Twelfth Grade Kills, by Heather Brewer

In Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer, Vladimir is entering his final year of high school. Recently, D'Ablo was killed by the shadow of who seemed to be his father, but than disappeared. Vlad thinks he is going crazy. After the death of D'Ablo, Joss is left severely injured. Vlad and Henry go visit Joss at the hospital, but they are confronted by two cops and are asked questions about Joss's injury. Joss's mother does not allow Vlad anywhere near Joss. On his way out, Vlad is attacked by four cops who are revealed to be slayers. He knocks them out cold and escapes. Vlad searches for his father with Henry, Otis, and Vikas. Finally, Vlad finds him in his hiding spot, the belfry. It is than revealed that his father is evil and only had Vlad to take his Pravus powers. Pravus being a legendary vampire. Vlad accidentally kills someone, I wont tell who, and turns Snow into a Vampire for her to survive. And the story of Vladimir Tod ends.

This book was very good. There was not much action which made me unhappy until finding out the truth about Vlad's father. I really hate that guy. It was a good book and was very tragic towards the end. I hope Tomas dies. The things that the reader finds out in this last addition to the series is absolutely crazy. I loved this book as well as the whole series. Hip Hip Hooray!

Reviewed by Haik N., Grade 10.
Montrose Library

The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan

The story is last and fifth installment of Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan. The story talks of Percy and his friends from Camp Half-Blood who travel to New York to save the world from the Titans. They all have no idea who they will fight in order to save the world.

This book is really capturing, you read it over and over because it's so fun. What I liked about the book was the historical accuracy that came with the Greek Mythology stories. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that likes fantasy stories with a lot of action.

Reviewed by Anthony H., Grade 9.
Montrose Library

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a novel that tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a US POW who is being held prisoner in a slaughter-house in Dresden, Germany during the end of WWII. During his time in the POW camp, Billy becomes "unstuck" in time and travels to different moments in his life, (marriage, traumatic events, etc). Billy is also taken by a flying saucer to the planet Tralfamadore, where the Tralfamadorians give him their philosophy on life and death and also time and what we perceive as a fixed moment. Due to Billy's time traveling, the story is told from a non-linear perspective.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book as it was written in a very colorful and descriptive language. Its use of dark humor makes it easier to process all of the horrible things the book describes. I also liked all of its metaphors and allegories, which help emphasize its anti- war point of view. I thought that Slaughterhouse-Five also gives a very interesting take on life and death and our perception of existence and the process of and passage of time. I would recommend Slaughterhouse-Five to anyone looking for an entertaining, insightful, and thought provoking read.

Reviewed by Alex, Grade 12.
Montrose Library

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about a young man named Nick Carraway who gets a job as a bond salesmen in New York. While living there, Nick rents a house next to Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws lavish and extravagant parties, though he seems to never be present at them. Nick attends one such party and subsequently meets Gatsby, who takes an interest toward him and the two become friends. It is revealed that Gatsby is deeply in love with Nick's cousin Daisy, who lives across from Gatsby with her husband Tom Buchanan. The rest of the story is about Gatsby's attempt to get Daisy to leave her husband and to be with him instead

I enjoyed The Great Gatsby because of its poetic and emotional language and the way it tells a story of despair and disillusionment against the backdrop of the "Gilded Era"; 1920's America. I liked the way the book portrayed the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy as passionate and endearing, while at the same time being futile and tragic. While the Great Gatsby may seem like a soap opera to some, its themes and ideals, ( a cautionary tale of the American dream, human aspirations and social politics) still hold a truth even in the modern age. I would recommend this book to anyone

Reviewed by Alex, Grade 12
Montrose Library