he can take their fur. But, when his father gets smooshed under a tree and dies, everything changes.

The last instructions from Riggs dad is to go find his sister, that he's never seen, or even knew existed. On his way, he gets accused of being the long lost prince. That would be absolutely terrific, if it weren't for a few let downs, such as:

1) The Royals don't rule anymore. Ever since the revolution, the people have taken over, and the Royals can't own anything, and are only alive to be mocked. Sounds like a blast.

2) The male line of Royals is not allowed to rule. Only the female line can. So they tend to kill of the male line. Even if the people in charge of this decision say he should live, so many people are going to want him dead. Lovely.

3) This long lost prince is supposed to be dead. They've thought him dead for a long time. That will be a fun situation to be in.

So being this prince is actually kind of a bad thing, unless you're extremely fond of the idea of a one way road to death. Apparently Rigg isn't too fond of death, so he wants to find a way to get out of this royal pain. But, in his little adventure, his world is turned around.

In Riggs seemingly normal world, you learn the importance of learning, and discovery. You can also see the possibility that your world may not be what it seems. The only way to figure it out is to look yourself, not just listen to other people and their theories. In Riggs world, there are other worlds surrounding him, but on the same planet. There are living people beyond them. So, maybe there are some living people on planets far away from us. The possibles are infinite. Only we can figure it out. It's not likely that some aliens will show up to prove it for us.

Anyway, this book is really fantastic, but you do have to endure some slow parts throughout it. For most parts it's interesting, and makes you ask questions, and want to keep reading, like any good book. But the part I thought was the worst, is a killer cliff hanger. If you decide to pick up this book, and hit the middle and it feels like a chore to read it, keep reading it. It gets good. Really good. B

Matched by Allie Condie Book Review

Matched by Allie Condie is a truly fantastic book. It's depth and forethought were obvious and refreshing. This young adult/fantasy book is a post-apocalypse adventure that is rooted in self-discovery. The main character, Cassia Reyes, has been raised in the Society, a dystopia that is much too structured. They're strict enough to choose the citizens' Matches, their life partners. When Cassia is Matched with Xander Carrow, her best friend, she is elated. But when she goes home to watch her micro card (a small chip that includes details about the Matches that each pair gets once they're Matched to get to know their partner), the screen shows a different face. Instead, it shows one of Ky Markham, a boy she has seen around but doesn't know very well. The Society never makes mistakes. At least that's what Cassia thought. She is reassured by the Society that it was a simple mistake, a glitch in the chip. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, his face up on that screen. What did it mean? Did they give her the wrong Match? Then she starts questioning the Society itself, if it's Utopian impression is just a cover of an insufficient attempt at redemption. Although I thought this nearly impeccable book was a good read, there were some flaws. At some points there just wasn't enough urgency to Condie's writing. Likewise, the conflicts and conversations had a tendency to be somewhat dull, not much of a urgency to read into. She made good overall interest, but some points I thought were just too slow. Upon reading this book, I have been able to recognize the connection between Condie's points and our society as it is currently standing. I am not making any judgements, nor am I taking sides, but after interpreting Condie's hidden meanings and her underlying themes (exemption and free will), I have come to agree with Cassia and her choices. Her determination is modern and quite nicely displayed. Overall, I would give Matched by Allie Condie a definite thumbs up. This book is a great read and is very wonderfully written. A-

Before Midnight

Before Midnight is written amazedly by Cameron Dorky. This fantasy is the retold tail of Cinderella which is part of a whole group of retold classic fairy tails. Now don't think you've heard Cinderella's story plenty times before and that you don't need to read Before Midnight. Because you should. Dorky takes it and puts a whole new spin to it. In the traditional story Cinderella's father has died, but in Dorky's version he has just simply left. Cameron Dorky is a fantastic author who has written many other books. As I mentioned before, Before Midnight is part of a whole group of twisted fairy tails. Dorky and a few other authors have gotten together to rewrite and change all the classic fairy tails. This is just one of many great books I have had the privilege to read.

This book starts at the beginning, with the birth of the main character. On the eave of the new baby's birth a multiple of signs occurred. One of the many signs is when the wind whirls down all the chimneys in the house distinguishing all of the fires. Sadly the baby girl's mother dies in childbirth and is unable to give her a name. The nurse mary who will end up raising the child names her after her mother, Constanze. When the old Nurse mary nestles the baby by the coals to keep her warm, all of the fires suddenly ignite. That is how Constanze got the nickname La Cendrillon, or child of cinders.

Now you may be thinking that her name is supposed to be Cinderella, but that is not so in this version of the story. Any how, back to the story.

When Cendrillon's father finds out about the death of his wife, he blames it on his infant daughter. In his grief, he wishes to never see her again and leaves the manor in anger. Cendrillon grows to be a fine young lady along side a boy who has no idea about his past.

You're probably wondering who this boy is, let me explain.

When Cendrillon's father came back to the house seeking his wife, he brings a baby boy. No one knows who or where he came from. When Cendrillon's father leaves, he leaves the boy in the care of the nurse mary. A few days after Cendrillon's 16th birthday, three strange women arrive at the manor. It turns out that they are Cendrillon's new step mother and sisters.

This is finally when the original story of Cinderella creeps in. Cendrillon becomes a maid in her own household because she is too afraid to tell her step mother and sisters who she really is. Then one day the invitation to the ball arrives.

The rest of the story sort of follows the original story but with some unexpected turns and twists. I personally loved the book and recommend it to any one who takes interest. However at some parts I wondered how it was going to be like Cinderella at all in the end, but it mostly pulled through. For instance, There were 2 possible boys Cendrillon could end up with even before she met any prince. Plus, Cendrillon actually ended up having a good relationship with her step mother and two step sisters. Also Cendrillon gets kidnapped by her own father! but you'll have to read the book to find out how that ended up.

I think Before Midnight was definitely entertaining as well as memorable. It was interesting to see how much Dorky could twist the classic fairy tail of Cinderella, but still be able to recognize it as the same story. The one confusing part of the whole story is when Cendrillon's father changed his heart, and let go of all the hurt and anger, then suddenly disappeared out of the story. All in all I liked the out come of this book. Every one gets their happily ever after and all the girls get their guys.

The Forgotten Warrior

The Forgotten Warrior, by Kathi Orem Peterson is a great fiction novel for teens of any religion. I say of any religion because the main character in this book, Syd, time travels back to a time in the Book of Mormon. It's not really teaching you "Mormon Principles" or trying to "convert" you to the Mormon church, but it's teaching to you the importance of family and to have faith.
Sydney Morgan is a sixteen-year-old girl with a black-belt in karate. She lives with her mom, who teaches karate classes, and her younger sister, Gracie, whom is mentally challenged. Even if her dad abandoned them ten years ago when she was six, she thinks her life is perfect... until her mom gets diagnosed with cancer.
When Syd visits her mom at the hospital, her mom asks her to look for her dad. Why? Syd doesn't know. Was her mom insane? She obediently finds him and tells him about Mom. At the hospital, her parents ask her to check on Gracie.
However, Sydney didn't get to see Gracie that night. She bumps into two strange men, who asked her to deliver a backpack to some guy named Steve. Reluctantly, she does the favor. On her way to deliver the backpack, accompanied by a Great Dane name Ximon, she drops the backpack right when she's about to deliver it to Steve. She picks up the white stone that fell out, but as she did, it started to glow and everything went black.
She wakes up and finds herself in a tent. She realizes that the man having a conversation is Captain Helaman himself. For some weird reason they didn't see her but as she got out of the tent, some guy attacks her and puts a knife to her throat. She realizes that he's one of the stripling warriors named Tarik. Being a black-belt in karate, her instincts kick in and she attacks and beats him... knocking him out. Now Captain Helaman and everybody else thinks she's a Lamanite spy... and a boy because of her short hair. The white stone that transported her to this time isn't great help either. It turns out that the stone is one of the sacred stones that the Lord touched when the brother of Jared asked for light. Helaman now thinks she's a thief and sends her to be imprisoned.
Tarik, being the second in command in the army, is furious that Syd "bested him". Captain Helaman even asked him to stay behind in camp than to go fight so that Tarik could "babysit" Syd. The next day, Captain Helaman sends for Tarik and Syd. During their journey, Tarik finds out that Syd is a girl... not a boy. While he gets a littler angrier, thinking she's not only a spy, but a liar as well, Sydney can't help but think how handsome he is.
When they arrive, they find it awkward and dangerous to be around each other when everyone else thinks Syd's a boy. She has been asked to teach the warriors karate! Now she goes crazy. This isn't her war. Her war is back home where her mom might be dying in a hospital bed and where Gracie needs her help because she's mentally challenged.
Will Sydney ever go home? And when she does, will it be harder to say good-bye to Tarik? Or will she stay in that era for the rest of her life?
This is a really interesting book because some of us can make text-to-text connections. There are some parts where it gets kind of cheesy but sometimes you can connect yourself with Sydney. I want to agree with K.L. Fogg, author of the Serpent Tide series, when she says "... [it] proves that faith can make us strong in spite of our weakness." I really like how K.O.P.  shows how important family is and how everything happens for a special purpose.
This is definitely a great book you want to read in which you can relate to. Again, it teaches faith and family importance. I really enjoyed reading it. Grade: A :)

Skin

Skin is Adrienne Maria Vrettos' first novel and you can tell it is. Although this fiction book serves a basic pitch at eating disorders, it doesn't quite deliver. The book mainly centers around an eating disorder and how it has a devastating affect on one family.

The story is told from Donnie, an eighth grader's point of view. After a family vacation at the lake house during the summer, his parents start to fight. Donnie starts to feel invisible and neglected as he watches in horror as his sixteen-year old sister Karen starts to deteriorate due to Anorexia Nervosa. Donnie makes it his responsibility to take care of his parents' issues and cure his sister's disorder while letting himself disappear in the process. He thinks that it is far more important and easy to know if his parents aren't arguing or if his sister will eat than to deal with his own problems. Problems that include not having any friends whatsoever, having a crush on his sister's best friend, and trying not to fail school.

First of all, even though the story left me crying for Donnie, I still ended up confused. For example, the book left out many crucial points. Points like why his parents started to argue and what Karen did to deal with the divorce. I think that books like Little Girl Blue by Dionne Warwick or Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson created a more detailed and realistic picture. Also, the book was pretty dark in some places and there was a lot of vulgar language which surprised me. Donnie had a brain entangled with adult themes sometimes which shocked me and made me want to stop. Nevertheless, he had such a brilliant mind that it compelled me to finish.

Next, this book really gave me a closer look at what I, personally, was doing to my family. Just like what Karen was doing to hers. She tore hers apart and I realized that I could be doing the same thing. I recognized the importance in changing my thinking so I didn't end up that sick or worse, dead. However, I could really connect to how Karen was feeling and why she did what she did. Instead of talking about her problems with the divorce she destroyed herself by not eating and keeping track of every last morsel that entered her mouth. And I have done/am doing those same things.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone. Nonetheless, I think the story will hit people who have gone through or are suffering from an eating disorder. The plot was fairly predictable but still had you on the edge of your seat until you turned the last page. For a first novel, the author did an okay job and I look forward to upcoming books from her. B

City of Bones

The first in the City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare. This fantasy book follows Clary, a sixteen year old girl who's world is about to change.

Clary lived a sheltered childhood with her over protective mother, her mother's friend, Luke and her best friend Simon. When one trip to a club in town makes her the only witness to a murder, she finds that the world isn't what she once thought it to be.Soon after the murder, her mother goes missing and she's forced to battle a creature like nothing she's seen before. She soon discovers a hidden world that exists around her and an ancient fight between good and evil that she's somehow a part of.

This book was well written and kept you captivated until the last page. The plot was fairly predictable and contained fairly overused elements, but she changed it in a way that made it interesting. The author does bring up religious views and lifestyles that could be taken as offensive to some people. I enjoyed the book and will deffinately continue reading the series.

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend

This romantic book, I was Jane Austen's Best friend, by Cora Harrison, was one of the best historical-fiction book I've ever read! I was literally obsessed with it. I finished it in  a day!
Sixteen-year-old, Jenny Cooper, is keeping a journal of her life starting when she is staying in a boarding school--a.k.a. prison-- with her cousin, Jane Austen. However, Jane is extremely sick and the lady in charge of the school is not taking care of her as well as she should. She's not even letting Jenny send a letter to her aunt, Mrs. Austen, to tell her about Jane's illness. Determined to contact her aunt for help, she sneaks out of the boarding school in the middle of the night to deliver her letter.
Then she ran into someone. Captain Thomas Williams-- a very handsome guy--offers her guidance and protection until she goes back to her "prison". She accepts (who wouldn't from someone that handsome?) but is determined to never see him again because she's afraid he'll ruin her reputation.
Fortunately, Mrs. Austen receives the letter and takes Jane and Jenny back home. There she meets Jane's siblings. When the french lady, Eliza, visits them, she learns more about society and balls.
Consequently, since the Season begins, she starts attending more balls with her cousins. She meets young men her age, and even her own cousin, Henry, seems to have a crush on her. Pretty weird, huh? At one dance, her aunt hires a French seamstress to make a new dress for her and Jane! To make things better, Eliza offers to prepare them for the ball with French hair styles and perfumes! The girls are so exited.
All of a sudden Jenny is dancing at the ball with Henry and other guys, but then she sees Captain Thomas Williams! She couldn't believe he'd been invited to the ball! She did what her instincts told her: HIDE! She ran to Jane and asked her to cover for her. Unfortunately, Captain Thomas Williams spots her and quickly walks up to her and asks her to dance. They start falling in love, but Jenny is afraid that Captain Williams has the power to ruin her reputation and break her heart.
This is such an amazing book that teaches us what true love really is. It shows how important our family should be to us. I really like how the author introduces the eighteenth century to young readers in such an easy way to understand. However, it kind of bugged me how her own cousin had a crush on her. It just makes it a bit awkward. Some of the facts in this book may be false, but it's fiction so don't expect everything to be true. I found it pretty interesting how in earlier times a girl's reputation could be ruined just because she's out alone at night--that's a fact. In our days, it's pretty normal to see a teenage-girl at the mall at night.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book. It made me think how it would feel to be a girl in the eighteenth century, going to balls, being in danger at night, going to an "all-girls" boarding school...it would be a different lifestyle. I really recommend this book to read. I promise you it won't be a waste of your time. Well, if you're a boy, you might want to give a second thought on this book--it's probably not your style, but girls, go check this book out. It's really worth finding out if Captain Thomas Williams will ruing her reputation or keep her secret! Grade: A.

Tamar a novel of espionage, passion, and betrayal

To start I have to tell you that this puzzle of mystery, suspense, horror, murder, betrayal and romance left me shaking and feverish. The author of this book is Mal Peet, and it takes place in 1944 during World War II, and in England in 1995, as a second plot. Tamar is set in Holland during the Dutch Resistance. Tamar and Dart are dropped into Holland to reorganize the resistance and keep the peace, as best as is possible. They are to report back to the allies form three locations, a farm, an insane asylum and the Marionette house in Apeldoorn. Tamar lives on the farm with a young Dutch girl Marijke. Eventually envy and love pull everyone apart to a tragedy that makes the world seem to stop in its tracks.
The sub-plot is Tamar's granddaughter named Tamar as his namesake. She is shocked by the suicidal death of her grandad and then sets out, with her distant cousin Yoyo, on a quest to find out what the mysterious box her grandad left her means. In her quest she goes into a dramatic romance with her guide, guess who.
This book was impossible to set down, I was hooked from the second page of the book. It puts you into a flurry of thoughts that occupy your mind so that you can't focus on anything else. Tamar was the foremost matter on my mind the whole time I was reading it, you are trying to unravel the mystery and figure out how every thing fits together. No matter how hard you try you can't pull your thoughts from this book. Then you just about lose your sanity when you finish and find out the appalling truth behind the end.
This book had a thought provoking theme of love and family. It tells you that no matter what you think you know about your family, there is something that you don't know. But, it also points out, rather vividly that you should get past their flaws and love them anyways, no matter how hard it seems.
This book is one of the best I've ever read and it is now at the top of my recommend list. I love this book and I would encourage everyone to read it. However good this book is it does have some language that may be offensive to some people and it contains some shocking violence that can really shake you. It also contains some suggestive material, so I would advise you to go forward with caution when you're reading this book, if any of this concerns you. I would still advise you to read this book. I also advise you not to drive or operate machinery for at least 24 hours after you've read this book. I finished three days ago and I'm still in its enthralling daze. I give this book an A+++ rating.

Th1rteen R3asons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why is a very suspensful book by Jay Asher. While I was totally horrified at everything that was happening in the book, I was unable to put it down for practically 2 days straight.... and then I finished it so.....yeah. This book is great, however it does contain some adult parts in it (swearing and alcohol are only a few examples).
In this book, you hear the story from Clay, a teenage boy's (I would guess around 16 or 17 years old), point of view. The book gets rolling almost immediately when Clay recieves a set of tapes in the mail with no return adress on them. He immediately becomes curious and inserts the tape in his dad's old tape player. He is shocked at the voice he hears.
Through the speakers, he is hearing the voice of Hannah Baker. However, he denies the fact at first because Hannah is dead. She commited suicide just a few days ago. For the first few seconds of the tape, he doesn't understand why Hannah made the tapes, but then she explains herself.
Hannah has made these tapes to explain why she killed herself. However they are only supposed to be sent to the 13 people on "the list". Just weeks before she died, Hannah put maps in all of their lockers and they are supposed to follow the map as she explains the events leading up to her suicide. Reading through the first two reasons you will probably be thinking "Wow. This girl is really over dramatic", at least that's what I thought. Then I got further into the book. As she explained the snowball effect that made her kill herself, you realize that the little things, like rumors for example, are, in one word, dangerous, and the things happening because of rumors can snowball, or get bigger, and seriously affect someone's life. For example, at Hannah's school, a rumor was floating around school that she and a boy were together (you get what I mean right? Good.). Because of this rumor, boys started seeing and treating her differently than they had before. And before you know it, one thing leads to another and then... BAM!!!!!!!! Hannah's dead. Just like that. And now, because of the tapes, 13 people will know why.
While Hannah's story is very...dramatic, I think people really do go through things like this. It happens all around us, but we choose not to see it. My favorite thing about this book was that it opened my eyes to the world around me a little bit more. When Clay interupts with his thoughts, I started to get a little annoyed with him, but I realized he only made the book more real. I got emotional in certain parts of the book, and I don't mean just sad. Oh no. I was getting mad and at some points even extremely frustrated with fictional characters. (Yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking, but I'm not crazy. I promise.) I honestly loved this book, but, like I mentioned before, I would not recommend this book to everyone. Grade: A-

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix: This is the fifth book in J.K, Rowling's series, "Harry Potter". It is based on Harry's journey through his teen life, while it mainly takes place at Hogwarts ( School of Witch Craft and Wizardry ), and the Dursley's ( Harry's aunt and uncle's ) home, where Harry lives. If you have read the first book in this series, you are already aware that Harry is a wizard, and when he was an infant, he survived an attack of Lord Voldemort, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named if you prefer. Voldemort is one of the most powerful dark wizards in the wizarding world. No one has seemed to survive an attack of his, except Harry. The attack caused a scar on Harry's forhead in the shape of a lightening bolt. This made him quite famous in the wizard world. Harry is faced with the untrustworthyness of the Ministry of Ministry of Magic, ( the government of the magical world. ) and the weakness of the authorities at Hogwarts. Against this, (or maybe because of it ) he descovers strength in his friends, beyond his knowledge; dependability and surrender. Throughout the book, Harry has many things rushing in and out of his mind. Here are just a few of them ~ A Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with a smily and foul personality. A hateful house-elf ( wizard's slaves pretty much ), and his best friend, Ron as the Keeper on the Quidditch team ( the most popular sport in the wizarding world ). This book made me lay waking in my bed for hours at end. It keeps you thinking about what's going to be lurking on the next page. When i pick up this book, I lose track of the time, because i get so into it. It is one of my many favorite books, specifically because it is fiction. I love books that could not be based on real life situations, because it really widens your immagination. If you are at least 11 years of age, and you like outlandish stories, i suggest this is the right series for you. Although, before you read this book, make sure to read books 1-4 of the Harry Potter series. I hope you love it as ,much as I did! :) Grade: A-

Storm Thief

Storm Thief by Chris Wooding was an okay book. I was apathetic to this book because even though it's very exciting, the plot line is a little hard to grasp. Rail, the main character, is a master thief who lives in the ghettos of a city that is divided into three sections. There's the ghettos, where all the criminals live, there's the area where the rich people live and finally the last section is where the middle class people live. This whole city, which is governed by an oppressive government, is surrounded by ocean. There are some people who love this world and others who hate it.

Rail's best friend Moa is one of the people who hates it. Her biggest dream is to leave this world and start a new life. This is where Rail's adventure begins. Rail and Moa have to leave their home or be killed. After this they make the decision to try and find the people who are attempting to get away from this terrible world they live in. On this epic adventure they make new friends, fight ghosts that kill with one touch, and also discover new things about themselves.

At the beginning of the book, Rail is a bad kid who could be thrown in jail at any time. Towards the end, he changes. He stops stealing and turns his focus to helping his best friend, Moa, accomplish her goal. This gives all of us the idea that everyone has a chance to become better. This especially gives me the reassurance that there is always a chance for everyone, no matter what mistakes you make.

To wrap things up, I would give this book a B, because there are a few flaws in the story. I was extremely confused in the beginning because of the fact that it is post-apocalyptic and I had no idea what happened to the world, but it eventually makes sense in the middle of the book. If you are thinking about reading this book and are worried about swearing, you won't need to be concerned at all. A final word of advice: You must read at least 20 pages to get into this book. So don't give up after the first chapter. Thanks for reading!

Matched

The book Matched, written by Ally Condie is a very well written book. The post-apocalyptic world that was created because of a disaster that hit and nobody knew what to do is the main setting of Matched. As a result to carelessness, a new society was created. In the society that the main character, Cassia Reyes, was brought up in everything is controlled. When I say everything I mean everything! That includes who you marry, where you work, what songs, music, movies, and even poetry you have access to. It even gets down to where you are permitted to go for your leisure hours (which is also controlled by the Society.) For Cassia Reyes that was fine until one particular evening. It was the moment that she had waited all of her life to live. It was time for her to have her own Match Banquet. It ended up that she was matched with her life long best friend, Xander Carrow. That was a dream come true and she was thrilled. After she had gotten home from her Match Banquet she went to look at the microchip that was provided for her and her match. It contained a picture of Xander and extra information about him. Little did she know that the face of another boy would appear to her on the screen. It happened to be the face of Ky Markham, another young man that she knew well. She was troubled by the sight of his face on her screen. She knew that this was a problem, the Society never makes mistakes, especially that big. Later at one of her leisure activities an official came by to confirm to her that it was a mistake and whoever was responsible would be taken care of. Cassia was overjoyed by the marvellous news, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get the picture out of her mind. She knows that it was a mistake and that Ky is unavailable, but that doesn't stop her. Although the main idea of this book was very intriguing I felt like it was slow. There were parts of the book that were dull and not going anywhere but the main idea was brilliant. A dystopia that seems like a wonderful place to live, but under the surface there are problems that only small amounst of people notice. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anybody. In this kind of society there is not any sadness so there isn't any true joy. Would it be worth it to you?A-

Mockingjay

Mockingjay Book Review

Mockingjay left me wanting to kick someone in the face!!! Don't get me wrong. I couldn't put it down for 3 days straight. But, you will find yourself getting so wrapped up in this book, although the plot will, at some points, drive you crazy!!! I'm not quite sure what Suzanne Collins was thinking as she wrote this, because I get so angry and agitated every time I pick this book up.

The revolution is in full swing, and Katniss Everdeen has
been separated from her staged true love, Peeta Mellark. After the Quarter Quell, Katniss was rescued by District 13, whereas Peeta was captured by the Capitol. At first, Katniss is basically going insane without Peeta, until she decides that she wants to accept the call to become the Mockingjay. In other words, she would become the face of rebellion in the war of Districts and the Capitol. She begins training with long-time friend Gale, Finnick Odair, and several other refugees from all over Panem. Beetee, an electronic genius from District 3 helps hack into the Capitol's TV programming, so that Katniss can stir up rebellion throughout all the districts. After several trips to the districts to show people that Katniss is really a part of the war, Gale, Haymitch, and a crew from District 13 head to the Capitol on a mission to retrieve Peeta. They succeed, but Peeta is definitely not the same person he was before. I wanted to scream during Katniss' interactions and conversations with him, since the only things he did remember about her had been altered in a way that made her seem like the bad guy.

With Katniss as the Mockingjay, the rebels fight with the Capitol until the heart-stopping, tear-jerking end.

I must admit that, even though I felt so much anger and frustration throughout this book, I did let a few tears slip at the end. I think the main theme of the book is what war and contention will do to people. They will change people permanently, and destroy peacefulness and relationships. I thought that this theme could be a little mature, I guess you could say, for some teens. It depends on the person of course, but I just felt that some people would have a hard time grasping it, and fully understanding it, if you know what I mean.

All in all, Mockingjay was definitely a memorable read for me, and you will find yourself obsessing over it, even when you're not reading it. Although it made me angry, I really enjoyed this book and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys action, adventure, a little bit of gore, and a romance unlike any other. Also, you're going to want to read the first 2 books in order for this one to make any sense. B-

Extras

This amazing book Extras, by Scott Westerfeld, is full of suspense and adventure. To have this book make the most sense, you should read the trilogy before it because this book is based on that trilogy. That trilogy is the Uglies series, but there is an extra book at the end, and that is Extras. This fiction post-apocalyptic book is filled with thrilling scenes, and even a sprinkle of romance.

Aya, the main girl of Extras, is an extra. Everything around her is about being famous. To be famous, you have to "kick" a good story, and get attention from the others to earn a higher face rank. Aya wants her face rank, or the order of who's most famous, to be higher like her brother's, Hiro. Tally Youngblood is number one, the most famous of all, because of her mind rain that cured all of the old time Pretties that had virus's in their heads. (Again, look at Scott Westerfeld's trilogy before.) Aya joins in with the Sly Girls to get a good "kick" story. These Sly Girls have done some amazing things, but it's nothing like this kick stuff coming up. Aliens, smart matter, hollow mountains . . . what does it all mean? Does kicking a good story matter more than saving the world?

This book is really good. In the very beginning, it can be sort of hard to follow because of this new post-apocalyptic language and style. However, it will make sense very soon and once you get into it, it is really interesting and it was really hard for me to put the book down. This book could end in so many ways, but I think the way it ends is the best it could have ended. I definitely think this book had a better finality to it, compared to his trilogy and it was a great read.

So, will Aya solve the mystery of these strange creatures? Will one of the most famous guys, Frizz Mizuno, like her in return? Or will he use his Radical Honesty to tell her something different? You can only find out if you read this radical book, Extras.

Grade: A-

Catching Fire

One of my favorite authors, Suzanne Collins wrote the most amazing book entitled Catching Fire. From front to back, this book is action and adventure. This book is all about romance, family, who your true friends are and how you have to be careful about what you say to the government that pretty much own you. This is the amazing sequel to The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen's life adventure is far from ending.

As the main character, Katniss Everdeen, is trying to keep up with her so called "romance" with Peeta Mellark, she is also trying to stop the uprising that she accidentally created after her adventurous battle to stay alive while fighting in the annual Hunger Games. This story takes place in the nation of Panem. The brutal remains of North America. Katniss and what's left of her family, are now living the best life they could have ever dreamed of. However, being rich and famous is not all.

She also runs into a lot of trouble. When Katniss and Peeta are told that they are going to be returning into their once prison (the arena) they go into panic mode. They're in the middle of planning their "wedding" and also "expecting their first child". While our hero Katniss is trying to deal with her complicated life, the Capital is trying to find thousands of different solutions to get rid of her. It's not going to be easy.

This book is defiantly one of my favorites. It's full of suspense and action. Catching Fire is also full of violence. There is no bad language and it's pretty clean. I really enjoyed reading this book and it's one to remember. Suzanne Collins described how the government in Panem has way too much power. They control everything and what everyone is and isn't allowed to do.

Once you start reading it, you're not going to want to stop. There were some parts in the book that made me want to scream because the characters were so stupid. However, I guess you learn to find out that what some of them did was for the better.

Grade: A-