Wednesday, August 28, 2013

In a Heartbeat, by Loretta Ellsworth

The book In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth is about how Amelia lived because Eagan died. Eagan was a heart donor and gave her heart to Amelia. From Eagan's point of view in her version of heaven, she goes through all of the memories from her life, good and bad, through her still beating heart. Amelia on the other hand, is very lucky to be alive. She starts to develop new characteristics and she starts to wonder if her heart donor is trying to tell her something. Amelia needs to figure out how she can help the one who saved her.

I really enjoyed reading this book. While the subject matter may be frightening to some, the characters and their emotions are very relatable. Even if you have not known someone who has donated or received an organ, you will be moved by this story of life for one that is not possible without loss for the other. I loved the book because it told the story from both perspectives. Though a bit similar, the two girls' voices were still enjoyable and realistic, and I loved going along with them on their quests for self-discovery. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Reviewed By: Emily R., Grade 9
Montrose Branch Library

Fairy Tail, by Hiro Mashima


In Fairy Tail, by Hiro Mashima, celestial wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a guild for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu's not your typical hero - but he just might be Lucy's best hope.  Fairy Tail won the 2009 Kodansha Manga Award for shounen manga. It has also won The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation's Industry Awards for best comedy manga.

Although this was another shonen series I initially liked too, I lost interest as the plot became riddled with plot holes, fan service, and countless new characters. It was just like Bleach and Naruto in that aspect.

Reviewed by Jacqueline L, grade 12
Central Library

Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler takes place in 1996, when rarely anyone owns computers. Emma just got her first computer and an American Online CD-ROM. One day Emma and her best friend Josh log on and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years into the future. Their spouses, careers, homes and status updates – it’s all there. However, it’s not what they expected. And every time they refresh their pages, their futures are changed. Anything they do in the present could affect their future. As the two struggle to reconcile this vision of the future with their experiences in the present, they're forced to confront what they're doing right and wrong in the present.

I thought this book was amazing. I never wanted to put the book down. Anyone with a Facebook account or anyone who is just looking for a good read would definitely fall in love with this book. This book is also very comical and will get readers laughing out loud. It is a great romantic comedy and a terrific consideration of the future that we're living in today. I recommend this book to anyone, especially since social networking has been so popular. It gives teens a taste of what it was like before computers or cell phones. Without question, this book is definitely a page-turner.

Reviewed By: Emily, Grade 9
Montrose Branch Library


Kare Kano, by Masami Tsuda

In Masami Tsuda's Kare Kano, it follows the life of a fifteen year-old girl, Yukino Miyazawa, about to start high school. Throughout her life, she has been the perfect model student and works hard every day to achieve that number one spot. The reason why? Well, Yukino is actually really, really vain, and loves to hear people praise her. She always believed that she'd breeze by through life and get the praise she always wanted. But when Yukino goes to high school, she is finally upstaged--by Souichiro Arima, who scores better on the entrance exams and instantly snatches the attention of the class. By accident, Arima finds out that Yukino is just pretending, and this starts off a series of events that lead to Yukino and Arima falling in love. They then have to cope with a lot of obstacles in their relationship.

His and Her Circumstances, as it is known in its English version, is one of the best shojo manga I've read in a long time. In Masami Tsuda's work, although it was 21 volumes in total, it didn't fall prey to complicating the character's lives by adding unnecessary drama. Unlike other shojo mangas whose supposed "relationships" were solely based on a series of misunderstandings and riddled with plots, such as the heroine lying to her lover under the justification of him lying to her about himself. Although Arima and Miyazawa in the manga did the same thing, what made the relationship refreshing was the fact that they were mature about it and they both actually sought each other to fix those problems. After hearing about Arima's past, Miyazawa sought him out instead of hunting down other people to tell her about it. Even when love rivals came in between the couple, they persevered and were truthful to each other about the people who made advances on them. Also, the book focused on the other character's relationships and that added further depth to the work, because you could really connect with the couple more. The reactions of the other characters to the couple was more believable because the author gave real personalities to them through providing other stories. I loved how Miyazawa reflected on life after realizing how petty her facade of being a model student was. Instead of sulking about it and worrying about her initial rival, Arima's, reaction, she decided to be honest with herself and show her true colors. She didn't need someone to tell her what to do and that's an important moral lesson in my opinion. To have the ability to be self-reliant and to be honest with oneself.

Reviewed By: Jacqueline L, Grade 12
Central Library

Heartless, by Sara Shepard

Heartless is the seventh suspenseful book in Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liar series. The Liars have a new problem this time, defending their mental stability. During the huge fire in the Hasting's backyard, all four girls saw Ali, their long dead friend, alive in the flames. They are told it was merely a hallucination but how likely is it that all four of them had the same hallucination? The Liars are taunted openly at school and by the media for believing that they saw Ali. Aria decides to go to a séance with an unlikely ally to figure out what really happened. Following A's orders, Emily impersonates an Amish girl and discovers many secrets that may lead her to A's killer. Hanna's father decides to send Hanna to a facility to help her recover. While digging for clues about Ali's murder, Spencer uncovers some nasty secrets about her family. Is A the girls' side?

Each time I read a book written by Sara Shepard, I fall in love. She is an amazing writer who understands exactly how things are in my/our generation. Shepard is very straightforward on problems involving family and school which is interesting to read. Other than that, this novel is filled with suspenseful information that makes you wonder if what you've previously learned is true. Overall, I liked this book and am eager to read the next one. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the television series and has an interest in realistic teen fiction. Also, if you have read any other books by Sara Shepard, I guarantee you'll love this one!

Reviewed by Kristine K, grade 9
Casa Verdugo Branch




Killer, by Sara Shepard

In the Pretty Little Liars series, Killer is the sixth spectacular book. The Liars thought all of their troubles would disappear when A got killed. Little did they know there's a new A in town who knows all their dirty secrets. Spencer's world gets turned around when she figures out she's adopted. Now, she's set out to find her birthmother, but will her search bring happiness or ruin her situation more? Aria's mom's new boyfriend has a thing for Aria. To prevent her mom from getting hurt, Aria moves in with her dad. Will being closer to the woods be a wise decision? Hanna focus now is to get back at Kate for stealing her happiness. Will stealing Kate's crush backfire on Hanna? It seems like everything is going right for Emily. She's found an amazing boyfriend who's perfect in every way. Her only problem is his mother, who hates Emily. Will Isaac believe Emily or defend his mother?
As with all the other Pretty Little Liar books, I AM IN LOVE! Sara Shepard continues to amaze me with her extraordinary writing. This book in particular is a favorite because it didn't feel like the series was merely dragging on. Other than that, I was absolutely shocked with all of the revelations. The author's unique writing style also contributes to my love of the series. Its amazing being able to see events through the eyes and minds of the four main characters. Not only that, but this isn't your average story about murder. I would definitely recommend this book or series to young adult readers because its suspenseful and interesting.

Reviewed by Kristine K, grade 9
Casa Verdugo Branch

Monday, August 19, 2013

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

When Grace was young, she was attacked by a pack of wolves that lingered at the edge of the woods behind her house. She didn't resist the clawing and biting, instead, she laid there. One of the wolves saved her, he brought her to safety. Sam was like any other little boy with loving parents and not a doubt in the world. When he was bit, his whole life was turned around. He is now a werewolf. Sam has watched Grace from outside her backyard window since she's been bitten. As Grace grew, she became more and more entranced by the mysterious wolf that watched her from the edge of the woods. When Sam is in his occasional human form, he finally talks to Grace. From that moment, they fall for each other. Their love becomes strong, but this is Sam's final year as a human. Once he's full wolf, he wont have any trace of Grace. No memories, no feelings, nothing. What will they do to keep their love intact??

The first book of the Shiver trilogy is very captivating. Once I took in the first chapter, I could not put it down. I was gripping the book to find out what would happen next. Maggie Stiefvater's novels do not disappoint. Shiver is a mix of fiction and teen romance. The use of science instead of "magic" was more original in my opinion. As I read, I felt that this element made the book feel more realistic even though it was a fictional novel. Unfortunately, I did not continue to read the rest of this series after the second book, Linger, because it was just not to my liking.

Reviewed by Alyssa P., grade 9.
Montrose Library

Between, by Jessica Warman

In the book Between, by Jessica Warman, Elizabeth Valchar, a pretty, rich popular girl, wakes up in her yacht the morning after her eighteenth birthday surrounded by her friends who were all asleep. When she heard a constant thumping sound, she went out to investigate only to see her own lifeless body in the water hitting against the boat. With no memory of what happened to her, she was left to watch the life of her friends and family after her death. As a spirit, Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her school who had been hit by a car. Together they floated in and out of memories to figure out what exactly happened to them and how Liz's regular life was.

 I personally think this book was beyond amazing. What I really liked about it was that it go you hooked from the very beginning. Usually, the introduction in books are extremely dull and uninteresting, but this book had me eager to know what would happen next from just the first chapter. The plot was compelling with so many different twists and turns that you would hardly expect. I also really liked how some of the characters developed throughout the story. For instance, Liz goes through an inspiring and relatable journey of self-discovery which made her become more caring and selfless.

Reviewed by Ojene B., grade 10.
Library Connection @ Adams Square

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is about a young teenage girl named Lily Owens who lives with her abusive father. She has been motherless almost her entire life. Lily barely remembers the day her mother was killed. Therefore her African- American nanny, Rosaleen, has filled the absence of her mother. Once Rosaleen gets in a scuffle with white men, Lily and her nanny flee to Tiburon, South Carolina. There, she finds three African-American beekeeping sisters. The sisters take Lily and Rosaleen into their home and give them work. During Lily's stay, she experiences the warmth of family and

I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees because it empowered the idea of family. The Boatwright sisters accepting a young, white girl into their home was courageous and inspiring to ignore the status quo. Lily and the sisters go through unbearable challenges and experience the worst. Their culture and past were very fascinating, causing you to grip the book with anticipation. I would definitely suggest this book to those who like analyzing hidden metaphors or the idea of female power. This book is based on how family isn't always based on bloodline, but those that have been with you through thick and thin.

Reviewed by Alyssa, grade 9. Montrose Library

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

The story is how a girl, Bella, comes to live with her Dad in a totally different climate than she is used to, because she lived in sunny arizona and is now in rainy washington, in this small town everyone knows everyone and everyone knows that Bella's dad is a police chief. She never felt like she fit in, although she made new friends and several admirers there wasnt anything interesting until she met Edward Cullen, no one likes the Cullen family because they give off a weird vibe but Bella is fixated on edward. turns our he was too but for different reasons than Bella's. their deadly romance takers a dangerous turn and its up to edward to save her

I love this book , i love their romance. i love how mysterious edward was at first and how in love they are. its weird though how nonchalant Bella is about edwards vampirism. Edward is completely enchanted with Bella and his protectiveness is very romantic. Although Bella's life isnt perfect you cant help but envy her situation. i think it could have been better written though. one moment Bella sounds like a Harvard scholar and other moments she sound like a 15 year old school girl, but all in all if you are into romance books with a lot of drama and action this is for you.


Revieweved by Anna, grade 9
Montrose Library

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Nights in Rodanthe, by Nicholas Sparks


Nights in Rodanthe” by Nicholas Sparks is based on the sacrifices people have to make in life for love and the forgiveness that comes with it. This story is about a woman named Adrienne Willis who has to face life’s obstacles alone right after her husband abandons her for a younger woman. She flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe to look after friend's inn for the weekend and to get away from her heartache. Problem is, a huge storm hits, and Adrienne finds herself spending the weekend at the inn with the only guest Paul Flanner, whom happens to have his own troubled past. Their wounded emotions bring them together, and they find themselves closer than they would have ever expected.

I thought this book was very heartwarming and memorable. I would say, it is a kind of a story that all woman wish to happen to them. I really enjoyed this book because I could understand the great passion there was between the two main characters. While reading, it really opened my eyes to realize that true love isn't just a dream, and that love can come at any age, even when you are old. Sparks' words and detailed description really brought the book alive, making it easy for me to get into the story-line, which made it hard for me to put the book down.

Reviewed by Anonymous, grade 12
Central Library