Book Reviews by Young Adults
RSSSneak Peek Reviewers Club
We all have favorite authors, and A.S. King is one of mine. Her latest book, Everybody Sees the Ants, has already racked up stars from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal, but I bet the good reviews she cherishes most are those from teens, like the one below. Fans of Heather Brewer (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) will be delighted with her latest title, The First Kill, which our Sneak Peek Reviewers Club member gives "15 out of 10 for never having a dull moment and its shocking ending." Looks like you've got some reading to do! MILES, Elizabeth. Fury. S & S, August 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 974-1-4424-3244-4. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2225-4 Fury is well-written with intelligent and flowing prose. It's also, however, a sappy high school drama with too many relationship complications and unnecessary curse words. The plot is very predictable, and the main character learns, too late, where to place her love and trust. The only consolation comes at the end, when the main bad boy gets what he deserves.—Rachel A., age 17. BREWER, Heather. The First Kill (Slayer Chronicles, 1). Dial, September 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN Gr 7 Up—Heather Brewer has done it again—The First Kill is sure to be a best seller. The story begins with why and how Joss McMillan becomes the slayer we all know and love/hate from Brewer's earlier series, Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Vlad and Joss have a confusing love-hate relationship. This book focuses more on Joss's background and why he wants to kill vampires. The story contains elements of love, hate, betrayal, and finding one's true self. The book is great to read on its own, but reading the "Vlad Tod" series first gives you more background. This book gets 15 out of 10 for never having a dull moment and its shocking ending. The best thing about this book is that it's completely original. The days of Twilight are ending and the Slayer Chronicles will be there to take the throne.—Martin G., age 15 KING, A. S. Everybody Sees the Ants. Little, Brown, October 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12928-2. After Lucky gets beaten up particularly badly and his parents have a fight, his mom decides to take the two of them to Arizona to stay with her brother for a few weeks. Lucky is sure that the trip will be terrible. He doesn't know that by the end of the trip, his life will have changed, both in and out of his dreams. Everybody Sees the Ants is an excellent book, especially for people in high school. It addresses issues that are very real. The plot is very believable, apart from the dream parts. Lucky is an intensely relatable protagonist, and all of the other characters are thoroughly authentic, as is the dialogue. This book is definitely recommended for any teens who are having problems or anyone who's looking for a good read.—Jacob M., age 15 VERNICK, Shirley Reva. The Blood Lie. Cinco Puntos, October 2011. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-933693-84-2. The Blood Lie, which is based on true events, is well-written novel that gives readers a good depiction of the period of American history in which it's set. It's short and fast-paced, set over only a few days. Jack is a character that's easy to relate to. This is a good story, especially if you're interested in American history.—Jacob M., age 15 LU, Marie. Legend. Penguin, November 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25675-2. CD $24.99. ISBN 978-1-61176-008-8. This action-packed book lets you really understand Day and June. It was cool how the type in the book changed colors when it was a different chapter. This book keeps the reader interested and on his or her toes. Anybody reading this book will hope for a sequel as the book "died" at the end.—Tyler L., age 12 This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.
Gr 9 Up—Em and her best friend, Gabby, are pretty, popular, and rich. They have everything anyone could ever want, yet Em has a secret. She has fallen for her best friend's boyfriend. Although Em knows he's off limits, she still feels an undeniable pull to him. Will Em be able to keep her best friend and get the boy of her dreams? Not if fate has anything to do with it.
978-0803737419. Playaway $54.99. ISBN 978-1-4558-4495-1. CD $19.99. ISBN 978-1-4558-3032-9.
Gr 9 Up—Lucky Lindeman's life is miserable. At school, he's constantly being bullied by Nader McMillan, who has picked on him since he was seven. At home, he has problems with his father, who's never around. Lucky's only escape is in his dreams. Since Lucky's grandmother died, he has had recurring dreams in which he meets his grandfather, a POW during the Vietnam War. In over 100 dreams, he has tried to rescue his grandfather from a prison camp, each time failing. These are no ordinary dreams, though—when Lucky wakes up, he always returns with an object from the dream.
Gr 6-10—The date is September 22, 1928, Jack Pool's 16th birthday. It's also three days before Jack's audition for the Bentley School of Music in Syracuse, NY. Jack, a skilled cellist, dreams of going there to become a professional musician as well as to get away from his small hometown of Massena, NY. His other dream is to kiss his love, Emaline Durham. However, they both know that they can never be together—she's Christian, and he's Jewish. When Emaline's young sister, Daisy, goes missing, everything goes wrong for Jack and his family. One lie divulges Massena's vehement racism, when Jack and his fellow Jews are accused of murdering her.
Gr 8 Up—Day is the most wanted criminal in the Republic. He has done many things to try and hurt the Republic in every possible way. June is out to get Day after he supposedly killed her brother. But when she finds him, they both uncover the truth to the Republic's secrecy. Anything can happen in the Republic, a futuristic version of California which has separated from the rest of the United States.
