Forget Me Not, by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

"Forget Me Not" by Coleen Murtagh Paratore is the fourth in the series "The Wedding Planner's Daughter." Teenaged Willa Havisham's summer is going to be filled with lots of beach, best friends, books, and her boyfriend, Joey Kennelly. Her mother Stella is even letting Willa plan a wedding all by herself! However, the summer takes a turn for the worst when part of the beach gets closed off and causes upset in town, Willa's best friend starts hanging out with someone else, she gets into a fight with Joey, and the bride of Willa's wedding turns out to be a bridezilla!

I read this book as summer reading because it was relatively short and fun. Afterwards, however, I thought this book was only okay. It didn't really have a developed plot, or any conflicts. There were a bunch of little skirmishes that the main character, Willa, had to get over, but really, there wasn't a main conflict. It was more of a diary of an average teen, which I guess was the point; but I think there should've been a main conflict. There wasn't much suspense either. I was a fan of the other books, but this one let me down. The summary on the back of the book was misleading. It made the book sound a lot better than it really was.
Overall, the book had no conflict and little plot, but the way the author told the rest of the story was really detailed. The story was told in first-person, so the way Willa saw the world was the way that I saw it when I read it. The entire story seemed anticlimatic, and I would only suggest this book if one is looking for light reading.

Reviewed by Gabby Y., grade 10
Montrose Library

The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney

The book The Face on theMilk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney, is about a girl named Janie Johnson, who notices the pictures of missing children on her milk carton. She never gave much thought to these faces, but one day she saw a face that she recognized to be her own. She recognized her face, hair, and the dress that the girl in the picture wore. She can't believe that her amazing, loving parents could have possibly kidnapped her. How could that be true? She does not want to believe it, and she has to find out exactly what really happened.

I think the Face on the Milk Carton was a very unique story and it was very interesting at times. But sometimes it got kind of boring and I wasn't motivated to read it. But I think that overall, it was a great book. I would recommend this book to everyone. This book sometimes had my eyes glued to the pages, but there were moments where I questioned if I should continue to read this book. But I am very glad I did. It was all worth reading, in the end. I definitely enjoyed reading this book and I hope to read more books by this author.


Reviewed by Melody N., grade 9.
Central Library

I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore

The book I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore, is about a boy from a planet called Lorien. He never stays in one place for long and he is always hiding. He lives on Earth, he looks like and blends easily in with humans, and is constantly escaping the Mogadorians, who are set out to kill him and others of his kind in numbered order from one to nine. He is the fourth on their list, and the third one was just killed. He is in more danger than he ever was before. He has to do everything in his power to save himself.

I really enjoyed reading the book I Am Number Four because I don't usually read books with a lot of action or anything at all that is similar to this. It was a nice change, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was exciting and very interesting. I could not take my eyes off of it. I kept on wanting to know what will happen next. There were surprises around every corner! I would definitely recommend this book to all readers, I guarantee that anyone who reads this book will enjoy it as much as I did! I can't wait to read the sequel!


Melody N, grade 9
Central Library

The Wedding, by Nicholas Sparks

The book The Wedding, by Nicholas Sparks, is surprisingly about a married couple falling OUT of love. It all starts when the husband forgets their anniversary, and it all goes downhill from there. They have grown apart over time and the romance is absolutely gone. He asks himself if his wife even loves him anymore? But planning their daughter's wedding together is making them become closer again, and it is the perfect chance for the husband to make his wife fall in love with him all over again. He works hard to earn his wife's love throughout the whole story.

I loved The Wedding so much! It was such a great book! I was very surprised and thrilled with the shocking twist at the end. I would recommend this book to those readers who have previously read Nicholas Sparks's book, The Notebook, because it includes a few characters from that book. This book made my jaw drop. I could not put it down, especially towards the end of it. I was in love with this book; my eyes were practically glued to the pages. It has become one of my favorite books and I can't wait to read it again

Reviewed by Melody N., grade 9.
Central Library