The Key and the Flame

The Key and The Flame by Claire M. Caterer; reviewed by Frances D.


"In this book, an American girl, Holly, and her family move to England for a Summer. Right as she arrives at her new house, and old man appears and gives her a key. She accepts it, just to be polite, but later finds herself curious. Holly walks around in the woods and eventually finds a tree that calls to her, so she inserts the key into the bark and a whole new world appears. But, she is quickly interrupted by her new neighbor, Elliot, who demands to know what's going on. Soon, her little brother Ben also wants to be a part of the adventure, so they find themselves embarking on a journey. After going through a few trees, they end up in a world that's in trouble and needs their help. Along the way, they discover many new things about the worlds beyond their own. This was a very exciting story that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure novels." - Frances D.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here...but you have to wait until April of next year to read the whole book! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Breathe (Frances)

Breathe by Sarah Crossan; reviewed by Frances D.


"This novel is about a post apocalyptic society wherein breathing is no longer a given. Each person is given a certain amount of oxygen per month, and if they go over that amount they must pay extra. Everyone lives in a dome where exercising is illegal, unless you're rich (Premium) and can afford the gym. A poor girl, Bea, is friends with a Premium, Quinn. He decides to take her out of the dome on a camping trip, and they run into a beautiful girl who's escaping the government, then Quinn decides to aid her. While with the girl, Alina, they discover that the government has been hiding the truth from everyone, in order to stay powerful and rich. The three of them, together with a movement called the Resistance, attempt to overthrow the government and restore the world to its former glory. I thought this book showed an interesting and new view on dystopias in general. I enjoyed this book a lot, it was impossible to put down." - Frances D.


If this book sounds good to you, you have to wait until October, but in the meantime you can read more about it here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Survive

Survive by Alex Morel; reviewed by Gabby R.


"Survive by Alex Morel is about Jane, a teenage girl who has lived in a mental institution for a couple of years because of her attempted suicide that followed shortly after her fathers suicide on Christmas eve. She has earned enough "points" from her doctor to go home and visit her mother for christmas, but Jane doesn't plan to get off the plane alive. She creates a plan to die while on the plane, but her plan is stopped when the pilot loses control in a storm. The plane violently crashes in the middle of snowy, mountainous, and stormy wilderness. Her and the one other surviver, a 20 year old named Paul have to try to fight their way to survive.
Alex Morel describes an unrelatable situation in such a way that I found i could completely understand how Jane and Paul felt at each moment. It was a great story of emotional and physical development of both characters. I would recommend this amazing story to all teenagers who like adventure, and survival stories like Hatchet. I would give Survive a definite thumbs up." - Gabby R.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Flash Point

Flash Point by Nancy Cress; reviewed by Frances D.


"Flash Point is about the United States after a severe failure of our economy. Almost everyone one is broke, and people will do anything for money, even take a job from a sketchy television channel. Amy, a teenage girl, has no choice but to provide for her grandma and younger sister. Her grandma is too sick to do any kind of work and her sister can't be tied down long enough to keep a job. Desperate for money, Amy applies for a job at TLN, a big television network. By the end of her interview, she has no idea of what kind of job they're offering, only that it pays a lot of money. So, of course, when they offer her the job, she accepts. It only gets worse from there. Flash Point is a very interesting book that was nearly impossible to put down. It's full of surprising plot twists that really keep you turning the pages." - Frances D.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Other Normals

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini; reviewed by Frances D.


"This book is about a geeky boy, Perry Eckert, who has nothing in life but the role playing game Creatures and Caverns, until he meets a fellow Creatures and Caverns player, Sam. They become friends, playing all day, skipping classes. Once Perry's parents figure out, they send him to a summer camp to get a "real" life experience. Shortly after he arrives at camp, weird things start happening and he gets puled into a strange new world, slowly realizing the real value of life as he goes on other-worldly adventures. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was funny and romantic, as well as adventurous and exciting." - Frances D.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Sapphire Blue

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier; reviewed by Hannie R.

"Gwen never wanted to be the Ruby, she never wanted to be able to time-travel, and she never wanted to be part of the circle of 12. The worst part is that no one will tell her anything, she has to figure out the mystery of her powers and the circle with only the help of an annoying ghost, her grandpa from the past (long story), and of course her mystery loving best friend. All while dealing with a sexist count who may be able to control minds, a very confusing relationship, a snotty cousin, trips to the past to collect blood from other time travelers, and of course homework. At least the dresses she gets to wear during trips to the past are beautiful. Suspense, pretty dresses, humor, romance, and adventure. This book has everything you could want, it may even be better than Ruby Red (the first book in the trilogy). Kerstin's book is impossible to put down you'll find yourself reading until 3 in the morning cause you just need to see what happens next. I highly recommend it." - Hannie R.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

172 Hours on the Moon

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad; reviewed by Gaby R.


"172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad is about three teenagers who are chosen via a worldwide lottery to go to the moon. They will be the youngest people to ever go to the moon, but the trip quickly becomes  a lot less pleasant than expected. They soon find the reason why nobody had visited the moon since the first moon landing. I found the characters to be relatable, and Johan Harstad vividly describes places and feelings throughout the book. It was very fun to read because it had such a good plot line. I would recommend this thriller to both girls and boys, from 13 to 17 who love mysteries or action stories." - Gaby R.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Monument 14

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne; reviewed by Edward D.


"In a book by Emmy Laybourne, Monument 14, 14 kids are trapped inside a superstore while a series of natural and man made disasters tears apart the US. Inside the store is a safe haven and a new home for the kids. They must learn how to organize themselves in order to survive. This book was a really good read and makes you wonder what you would do during a complete catastrophe. Overall I would recommend this book as a good summer read." - Edward D.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

No Safety in Numbers

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz; reviewed by Edward D.


"No Safety In Numbers is a book by Dayna Lorentz. In the book a biological weapons traps thousands of people in a mall with no contact from the outside world. The story is told from the point of view of several teenagers trying to make sense of their situation. This book was a very enthralling and suspenseful read. The plot had many twists and turns and I look forward to the sequel. Additionally I would highly recommend this book to other teens." - Edward D.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Just a Dog

Just a Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer; reviewed by Sarah S.

"Mr. Mosley is not just a dog to Corey Ingram.  In Just A Dog there are happy, sad , funny and weird stories about Mr. Mosely. It is a great book about stories of the Ingram family and of Mr. Mosely, their dog. I liked it because the story has an unexpected twist when Mr. Mosely was a puppy to when he was an old dog.  I enjoyed the story all the way through.  It had twists, turns and a good ending. For people who like dogs or animals it is something to look out for." - Sarah S.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. Just a Dog will be available in December 2012. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Flora Segunda

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce; reviewed by Isabelle W.

"Flora Segunda is a fantastic book written by Ysabeau s. Wilce. It is about a girl named Flora who does not want to go to her traditional Catorcena (which is a ceremony that everyone in Flora's family do when they turn 14). Then her butler Valefor takes all of her will, which is her magic. She tries to get her magic back by going to another butler to get a spell that would help her. If she is too late, she becomes see-through and very thin. I really love this book, and I recommend that you read it. I love how the author made her characters seem real. I hope you enjoy it if you read it because it is a truly amazing book." - Isabelle W.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Paladin Prophecy

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost; reviewed by Cecily B.

"The Paladin Prophecy is a book about a guy named Will and his friends Brooke, Elise, Ajay and Nick. It takes place in a school, for people with weird abilities, called The Center. While in The Center, Will and his friends find about a secret group called The Knights of Charlemagne. A member of this group has implanted a machine into Will's parents, which makes them do the bidding of the Knights. So the Knights, and his parents, are trying to kill him but he needs to find out why. No spoilers here so I won't tell you why but I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes science-fiction and/or adventure." - Cecily B.

To find out more about this book, read more here. This book will hit the shelves in late September. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Peculiar

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann; reviewed by Cecily B.

"The Peculiar is a book about a changeling boy named Bartholomew and a human man named Mr. Jelliby. This book takes place after the faeries and changelings have left their home-world and resettled in London and Bath . One day, they receive the shocking news that nine changelings have been found dead. Soon after, Bartholomew finds out that his sister, Hettie, has been taken captive by the killers of those nine changelings. He joins up with Mr. Jelliby to try to save his sister, and the world.  This is a very interesting and well-written  book. I would recommend The Peculiar to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure." - Cecily B.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This book will be available in September of this year. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Nerve

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan; reviewed by Hannie R.

"Nerve. The game seems innocent enough, just a couple of kids doing dares on a TV show to win prizes. That's all an illusion. The makers of Nerve are willing to go to any lengths to get the humor, entertainment, and drama they need for the show to make money. They are evil and slightly insane, but will Vee realize it before it's too late? And if the Vee does realize it will she be able to stop what's planned, and convince the game's other players that Nerve is evil? Nerve is an creepy yet amazing book that shows just how much people are willing to do for money and prizes. I couldn't stop reading, Jeanne Ryan is a great writer and Nerve is a great book, I HAD to see how it ended." - Hannie R.

This book is available in September, and you can find out more here in the meantime. This book is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Eve and Adam

Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant; reviewed by Alleana A.

"Evening Spiker (E.V. or Eve for short), is thinking about an apple when she crosses the street and is hit by a car. The next thing she knows, she’s in the hospital with a broken leg, a “flattened” arm, and some bumps and bruises listening to her mother argue with a doctor. Her mother, Terra Spiker, known to her employees as “Terror” Spiker, wants to take her out of the hospital, and the doctor insists that if she does, she’ll die. However, wielding superior money and power, her mother wins the argument. The doctor insists that, “If she dies, it’s on you,” and Solo, a boy about her age who works for her mother, gets her out of the hospital and into an ambulance outside. When Eve arrives at Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, she receives an fourteen hour operation. Bored in recovery, her mom gives her a project – use her technology to design the perfect boy. But when Eve begins to design Adam, she has no idea what she’s getting into. There are secrets she doesn’t know about piling up around her ears." - Alleana A.


This book doesn't hit shelves until October, but you can find out more here. This book is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Gap Year

The Gap Year by Sarah Bird; reviewed by Sydney M.

"The story of the disappearing relationship between Cam and Aubrey is told from two sides: Cam, the overprotective mother and Aubrey, the freedom seeking teenager. As Aubrey begins to change her style and persona she grows close to Tyler, the school’s star football player. Aubrey’s changes in social status and friends also distance her from her mother. She would just like some space but feels Cam is overbearing and too protective. Cam sees these changes in Aubrey as a turn for the worse and the more she pushes to rekindle her relationship with her daughter the more Aubrey pulls away. Will Cam’s pushing be enough to drive Aubrey away for good? Find out in Sarah Bird’s The Gap Year." - Sydney M.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This book is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Story of Us

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti; reviewed by Sydney M.

"Cricket’s life is in chaos. Her long term relationship with Janssen is on the rocks and her mother is about to wed yet another man she has become engaged with. As Cricket tries to decide the fate of her relationship with Janssen she also needs to help out with her mom’s wedding and make sure she doesn’t get cold feet, yet again.  In Deb Caletti’s The Story of Us, Cricket’s beliefs are tested with the strain of family and relationships. Also, as she gets to know Ash, the boy living in the house she is staying in, will she be loyal to Janssen or start a new relationship altogether?  Read to find out the fate of Cricket’s relationships and family." - Sydney M.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Pretty Crooked

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig; reviewed by Sydney M.

"After many years of moving, Willa’s mother finally makes it as an artist so they begin their lives afresh in the rich suburbs of Arizona. When Willa begins to attend the fancy private school in their new neighborhood, she is instantly accepted by the Glitterati, the school’s popular crowd. While Willa’s star is rising at her new school she decides to use her new-found power for the benefit of those less fortunate, by spreading the wealth. When the cops begin to take notice of the thefts happing to the richer kids and the mysterious gifts being sent to the scholarship kids, will Willa get caught? Elisa Ludwig’s novel Pretty Crooked tells Willa’s story of how good intentions aren’t always right." - Sydney M.


If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This is another review of a book that isn't out until February, but we're excited for it to hit the shelves. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.