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Bitterblue from Graceling is all grown up, a queen with her own land to rule. Since she was ten, she has reigned over the kingdom of  Monsea with the help of her father, King Leck’s, advisors. But she wonders about everything-her memories, her mother, her father, and what life is like outside the castle walls. Then, everything goes wrong, and it is up to her to fix it, especially when her crown is stolen. Every trail she follows leads back to her father, the one of whom her memories of are altered by her father’s Grace. She knows she must find out where her father came from and what he was, before it kills both her and her kingdom.

I loved this book, mainly for the depth of the plot-I won’t ruin it, but it’s AMAZING! I don’t think that you would have read Graceling and Fire to understand Bitterblue, as it does a good job of explaining itself. It truly is an enjoyable book for any reader.

LOVED IT!!!!

– Gretchen, age 13

About the Book:
Title: Graceling
Author: Kristin Cashore
Release Date: 05/2012

Three teenagers arrive at the soon-to-be-opening but already acclaimed Al Capone themed hotel and are dazzled  by the beautiful people and wonderful opportunities. But soon they realize that behind the shiny splendor, something is not quite so perfect…

The plot was super creepy, yet sort of predictable, but ended up with the twist. I must say that I admire the author for using a new story and idea rather than a currently trending, overused, cheesy one.

I liked that the characters were resourceful on their own and that the plot wasn’t too crazy/fanatical/magical.

When the characters start catching on to the going-ons of the hotel, the plot rises dramatically and surprises the reader. My favorite thing about this book was that it was new-it was very enjoyable and fresh and a good break from the seemingly identical “literature” put out today.

– Gretchen, age 13

About the Book:
Title: Illuminate
Author: Aimee Agresti
Release Date: 03/2012

Michele Winsor moves in with the grandparents she’s never met after her mother dies in a car accident. A feud between her mother and her grandparents made Michele’s mother move away when she was young. The Winsor family is an old family in New York. They’re also rich. Michele finds a key that transports her back in time. One hundred years in the past is where she finds her true love.

I really enjoyed reading this book, but there are a few things I would like to see added. I’d like to hear more about her life in 2010. I think the story would be more realistic if there were more conflicts in the present. Some plot lines from the present were dropped. With these added, I think this story would be more fabulous than it already is.

– Mackinsey, age 14

About the Book:
Title: Timeless
Author: Alexandra Monir
Release Date: 03/2012

– Laura, age 14

About the Book:
Title: A Temptation of Angels
Author: Michelle Zink
Release Date: 03/2012

When I started Born Wicked I was iffy about the plot because in some ways it is very mainstream (ie. Love triangle, dead parent, etc.). For a while I was disappointed in the plot, and then the unexpected twists started coming into play that completely changed the book, and sent it in a new direction.

Born Wicked made me appreciate my freedoms, and rights as a girl living in the U.S., in the 21st century. In this book, women are treated very poorly, and men have numerous advantages over women. While this book has a fantasy element in play, it also deals with real world problems.

The Salem Witch Trials element in this novel is very creative. In Chatham (the city that the book takes place) the women in the town get arrested and sent to prisons and asylums if they are suspected of being witches (extremely original!). After reading the book, I was so intrigued and interested in this piece of the plot, that I had to research the Salem Witch Trials.

When I finished Born Wicked, my jaw dropped and my eyebrows went up in exasperation. I thought: This can. not. be. the. end. I. Need. More!!! The book ended very realistically, and not in a fairytalesque way. When I was through, I was dying for more of the story. I am very impressed with Jessica Spotswood’s debut novel! I am so happy that I picked up Wicked, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and intriguing read.

– Erin, age 13

About the Book:
Title: Born Wicked
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Release Date: 02/2012

Diabolical is a cleverly written story about conflicting love and the constant battle between doing what’s one is expected and what is right. It is told from the points of view of Miranda, Zachary, and Kieren and the author cleverly alternates between the characters in such a way that I truly felt that I was part of the story. One of the characteristics of this book that I greatly enjoyed was how there is always a new challenge added to the main conflict. The book never dragged and always left me entertained and wanting to turn the page. When I first saw this book I was hesitant on reading it because it seemed to me that it was going to be a dark, twisted tale, but I was happily proven wrong. I recommend this book to people who are looking for a different kind of action story with some romance incorporated in, and a bit of werewolf, vampire, angel, and devil action.

– Jacqueline, age 15

About the Book:
Title: Diabolical
Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Release Date: 02/2012

Wally is one of those characters who you don’t immediately like. I didn’t understand why she would trade a life of privilege and wealth for a life on the streets, but after a few chapters and an opportunity to get to know the characters, I understood: Wally wanted a place where she felt she had some power, and with her “crew” is where she got that. I really loved Wally’s confidence and incredible talent for doing damage. She was a fantastic heroine with some breath-taking fight scenes.

Her “crew” was one of my favorite parts of the book. I wish they had been featured more, because I really loved all of her friends – Ella, Tevin, and Jake – especially Ella. She was the kind of girl who had just been treated horribly as a young girl but had developed into a sweet and caring one who had a huge heart.

Tevin was fantastic, although I didn’t quite understand the romance that sparked between him and Wally. It felt a little rushed and maybe with a little more background it would have made more sense. Jake was a bit annoying, but his hard outside was fully understandable for his situation.

The plotline of Dark Eyes was fantastic – it had layers of two mysteries the whole book, and caught in the middle was Wally, misleading everyone and conducting her own investigation. Some of the characters really surprised me, especially when they got their chance to shine.

The ending felt like the author couldn’t really decide on what to do, and ended up making it slightly confusing for the reader, but I think the very, very ending was great!

Dark Eyes is now one of my favorite thrillers for it’s diversity and originality. Fantastic debut, William Richter!

– Willa, age 13

About the Book:
Title: Dark Eyes
Author: William Richter
Release Date: 03/2012

The foreboding events that each of the dramatically different teens experience seems to say that not all is right on moon base DARLAH 2. And when they arrive, it just gets worse. Who will make it back?

Wow! This book completely caught me by surprise! I was expecting  cheesy alien drama, but the story of the three teenagers that won a lottery to the moon and were stranded there was far from it. This book was a spine-chiller, especially towards the end. I heard things tapping on my window the night I read it! For those who like a creepy story about supernatural beings (Isn’t that everybody?!?!?!?) this book’s a good choice-but  I’ll definitely take at least one thing from it- if a somebody asks me if I’d like to spend 172 hours on the moon, I’ll keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.

– Gretchen, age 13

About the Book:
Title: 172 Hours on the Moon
Author: Johan Harstad
Release Date: 04/2012

I have never read the first book in this series, so I started reading his book straight up. At the beginning, the plot is fairly slow, with details sort of clumped lavishly in some places and sparse in others. Having said that, once you got into the book and started to understand what was going on, the plot flew along and kept the reader entertained. This book was not a book that normally I was have picked out, but was nice on a rainy afternoon. KEEP READING AFTER THE BEGINNING! DON’T STOP!I did not care for the beginning at all, but the plot had a lot of potential and was exciting, but then was carried out in a less dramatic/mature way that seemed sort of watered down.

– Gretchen, age 14

About the Book:
Title: The Survivors
Author: Will Weaver
Release Date: 01/2012