Tandem - YA Review by Perrin S.

Reader: Perrin S.
Age: 15
Title: Tandem
Author: Anna Jarzab
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 10/08/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: The plot was very engaging and I was never really bored while reading this. The author thew in plot twists that I didn't see coming and intensity that kept me on my toes. I fell in love with some of the characters because of their unique personality and realistic qualities. And the book left me wanting more without leaving on a cruel cliff hanger, which I really appreciate.
Memorable or Forgettable: The main character, Sasha, was very memorable. She was an interesting character to follow and I could almost always follow her thought processes. She was a great heroine with a logical mind set.

This book had a good sense of humor that not only made me laugh but also tied in well with the story and never felt out of place. I found that a lot of the humor was in the situations the character had to face rather than just the dialogue that was being said. And I loved it. Definitly not something I see in a lot of YA.

Cover: I still don't understand the bird on the cover; the book doesn't really mention birds at all. I couldn't see how the bird would in some way represent the character(s) or the plot. So I'm still confused about why the bird is there. Overall, I thought the cover was dull and kind of faded into the background and didn't reflect the amazing story inside.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: On the night of her school dance, Sasha was kidnapped, by her date who claimed he was from a parallel world. Sasha tries anything to get home, even if it means clawing her way out or jumping from moving cars, but she soon realizes that her kidnapper might really be from a different world, and he might have dragged her into a different universe. She is forced to take over the life of the princess who just disappeared and convince the princess's loved ones (and not-so-loved ones) that she is someone she's never even met, but Sasha doesn't like playing puppet. And soon she develops her own plans to best her puppeteers at their own game and find her own way home.

tags: science fiction / dystopia / alternate universe / fantasy / romance / high school / mystery / ya lit

The Hidden Kingdom - YA Review by Veronica K.

Reader: Veronica K.
Age: 13
Title: The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire #3)
Author: Tui T. Sutherland
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pub Date: 06/01/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This was not a good book. The plot was slow and things that were serious were too casual. Someone died, killed with his throat ripped out, and the characters said, essentially, "Meh." The characters did not really do anything brilliant. The things that they did were very undetailed and unsatisfying. There was no suspense. The problems were solved immediately.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book is forgettable because there is no detail to remember. There is no mental imagery to catch your attention. The actions are barely there.
Cover: The cover reflected the contents, but seems too childish. It turned me off.
Age Range: under 12
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 2P Only for special interest

tags: fantasy / dragons / middle grade / juvenile /  childrens / ya lit

The F-It List - YA Review by Tori H.

Reader: Tori H.
Age: 13
Title: The F-It List
Author: Julie Halpern
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pub Date: 11/12/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book:  The plot was exciting. The characters were good and the dialogue was impressive.
Memorable or Forgettable: It was forgettable, but it still was a good book. It was just another one of those bucket list books. It just blended in with the rest of the crowd. It didn't have any qualities that made it stand out.
Cover: It kind of reflected the contents. Its a piece of notebook paper; it's what Becca wrote her F-It list on.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: I have decided to forgive my best friend Becca, and now I have found out that she has cancer. She wants me to help her complete her bucket list (I mean F-It List). I hope I can satisfy her.

tags: contemporary / realistic fiction / ya lit

Antigoddess - YA Review by Katie J.

Reader: Katie J.
Age: 13
Title: Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pub Date: 09/10/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Ugh. This book was incredibly boring. It was so boring I didn't even finish it. I had heard that it was really gory and bloody and gross, which made me want to read it because I love that stuff. Well, I was sorely disappointed. The only "gory" thing that happened was that Athena pulls feathers out from underneath her skin which makes her bleed. Another reason I wanted to read this book was because it was about the Greek gods and goddesses, which I am intrigued and fascinated by. I have read almost all of Rick Riordan's books about Percy Jackson, and I love them. I wanted to read about the gods and goddesses from a different point of view, and I wished I hadn't. This book was boring and didn't meet any of my expectations.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was forgettable because it was very, very boring and didn't meet my expectations. I was expecting a gory violent thriller but instead I got "a quest to bring the gods together to stop this awful curse!"
Cover: I will give them credit for one thing. The cover worked great with the book.
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 1Q How did it get published?
Popularity: 1P Yech! Forced to read it

tags: fantasy / mythology / greek mythology / paranormal / romance / ya lit

Season of the Witch - YA Review by Katie J.

Reader: Katie J.
Age: 13
Title: Season of the Witch
Author: Mariah Fredericks
Publisher: Schwartz and Wade
Pub Date: 10/08/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This was a bad book. It's like a blend of a not-so good Popular-Girl-fighting-against-Unpopular-Girl-for-who-gets-the-Cute-Boyfriend kind of book and a horrible I'm-Harry-Potter-and-I-can-do-magic-without-a-wand-take-that-Harry! Like I said, it's really weird. If you like weird books, by all means, go out and buy it; I won't stop you. But if you don't like weird books, don't get this book.
Memorable or Forgettable: It was forgettable because of the way it had two hemes that could have been good together but just weren't.
Cover: The cover didn't really sway my decision either way.  I guess it works with the book.
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 2Q Needs some work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal

tags: contemporary / realistic fiction / paranormal / witches / fantasy / ya lit

The Real Prom Queens of Westfield High - YA Review by Katie J.

Reader: Katie J.
Age: 13
Title: The Real Prom Queens of Westfield High
Author: Laurie Boyle Crompton
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 02/04/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: HA HA HA!!! This book was the funniest thing I have read in a long, long while. SO, These three girls, the ultimate outcasts (the overweight one, the goth one, and the awkward one) get chosen to go on a "reality TV show" ( you know the ones, where they say it's "reality," but when you say something they don't like, they yell "CUT" and make you redo it) about becoming Prom queens. As a little curve ball, they throw in the girl's nemesis's to fight for the crown (and of course, the ultimate date and dress). The book ends in an all-out hair-pulling, nail-chipping (oh, the horror) brawl. IT IS SO FUNNY!!!
Memorable or Forgettable: The way this book was written makes it hilarious.
Cover: The cover did a great job of describing the book. I mean, when you look at it, you can tell right of the bat that it is about (the real prom queens), where it mainly takes place (Westfield High), and who win's the crown (the main character).
Age Range: under 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments: HA HA HA!!!
Annotation: This book is the ultimate outcasts-turned-popular. It was hilarious reading about the bad decisions the girls made when they were popular.

tags: contemporary / humor / ya lit

The Tragedy Paper - YA Review by Katie J.

Reader: Katie J.
Age: 13
Title: The Tragedy Paper
Author: Elizabeth LaBan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 01/08/13
Galley: No
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I had heard some great things about this book from a lot of people, so I thought I should try it. And I'm happy to say, this book didn't disappoint. The writing was amazing. I felt like I was Duncan. I felt like I was sitting in the dorm, listening to Tim. I felt like I could relate to both of them.
This book is about Duncan, who attends Irving school. Every year, the seniors have to write The Tragedy Paper, which they have to pass in order to graduate. Duncan gets to listen to Tim's version of the Tragedy through CDs. When he listens to them, he starts coming up with ideas for his Paper, while listening how the Games were planned, and how everything happened the year that Tim graduated.

If I had to choose one thing to change about this book, I would put in more about the Game. The book didn't explain it that well, which I found very frustrating. Other than that, this was a great book.

Memorable or Forgettable:  It was memorable because it was very relatable.
Cover: I really liked the cover, although I didn't think it related to the book very well.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it
Additional Comments: GO READ IT!!!
Annotation: While preparing for the most dreaded assignment at the prestigious Irving School, the Tragedy Paper, Duncan gets wrapped up in the tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student, who had a secret relationship with the wrong girl, and Duncan's own ill-fitted one with Daisy.

tags: contemporary / realistic fiction / romance / mystery / school stories / boarding schools / ya lit

Spoils - YA Review by Taj H.

Reader: Taj H.
Age: 14
Title: Spoils
Author: Tammar Stein
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 12/10/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I wouldn't recommend the book because in the beginning there seems to be no plot. Only if you go back and read word for word will slowly make sense.
Memorable or Forgettable: It is forgettable because it doesn't really have a hook to bring you in, therefore nothing is really worth remembering.
Cover: It tempted me to pick it up, that is why i read it, but I got three chapters in and wanted to stop. But I was curious.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Lenore's family wins the lottery. Will it make her life better? Or worse?

tags: contemporary / ya lit

Cured - YA Review by Katie J.

Reader: Katie J.
Age: 13
Title: Cured (Stung #2)
Author: Bethany Wiggins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Pub Date: 03/13/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: WOW! I didn't read either Stung or Shifting, but that is what makes this book great. The author did such a great job writing this book that I didn't have to read the other two!  In this book, "Jack," who is actually a girl, but is pretending to be a guy, so she doesn't get taken by the raiders, tries to go into the city. She doesn't succeed, but she does meet two people from school that she hasn't seen in years. They go on a quest to find a safe area. I won't spoil it, but it ends well.
Memorable or Forgettable: The way this book was written made it very memorable to me.
Cover: The cover definitely reflected the contents of the book.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Jack returns, making new friends along the way to victory against the beasts.

tags: science fiction / dystopia / ya lit

Unbreakable - YA Review by AJ G.

Reader: AJ G.
Age: 17
Title: Unbreakable
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 10/01/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I read about forty pages into this book, and then had to stop, because it is exactly like the Mortal Instruments series. Really, the most noticable differenve is that I liked the Mortal Instruments better. None of the characters gripped me within the first twenty pages, the story was kind of bland at the beginning, and I have recently discovered that I don't have to finish every book.
Memorable or Forgettable: I thought the similarity to the Mortal Instruments was fairly striking. Other than that, there was no hook within the first chapter that made me want to keep reading. That's a problem for any book. I thought the characters seemed fairly boring.
Cover: The cover is definitely drawing. I think it was the best aspect of this book. It's pretty generic, but in a way that will definitely draw teens to it.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

tags: fantasy / urban fantasy / paranormal / ghosts / demons / ya lit