Hacking Timbuktu

Reader: Guananí
Age: 15
Title: Hacking Timbuktu
Author: Stephen Davies
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pub Date: 2010
Galley: No
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This book is about a pair of pals who not only practice the sport/martial art of parkour, but also hack! This is a very original premise and a much needed fresh topic in the action genre. It was enormous fun to read the parkour chase scenes and the witty dialogue as the main characters raced through London and Mali looking for clues that lead to an ancient treasure. Even though some concepts suspended my belief (being chased by fanatic treasure-hunting Facebook groups, hacking an airport computer system, figuring out how to find the treasure with relative ease), I read two thirds of it in one night and then finished as soon as I woke up.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: The most compelling parts of this book are the descriptions of parkour and the dialogue between the two main characters. The prose was fresh, exciting, and didn't take itself too seriously.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: Yes
Reasons you were disappointed with the book: Unfortunately, the last 60 pages did not live up to the rest of the book. The ending seemed rushed, had less parkour and sort of fizzled out without a strong stopping place. Nonetheless I would read a sequel because the beginning was so amazing.
Cover: The jumping guy overlaid on the computer chip and city background does a neat job of showing the three main topics of the book (parkour, hacking, Timbuktu). It was refreshing to see a cover that was not black. The font of the title ties in to the ancient treasure hunt aspect nicely.
Age Range: 12-17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Comments: I really wish there were more books, and attention in general, about parkour.

Starcrossed

Reader: Sydney
Age: 15
Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pub Date: 5/31/11
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This is a really cool book. The characters are intriguing, there are a few plot twists thrown in, and it blends Greek mythology into the modern world.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: I really like the characters in this book, but more the minor ones than the protagonist.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: Yes
Comments: ***Spoiler Alert*** There was one thing that bugged me about this book. At the end, it had the protagonist and her love interest think that they were related so that they couldn't be together, and that really bugs me when authors do that.
Cover: The cover for this book is dark and dramatic, which is what I think the publisher was going for.
Age Range: 14-18+
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

The A Circuit

Reader: Sydney
Age: 15
Title: The A Circuit
Author: Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 5/24/11
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Recommend: No
Did you finish: No
Were you disappointed with the book at all: Yes
Comments: I didn't finish the book because I just couldn't get into the story. I think it’s because it was written in a style similar to The Clique or Pretty Little Liars.
Cover: I picked up this book because the cover was dark and a bit mysterious, and because it had a horse with a bridle (not just running around like the Black Stallion).
Age Range: 12-17
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal

This Gorgeous Game

Reader: Elise
Age: 15
Title: This Gorgeous Game
Author: Donna Freitas
Publisher: Frances Foster Books
Pub Date: 2010
Galley: Yes
Recommend: Yes
Annotation: When Olivia wins the chance to have a mentorship with her hero author, Father Mark Brendan, she thinks she couldn't get any luckier. But, soon enough, the work forces itself into every aspect of her life, and there's more than fatherly concern behind his interest in her.
Convince us to read the book: This book takes a look at a very serious issue, child abuse in the Catholic church, without stereotyping Catholics, and developing well rounded, interesting characters. It's a book that stuck with me, I kept thinking about the characters, and exactly what happened to them.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: The thing that made this gorgeous book stand out was its delicate balance. While it does look at corruption in the church, it never even comes close to hating it. There are really strong Catholic characters that Olivia turns to for help, and there's the really awful one, which enforces the author's point, because it's someone Olivia trusts and looks up to. Another place this could have gone very wrong is juggling keeping a creepy atmosphere, while being tasteful and remembering who you're writing for. The author did this beautifully. I could see how the situation could have gone much further, and gotten blown out of control, but I didn't ever feel like I wanted to put it down, so it will appeal to people with all different levels of tolerance. The protagonist's actions were very understandable, not whiny, and I could tell she was strong even in her awful circumstances.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: No
Cover: Fabulous would be a fitting word for this cover. The colors were catching and muted at the same time, because it wasn't a really cheerful book. The changing shades of purple were very catching. The way the girl looked so trapped, and how she was in the corner, hiding in herself, almost, reflected how she feels for a good portion of the book.
Age Range: 12-18+
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

What Happened To Goodbye

Reader: Sabrina
Age: 17
Title: What Happened To Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking
Pub Date: 5/10/11
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This book had a great moral lesson. It showed that you can still be an independent woman with a little help from your friends and family. That no matter what the situation is, you don't have to go at it alone, but you can try.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: Getting to know the hustle and bustle of the restaurant industry was intriguing to read about! Sarah's description and detail of the stress, the hard work, and the closeness of the workers helped put into effect/ perspective of how hard it was for Mclean (as well as the other characters) to see their favorite restaurant fall apart. By this sense of detail and description you (the reader) get a sense of what life might be behind the counter top.
Were you disappointed with the book at all: No
Comments: I'm not trying to be rude or anything, the book was amazing, but it seems like Sarah's in a semi-rut when it comes to her writing and plots. The characters and the plot did have depth, but it felt like they were all to similar to her previous books, which isn't bad. It's just getting a little old-I wish I could see her expand a bit with her writing.
Cover: The cover did tempt me to pick up the book- by just looking at the cover you KNEW that this was another Sarah Dessen book. The cover reflects the contents perfectly-Mclean standing on an suitcase with clothes popping out is both intriguing and metaphorical. Just by looking at the cover of the book you know that you're going to read a book about an independent girl trying to keep everything seamlessly together.
Age Range: 14-18
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

Recovery Road

Reader: Elise S.
Age: 14
Title: Recovery Road
Author: Blake Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pub Date:
Galley: Yes
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Recovery Road had a lot of hope in the story. When I picked it up, I thought that it was the kind of book that could be summed up in three words: love in rehab. But the farther I read, the more interesting it got. The love aspect was way overdone, when it was really a story about survival, second chances, and determination. The protagonist wasn't anybody spectacular, but she was interesting and relateable enough, and the way she dealt with her situation trying to get a good life, and the way people viewed her was really fascinating to read about.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: I loved the way it wasn't about her bad actions, it was about Maddie dealing through the consequences. So many YA books are just plain depressing, but this told a sad story, but was about life continuing. It also made me understand and feel a little bit more connected with my classmates who make bad choices. I hope now, if the situation arises, I can be more compassionate, which is a great thing for a book to do. Another thing was how the story showed the consequences of drugs and alcoholism without being preachy about it. There wasn't a lot of "Just say no" stuff being shoved in your face, but it was still there.
Cover: In my opinion, the cover was flat, cliche, and gave away a lot of the book. It related very well, but really? A heart made out of pills? And the main character isn't so much of a drug addict as an alcoholic, if you want to be persnickety. The cover made it look like the whole book surrounded one message, but there was a lot more to it. The plain blue made everything look so flat and uninteresting, the heart just blah.
Age Range: 12-17
Quality: 4Q Better than most

The Poison Eaters

Reader: Elise S.
Age: 15
Title: The Poison Eaters
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderberry
Pub Date:
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Annotation: From modern unicorns, to living books, from poisonous kisses, to real vampires, and everything in between, these 12 short stories are told with humor and creativity.
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: The short stories showed a wide variety in style and time period. Some were more gritty and modern, and some had more of the quality of a fairy tale, which provided a refreshing diversity. And the stories themselves were interesting, with different ways of looking at mythology. They all were finished, too, which sounds kind of weird for a published book, but they were. It didn't feel like the author took scenes from a novel and slapped them together to make an anthology, they were developed, with interesting characters, and a story arc.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: With an anthology, you can't really say that the plot was enthralling, but each story kept me interested, and wanting another one. I stayed at the train station reading, rather than going home because I pulled into it, which is a good sign (but I might just not have wanted to do the dishes).
Cover: The way the girls' bodies were arranged on the cover was the most interesting thing. The shapes and movement, especially with the light on darker, it drew my attention. Most of the plants were cool, the dresses made me jealous, but their hair bugged me. It looks like the photographer forgot, and, at the last moment, put that straw matting that you use to cover strawberry plants on their heads.
Did you finish: Yes
Age Range: Under 12 to 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Reader: Emily
Age: 16
Title: Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Author: A. S. King
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Pub Date: 10/12.2011
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a unique book about an alcoholic teenager dealing with the death of a friend and the unresolved feelings she has for him
Compelling Aspect of the Book: Vera's father is very influential throughout the entire story. He became a father before he hit twenty and is an ex-alcoholic, but managed to turn his life around and raise his daughter. He presents a good roll model to young fathers and demonstrates that even people in dismal circumstances can make everything better.
Cover: Very cool cover, I especially enjoy the lime green, certainly makes the cover stand out from the crowd.
Age Range: 14 to 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it

Venemous

Reader: Emily
Age: 16
Title: Venemous
Author: Christopher Krovatin
Publisher: Atheneum
Pub Date: 03/08/2011
Galley: Yes
Recommend: No
Did you finish: No
Were you disappointed with the book at all: The graphic novel inserts and the alternate visions of Locke as a crime fighting super hero detracts from the plot and makes it difficult to read. Locke's younger brother suffers from his anger issues. Locke's inability to change even for the brother he loves has some reality to it, but it makes it hard to read.
Cover: The cover has potential, it clearly demonstrates the anger Locke has and his tough attitude.
Age Range: 14-17
Quality: 2Q Needs more work

The Lost Gate

Reader: Maddie S
Age: 17
Title: The Lost Gate
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Pub Date: 2010
Galley: Yes
Recommend: No
Compelling Aspect of the Book: The most compelling aspect of the book is the fact that there is a world full of people with powers and abilities. Everyone is better at something and these peoples’ abilities are better emphasized.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: I was a little disappointed with the turn of the story and how the main character had to leave. There was so much deceit and anger in the story it was oddly unrealistic.
Comments: The book makes me contemplate my abilities, and my independency overall.
Cover: I saw a book on the cover of a book and I was just enthralled. Then I realized the book really didn't have to do with any books.
Age Range: 14-15
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 2P Only for special interest