Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 14
Title: Breaking Sky
Author: Cori McCarthy
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 03/10/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I really enjoyed reading this book. It was something completely different from what I usually pick up, but it was pretty cool. The plot line was alright and a bit predictable towards the end, but the author threw in a couple major plot twists that really made the story come alive. The many twists and turns had me screaming and literally on the edge of my seat waiting, not very patiently for the next page. This made it a very fast and quick read. The main characters were very well developed, but I would not say the same about the supporting and side characters. They were just normal characters. While I was reading, one of the factors that really dragged me into the book was how different the story is. It was a dystopian/science fiction/war/air craft book that not only involved the future, but a made up world and flying, which makes the story even cooler and better.
Memorable or Forgettable: The one thing that made this book very memorable to me was the fact that it is not your everyday, typical book. It has a lot of different features, such as the head-strong and daredevil main character, to the dystopia world added in. The fact that the book had a love line going on was also pretty cute.
Cover:
The cover was one of the main things that made me pick up the book. I really enjoy how everything looked and how it all flowed. I feel like it really did reflect the contents in a way, but there are some questionable things.
Age Range: Under 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal
tags: dystopian / science fiction / adventure / romance / teen fighter pilots / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 14
Title: Paper Things
Author: Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 02/10/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I did not like this book and would not recommend
it unless you enjoy reading books that are a little too easy to read. It was a
simple read that took me not too long to finish. I felt like all the main
character did was either complain, talk, or not do anything at all. I felt like
she was not really well developed and wasn't complete. The other characters
were okay. They also weren't very well developed and weren't explained much in
the book unless they were very important. I also felt like this story was written
more towards younger children with a young adult topic.
Memorable or Forgettable: Something that was memorable about this book was
the fact that the main topic of the story was how it felt like to be homeless
and how it felt like to not have a permanent home. It made me feel like I was
actually going through what they went through and their experiences were quite
sad and heart-breaking. It made me look at people in a different light and not
judge people at a first glance. You never know what a person could have gone
through and this story made me understand that.
Cover: The cover was actually the thing that made me
pick the book up and check it out. I really like the cover and it really
relates to the contents.
Age Range: Under 12 through 13
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: contemporary fiction / homelessness / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 13
Title: The Cellar
Author: Natasha Preston
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 03/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I thought this was a good book for those people who don't mind a little killing and violence. The Cellar had a lot violent killing scenes that were very well explained and detailed; in other words, it was disturbing for me. Other than those particular scenes, I really enjoyed the book. I thought the plot line was very unique and interesting. I could not put the book down, except when it came to the more disturbing scenes. I sort of liked how Natasha changed from one perspective to another, but there were some parts that I was confused about whose view it's from. Something that kept me reading was the fact that the characters had a goal to reach and were working on the succeeding. The main character was pretty well explained. I liked her, but I thought that she was sort of rushed. I also thought the supporting characters weren't developed enough, like Lewis and the girls in the cellar with her. I liked how Natasha allowed us to view Clover's thoughts and feelings and not just Summer's, the main character. I felt like the characters were very natural and realistic, and I would like to get to know some of them. I am really glad I got the chance to read The Cellar because it made me aware of my surroundings.
Memorable or Forgettable: I think the part I will remember the most would be all the violence because I am not used to reading these kinds of books, and it diversifies my reading logs.
Cover: Covers are usually the first thing I look at before I actually read the description. The cover of The Cellar was very cool and interesting. I thought it really reflected the book and was a good choice. I read The Cellar on Wattpad, and I think the original cover that Natasha had was better looking.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: mystery / thriller / contemporary / realistic fiction / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 13
Title: The Prince of Venice Beach
Author: Blake Nelson
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 06/03/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I really liked this book. It was one of the best almost published books I have read in a very long time. I love the main character, Cali. He was very real and I felt like I was there with him on his journey. I also loved the plot of this story. It's about a topic no other author writes about. It's unique and different, and that's a positive thing. I learned quite a lot about the life of how a runaway lives. It also changed my stereotype that all runaways are not smart and are doing the wrong thing. Everything in this book was realistic. There was nothing about it that seemed fake or unreal. I didn't really enjoy the ending, but it had to happen, so what am I going to do to stop it? The ending is not what I thought it would be, but it was still good. Overall, this book is amazing!
Memorable or Forgettable: I really loved everything about this book and I don't think I will ever forget it.
Cover: The cover is really good. It really made me want to finish the book. It also really reflected the contents.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it
Annotation: A runaway boy, Cali, living on the streets of Venice Beach, playing ball with other runaways, and solving cases for private detectives who either can't do their jobs, or are too lazy to do it. He has friends, who are basically his family, and then strangers he meets and greets on the streets. He gets a hard case from a detective and has to decide whether or not he should continue to work for him with a help of a friend he makes on the way.
tags: mystery / realistic fiction / contemporary / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 13
Title: Mistwalker
Author: Saundra Mitchell
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 02/04/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The book was alright. It wasn't my favorite book but it also wasn't a horrible book. I enjoyed the twists and turns the book took but other than those twists, the book was more bland.
Memorable or Forgettable: The book was memorable to me because it's about something that you usually don't read and hear about. It isn't the usual cliché romance book.
Cover: The cover is amazing and it really reflected the story. The cover was the one thing that really made me pick up the book.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: romance / supernatural / magical realism / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L
Age: 12
Title: This Song Will Save Your Life
Author: Leila Sales
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pub Date: 09/17/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Funny. Interesting. Witty. Unique. These are some of the words that can be used to describe this book. Leila Sales wrote about something that actually matters and most people actually care and can relate to. This story was about a girl facing the hardships of high school and how she figured herself out by realizing her true talents. The author made this book, the characters, their dialogue and everything else very realistic and joyful. There were scenes that were powerful, crazy and ecstatic while it was balanced out with filler chapters. It was filled with a lot of emotions and Sales did a good job at expressing those feelings. I really recommend this book to everybody.
Memorable or Forgettable: The thing that made it very memorable for me and kept me reading was how realistic it was. I really connected to it and at one point of my life I had the feelings that Elise, the main character, had.
Cover: I really loved the cover. It was really unique and different. Instead of just having a picture that had nothing to do with it, then the title at the top or bottom like usual, the picture actually related to the DJ theme and the title was something very different. It is unexplainable. That is how awesome it is.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it
Annotation: After a try at being popular and a failed suicide attempt, she gives up until she stumbles onto the BEST underground dance party on a Thursday. That night, she also stumbles onto her first real and true friends along with how important her life is.
tags: coming of age / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L.
Age: 12
Title: Will & Whit
Author: Laura Lee Gulledge
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pub Date: 05/07/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Will and Whit wasn't just a novel, it was a graphic novel. The images were amazing and very well drawn. I couldn't imagine the pictures better. The dialogue between the characters weas realistic along with the characters themselves. The characters were very well developed. I also liked the plot because it was different from other stories and graphic novels but I also thought that the part where Will gets over her fear of the dark was too easy and sort of unrealistic. All she had to do was not think about it and it went away like that and never came back.
Memorable or Forgettable: The thing that made this story really memorable was the amazing and well-drawn pictures. There were a couple pages that weren't completely drawn out but it was still cool.
Cover: The cover sort of tempted me but also turned me off. I don't think it reflects the contents whatsoever but it's a nice cover. At first, I thought it was going to be a short story but it wasn't.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
I would like to see how this story is like in novel form. It would be cool.
Annotation: Will Huckstep, a brave and artistic girl tries to get over her family's past but while she does that, she makes lamps to help her get over her fear of the dark. She wants an electronic-free summer and she gets it with a blackout from a hurricane, Hurricane Whitney and a planned art carnival. She spends her summer not knowing that she's going to face her fears.
tags: graphic novel / ya lit
Reader: Pazao L
Age: 12
Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub Date: 02/26/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The book was humorous and heartbreaking. It had a 80's theme to it so there weren't any iPods or later electronics like today. Eleanor and Park had a chance at first and true love and also a chance at a sad break up. The author developed the characters quite well along with the plot.
Memorable or Forgettable: The one quality that made the book memorable for me was how the author made the book different from others. It was very different!
Cover: The cover completely and immediately drew me into the book. It represents the book well.
Age Range: 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: romance / first love / BFYA nominee / ya lit
