The Frenzy

Title: The Frenzy
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Language: PG-13 (several f's)
Content: PG-13
Level: Highschool
Recommendation: Not in this library

Love is a werewolf, influenced by the moon and terror, and always about to change.

Summary: Liv has a secret.

Something happened to her when she was thirteen. Something that changed everything. Liv knows she doesn’t belong anymore—not in her own skin, not in her family . . . not anywhere. The only time she truly feels like herself is when she’s with her boyfriend, Corey, and in the woods that surround her town.

But in the woods, a mysterious woman watches Liv. In the woods, a pack of wild boys lurks. In the woods, Liv learns about the curse that will haunt her forever. The curse that caused the frenzy four years ago. And that may cause it again, all too soon.

While Corey and Liv’s love binds them together, Liv’s dark secret threatens to tear them apart as she struggles to understand who—or what—she really is.

Review:   I was excited to read this one.  However, I was completely disappointed.  The story line is filled with terrible things that happen to Liv and her friends, but the story for many of the characters stops short without a real close to their story. The whole story felt rushed and full of holes which the author tried to fill in with inappropriate scenes between teens. Not in my library.

Breathe

Title: Breathe
Author: Sarah Crossan
Pages: 384
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Inhale. Exhale.  Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . . The world is dead.  The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen–rich air.

Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful. Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her. Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl. And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Review: Another take on the dystopian genre - based on the precept that all vegetation as been killed out, and without BREATHE and their oxygen under the "dome" - there is no air to breathe.  Told from 3 different viewpoints, I had a hard time connecting with each character.    The action packed first chapter was great, but I had a hard time staying interested when the action died down.  Boys and girls who are fans of the dystopian genre will like this book.

Boundless

Title: Boundless

Author: Cynthia Hand
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read


Summary: The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she's headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny.

Review: This is another great angel series and I would not hesitate to read another book written by Cynthia Hand. This series is just a really good story, it doesn't have the more mature content in it that makes you think twice about recommending it.  The main character Clara is strong with a lot of fight in her.  She doesn't play by anyone's rules, but her own, not even angel rules. This is a good read for your Twilight or Hush Hush fans.

Bunheads

Title: Bunheads
Author: Sophie Flack
Pages: 294
Language: PG13 (10 swears, 5 "f")
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:  In a crowd of beautiful ballet dancers, how can one girl stand out?  As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances, and complicated backstage relationships. But when she meets a spontaneous and irresistibly cute musician named Jacob, her universe begins to change.

Until now, Hannah has happily followed the company's unofficial mantra, "Don't think, just dance." But as Jacob opens her eyes to the world beyond the theater, Hannah must decide whether to compete against the other "bunheads" for a star soloist spot or to strike out on her own.

Review: Where 'Bunheads' really shines is in setting the scene for Hannah and her world. Flack brings a professional eye to the story, showing us a world filled both with grueling monotony and moments of wonder found on the stage. This book reminds readers of the stamina and strength that makes every ballet look effortless on stage. 'Bunheads' is a beautiful example of the bravery it takes to dedicate years to a specific plan only to choose a completely different path leading into uncharted territory. A good read for anyone trying to strike out on their own--even if they don't know exactly where they will be striking just yet.

Wonder

Title: Wonder
Author: R. J. Palacio
Pages: 310
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Upper Elementary/Middle/High School
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.   August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

Review: I can't say enough about this book!  I wish every LA class could read this outloud so that all students could see how their actions can hurt, hinder, or help their peers, and how Kindness can change lives.  I wanted to write down quote after quote of this book.  Although August is a young boy, readers of all ages can enjoy this book.

Altered

Title: Altered
Author: Jennifer Rush
Pages: 323
Language: PG13/R (15+ swears, 8 "f")
Content: PG13/R (violence)
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good read, but optional

Summary: They were made to forget. But they'll never forgive.Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch, at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart. On the run, with her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Review:  Although told from Anna's point of view, this story has enough action, adventure, mystery, and violence for a male audience.  The story captivated me from the beginning, and I had to finish the book!  The plot kept twisting and turning, and I found myself hoping to find out more information about the characters and their past.  I would love to recommend this book to readers galore, if only there weren't so much violence (shooting) and swearing.

Withering Tights

Title: Withering Tights
Author: Louise Rennison
Pages: 304
Language: PG
Content: PG/PG13
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Reccomendation: Optional

Summary:  Wow. This is it. This is me growing up. On my own, going to Performing Arts College. This is good-bye, Tallulah, you long, gangly thing, and helloooooo, Lullah, star of stage.

Tallulah Casey is ready to find her inner artist. And some new mates. And maybe a boy or two or three. She's bound for a performing arts program in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales—eerily similar to the windswept moors of Wuthering Heights.

Acting? Tights? Moors? Check, check, check.  Louise Rennison returns with her trademark wit, a hilarious new cast, and a heroine who is poised to discover plenty of opportunities for (mis)adventure!

Review: I haven't read the other series by Louise Rennison, but I had heard that this was as "hilarious" as her other series was.  Maybe I just don't get British humor, as I didn't find it as funny as the reviews had said it was going to, but I had to keep reading...kind of like the quote in the book, "Watching you is like watching someone whose pants are on fire.  Stragely fascinating, keep it up".    This book is truly light reading. It is full of nonsensical ramblings from the mind of 14-year-old Tallulah, most of it over the top. There was very little plot around Tallulah and how she interacts with friends and local boys.  Her obsession with her small "corkers" and knobby knees got very old and I have to wonder if all 14 year old girls are that obsessed with their bodies. 

Finale

Title: Finale
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages:464
Level: Middle School/High School
Recommendation: Good Read



Summary:
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want.

Review:
I was sad to see this series come to an end. As the fourth book in the series I didn't find it as intriguing as the other three books, but it did provide closure. This is definitely an essential series for any library collection. You quickly fall in love with the characters and want to know what happens to them.

 

Off Side

Title: Off Side
Author: M. G. Higgins
Pages: 109
Content: PG13
Language: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Between finishing late school projects and looking after her brothers and sister, Faith Patel barely has time to play soccer. And when she's at practice, surrounded by girls who can afford to play in club leagues, she doesn't even feel like part of the team. So when Coach Berg starts to give Faith extra attention, she feels . . . really special.   It might be crazy, but suddenly Faith has a crush on her coach. Can she keep her head in the game? The situation gets worse after Faith's frenemy Caitlyn decides that Faith's getting special treatment. Will Caitlyn tell the rest of the team—and make Faith into a total outcast? 

Review: A short, easy read for teens who love sports. Common teen issues are presented and dealt with as Faith tried to continue doing what she loves - playing soccer. Although some of the issues may be too mature for younger readers, the storyline is presented an interesting way to keep the reader involved in Faith's story.

Riptide

Title: Riptide
Author: Lindsey Scheibe
Pages: 288
Language: PG13
Content: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  For Grace Parker, surfing is all about the ride and the moment. Everything else disappears. She can forget that her best friend, Ford Watson, has a crush on her that she can’t reciprocate. She can forget how badly she wants to get a surf scholarship to UC San Diego. She can forget the pressure of her parents’ impossibly high expectations.  When Ford enters Grace into a surf competition— the only way she can impress the UCSD surfing scouts—she has one summer to train and prepare. Will she gain everything she’s ever wanted or lose the only things that ever mattered?

Review: This book was a fun change from the dystopian genre that is so popular right now.  Although I know absolutely nothing about the surfing world, I was drawn into the life that Grace leads and the love that she has for the sport.  Dealing with pressures from school, parents, friends, and surfing buddies, teen readers can identify with Grace and the decisions that she must make.

I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior

Title: I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior
Author: Howards Wasdin
Pages: 192
Language: PG13
Content: PG13
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  FOR YOUNG READERS—A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE BESTSELLER, SEAL TEAM SIX.  When the Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six—a secret unit made up of the finest soldiers in the country, if not the world. I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior is the dramatic tale of how Howard Wasdin overcame a tough childhood to live his dream and enter the exciting and dangerous world of U.S. Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers.  His training began with his selection for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S)—the toughest and longest military training in the world. After graduating, Wasdin saw combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. But he was driven to be the best of the best—he wanted to join the legendary SEAL Team Six, and at long last he reached his goal and became one of the best snipers on the planet. Soon he was fighting for his life in The Battle of Mogadishu. This is Howard Wasdin's story of overcoming abuse and beating the odds to become an elite American warrior.

Review: I was suprised at the limited swearing and graphic content that was in this book, considering the topic.  The book follows an elite Seal from youth to adulthood, following his training and career as a SEAL.  I knew that Seal Team Six was the best of the best, but it was unbelieveable to read all the rigorous training that Wasdin endured. This book offers a unique view into a very specialized world.

Tokyo Heist

Title: Tokyo Heist
Author: Diana Renn
Pages: 364
Content: PG
Language: PG
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: The perfect mystery for fans of Ally Carter's Heist Society. When sixteen-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she's walking into. Her father's newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger—including Violet's and her father's.  Violet's search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery thickens, Violet's not sure whom she can trust. But she knows one thing: she has to solve the mystery—before it's too late.

Review: Refreshingly clean!  Great book for kids who love Manga or mystery!  Twists and turns in the plot keep the reader guessing.  Well written and fun to read.

Catching Jordan

Title: Catching Jordan
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Pages: 281
Content: PG13
Language: PG13/R (40+ swears, 10 "f")
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though- she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line? "A beautiful novel with a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, Catching Jordan shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football."

Review: Loved the storyline, hated the language.  I realize that this book centers around sports, but it is full of locker room talk.  I was disappointed in the amount of swearwords, "f" words, but mostly how casual the topic of sex is handled.  I wish the story could be re-written for a more conservative audience, because the story and the issues in this book are great.

The Tribe: Homeroom Headhunters

Title: The Tribe: Homeroom Headhunters
Author: Clay Chapman
Level: Middle/High School
Content: PG
Language: PG
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: All Schools are the same and Spencer Pendleton expects no less from Greenfield Middle. But Spencer hasn’t met them yet—the Tribe, a group of runaway students who secretly own the school. They live off cafeteria food and wield weapons made out of everyday school supplies. Strangely, no one seems to know they exist, except for Spencer. And the group wants him to join their ranks. All he has to do is pass the initiations...and leave his mother and life behind. Can Spencer go through with it? Better yet, what will happen if he says no?
Review:   A new students at a school, the main character confronts bullying head on!  Feeling alone, he finds a missing poster of "Sully".  Turns out Sully isn't really missing!  She has joined a tribe/gang of students who aren't missing at all, but taking revenge on those who treated them badly at school!  An interesting read for anyone who deals with middle school kids, teasing, or bullying!  Although retaliation may not be the best avenue to deal with unfair treatment, the book opens eyes to the world of bullying and hurt feelings.