Every Day

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Pages: 322
Language: PG13
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: There’s never a warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.  It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

Review: Risky book.  This book doesn't adhere to the status quo when it comes to romance - this book covers all types of people and is not for conservative readers.  Anyone who reads this book needs to have an open mind with the incredibly new twist the author uses to touch on relationships of every type.  An interesting concept that left me wondering what will really happen to A.

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.

Stronger

Title: Stronger
Author: Michael Carroll
Pages: 370
Level: Middle School/High School
Language: G
Content: PG (violence)
Recommendation: Good Read For Guys

Summary:  The critically acclaimed Super Human series reaches its shocking conclusion.  All Gethin Rao wants is to be like every other boy his age. But normal twelve-year-olds aren't blue. And they certainly aren't thirteen feet tall. That's what happens when his superpowers kick in. And from that moment on, his life is never the same. Treated as a villain—a monster—Gethin spends the rest of his life on the run or as a prisoner in a secret military facility.

When he finally escapes, he falls in with a group of superpowered teens and becomes the one thing he never thought he'd be: a hero. But as the years pass by and he takes the name Brawn, Gethin learns that being a good guy is a lot more difficult than he thought.

Review: Think comic book in novel form.  Readers who enjoy comics and superheros will be drawn into this book.  Although at times the book seemed disjointed, due to flashbacks of how Brawn became super human, I wanted to know what happened to him!  I read this book, even though I hadn't read any of the other Super Human books,  but am now intrigued to read more.

Chronal Engine

Title: Chronal Engine
Author: Greg Leitich Smith
Pages: 192
Language: G
Content: G (complex themes)
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: When Max, Kyle, and Emma are sent to live with their reclusive grandfather, they think he's crazy, especially when he tells them about his time machine.  But after Emma is kidnapped at the exact time that her grandfather predicted, Max and Kyle are forced to believe his eccentric stories--even the one about the Chronal Engine in the basement.


Now, to save Emma, Max, Kyle, and their new friend Petra must pile into a VW Bug, and use the Chronal Engine to take the road trip of a lifetime--right back to the Cretaceous period.  With dangers all around, the teens find themselves dodging car-crushing herbivores in addition to the terrifying T. Rex.  In this ancient environment, can three contemporary teens hunt down a kidnapper, forage for food, and survive long enough to return home?

Review:  This book has a very basic plot, simple characters, and unique interest levels.  However, it does have a LOT of scientific lingo regarding the study of dinosaurs which can be a pro and a con.  I would recommend this novel for a young reader who loves the idea of time travel and/or dinosaurs.   As a bonus feature for the young reader, this novel also includes anime-like pictures every few pages.  It helps any reader visualize the characters and situations.

The Obsidian Blade

Title: The Obsidian Blade
Author: Pete Hautman
Pages: 320
Language: G
Content: PG (complex themes)
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: The first time Tucker saw the disk, his father disappeared into thin air.  The Reverend Adrian Feye had climbed onto the roof to fix a loose shingle -- and suddenly he was gone.  An hour later, the Reverend came walking up the road, tattered and sunburned, bringing with him an unspeaking, yellow-haired, dark-eyed girl.  He refused to say where he had been, instead declaring that there would be no more prayer in the Feye house: He had lost his faith.


Now Tucker's family is unraveling.  The Reverend spends hours brooding in his study.  Tucker's once warmhearted and loving mother withdraws from the world, claiming she doesn't care to be watched by ghosts.  And, above them, the unearthly disk comes and goes.


Then, one day, both of Tucker's parents vanish.


From the distant past to an even more distant and terrifying future, Tucker desperately searches for his parents -- and discovers the astonishing secrets of the Klaatu diskos.


Review: This book is very innovative as far as the plot line is concerned.  Pete Hautman's novels always reflect his innovative imagination.  However interesting the plot is, the lack of character development detracts from it.  I found Tucker, the main character, to be somewhat flat, and the secondary characters are not developed as well.  60+ pages into the novel, I was still unsure as to what the book was about besides questioning one's faith and the destruction of a family unit.  Hautman does his best to keep the reader involved, but I am afraid that the average middle school or high school student would get bored before the novel truly takes off.  I would still recommend this novel to any science-fiction lovers or readers who are interested in the idea of a not-so-distant unhappy future.

Nine's Legacy (Novella)

 

Title: I Am Number Four: The Lost Files, Nine's Legacy

Author: Pittacus Lore
Pages: 96
Language: PG
Maturity: PG13 (Violent)
Recommendation: Definitely

Level: Middle School/High School

Summary: In this novella, Number Nine is introduced and his background comes into perspective. Number Nine and his Cepan live a luxurious life in a Chicago penthouse where they spend their days training to defeat the Mogadorians. But when a mysterious girl enters Nine's life everything gets turned around.

Review: I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into Nine's head. I loved his mysteriousness when he was released in The Power of Six and was apprehensive to see how he became so "kick-butt". Reading this novella turned out to be the right decision. The growth of Nine from the beginning to the end is amazing and seeing how he became the strong character that we get a glimpse of in The Power of Six really whets your appetite for the third installment in the Lorien Legacies. 

Six's Legacy (Novella)

 

Title: I Am Number Four: The Lost Files, Six's Legacy

Author: Pittacus Lore
Pages: 87
Language: PG
Maturity: PG13 (Violent)
Recommendation: Definitely

Level: Middle School/High School

Summary: How did Number Six get so powerful? Where did she learn to control her legacies so magnificently? In this novella we discover what is behind Number Six, what happened to her cepan, and how she managed to meet and save John just when he needed it. 

Review: Honestly, the majority of the information in this novella is depicted in The Power of Six, but I would definitely read it anyway. The actual events that Six describes to John and Sam are told from Six's point of view and are much more detailed. In fact, if you haven't read The Power of Six, I suggest reading this first as you will go into book two with a better understanding of what Six has been through. I enjoyed this novella and can't wait to read about Number Nine!


Note: As far as I can tell, this is only available electronically.

The Power of Six

Title: The Power of Six
Author: Pittacus Lore
Pages: 416
Language: PG
Maturity: PG13 (Violent)
Recommendation: Definitely

Level: Middle School/High School

Summary: In this thrilling second installment in the Lorien Legacies Series, we follow Sam, John and Six as they try and stay ahead of the Mogadorians and the FBI. Their goal: find the remaining four before the Mogadorians do. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Number Seven who is convinced John Smith is one of the Garde, but is stuck in Spain with a Cepan who has forgotten her reasoning for being on Earth. With love twists, epic battles and devoted friendship, this book is a definite page turner that will leave you wanting!

Review: Amazing sequel! I've decided that Six is probably one of my favorite book characters of all time. In this book, we learn more about Six's past and how she became the kick-butt girl we now know. I also enjoyed being introduced to Marina (Number Seven) and loved following another point of view from a different member of the Garde. If you liked I Am Number Four, then you will thoroughly enjoy The Power of Six!

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.

Girls Don't Fly

Title: Girls Don't Fly
Author: Kristen Chandler
Pages: 288
Content: PG
Language: PG/PG 13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers, overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would've a few months earlier: quitting her job, applying for a scholarship to study birds in the Galapogos, and falling for a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . . and fly.

Set in the Salt Lake City area, Girls Don't Fly is full of intelligence, humor, and is a refreshing change of pace for teen readers.

Review: This book touches on the sensitive subjects of out-of-wed-lock pregnancy and the rumors/consequences that follow decisions that lead to pregnancy. The storyline is great though!! I enjoyed following the evolution of the main character in this story, and how she learns to believe in herself and understand that she deserves good things in her life. It was also fun to read this story because I can relate to the setting . . . .the story based in northern Utah.

Matched

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 400
Laguage: G
Content: G
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendations: Must Read

Summary: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review: I enjoyed this book. Matched is a great book in the dystopian genre. People who enjoyed the story line and romance in Hunger Games more than the action would like this book.