Book Reviews by Young Adults

Print |

Reprint/License |

Subscription |

RSS |

The Sneak Peek Reviewers Club October 5, 2011

What I like best about our teens' reviews is that they never pull punches—they tend to either love something or hate it, and their opinions always come through loud and clear. And that approach seems to be working, since a recent survey of SLJTeen's readers shows that these reviews are your favorite part of the newsletter! But be forewarned, the latest bunch of reviews includes spoiler alerts for Tris & Izzie and Stealing Kevin's Heart.

HARRISON, Mette Ivie. Tris & Izzie. Egmont USA, August 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-173-0.

cover tris and izzie Gr 8 Up—Isolde has a perfectly ordinary life: her boyfriend is a star basketball player, she has a trusty best friend, and she lives alone with her mom. But Izzie (her nickname) also knows her mom is a witch and she's doing a fairly good job at keeping her magic a secret from the world. When Izzie decides to get her best friend, Branna, a perfect boyfriend like her own, she resorts to a magical love potion that's meant for Tristan, the new guy at school. But both Izzie and Tristan accidentally drink the potion and before she knows it, she's in love with a stranger and in danger of getting eaten by the magical serpent that killed her father. Spoiler alert: In the end, Izzie and Tristan kill the beast, realize that they didn't drink a love potion, and live happily ever after. Ironically, Branna ends up with Izzie's old boyfriend.

This is one of the worst books I've ever read. It has a good concept—it was just executed very poorly. Also, all the characters are very cheesy and predictable. The dialogue is below teens' reading levels and it's boring. The characters seem to jump to random topics during their conversations. The best part of the book is its cover featuring Tris and Izzie in a romantic embrace. Hopefully, Harrison will do better next time.—Andriana M., age 15

SHAW, Susan. Tunnel Vision. Margaret K. McElderry Bks., August 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-44240-839-5.

tunnel cover Gr 7 Up—Walking home from school or work shouldn't be a dangerous ordeal, but for Liza it has become one. As Liza walks through a tunnel, a group of men decide to kill her, but they miss and shoot her mother instead. Just killing the mother isn't enough for these men, and a few days later they come after Liza again. Liza doesn't realize what she saw in the tunnel, but she knows it was something. After this second incident, Liza and her dad are placed in a witness-protection program. Wherever they go, though, the gang of killers follows them. They then decide to trust no one, not even the FBI, and escape on their own, hoping one day to return to their home, friends, and normal lives.

Tunnel Vision is an OK book, but I wish there'd been more action and less about Liza's feelings. If the author wanted this book to be a journal, then she should have written it in that format. I know that Liza is trying to be funny sometimes, but it doesn't come across as humorous. I'd say that this novel is perhaps a one-time read, but it's not a classic to be read over and over.—Christopher L., age 14

BARRETT, Tracy. Dark of the Moon. Harcourt, September 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-58132-3.

cover dark Gr 7 Up—Ariadne, daughter of the moon Goddess, is "She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess." She has been trained since she can remember for the lonely life that awaits her as "She-Who-Is-Goddess." Yet fate has a very different path in mind for her: Ariadne is destined to lead a life of adventure and hardship she could never have imagined.

Dark of the Moon is well written with fascinating characters and a twisting plot that captures the reader's attention right away. Ariadne is a realistic character who learns and grows as the story unfolds. The way in which the author tied in various aspects of ancient Athenian culture was very enjoyable.

I found the ending very satisfactory. It wasn't overly mushy or romantic, and yet each character found happiness in different ways.—Rachel A., age 17.

CARTER, M. Scott. Stealing Kevin's Heart. RoadRunner, October 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN: 978-1-937054-05-2.

cover stealing Gr 7 Up-Alex's best friend, Kevin, is killed in a motorcycle accident during a harmless race. When Kevin's father blames Alex for his son's death, Alex falls into a yearlong depression. On the verge of suicide, Alex's parents send him to a therapy camp for troubled teens. Although Alex doesn't believe he needs to be there, he manages to catch the eye of a beautiful Texan, Rachel, who's survived a heart transplant. Spoiler alert! The two of them become best friends and when Rachel is almost raped, Alex is her savior. After camp, Alex and Rachel stay together and soon discover that Rachel has Kevin's old heart.

This was an amazing novel. The story hooked me from the very beginning and never let go! Alex was hilarious and the random twists pulled the story into a perfect grand finale. Carter has a gift for touching the reader's heart with his sweet plotline. Stealing Kevin's Heart deserves five stars.—Andriana M., age 15

LINK, Kelly and Grant, Gavin J. Steampunk! Candlewick, October 2011. Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5638-6.

steampunk cover Gr 8 Up-As its title suggests, this collection of 14 short stories explores the imaginative world of steampunk. For those unfamiliar with the genre, steampunk typically combines early-1900s culture with very advanced technologies, such as airships, clockwork, steam-powered machines, and brass goggles. That's not a limitation, though. Steampunk's stories take place in alternate versions of the past, present, and future, set in locations all around the globe. This collection explores various aspects of steampunk-from clockwork automatons to time-altering devices.

Steampunk! is excellent anthology that showcases a fantastic genre. In fact, the majority of these stories are enthralling, and the characters are intriguing and usually easy to relate to. Overall, this is a rich and captivating collection.-Jacob M., age 14.

NICHOLLS, Stan and Joe Flood. Orcs: Forged For War. First Second, October 2011. pap. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-455-4.

orcs cover Gr 6 Up-Orcs have always been thought to be evil. Everyone sees them and thinks they're ugly and evil. This book gives a different take on orcs. It makes them look peaceful, but with a talent. In this story, the orcs are one of the elder races. These elder races all have a special talent, and orcs are gifted with fighting skills. Stryke leads a clan of orcs called the Wolverines. They try to do whatever their master says, which is to help people in need. Of course, they like to make it bloody.

Nicholls and Flood brought a new twist to good books with monsters. The drawings are very well done, and they help bring the story to life. This book was a lot of fun to read and was very exciting. It's a very fast-paced book that holds your attention.—Tyler L., age 12

This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.