The next review was sent by Mirleena Palma.
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne is a very suspenseful yet thrilling book. It's full of mysteries and crazy stuff you'll want to get right into. You may think you're a normal kid getting ready to go to school ,but do you really know what's ahead of you? Fourteen kids of different ages are heading to school on a bus when a massive hail storm strikes! Bigger than anyone could imagine.... all these kids end up fighting for their survival in what they thought was an ordinary Greenway supermarket. Do they all survive? Or is it just a mystery?
I loved this book because it was entertaining and the characters came to life. I could picture this book right before my eyes. All the mysteries and obstacles these kids went through are just something someone would want to read about. My suspense built up as the story went on because you never did know what was going to happen!
I recommend this book to any high school/middle school student who is looking for a mystery filled novel that will have you on your toes waiting to flip the page. Reading this book taught me that working together and becoming a leader in a situation is really important. Also that you have to be ready for anything that comes ahead in life. Anyone that reads Monument 14 will be super excited to read the second book.
Maggie sent in this review of The Dark Knight novel.
Dennis O'Neil does an extraordinary job of tying up all the loose ends from the movie The Dark Knight. He explains why Harvey Dent is so fixated on Law and the Criminal Justice System.
This book centers on main characters like Bruce Wayne,Batman-billionaire playboy by day, vigilante by night; and Harvey Dent,Gotham's District Attorney and White Knight. The Joker is a psychopathic clown with no plan whatsoever.
I recommend this book to any superhero fan out there or any fan of the movie The Dark Knight.
Friederike Axthelm submitted the following four reviews.
1. Held- Edeet Ravel
It could have been the best summer of her life- but it turned into a nightmare.
When seventeen-year-old Chloe travels to Greece with her friend, they look forward to an awesome summer; but when Chloe is abducted by a strange man, her life turns upside down.
While her whole country fights for her freedom, her family and friends fear for her, expect the worst and have the most terrible time of their lives, the journey heads in a totally different direction for the victim, Chloe. While she goes through hell as well, is scared to death and just wants to go home, she… falls in love. He becomes the most important person in her life, the only one she can rely on, the only one who is willing to help her, the only one she stays in bondage for: her kidnapper.
I would really like to compare this book to another one out there, but I haven’t read anything like this before. This book is incredible. I was captured by the idea instantly, just scanned the cover text while already heading to the counter to buy it without thinking too long about it. And the book didn’t disappoint me. The idea is bizarre, crazy, and almost forbidden. It probably needs a lot of courage to write a book like that. It turned out totally different than I expected , but it wasn’t a bad surprise.
I enjoyed this book because it’s very thoughtful. I lay awake for several nights, thinking about the book and its very well developed, many-sided characters.
Edeet Ravel also manages it to keep the book totally interesting until the very end, even though the journey of the protagonist is mostly not physically challenging and often affected by boredom. But it’s unbelievable how well Chloe’s emotional conflict is described. This book has it all: love, violence, suspense; it makes a permanent impression on the reader. I think it’s more suitable for girls than for boys, but I highly recommend it to anybody at the age of fourteen and upwards! My evaluation is 10 out of 10.
2. Born at Midnight- C.C. Hunter
Sixteen-year-old Kylie Galen’s life sucks: her grandmother dies, her parents get divorced and her mother even sends her to a summer camp for difficult kids, because she is “too hard to handle.”
But even before she arrives, Kylie realizes that Shadow Falls is different: Kids who come here aren’t normal. They are witches, vampires, shapeshifters, faeries and werewolves who all learn to live with their powers. Apparently, Kylie has supernatural powers too. But, unfortunately, nobody knows, which. And, into the bargain, Kylie has two admirers she has to choose from. Life there promises to be complicated!
Born at Midnight is the beginning of a whole new young adult series, Shadow Falls Camp, containing five books. All of them are classified into the genre of Urban Fantasy, which means basically our world, but with some supernatural elements. This is a combination I really enjoy, because sometimes I have a hard time to getting settled in a total imaginary world. Kylie’s world is full of problems every teenage girl might know: trouble with parents, boys and figuring out her own identity. You identify with the characters immediately and the books are just nice and easy to read- my recommendation for everybody who likes fantasy as well as love stories. It’s more a girl’s book than a boy’s book. For sure, if you enjoyed The Twilight Saga and House of Night series, you will fall in love with this series. My assessment is 8 out of 10!
3. Unwind- Neal Shusterman
We are situated in a dystopian future world. After the Second Civil War, life looks very different in the country that used to be called the US . The highest law, the Bill of Life, provides peace between the two enemies of the war: the supporters and the opponents of abortion. It says that human life is inviolable from conception until the age of thirteen. Between the age of thirteen and eighteen, parents can “unwind” their child, which basically means that all organs of the child are given to people who need- and deserve- them. But the question is: If all parts of your body live in different people- are you alive then or are you dead?
During the book, we get an insight into three different teenagers who all are going to be unwound. There is Connor, who is a difficult teenager. His parents can’t handle him and decide to get rid of him and do something helpful at the same time- unwinding him seems to be the perfect solution. Risa, the second protagonist, was brought up in a public children’s home and is not talented enough to survive the financial cutbacks the children’s home she lives in is affected by. And Lev was raised with the future of being unwound to be “given back to God.”
They all seem to be at their destiny’s mercy. But when they flee, they really have to work together to survive.
This novel is the beginning of the Unwind trilogy. This book connects several very tough topics like abortion, organ donation and murder. The characters face difficult decisions, violence, and besides, the three main characters struggle getting along with each other. But if they lose, the unwinding is waiting for them, thus the book is full of suspense. The plot is fast, surprising and gives a really good insight to this future world. This is a really strong book that has what it takes to be a bestseller. I would say that it is appropriate for readers of the age of fourteen and upwards. If you have enjoyed other books about dystopian societies, like the Hunger Games trilogy, you will probably like this one too.
10 out of 10 is the evaluation this book deserves!
4. Erebos- Ursula Poznanski
Do you like computer games? Sixteen-year-old Nick does. And when a mysterious parcel that had been handed around for a long time at his school in London finally ends up in his hands, he finds a fabulous computer game in it. Once Nick starts playing the weird game everybody is told to keep silent about, he is totally captured by it: the game seems to know him and his thoughts, it is intelligent- and ruthless. The quests he has to complete to climb up a level take place in real life: he has to collect a parcel on an abandoned road, go out with a girl… but when the game requires one day that he should poison a teacher, he changes allegiance: Now he fights against the game and tries to stop the hype of the dangerous game. But is stopping the total loyalty and adoration the players feel for the game actually possible?
What I like about this thriller is that it plays in two totally different worlds- the real one and the game world, and the Austrian author does a really good job at introducing the reader to both of these worlds. The borders between reality and fantasy get blurry and the reader is hanging on the edge of his seat, turning the pages hastily to find out what’s going happen. The interesting thing is that this book has two totally different storylines, but the suspense of the game world infects the real world too. You have no problems following along both story lines and connecting them, because the game world and the real world get connected by the game itself.
Erebos is a book I highly recommend; even though it might be not that popular in Canada, it is translated, and reading it is totally worth it. You will get captured by the fantastic, but quite complex plot full of action. You shouldn’t take big breaks reading this; otherwise you will forget important details. But I can promise you, you won’t stop. Once you start, you will be unable to put it down. This book might be more a boy’s book than a girl’s book, and you maybe should be at least twelve or thirteen, but I can recommend it to anybody who likes fantasy, Science Fiction, action and has no problem with a complex plot. Totally 10 out of 10!
The Daughters by Joanna Philbin
It's a great novel about how it feels to grow up in New York with famous parents. Lizzie, the main character, tells you herself in The Daughters. Ray Carlson(We just got The Daughters series in and Ray is already reading the third book.
Watch for more of her reviews. Thanks, Ray!)
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
The post-apocalyptic, dystopian novel continues to be a major trend in young-adult fiction, perhaps spurred on by the amazing sucess of The Hunger Games series. In Blood Red Road, we begin with a world that has been seriously damaged by the people who came before, appropriately called Wreckers, who have long since disappeared, leaving barren deserts, disintegrating machinery and a kind of despairing lawlessness.
Saba and her small family live in isolation, struggling to survive against drought. One day, a mysterious group of men appear, kill Saba's father and take her twin brother, Lugh, prisoner. As Saba helplessly watches her brother carried off, she vows to rescue him, a promise that she clings to with fierce loyalty and amazing courage. She and her younger sister, Emmi, begin a long and perilous journey that will ultimately lead them to discover their unique strengths and to find a new, nurturing community of friends.
The events are told from Saba's point of view in a dialect that is reminiscent of an old western. It is a clear, simple and direct form of speech that at first suggests the character's lack of sophistication and vulnerability, but seems more gutsy as she grows and explores her immense capacity for love, loyalty, courage and leadership.
Although much of the story is dark, filled with frightening villains and violent events, there is also a great deal of humor, especially in the developing relationship between Saba and Jack. Naive and vulnerable, Saba is alternately oblivious and suspicious of this handsome thief who takes up with her while Jack finds her both frustrating and hilarious.
Blood Red Road is entertaining on many levels. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the Dustlands series, Rebel Hearts. Ms. Schmor
The Ring of Solomon by Jonathon Stroud
The Ring of Solomon is the fourth book in the Bartimaeus series, although don’t worry if you haven’t read the second or third books, as this is not a continuation of the trilogy. Based a couple thousand years before the first 3 books, The Ring of Solomon is the story of Bartimaeus in the Middle East, and what a gripping story it is! Bartimaeus has to help an Egyptian girl wanting to kill the king, who is a very powerful person. Bartimaeus doesn’t want to help of course, but being slaves of humans all creatures that are summoned must do as they’re told. In true Bartimaeus form, his methods use wit and cunning.
Jonathon Stroud yet again manages to enthrall the reader in this story. Don’t let the size of the book scare you, as this book will keep you turning pages in the middle of the night. Jonathon Stroud combines descriptive storytelling with humour and wit, and is the only author that I’ve come across that balances them so well. If you’re a fan of the Bartimaeus series, this will not disappoint you!
Alex Iliou
Shades of Simon Gray by Joyce McDonald
Simon Gray was the perfect child, student, and son; everyone thought Simon Gray was good until a terrible accident happened which put his and his friends' futures at risk; a secret between four friends that gets the cops involved could have terrible consequences. With a plot that twists and turns to keep you reading and characters so real you can picture them sitting next to you reading the book, I give this book a 9 out of 10, and recommend this book to anyone who likes a secret hidden in mystery.
Madison Apostoliuk
The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
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Your reviews do not have to be lengthy. You should begin with an introduction to the main characters, the setting and the plot. Set the scene and hint at future twists, but no spoilers please. If you know the genre or type of literature (paranormal, fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction, humour, survival, dystopian, steampunk, relationship issues etc.) make mention of it.
Next, explain what you most liked about the novel. Try to be specific and provide examples where you can. If you simply say the story was interesting, you're not telling us much. But if you describe the characters as multi-dimensional, realistic and compelling and the plot as original, suspenseful and surprising, we have a much more clear impression. You can mention some weaknesses at this point, but they should not overshadow the novel's strengths.
Finish with a recommendation. What kind of reader would be most drawn to this story? Is the novel appropriate for a certain age group or for anyone? Does the novel put forward an important theme or lesson about life? Is this a series book that will have readers looking for the sequels? Is this a book that will change a reader's life?
Once you have written your review, email it to me at Christine.Schmor@mpsd.ca. I will edit it for spelling and punctuation (not content) and post it on this Review Page.
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