Reviews of Teen Books

Butcher, Jim
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

While not as good as previous Dresden adventures Cold Days is a welcome return to Harry's universe. It's always nice to visit with Harry and his friends. He always manages to find himself in the most precarious of situations. And even though it's no surprise that he always gets out of trouble it's still nice to see how he accomplishes it.

Reviewer's Name: Michael
Kehert, Peg
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Peg Kehert told you in her own words what it was like to be a child with polio. She writes how deadly and dangerous polio was in 1949. It was heartfelt and she made friends along her hard journey. I think that kids and adults should read this book.

Reviewer's Name: Manjula
Mull, Brandon
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This book is amazing! It is about these kids that are magically transported into another realm, a place called Lyrian, which is ruled by the evil wizard emperor, Maldor. They find themselves way in over their heads as Jason and Rachel go on a quest to defeat the tyrant and find a way to get back home.

Reviewer's Name: Matt
Genres:
Cline, Ernest
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Great book , I love all the references to the 1980 and 1990.

Reviewer's Name: Mary
Genres:
Herbert, Frank
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This is my all time favorite book. To quote the book. plots with in plots. Every time I read it (6 times) I find more and more subtly plot lines.

Reviewer's Name: Eric
Karpyshyn, Drew
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

A very gripping Star Wars Novel that provides insight and historical background into the origins of the Sith. Written in a suspenseful manner, this is the first of a 3 book series that is one of my favorites in the Star Wars universe.

Reviewer's Name: Chris
Pfeffer, Susan Beth
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

As the third book in the Last Survivors series, I was looking forward to how to characters from the first two books would come together following their own experiences of the disaster. I found myself disappointed in this respect. While the book was engaging, it was missing the "can't put it down" quality of the other two and, after finally having the first book's main character meet the second book's main character, I was left feeling that I could have skipped the second book without really missing anything. That's not to say that the second book isn't good, it just isn't necessary to read it before reading this book.
Where this book did a good job was in tying up the loose ends from the first book. I definitely felt that the story was complete and, as such, am a little confused by the fact that there appears to be a fourth book in this series now.

Reviewer's Name: Erin
Genres:
Bray, Libba
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

The Diviners is the amazing first part of a new series by Libba Bray (Going Bovine, Gemma Doyle trilogy, etc.) about Evie, a young flapper who is sent to NYC to live with her uncle after getting in trouble back home in Ohio. It turns out that Evie has special powers...and she's not the only one. A serial killer has been terrorizing the citizens of New York, committing ritualized murders, and Evie, along with her uncle and a couple of pals, must catch the killer before he can commit the final murder that will bring about the end of the world. Recommended for older teens...this book is scary! (And scary
good!)

Reviewer's Name: Jenna
Tolkien, J. R. R.
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

I quite enjoyed this book. I listened to it on audio, BBC version. The music was very cheesy, but I ended up laughing at it instead of being annoyed. The acting was very good, except Gandalf didn't sound nearly as good in this portrayal as he does in the movies. Still, thumbs up!

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Genres:
Brown, Jenny
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This book is amazing. If you're an animal lover of any sort, you will love this book. The author tells beautiful stories of the animals that have come to her animal sanctuary that were rescued from terrible situations. The stories dive deep in to the emotional world of farm animals that most people are unable to experience or associate with. Animals truly are a gift to this world and they have so many lessons to teach us, if we would all just slow down and listen :)

Reviewer's Name: Laura K.
Genres:
Clement-Moore, Rosemary
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

I've read this book twice, which is really saying something. This book has everything I like- a little mystery, romance, fantasy, and a lot of humor. I actually laughed out loud in public, especially at the part when Amy, our heroine, chases a 'delinquent cow' through a field wearing only her underwear and a pair of over sized galoshes. She's very snarky and I love it. I highly recommend this for fun read!

Reviewer's Name: Cara
Alexie, Sherman
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

The main character of this book is Arnold "Junior" Spririt. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation where getting a good education isn't as important as Junior thinks it should be. During his Freshman year of high school, Junior decides to to transfer from the rez school, Wellpinit, to Reardan, where the only other Indian is the school mascot! As you can imagine those first days and weeks are tough for Arnold at Reardan. But, eventually he does start to develop some important relationships. Junior's overcomes so many obstacles throughout this book and Alexie tells a wonderful story through compassion and humor.

Reviewer's Name: Russ
Sande, Warren
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This book was great for kids who want to learn the programming basics. I was cool to make something and very rewarding! If you are interested in computer books, this is for you!

Reviewer's Name: K.A.
Genres:
Zusak, Markus
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Great book! I wasn't interested in the subject matter at first, but had to read for a book club. After I started it, I was hooked! I love that the book is written from the perspective of death. Zusak has a magical way with words.
Highly recommend!

Reviewer's Name: Sandy
Cline, Ernest
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Fantastic book! Lots of fun, with great 80s references, as seen from a dystopian future in which most of reality has been supplanted by the far more pleasant world of OASIS (a VR interface). This book will appeal to gamers and fans of 80s pop culture.

There were a few moments where I felt like some elements of the story were being brushed over (without giving away too much, there were some deaths that I felt were not acknowledged much in the text, though this is completely in character with the POV character's detachment from reality). But these were powerful elements that might have been more character-defining and perhaps might have demonstrated more about his motivation. This is why I could not, in good conscience, give the book the 5 stars. It could be just my own personal preferences coming through. Some people might be totally fine with that.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Wil Wheaton, who does a great job with the characterizations and is completely believable as the first-person narrator. Not only that, but it really sounded like he was enjoying himself while narrating the book. And of course, that always makes it more fun as a listener.

Reviewer's Name: Shannon
Weyn, Suzanne
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

It's very hard to explain the plot of this book but I will try.

So, basically, we have (roughly) four characters. Since in the book their names keep changing, in this review, I'll call them: the Girl, the Boy, the Douche, and the Redhead.

Spoilers ahead.

So, we start out in prehistory and the Girl is going to be mated to the Douche. Except, she doesn't want to because hes--well, he's a douche. so she's in a cave looking at a statue she's seen a billion times before and finds and emerald in the middle, and thinks "if I can get that emerald, I won't have to be mated to the Douche!"
Meanwhile, the Boy (who is a neanderthal) is having problems of his own. he was on a hunt and apparently was disgraced and can't go back to his tribe. He stumbles upon the cave where the Girl is singing and then HE sees the Emerald and thinks, "if I get that, I can go back to my tribe without disgrace!" so they fight for it and end up tumbling over a cliff. and dying.

Next, we're in Egypt. the Girl has a job as a singer (this is major symbolism). the Boy comes in as a Nubian slave. ((He can't talk becuz of an injury to the throat. note that in his past life he didn't know how to speak at all)) the Douche is there, buy the Boy and the Girl fall in love anyway. I don't think the Redhead is redheaded in this life, but she's there and tries to convince the boy to steal something from the girl so he can escape slavery, end comes to end, the Douche kills the Boy.

next life is in Greece. The girl still sings and has a bad foot (because in her past life she broke her foot). the Boy is an orphan of Egyptian descent and generally not accepted by everyone. The Douche is there and wants to win the Girl's hand in marriage. The Girl would much rather be a priestess of Athena, but that is not an option. so she asks the Boy to fight in the competition and win so she doesn't half to marry the Douche. Stuff happens, and ends with the Girl dying.

After this, the lives get increasingly more amusing and confusing. The Boy and the Girl switch genders, and then there's one situation in which the Boy and the Girl met and the Boy died and was reincarnated before the Girl died so we had a 17-year-old and a (I actually don't know if this is an accurate
number) 40-year-old.

Then, finally, in present day, the Girl and the Boy are in high school on a field trip to a museum where they see and exhibit of a neanderthal skeleton entangled with the skeleton of a Cro-Magnon female and scientist believe they died fighting over an emerald.
(That, of course, is the Boy and the Girl from about a bazillion lives ago)

Reviewer's Name: Monica
Roth, Veronica
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

I liked it. It started off a bit slow for my taste and it took awhile for me to immerse myself in its reality, but once I did I quite enjoyed it. It gets good about two thirds of the way through and has a very good ending, although I'm left with a spoiler question I won't address here, except to say, why the heck didn't she...?

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Collins, Suzanne
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

i love this book i will read it again
i read the whole series it is amazing

Reviewer's Name: Erica R.
Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud)
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

I loved Anne of Green Gables but for some reason I just didn't get into the sequel. I'm not sure why, it just moved slowly and wasn't as adventurous, I think. I liked the portrait of a young teacher at the turn of the century. It's amazing how much has changed in that regard, and I did enjoy the ending.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Genres:
Rowling, J. K.
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

In my opinion this is the best out of the whole series!!!!!!!

Reviewer's Name: Ailana
Genres: