Hunger by Michael Grant

The situation inside the FAYZ is dire. The food has all but run out, and discontent by has grown to a head between the normal kids and the freaks, kids with supernatural powers. When a normal is killed by one of the freaks, the town of Perdido Beach goes crazy. Through it all, Sam, their de facto leader, must try to control the situation and make sure none of the kids get hurt. But that's not all. An unknown force is manipulating the teens into helping it. Something that none of the children have ever seen before, but with strange, godlike powers. It calls itself the Darkness, the Gaiaphage. And it wants to be fed.

This novel was a great continuation of the Gone series. It was just as tense and exciting as before. The author did a great job at making the reader feel the things the characters were feeling - especially hopelessness and fear. The book overall was pretty dark, and was pretty hard to put down. All of the characters were realistic and well-written. The dialogue between the characters just made the characters seem more real. They all had their worries, motivations, and hopes. Overall, I really enjoyed Hunger, and I would definitely recommend this novel to others.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10

Montrose Library

The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

When his uncle Press tells Bobby that there are people that need their help, fourteen year old Bobby is hesitant. But he agrees to go with Press, thinking that the help necessary is something simple. But what he finds is much stranger. He's swept into another world, or "territory," as Press calls it, in order to prevent their clans from destroying each other. Press tells him that he is a traveler - someone with the ability to travel between territories and a duty to make sure the situations in these territories are stable. When his uncle is captured by one of the clans and a rogue traveler, Bobby is on a mission to save Press and bring them back home.

I enjoyed reading this novel. The first time I read it was in like elementary school, so it was fun to remember parts of the book as I read through it. The book was still interesting to read, and although I felt as if it was more geared toward younger readers, I still liked it. The story was engaging and the territories were very descriptive as well. The characters were likable and had decent character arcs, and overall, I would recommend this novel to other readers. Just be warned, it is not as well-written as more advanced books.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10

Montrose Library