Michael Vey, Prisoner of Cell 25

Title: Michael Vey, The Prisoner of Cell 25
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Pages: 326
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story. To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

Review: I was hesitant to read this new series from Richard Paul Evans, as it is quite a departure from his normal work. I was pleasantly surprised. The storyline was interesting, and it was refreshing to read a fantasy book that departs from all the rest. Great book for boys and girls alike.

Low Red Moon

Title: Low Red Moon
Author: Ivy Devlin
Pages: 244
Language: PG
Content: PG-13
Level: Middle/High
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: Avery witnessed her parents' death-but as much as she wants to remember who killed them, her mind is a blank. Then Avery meets Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels an intense connection. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him-until she learns that he, too, can't remember the night her parents died. This must-read for teen paranormal fans combines the breathless romance of Twilight with a moving tale of loss-and a compelling mystery to boot.

Review: This book reminded me of a lower level "Twilight" but with wovles . . . .There is quite a bit of violence in the book. I had a hard time finishing this book, even knowing that there would be a twist at the end. It is an easy read though, for students who need a simple book.

The Scorpio Races

Title:The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Pages: 404
Language: PG
Maturity: PG13
Level: High School/Middle School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:
Some race to win. Others race to survive.It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

Review: I wish I had known more about the legend of Water Horses before I read the book, because I kept getting a little confused at the first, because I wasn't sure what water horses really were. I did really love the characters though, and the internal struggles I they go through! There is a lot of violence though in this book, as water horses tend to "eat people" . . . . but the book is filled with intense moments, great characters, and lots of adventure!!!

Outlaw

Title: Outlaw
Author: Stephen Davies:
Pages: 286
Languge: PG
Maturity: PG
Level: Middle School, High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: A high-tension, high-tech thriller with an African setting. Jake and his sister, Kas, whose father is the British ambassador to Burkina Faso, are abducted, bundled into a van, and driven into the unknown. In smartphone contact with his father, Jake learns that the kidnapper with the spider web tattoo is the remorseless outlaw Yakuuba Sor, who is connected to an international terrorist organization. But is he the real Yakuuba Sor? And is Sor really a dangerous criminal? In this fast-paced tale laced with trickery and murder, Jake and Kas discover that with the corrupt local government and British Intelligence arrayed against them, survival in the African desert may be the least of their problems. Includes an afterword.

Review: Good read. I enjoyed the plot in this book. I just wish I had read it on an e-reader to look up pronunciations and definitions of a lot of the African words used in this book. The cover may throw a lot of people off, but the book really is a good read, especially for boys.

Dead To You

Title: Dead To You
Author: Lisa McMann
Pages: 243
Language: PG13
Maturity: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Review: This realistic story had me involved from the start. I enjoyed the story, and how each character came to terms with the issued they had been dealing with when Ethan was abducted and shows back up.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Title: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
Author: Joe Schreiber
Pages: 190
Language: PG 13
Maturity: PG 13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Ferris Bueller meets La Femme Nikita in this funny, action-packed young adult novel.It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a muchanticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag.Infused with capers, car chases, heists, hits, henchmen, and even a bear fight, this story mixes romance, comedy, and tragedy in a true teen coming-of-age adventure—and it’s not over until it’s “au revoir.”

Review: I seriously thought this was going to be a "chick flick", based on the picture on the cover. I soon realized though, that this was a high intensity, action packed thriller that boys would enjoy! A young man's world is turned upside down as he is involved with an assassin who is not who he thinks!!! The language was a little more than I care for, but for guys who love action, this is a great read.

Desert Angel

Title: Desert Angel
Author: Charlie Price
Pages: 233
Language: PG (20+ no "F")
Maturity: PG 13
Violence: PG 13
Recommendation: Good Read
Level: High School

Summary:Fourteen-year-old Angel wakes up one morning at her desert trailer home to discover her mother has been murdered by a lowlife named Scotty, who has vanished. Angel has no water, no weapon, but she knows that Scotty, an expert tracker and hunter, will surface soon in order to eliminate her as a witness. She has to run, to disappear, if she is to survive and tell the world what happened. Her flight takes her through a harsh landscape to places she never expected to be, forcing her to trust others for the first time and strengthening her in ways she doesn’t even anticipate . . . until it’s time to take a stand.

Review: This book was not what I had anticipated, based on the covwer. But I enjoyed the story. I love Angel and the drive she has to keep going, although giving up would be much easier. I loved the characters who took her in and loved her, showing her that all hope was not lost. There are some violent scenes, so readers beware!!!

Entwined

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Pages: 472
Content: PG (some violence)
Language: G
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it’s taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest, but there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Review: This book was a good read. A twist on The Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book takes you through a magical, although run down, castle where twelve sister deal with both grief and love. Filled with suspense, romance, and mystery, the book was an enjoyable read.

The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault in our Stars
Author: John Green
Pages:313
Language: PG13 (63 light swears, 5 major swears)
Maturity: PG13
Content: PG/PG13
Level: High School/Middle School
Recommendation: Must Read but Optional

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Review: The summary above does not do this book justice. I was hesitant to read this book due to content matter of other books by this author. I picked the book up anticipating that it would not get a good review . . ..but I have to tell it how it is. I fell in love with the characters in this book. I laughed, I cried, I cherished moments that the characters had, and I had to keep reading to see what would happen to these delightful young people. The only downer - - - language. There were a lot of swear words. (Probably not considered bad if you didn't live in a conservative town. . . but I do.) I would be very hesitant to recommend this book to conservative readers. So . . . .great story, amazing characters, beautifully told, but . . .reader beware.