Divergent

I absolutely loved Divergent! It was charged with energy and mystery all the way through and I literally could not put it down. It is about a girl who lives in a society where on your 16^th birthday you have to choose one of five traits that you feel you are most like and then go into a part of the city where everyone has the same traits as you. But Beatrice does not fit into any of these sections, and because of that, every move she makes could be her last. This is a book filled with suspense, mystery, and romance and definitely worth your time to read.

Jenna, 14

A Tale of Two Castles

In A Tale of Two Castles, Gail Carson Levine, author of the award winning Ella Enchanted, tells a fairy tale with a mysterious twist. Elodie’s dreams of becoming a famous actress are thrown off course and it will take an observant dragon, a misunderstood ogre, and a thieving cat trainer to help her find something she loves even more. Readers who love humor and suspense will be begging for more!

Maddie, 12

Z. Raptor

I think Z. Raptor was amazing. I think that it is awesome because it takes a crazy computer program with Jurassic park and combines it. The first reason I like it is because it is fast-paced like the Alex Rider books. Z Raptor also leaves you guessing like a lot of the good mystery books in the world.

It had an awesome twist in the book that you would never imagine.

Ben, 12

Epic Fail

Epic Fail is an amazing story of the stereotypes that all kids, preschool to high school, have to face in their lives and that if you judge someone as soon as you see them you won't know who they really are. I think that this story tells you to not judge a book by its cover and care about what's on the inside not on the outside. The problems that they face are all because they quickly form judgments of people that they don't even know because of what they seem like when really there is a lot more that the outside doesn't show you, a lot more that you have to dig deep to uncover. I think that this is a terrific book and that if you have the chance you should read it.

Chiaki, 12

The Near Witch

The Near Witch was really great. It grabs you right from the beginning and never lets you go. It is a story of romance, mystery and the paranormal and I found it intriguing. It all starts when a stranger shows up in the town of Near. The next night children start to go missing. Lexi is terrified for her own little sister Wren and is desperate to find out who is taking the kids. Slowly she befriends the stranger and together they begin to search for clues. It’s a really great book that I would recommend to everyone who likes paranormal books. 

Jenna, 14

Eternal

I found Eternal to be a little bit boring and very confusing sinse I did not realize that it was part of a series. It is about a girl and her friends who have magical powers. Their school is a place filled with dark magic and they must fight against it all the time. It was a slow read and I would recommend that you read the prequel first.

Jenna, 14

Entwined

Entwined, based on the story of the twelve dancing princesses, was a very fun and fast moving read. I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters and was heartbroken when I reached the end. It is about a princess named Azalea and her 11 younger sisters. After their mother dies they are forced to go into mourning for a year, which means that they can’t dance. But soon after they discover a magical passage way that leads them to a castle. The man who owns that castle lets them dance there, but slowly and surely he is wrapping them up in a web of lies that will have deadly consequences.

Jenna, 14

Joseph's Grace

Joseph's Grace was a very good read. The one qualm I have is the length. It is a very, very short book, but the content is definitely inappropriate for anyone under the age of ten. Kids in the intended age range may want something longer. However, the language is very rich and it is very accurate about conveying real world topics. 

Andrew, 11

Shooting Kabul

In Shooting Kabul, Fadi’s family flee in the night to escape their home in Afghanistan to move to Fremont, California. It is hard for Fadi to adapt to life in America, especially with his sister left behind in Kabul. His only chance at finding her lies with a photo contest, for which the prize is a trip to India. This book is full of information on the Afghan culture, and also full of emotional insights that anyone from any culture can relate to. Fadi, as a narrator, is almost naïve as he tells of events at school and at home. 

Megan, 13

The Vespertine

I enjoyed The Vespertine though I found it to be very verbose. Often times I found myself bored with the way that it was written. Once I got about halfway into it the story grabbed hold of me and I forgot about the writing. The plot is about a girl who goes to Baltimore in the summer of 1889 to find herself a suitable husband. But once there she discovers a power that she never knew she had, the power to see the future. That and the fact that there is a man that is strictly under her stature to date, much less marry, who has taken her heart will make it a very interesting summer indeed.

Jenna, 14

Withering Tights

I so disliked Withering Tights. I found the characters to be boring and one-sided--very stereotypical teenage girls. I found the writing to be boring and uninteresting. I would not recommend it to people unless you have read and enjoyed her other books. 

Jenna, 14