Dark Companion - YA Review by Alyissa S

Reader: Alyissa S
Age: 12
Title: Dark Companion
Author: Marta Acosta
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Pub Date: 07/03/12
Galley: No
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: 

There are several compelling reasons to read the book. The first reason was when she made that fire and jumped off the school building. The second reason was Jake wrote Jane a song but she didn't know. The third reason was at the end when she said her hair was on fire. The fourth reason was when she went back to her friend's house in Helmsdale. The fifth reason was when she got that scholarship to go to that school.

I was disappointed with the book because it ended on a cliff hanger and because the book was boring in the middle.

Before I read Dark Companion I thought it would be a ghost story. But it actually turned out to be a vampire story. Dark Companion was a mysterious book that leaves the readers hanging on to the edge of their seats. This book has you wondering questions like, ‘’Why was she chosen?’’ ‘’What happened to Claire?’’ ‘’Will the author make another book?’’

Who knows - read the book to find out.
Memorable or Forgettable: The poems keep me into the book. I can picture everything that is happening.
Cover: I like the cover but it doesn't reflect the contents at all.
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: Dark Companion pulls you into the book with the very first word and makes you wonder about a lot of things.

tags:  vampires / ya lit

The Bar Code Prophecy - YA Review by Emily L

Reader: Emily L
Age: 15
Title: The Bar Code Prophecy
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pub Date: 11/01/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book was kind of just like your average post apocalyptic book. But at the same time, there were characteristics to this story that set it apart. I felt like I could really relate to the main character. If I had been going through what she was, I would have acted the same way.
Memorable or Forgettable: The ending of this book was quite memorable. It made you wonder what was going to happen in the next book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Cover: The  cover made me want to pick the book up because there was a pretty girl on the cover. I know the phrase goes "don't judge a book by its cover" but I definitely did with this book.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Annotation: This book takes place about 50 or 60 years into the future. At age 17 every citizen is required by law to get a bar code tattooed on their wrist. When your bar code is scanned it tells all the basic info, like your address and other things. The main character of the book is named Grace. She is just your average teenage girl. She has a summer job and she has a huge crush on the guy everyone likes, Eric. Grace's life is suddenly turned upside down when her family is kidnapped and the law is after her. All she wants to do is get her family back.

tags:  dystopian / action / ya lit

Earth Girl - YA Review by Michelle M

Reader: Michelle M
Age: 15
Title: Earth Girl
Author: Janet Edwards
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Pub Date: 03/05/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The story was carried out well, it was interesting all the way through. The main character is easy to relate to, and is well written. The story is written in a way where you can understand why and what she is feeling, and overall is a good plot.
Memorable or Forgettable: I enjoyed the twists and turns in the book. They weren't super sharp ones that left me confused, but they kept me interested, and I learned new things from the book. It was memorable because of its simplicity. Many books today are all about the supernatural, but this was a nice read because it was interesting, but kind of relaxing.
Cover: I did not like the cover. It caught my eye, but turned me away from the book. I liked the idea of the cover, with the girl being chained to the Earth, but the way it was portrayed made the book seem "mature", and a little bit gross.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: All in all I liked the book.

tags:  science fiction / disability / action / ya lit

The Future We Left Behind - YA Review by Sam D-G

Reader: Sam D-G
Age: 12
Title: The Future We Left Behind
Author: Mike A. Lancaster
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub Date: 09/13/12
Galley: No
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I liked the voice of this book. It was written in first person from a cyborg's point of view. That gave the book a cool distanced feel. It made the book sound unique.  The story was grabbing. It sucked you into a mystery that kept you reading all the way through.  It was about a kid living in his father's shadow who discovers a possible history for everyone's cyborg traits. Over all, a very notable book.
Memorable or Forgettable: The huge buildup really caught me. Any book that makes the climax feel earthshaking must have had a great buildup. Also, the author did a good job of tying in all the little, seemingly pointless details.
Cover: I thought the cover of the book was well done. The robot was what grabbed my attention. Well played, robot bee.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

tags:  cyborg / mystery / ya lit

The Mephisto Kiss - YA Review by Maria D

Reader: Maria D
Age: 15
Title: The Mephisto Kiss: The Mephisto Covenant Book 2
Author: Trinity Faegen
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub Date: 9/25/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book has a great plot and character development. At the beginning of the book you think that the main character is shallow but as time passes you see a lot of different sides of him and by the end you love him.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book, for me, is the perfect mix of romance and action. The romantic parts are longer and described in more detail. The action parts are short and sweet and they perfectly balance out the romance parts.
Cover:  The cover did not temp me to pick up the book it was only because I have read the first book in the series that I did. It also does not reflect the book's contents.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

tags: romance / adventure / ya lit

Falling Kingdoms - YA Review by Simon

Reader: Simon D-S
Age: 12
Title: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub Date: 12/11/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Overall, the elements of this book were very good. The plot seemed like a slippery slope. The characters seemed to have minimal rest time between events. This was okay, but not the best. The characters developed in unexpected ways, and were completely changed by the end of the book.  The dialogue was good, the characters seemed believable, though not quite enough that I feel I could meet them on the street.
Memorable or Forgettable:  I will never forget this book. It was the perfect blend of political intrigue and magical explosions. Also, the fact that I could root for different kingdoms blew me out of the water.
Cover: The cover definitely drew me. I am kind of a sucker for fantasy action, and seeing a hooded figure  with a knife and a stake got my inner nerd excited.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Auranos, Palesia, and Limeros. These three kingdoms exist on the same dying land. Auranos flourishes. Palesia demands change. Limeros hungers for power. Pick your side.

tags:  fantasy / magic / BFYA nominee / ya lit

Of Triton - YA Review by Emily L

Reader: Emily L
Age: 15
Title: Of Triton
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends
Pub Date: 05/28/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: It was easy to relate with Emma even though she was practically half fish. Not only did she have to worry about losing her life but her relationship with Galen & all of her recent absences from school as well. I think that this book could have been spread out a little more though. The book was very fast moving and I think that took away from the story.
Memorable or Forgettable: I think this book was memorable to me because it's a little different than your average teenage romance book. I liked that a lot.
Cover: The cover kind of made me not want to read the book because it seemed as if the book was going to be mostly romance throughout the whole thing but fortunately that was not the case.
Age Range: 16 through 17
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments: Anna Banks did a swell job at writing this book, but I still think that the first one was a lot better written. Both of the books really held my attention throughout the whole thing. There was always tons of excitement going on.
Annotation: Of Triton is the sequel to the book Of Poseidon. It continues the story of Emma,who had just recently found out that she is what the Syrena species call a "half-breed" (half human, half Syrena.) She is considered an abomination to the Syrena world. She has to overcome many obstacles while trying to keep her relationship with the gorgeous Syrena prince, Galen.

tags:  fantasy / romance / ya lit

Whatever Doesn't Kill You - YA Review by Tara L

Reader:  Tara L
Age: 13
Title: Whatever Doesn't Kill You
Author: Elizabeth Wennick
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Pub Date: 04/01/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: It's a fun fast read because you can't tell what's going to happen next. She did a really good job on the characters.
Memorable or Forgettable: The dramatic parts are memorable but the over all book is hard to remember.
Cover: The cover caught my eye because it was unusual. The cover did reflect the contents because it kinda describes the story.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Jenna Cooper's dad died when she was a couple days old. Murdered by Travis Bingham who has been let out of jail. This is a good book that has lots of suspense.

tags:  suspense / coming of age / ya lit

Embrace - YA Review by Isabelle

Reader: Isabelle N
Age: 14
Title: Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 03/06/12
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I found this book to be very-- different from the normal ones I pick up.  I found that the focus was not on her powers and how super awesome, macho, pumped up, amazing she was, but on her choice of becoming a Grigori or not.  Becoming a Grigori was a choice, just like people have to make every day, while adding a paranormal factor, and that’s admirable, because even she needs to make choices that can be tough.  Yes, there was the typical love triangle thing going on that I must say is OVERUSED, but I feel that she did not overplay that angle.  I admire how she made Violet so easy to relate to.  I know that it was a bit subtle at times, but at some places it was right on.  I mean I could totally relate to her insecurity and indecision on some of her choices, her regret, and blindness and more.  I'm sure many teens can, and that for one is something that can highlight this book to mine and others' appeal.  At times in the book I felt discomfort or uneasy knowing she was being deceived to or lied to.  Knowing she would be in danger or would get hurt.  To know that I felt unease at the thought of her getting hurt so unknowingly kind of made her seem stupid, but then was like a window to myself.  The unease was like I do this all the time; walk into things so stupidly when in the back of my mind I can sense something isn't right.  It was almost a turn off to the book, and I almost put it down.  The need for a good outcome or even just an ending however, lead me to finish the book.  I feel the ending was a bit of—a bittersweet ending?  In a way it did not falter to make me want to read the sequel, but it did not have the same gratifying feeling of finishing a book.  It kind of just left me sitting there going that was the end?  In no way was it memorable, I had to go back to remember what the ending was.  It could definitely be amped, but it was not horrendous.  Violet’s powers were said to be significant!  The heart of the keshet, but when she became a Grigori I did not see much difference, except in responsibility.  I think the author could’ve used more time describing how the Grigori affected her a bit.  In the club the scene of her against Joel and Onyx brought her powers into play.  I felt it was just like BOOM her powers are there.  Even with her powers restrained it was not much to show that they were there in the first place besides her sensory.  Now let’s talk about this cover issue.  It made me mad a little that the cover looked so epic, yet had nothing to do with the book really.  Angels in this book do NOT, sorry let me repeat that do NOT have wings.  Yet it is under false pretenses from the book cover that she has wings or something because, of the smoke in the shape of wings and the feathers.  I think although the cover may have been a bummer, the writing was not.  Although the plot and description could use a little work, ahem, the ending.  I believe that the literal writing was fine; it was easy to read through, pretty fast.  At points I had to pause when I got that feeling of unease, but I knew I had to keep reading to lift the feeling.  I did feel some things were left unaddressed, which may be because they’ll be in the next book or just are left for the reader to guess, but it did make me a bit confused and wondering.  For example she inherited a box from her mother.  One Grigori’s have, with bracelets.  There is only one bracelet when Lincoln has two.  Does that mean her mother has the other?  Then the fact that she can’t have Lincoln and she’s taking one day at a time, well that’s nice and all, but when did she state the punishments of them being together?!  I mean yes it was mentioned that they could not, but was there an actual known consequence?  Then her and Phoenix, they’re a nice ‘couple’, but that goes to hell with betrayal.  She does not act the same as she does with Phoenix at betrayal?  Or the part when they got into the relationship...when did this happen?!  I don't recall either of them asking one another out. Plus the relationship just seemed… too creepy.  It was like a turn off, it felt like Phoenix was influencing her every part of the way and stuff.  It just seemed she herself had no free will in the relationship.  I mean he just seems like someone who can come off as nice, but considering how they met…well yeah so another turn off to this book.  In the woods when they had sex, it was just whoa!  I did not see that coming, there was no build up.  It was just BAM it’s there.  As well as I honestly did not want him having sex with her; one I did not feel that’s how far they were in their relationship and two just what?  She was supposed to be becoming a Grigori to save Lincoln yet here she is having sex with Phoenix!  It was outrageous.  Overall this book was pretty good; I would probably not read it again.  I would maybe recommend it.  It was actually recommended to me, hence why the reason I looked past the tacky wings and finally picked it up.  It would do well in the teen community I believe, and most will enjoy it despite the defects I see in it.  I do not believe it will be something like the Hunger Games or Twilight, but it will not go unknown.
Memorable or Forgettable: Something that distinguished this book as memorable for me is that she put quotes at the start of every chapter.  The quotes were like for-sights of the chapters, however did not give too much away.  Another thing that was interesting was in this book, the depiction of angels was not only just pure good or pure bad, and they did not have wings or in the angel realms bodies for that matter.  It was all very intriguing and makes the book memorable.
Cover: The cover at first enticed me, but when I saw the smoke wings; it turned me off a bit.  I had thought oh, the wings are a bit tacky, and it will be like all the other angel books.  It however proved me wrong.  Though I still don't see the purpose of the wings except for marketing.  In the story the angels do not possess wings, so why should the book advertise that as an aspect, even if they weren't true wings.  You still make the assumption especially with the feathers.  The only thing that reflected the book really was the image of Violet herself.  If that is to be her.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

tags:  angels / supernatural/ coming of age / romance / ya lit

Four Secrets - YA Review by Grace KL

Reader: Grace KL
Age: 14
Title: Four Secrets
Author: Margaret Willey
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pub Date: 8/01/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Four Secrets is told from multiple viewpoints, each which contribute uniquely to the overall book.  One is entirely drawings, with raw power that makes them stand out, while another is told lyrically as if it were a knight on a quest.  All the viewpoints build to an intimate understanding of each character, which leaves you guessing as to what their secret might be.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book is memorable for me because of the unique way of telling the story, whose central points were not revealed until the final pages.  Also, having the perspective of a social worker was very interesting to the reader, because it showed she was really on their side, even while the kids refused to reveal their secrets.
Cover: The cover tempted me because of it's simplicity.  As one is reading the book, they realize that ravens are hidden throughout the book and that each one represents an important character.
Age Range: Under 12 through 15
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

tags:  bullying / middle school / suspense / ya lit

Gorgeous - YA Review by Audrey

Reader: Audrey M
Age: 15
Title: Gorgeous
Author: Paul Rudnick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pub Date: 4/30/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: A trailer park girl finds a man and a dress that have the capability of making her the most attractive woman in the world.
Memorable or Forgettable:  It was too similar to Tyra Banks' Modelland. It bothers me when books have seemingly unique characteristics, such as a girl who begins her journey as an unattractive girl, and ends it as hot stuff, that turn out to be nearly identical to another story.
Cover: Technically, there was no cover. It was glossy black with white lettering, but based on the plot of the story, black and white has a certain appropriate elegance. I think they shouldn't make a real cover for it, this one works better than most things they could come up with it to replace it.
Age Range: Under 12 through 15
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal

tags:  coming of age / BFYA nominee / ya lit

Ask the Passengers - YA Review by Grant

Reader: Grant D
Age: 13
Title: Ask The Passengers
Author: A.S. King
Publisher: Little, Brown and company
Pub Date: 10/23/12
Galley: No
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Everyone should definitely read this book because of the amazing writing by King. She takes this great story and somehow brings it to another level. The story seems so real and every moment the characters are learning and progressing. By the end you can see the teenagers mature and learn about themselves.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was very memorable because it is one of the first books that has really changed the way I think in many ways and I would guess it would do the same for a lot of people.
Cover: I liked the cover a bit but not a lot. I guess it shows Astrid watching the planes and thinking, that is a lot of the book.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: In this wonderful book called Ask The Passengers is a story of a girl named Astrid Jones who is a young adult trying to find her true sexuality.

tags:  GLBTQ / coming of age / ya lit

Fire Season - YA Review by Eli

Reader: Eli S-M
Age: 13
Title: Fire Season
Author: David Weber and Jane Lindskold
Publisher: Baen Books
Pub Date: 10/2/12
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I thought the main character of this book, Stephanie Harrington, was fairly realistic and likable, though it bugged me how it was constantly mentioned that she had genetic modifications and yet that never really came up in or contributed to the story. The dialogue was also done pretty well, and most of the characters talked like real people. The thing that bugged me the most about this book is that the main plot is them fighting a fire 1,000 years in the future. I would think that after you had discovered space travel, fighting a fire would be fairly easy, but they appear to have an even tougher time than we do now. The only way it's easier than it is now is that their axes vibrate, which apparently makes it easier to cut down trees to form fire lines.
Memorable or Forgettable: It was somewhat forgettable because it seemed to be a fairly normal science fiction book, with no significant new technologies or other innovations by the author. The fact that the main plot was fighting a fire, however, despite how problematic  it is for the time period, is far from the norm, and in that way it was memorable.
Cover: The cover is very good. It represents the contents of the book and tempted me to pick it up.
Age Range: Under 12 through 15
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal

tags: science fiction / adventure / Star Kingdom series / ya lit

Quarantine - YA Review by Pauly

Reader: Pauly S
Age: 13
Title: Quarantine: The Loners
Author: Lex Thomas
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub Date: 7/10/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I liked this book because of how the author made the change from normal high school life into mass chaos when the infection hits. The character development, dialogue, and plot voice were above par. The viewpoint is in first person which made it even more interesting because it kept switching between characters with different motives and status on the pecking order.
Memorable or Forgettable: N/A
Cover: The cover did tempt me to pick it up because it showed a quarantine sigh accompanied by a locked down school in the background.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: A regular high-school is transformed into a war zone of survival when a viral disease that kills anyone past puberty infects the students.

tags:  dystopian / high school / ya lit

A Corner of White - YA Review by Marie

Reader: Marie W
Age: 14
Title: A Corner of White
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Publisher: Scholastic
Pub Date: 04/01/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: There was great character development in this book, and the dialogue was very believable. This book was very mysterious and unpredictable. The plot voice of Elliot and Madeleine were very strong, and it seemed like they could possibly be actual people in some points of the story. The dialogue though I think needed some improvement, because when they spoke, I felt like they weren't really teen fictional characters. The letters that where exchanged back and forth were very realistic especially the ones that M.T wrote to Elliot. It was very interesting what was going on in the world and in the kingdom of Cello. A thing I would improve on would be how Madeleine and Elliot relate, because they didn't seem too connected to each other except by the fact that they happened to start writing to each other.
Memorable or Forgettable: The idea of the kingdom of Cello was very memorable since most books that I read have so much romance and action. It just stuck out as a great book, and it is a book unlike any I have encountered so far.
Cover:  The cover was very interesting and colorful, it reflected the book by showing "The girl in the world."
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: Overall it's a great book, I hope you read it. 

tags:  fantasy / mystery / humor / BFYA nominee / ya lit