Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen is a stunning story of boy meets girl. Annabel Greene seems to have it all; beauty, brains, friends. That's at least what it looks like in her modeling shoots. Annabel is a sixteen year old girl whose life is far from glamorous. Over the summer, she lost her best friend, Sophie, because Sophie thought Annabel hooked up with her boyfriend. Annabel hates modeling now, but stays in it to please her mother. To top it off, her sister, Whitney has an eating disorder that's tearing her whole family apart. With no friends and no hope for herself, Annabel stays to herself at school and home. Then, she meets Owen. Unpredictable, music obsessed, and always willing to tell the truth. With Owen's help, Annabel learns to face her fears and learn to speak up for herself. I really enjoyed this book. Its message really shined through; always speak your mind, stand up for yourself, and just listen. I recommend this book to all girls fourteen and up. It is easy to follow and really enjoyable once you get into it. I give the book four and half stars out of five. Do you think Annabel will overcome her fears and speak her mind? Read Sarah Dessen's Just Listen to find out. You won't regret reading this.

Reviewed by CH, grade 9

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Maximum Ride, by James Patterson

They had escaped four years ago. Jeb, who helped them escape, treated them as their father for two years, but disappeared. Maximum Ride and her family, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have been alone for two years. They seem like normal kids but are actually only 98 percent human and 2 percent bird. The six kids were genetically engineered in a lab, living like caged rats always being experimented on. Now their main predator, Erasers - half human, half wolf has found them and the lab wants them back. The mission for them is the following; rescue six year old Angel from the lab, find a secret address to track down the flock's missing parents, get revenage on an evil traitor, and save the world. The series Maximum Ride, by James Patterson is about six extraordinary kids saving the world from evil white coats and more. These books are for people who likes lots of adventure, drama, science fiction and face paced stories.

Reviewed by AP, grade 9.

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An Acquaintance with Darkness, by Ann Rinaldi

This book, An Acquaintance with Darkness by Ann Rinaldi, talks about a 14-year old girl, Emily Pigbush, who became an orphan after the Civil War ended. Against her dead mother's wishes, she moved in with her Uncle Valentine, a prominent Washington, D.C doctor. Emily soons learns that her guardian is a grave robber. Appalled at this discovery she runs away. What will Emily do next? Emily's story plays out against Lincoln's assassination and its impact on her best friend, Annie Surratt, whose mother ran the boardinghouse where the conspirators met. This book was good. I liked it because the settings are after the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination. I like that it looks at grave robbers and how that furthers the cause of medicine. I recommend this book to all young adults of both genders.

Reviewed by AD, grade 9

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Peeps, by Scott Westerfeld

Peeps, by Scott Westerfeld, is about someone who hunts vampires so they don't create more. There is no magic when it comes to vampires, it's actually a disease. Cal Thompson is infected with the parasite but luckily he is only a carrier -- still in control without the worst of the symptoms. But he has infected all of his recents girlfriends who have all turned into Peeps (parasite positives). Now Cal's job is to hunt them down before they create more Peeps. This novel is for readers who like action and fiction stories.

Reviewed by AP, grade 9.

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I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Alley Carter is about Cammie Morgan who attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. To the general public, this is just another private school for upper class girls in Roseville, Virginia. What they don't know is that it's actually a school for girls who have qualifications of becoming a spy. They learn martial arts and almost every single language imaginable. Breaking CIA codes counts as extra credit. As a sophmore, Cammie is required to take a class called Covert Operations taught by the new teacher, Joe Solomon. Cammie and her friends are put in charge a practice mission. While on the mission, Cammie meets Josh Abrams, a student from a local high school who know nothing about Gallagher girls. To cover her identity, she creates an alter ego. Soon enough, Cammie and Jose start to fall for each other. Will Cammie and Josh be able to be together or will being a Gallagher girl be too much for this romance? Personally I liked this book. It was fast paced and I enjoyed reading it from Cammie's perspective. I would recommend this to girls looking for a romance novel. It also has a lot of action. It will keep you wanting more.

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-Reviewed by RK, grade 9

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary Pearson

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson is about a teenage girl who just recovers from a serious accident. It is in the future where technology has advanced to where a person can use synthetic materials to replace lost or damaged parts of your body. For example, if you were in a fire, and were severely burned, the doctors could grow new skin for you, or bones, or even your brain. The main character, Jenna, doesn't know about her accident. As the story unfolds, you and Jenna start to realize that her recovery wasn't normal. When she sleeps, it is like she is in limbo -- in between dreaming and just vast emptiness. Jenna discovers that parts of her body are fake, and starts to wonder how much of her is real. She finds that only ten percent of her brain is real. Is she still Jenna? Or is she someone new? My opinion of this book is that it was REALLY good. I don't normally like the whole science fiction thing, into the future stuff, but this was good. The time (future) didn't make that big of a difference. Mary Pearson's writing made it seem lik ethe plat was actually happening today. The plot slowly unfolded, with a lot of suspense . There were also parts of the book, where the author wrote, like, a poem how Jenna feels, like, in her head . It was something that I've never read before, and it was interesting. She also wrote like a teenager, and she got the feelings of any teen pressured to be their parent's North Star perfectly. I think the main message of this book was to move on, and let things go. I also think it brings up a good topic for discussion. Would you want someone to live if only ten percent of their real self was left? Or would you rather go naturally? It questions humanity and your ethics. It really made me stop and think.



-Reviewed by AP, grade 9

Venomous, by Christopher Krovatin

Venomous, by Christopher Krovatin, is about Locke Vinetti is no normal kid. Ever since he was eight years old, he had a small problem. Okay, a huge problem. He calls it the Venom. Tommy Ferreo was the first to provoke it. He ended up with the top of his nose bitten off. But when Locke meets Renee, a goth with a troubled past, he falls in love with her. But he can lose if/when she gets hurt.

My opinion of the book was that it was very good. Even though it was a teen book, I think it should have been a mature teen book. It has lots of swear words. And a few sex scenes but nothing THAT bad. Overall, it was well-written, and it was enjoyable.

-Reviewed by AM, grade 9

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