Book+Reviews+4B

Recently I have read the historical fiction novel “Gods and Generals” by Jeff Shaara. The book is based on events that transpired to start the civil war and as well as the beginning part of the war all the way to before the battle of Gettysburg (Which is mentioned in the next book “The Killing Angels”). It tells the story from four different peoples point of view, half are in the north side and half in the south. One of the characters on the south side is the well-known General Lee. Later when the four characters face each other in a heated and bloody battle, the reader does not know whom to support. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in the civil war and interested in understanding it at a deeper level. There is some violence involved and some disturbing scenes, but nothing too bad. I would rate it a 9/10. 498 pages
 * Gods and Generals**
 * Jeffrey Shaara**
 * Report Written: Cody Messick**

The fiction book “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom is quite a unique book. This book describes the interesting idea that when you die, you go through steps in heaven to make sense of your life. On the first stage, you must talk with and learn from five different people whose lives were interrelated with yours. They may at first seem random but as they tell you their story you will understand what it is that you need to know. This story is told from an old mans point of view and starts out the book on the same day that the man dies. In a sense the beginning is the end of his life. He then goes to heaven and meets his five people. This book is quite interesting and is a reasonably short read. I would suggest it to everybody and is a book worth reading. I would give it a 8/10.
 * The Five People You Meet in Heaven**
 * Mitch Albom**
 * Report Written: Cody Messick**

The fiction book “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis (same author for “Narnia” series) is a book that includes letters that a devil (screwtape) sends to his nephew who is tempting people on earth. In his letters Screwtape directs his nephew on the best ways to tempt people into achieving eternal damnation. The nephew’s patient (human) is a Christian and uncle Screwtape begins explaining ways on how to lead him off the path. This book has been quite interesting for me because as a Christian, I am normally told advice from the other point of view. However, the advice that the Devil gives to his Nephew is also quite good to learn from if you flip it around. Screwtape writes thirty seven letters to his nephew, each about two to three pages long. Even though this book may be a short read of 200-300 pages, the content can be quite confusing and uninteresting to some readers. However, I read through the book and would give it a 7/10. I feel like an adult would appreciate this book more.
 * The Screwtape Letters**
 * C.S Lewis**
 * Report Written: Cody Messick**

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By: Betty Smith Kaitlin Crawford I was originally reluctant to read this book because my mom had recommended it to me saying it was an “American classic”. It is much more than a classic. When I think of classics I think of stories that are perfectly written and create a very detailed beginning and ending to the story, and mainly that it is just that, a story. This book is different; it takes place in Brooklyn from the years 1900-1912. The book is mainly about Francie and her life growing up in a time when fifty cents could feed a family of four for a week. She talks of struggle and how happy and content she is in her life. This book truly makes you appreciate what you have because now-a-days fifty cents won’t even buy you a pack of gum. There is no story in this book, it is just Francie’s life growing up from very young to around our age now. While her father is constantly drunk, and her mom loving her brother more than her she lives her life and makes the best of what she has. She is very inspirational. I loved the book, while slow in some parts, it’s a worthwhile read and leaves you with a happy ending. Rating: 8/10

The Night Circus By: Erin Morgenstern Kaitlin Crawford This book is very intriguing and proposes that the idea of “magic” is in fact real and not just an illusion. Celia and Marco are destined to participate in a challenge that was created for them when they were as young as six years old. The point of the game is to out do the other with their magic. The venue to hold their challenge is the circus known as, Le Cirque des Reves. The two are constantly creating tents to prove their magic, but their competition has brought them so close we see how them falling in love effects the game. Throughout the book we are also told a story about Bailey and his love for the circus, little did he know he would play a key role in the circus’s continuing to survive later on. This book has an amazing story however it is a bit anticlimactic. I loved the book and thought it was great. Rating: 8/10

Eoin Colfer has created a great novel regarding differences in culture and interactions between teenagers with __Benny and Omar.__ The book circles around an Irish family that moved to Tunisia. The family faced great difficulties communicating and interacting with the Africans. THe eldest son of the family, Benny, is a rebellious teenager who finds pleasure in annoying other people, especially his students and teacher. During his stay in Africa, he befriended a local Tunisian boy, Omar, who is thought to be dangerous and a criminal. The story is very exciting and the conversations between the two young boys are fascinating, as it is not normal English but a mixture between Irish English, Tunisian and television language. The two kids face cultural differences, disapproval from their families which lead to constant conflict. Benny and Omar was definitely an interesting story to read and I enjoyed it very much.
 * __Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer__**
 * __Tony Jin__**
 * 9/10**

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis is a fictional thriller that is set in London in the writers modern time. The plot revolves around a Magicians nephew named Diggory and his neighbor Polly. The inciting incident of this plot is when Polly and Diggory are exploring a passage that connects all the houses on the street together. While exploring the passage they fall into Diggory's Uncle's study, where the old man was. The old man tricks Polly into putting on one of this self crafted rings while unknowing that the ring sends you into another world. After discovering this foul play by his uncle Diggory picks up another ring while also taking 2 more with him to take Polly back. This ignites the chain of events that put both of the kids lives into chaos. A good book for people who do not have much time for anything else but still like a good read.
 * __The Magician's Nephew__**
 * James Plaut**
 * 7/10**

__**The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe**__ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a fictional book that is a great follow up to The Magician's Nephew. The story is set during World War II and revolves around four siblings are evacuated from London to escape the Blitz. These four siblings are named Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie and they are sent to live with a professor in the English countryside. While exploring the house Lucy finds a Wardrobe and open it. In this wardrobe Lucy discovers that it a magical doorway to the land of Narnia. While exploring Narnia Lucy meets a faun who invites her into his house for tea. Before letting her go he confesses that he was going to report her to the Queen of Narnia but decided not to. When Lucy gets back to her own world she tells her siblings but they don't believe her. Edmund goes to the wardrobe and finds the Queen of Narnia, the White Witch, and befriends her. The plot then continues to accelerate even faster as the Pevensie family is thrown into chaos. A great follow up and a book worth reading.
 * James Plaut**
 * 9/10**

__**The Horse and His Boy**__ The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is the third book in the series 'Chronicles of Narnia' and like the one before it revolves around a new story plot. This book's plot revolves around a boy named Shasta who was found as a baby then raised by a Calormene fisherman. Shortly after the beginning of the story Shasta learns that his 'father' plans to sell him to a rich Calormene family. While Shasta awaits his new master in the stable Bree, the nobleman's stallion, befuddles Shasta by speaking to him. The horse makes the suggestion of escaping their current lives and riding north to Narnia together. Shasta agrees and on their journey they meet another pair, Aravis and her horse Hwin. Together the four of them make the journey to Narnia that that is definitely worth reading. A intriguing read.
 * James Plaut**
 * 9/10**

__**Prince Caspian**__ Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis uses the characters from the second book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to follow up on their story. The once again main characters; Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are standing in a train station awaiting their trip back to school after the summer holidays. During this time they are magically whisked away to a beach near a old and ruined castle. They come to realize that the castle is Cair Paravel, the castle where the old kings and queens of Narnia used to rule. While there they discover a vault and this vault held all the things that they used on their previous visit to Narnia. However Susan's Horn of Summoning is missing. The same day that they discover this, they help a dwarf named Trumpkin by rescue him from soldiers that were taking him to the ruins to drown him. The dwarf tells them that after they left Narnia a group of men came to Narnia and drove the tailed beasts into the wilderness. He also tells them of the King and how he is not the rightful one. This sends the kids on yet another journey. A very well write book.
 * James Plaut**
 * 9/10**

__ Monsters of Men __ like its predecessors, is a great book. Todd and Viola find themselves at the brink of a three-way war, and it seems as if they are the only ones capable of stopping it. This book builds even further upon the “Noise” found in the first two books. Ness uses the Noise to build on themes like the destructive power of secrets and the importance of honesty. Also, just as Viola’s point of view was introduced in the second book of the trilogy, a third character narrates this story. This book is darker and grittier than the first two books, and Ness is not afraid to kill off even the important characters. As for negatives, __Monsters of Men__ feels even more drawn out then the second book. Ness use of fragments to add tension and increase the pace of the story is overdone, and it gets old after a few chapters. Still, if you liked the first two books, it would be a great read, and it’s probably hard to stop in the middle of a suspenseful trilogy like this one.
 * __ Monsters of Men __**** by Patrick Ness **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 9/10 **

__ Feed __ is the story of Titus, a teenager leaving in the future. In his time, almost everyone on Earth (and the other planets) have a “feed”, a computer in your brain. It can be used for instant communication, the instant acquisition of knowledge, and buying things. But it also knows what you want, and it can suggest knew things for you to do. Then Titus meets Violet, a girl who refuses to be normal; to play along with the feed, and their story is told. The first thing one notices when reading feed is the dialect used. It is a teenage dialect, with a huge amount of “likes” and even futuristic slang. The dialect is somewhat hard to understand at first, but one once you read a few chapters you can understand the slang and follow the flow of events. Anderson also drops you right into the story from the first sentence, so this combined with the dialect and the biased first-person viewpoint forces the reader to figure out what is happening on their own, so they begin to realize the truth at about the same rate Titus does. While this is very cool, the story can get a little dull, and it is hard to relate with the characters since their lifestyle is an even more extreme version of ours. If you don’t mind the lack of action, it is a good book.
 * __ Feed __**** by M.T. Anderson **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 7/10 **

__ Divergent __ is an action packed book following the story of Tris (originally Beatrice) as she begins her adult life. The city she lives in is divided into factions, and everyone belongs to one of them (Erudite, Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, and Amity). Moreover, upon reaching adulthood, every child must choose which faction to spend the rest of their life in. Most children choose to remain in the same faction they grew up up in. However, Tris is born into Abnegation, the selfless faction, and when the time comes to choose, she is conflicted. I would say more, but it would ruin the suspense over which faction she chooses. The story starts off fairly slow, but the pace pretty much accelerates all the way through. By the time Tris enters her new faction (or back to her old one) the reader will be dying to find out what happens next. Not a profound book, but rather a simple and refreshing one. If you’re looking for suspenseful book with a little twist in it, this is definitely the book for you.
 * __ Divergent __**** by Veronica Roth **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 9/10 **

__ The Book Thief __ is a fantastically interesting and emotional story about Liesel Meminger, a ten-year old German girl who is fostered by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She learns to love her new life and makes new friends. And (you guessed it) she steals books. A majority of the story is simply Liesel struggling to master the alphabet and the simple act of putting sentences together. Of course, while Liesel is settling into her new life, WWII is being fought miles away, and the consequences of the war change Liesel’s life forever. The most unique thing about this book is that it is narrated by Death (who turns out to be a lot more different than you might think. His fresh and unbiased view on human nature gives readers a new perspective on WWII. In addition, he paints a vibrant picture of the current setting, giving readers good imagery of Molching, the town Liesel lives in. However, the plot is fairly slow, and Death drops a few spoilers every now and then, so I didn’t feel very motivated to finish the book. Still, the plot is quite interesting, and it is a good read.
 * __ The Book Thief __**** by Marcus Zusak **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 8.5/10 **

__Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire__, by Derek Landy, is the second book in a a series of 7. It’s about a girl named Valkyrie Cain and a skeleton named Skulduggery Pleasant. Together they fight evil and save the world from the gods, the Faceless Ones, from returning. In this novel Baron Vengeous gained armour that allowed him to use a dead necromancer’s power. He created a creature called the Grotesquery to bring back the Faceless Ones and used the armour to destroy everyone trying to stop him. I love this novel because it is full of adventure, action, and twists. The book is very exciting from start to finish and is well paced. The author created tension very well because he made people seem to switch which sides they were on. By omitting some information, it built the readers curiosity so they want to read more. This book was very fun to read and is definitely recommended.
 * __Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire__ by Derek Landy**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Alchemist__, by Paulo Coelho, is about a boy named Santiago, from Andalusia, trying to succeed in his Personal Legend. Your Personal Legend is what you really want to succeed in in life. This book says that every person has their own Personal Legend and has to watch the omens to find it. __The Alchemist__ has a very religious view of life but also a very interesting view. Santiago meets many different people along the way who help him on his journey. On his journey he learns the language of the world which is a universal language that everyone communicates with. This novel teaches us that anything can happen as long as you make it happen. If Santiago had stopped looking for his Personal Legend, his life would not have been lived to the fullest. We can find what we are looking for and there are going to be people there to help us. Although this book has religious overtones, I think that someone would find it enjoyable and interesting, religious or not. This book was very fascinating to me and made me think about life and how we need to follow our hearts. __The Alchemist__ is highly recommended.
 * __The Alchemist__ by Paulo Coelho**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Angels and Demons**__ Angels and Demons is a fast paced book written by Dan Brown placed in our world. The book's main plot takes place in the Vatican City and in Rome where a newly developed technology, Anti-Matter, is about to be released and destroy the whole city. The author takes us through two separate problems at the same time where one is a team trying to find the anti-matter whereas the main character, Robert Langdon, goes on a search for four missing cardinals with the help of the maker of the anti-matter, Vittoria Vetra. The two problems tie together and everybody is on a hunt for someone that calls himself the 'Hassassin' in honor for his ancestors. Angels and Demons is a book definitely worth reading especially if you take interest in symbols and religion. A thriller that doesn't let you put it down.
 * James Plaut**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**The Dark Half**__ **By Stephen King** The Dark half is a fictional horror novel by Stephen King. It takes place in Ludlow, Maine. The protagonist is Thad Beaumont, he is an author previously with an alcohol problem. Thad’s books under cerebral literary fiction are not very successful. However the books under his other pen name “George Stark”appear to be very popular, crime novels about a serial killer called Alexis Machine. After the success of his crime novels Thad decides to host a fake burial for Stark as a joke to let the world know Thad, himself was George Stark. However after the fake burial Stark turns into a physical presence, going on massive killing sprees and killing everyone that he thinks is responsible for his “death”. However Thad discovers that he shares a bond with Stark, a mental bond. He begins to find notes from Stark that are written in his own handwriting. The book is definitely a thriller. A horror novel that will definitely make you lose some sleep.
 * Will Wu**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**The Maze Runner**__ **By James Dashner** The Maze Runner is the first book to a Science Fiction Series by James Dashner. The protagonist is Thomas, one day he wakes up and finds himself in a dark elevator called the box. It all seems strange but what is even stranger is the fact that he only remembers his first name and nothing else. When the door of the elevator opens he finds himself surrounded by a group of kids and they tell him, “Welcome to glade”. The glade is a large piece of land surrounded by enormous rock walls that move. Around the glade is an enormous maze. In the glade live people called runners, they have studied the maze for two years, they study the maze by running around it each day while avoiding animals called grievers that inject poison into humans that can kill. Thomas is welcomed by Teresa after the first day and seems to have a telepathic connection with thomas. She tells him that theres something special about him, that he will find out why there are these huge stone walls and why there’s this huge maze around the glade.
 * Will Wu**
 * Score: 10/10**

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel where a six-teen year old cancer patient named hazel narrates. Hazel was pulled out of school at the age of thirteen. After she was diagnosed with depression, she attends a help group for other children with cancer. She meets Augustus Waters, he is an ex-basketball player also an amputee. Hazel tells Augustus about her dream of going to Amsterdam to meet the author of her favorite book to ask him a few questions, Augustus decides to take Hazel to Amsterdam along with her mother to meet him. However it turns out that the author of the book is an alcoholic and refuses to answer any of Hazel’s questions. With Hazel devastated, the author continues to disappoint Hazel by making many rude comments about cancer patients, about how they are bound to die anyways. Later on in the story Hazel finds out that the Author’s daughter was taken away by cancer when she was 8. She realizes that there’s always an action behind a story. Following the visit, Augustus finds out that he is about to die. He leaves with a last note to Hazel, “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers”. It was a very touching novel and a very good read.
 * __The Fault in Our Stars__ By John Green**
 * Will Wu**
 * Score: 9/10**

__The Old Man and the Sea__ is another short classic, which I would give a full score. It is written by the famous Ernest Hemingway and talks about a struggle between a fisherman and a giant marlin. Santiago, the fisherman has gone 84 days without catching a fish, and on his 85th day, he baits a marlin which battles with him. The great marlin is so big that he ends up taking him three days before the big fish gives out. This book can teach us a valuable lesson of perseverance and to never give up no matter what. Though he does catch the giant marlin, on his way back home he encounters difficulties once again and is forced to give up the fish to devouring sharks. Though his prized fish was lost, his young apprentice finds him and they promise to fish together again. The main characters in this book are Santiago the fisherman, Manolin his apprentice, and the giant marlin. This book was quite interesting to read and the ordeal between him and the fish was truly inspiring though it may not be true. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a meaningful story with non-stop action.
 * __The Old Man and the Sea__ by Ernest Hemingway **
 * Wesley Tian **
 * Score: 8.5/10 **

__**The Chocolate War**__ __The Chocolate War__ by Robert Cormier is a great book about a high school called Trinity which hold the base of a gang run by students, the Vigils. The school is holding chocolate sale as a fund raiser. Even though the teachers hate the Vigils because of their pranks, they need their influence to sell the chocolates. Jerry Renault, the protagonist of the book, refuses to obey the Vigil, and does what he believes is right. His refusal to obey the Vigil threatens their ability to control the student body, so they often send people bully or harasse him or beat him up. But Jerry continues to refuse and do what he believes is right.
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 8/10**

__**I Am the Cheese**__ __I am the Cheese__ by Robert Cormier is an amazing book about a book called Adam riding a bike to a hospital to find his dad. Robert Cormier switches between Adam's journey and an his interview/interrogation to help Adam remember the past. During Adam's journey, he encounters many hardships. He encounters a furious dog that tries to knock him off his bike, bullies that try to beat him up, and even having his bike stolen. The book can be quite confusing and frustrating at times, because you do not know what is going on, but it all becomes clear later. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend other people to read it too
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**The Adventures of Tome Sawyer**__ __The Adventures of Tom Sawyer__ by Mark Twain is a novel about the life of a boy called Tom Sawyer. It takes place in the 1840s in town of Petersburg. Tom lives with his aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid. Many interesting stories are told. Tom and his friend Huckleberry Finn witnessing a murder and swear to never talk about it. They then run away with their other friend, Joe Harper, and live like pirate and are presumed to be dead. They then return and attend their own funeral. They even find a cave that is said to contain treasure beyond their imagination. This book was an okay read. I found it boring at times, as the plot develops rather slowly. I do not recommend this book to those without patience and those who like a lot of action and suspense.
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 7/10**

In previous book **__Marked__**, Zoey Redbird moved to House of Night, where she will train to become adult vampyre – but only if she makes it through Changes. When Zoey found out that the leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons – Aphrodite, is misusing her special power, she decided to stop Aphrodite. Now, Zoey and her friends – Stevie Rae, Damien, Erin, Shaunee are new leaders of the Dark Daughters and Sons with special and powerful gifts from the Goddess, Nyax. However, the unthinkable happens: Zoey’s roommate, Stevie Rae dies in her arms and two teenage boys are being killed, with all the evidence points to the House of Night. Same as the first book, **__Marked,__** the way how __P.C. Cast__ and __Kristin Cast__ wrote this story is amazing. While you are reading this book, you will feel like you are actually one of the characters and feel the bond with whatever character do.
 * __Betrayed__** **by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Cage of Stars**__ **by Jacquelyn Mitchard** __Cage of Stars__ by Jacquelyn Mitchard is the story of Veronica “Ronnie” Swan’s journey to forgive/condemn her sisters’ murderer, Scott Ealy. At the age of twelve Ronnie’s blissful Mormon community is disrupted by the brutal murder of her two little sisters, Becky and Ruthie. When her parents find the strength to forgive Ealy, Ronnie turns hysterical. She cannot comprehend why or how her parents, or anyone could forgive a man who had murdered two children in cold blood. So, Ronnie sets out on a mission that she doesn’t even know her true motives to. All she knows is that she’s looking for some kind of closure. This book made me question my own faith, and what I believed made a person “bad” or “good” and that there really is no black or white answer. There are a bazillion shades in-between. I recommend this book to any Jodi Picoult fans and those who’d like a book to just pick up and read. __Cage of Stars__ was not a challenging read and was enjoyable.
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 10/10**

After Zoey Redbird moved to House of Night, she became the new leader of Dark Daughters and Sons with her friends. Unfortunately, bad things come up without any warnings. Her best friend and roommate Stevie Rae dies in Zoey’s arm and two human teenage boys are being killed with all the evidence points to the House of Night. Those who appear to be friends are now turning into enemies and sworn enemies are also turning into friends. Zoey found out that her best friend, Stevie Rae is not actually dead and struggles to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t know how to help her, but she knows that she has to help Stevie Rae and what they discover must kept in secret from everyone else at House of Night. One day, vampyres start turning up dead – really dead. This book is different from **__Marked__** and **__Betrayed.__** **__Chosen__** has twisted ending that will surprise you.
 * __Chosen__** **by __P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 9.5/10**

Life starts to get bad if your friends ignore you on purpose and are mad at you. In one week, she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from her group of close friends, she became an outcast. One of her friend – Stevie Rae is undead and another one – Aphrodite’s mark is disappeared. Neferet, high Priestess and also Zoey’s mentor declared a war between human. Zoey knows she has to do something, but will anyone listen to her? Zoey found out that a wild and dangerous ancient evil is awakened and they – Zoey and her friends have to stop him. This book makes you think that **__Marked, Betrayed__** and **__Chosen__** were only the beginning of the “play”. This book is like the climax of the series, with lots of tension and interests.
 * __Untamed__** **by __P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 10/10**

Unlike what happened in **__Untamed__**, Zoey’s friends got her back again and Stevie Rae and red fledging aren’t any longer Neferet’s secrets. However, no one at House of Night seems to understand the threat Kalona – wild and dangerous ancient evil pose. Kalona has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapid spreading influence. On the run and holed up in Tulsa’s Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her friends must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down. **__Hunted__** will make you feel involved and will make you like you feel like you are inside of the book
 * __Hunted__** **by __P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 9.5/10**

Dangerous secrets come between Zoey and Stevie Rae and it is putting their friendship, along with the House of Nights at great risk. Stevie Rae with her red fledging thought she could handle keeping some stuff from her BFF, Zoey but her latest secret is in a new league. Zoey is now wondering if she can trust person who she thought would always have her back. She needs her friends and boyfriends like never before. Two girls walk a tightrope between good and evil. And their choices will see everything they love saved either destroyed. **__Temped__** is where **__P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__** add in multiple points of view from other characters so now the reader has to deal with all different kinds of point of views. And I personally think it’s great
 * __Tempted__** **by __P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 9/10**

Everybody thought Zoey is dead, but she isn’t. At least that’s what her best friend, Stevie Rae says. Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in House of Night, and the only person – vamps or fledging who can stop the evil Neferet from making all the immortal troubles. Now it is Stevie Rae’s turn to help her best friend. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her best friend from her unscheduled “vacation” in the other world. Over all, **__Burned__** has strong narrative and for its cathartic quality. I love it
 * __Burned__** **by __P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score:** **9/10**

Brandon Lau __Catching Fire__, by Suzanne Collins, is a novel just as enticing as its prequel, Hunger games. When Katniss and Peeta won the last Hunger games, they were easily able to change the rules of the government using by almost committing suicide, leaving them no winners. As a result, the government endangers Katniss and the people around her because they are afraid of a rebellion. Instead of ensuring a good life for her family and friends, Gale and his family, her mother, and Primrose are in a bigger predicament than they were before. Furthermore, because this year is the 75th year of Hunger games, a special round of Hunger games, called the Quarter Quell calls Katniss back into the arena. Obviously upset with this, Katniss and Peeta devise a plan to outsmart the government and rebel. Both of them won the hunger games before. Can they do it again? Unlike some other series, __Catching Fire__ continues with the same amount of energy as its prequel. It shows no signs of stopping with unpredictable beginnings and endings.
 * __Catching Fire__ by Suzanne Collins**
 * Score: 10/10**

__Code Orange__, by Caroline Cooney, is a unique story. Most books have the primary antagonist as human, civilization or self but in __Code Orange__, the biggest enemy is a virus. Mitty Blake is an extremely carefree teenager and isn’t afraid of anything. He rarely does his assignments and is perfectly fine with flunking classes. Except for biology. If Mitty fails his biology class, he will take a lower level of biology the following year, separating him from his crush, Olivia. He decides its best that he completes this project and starts searching for things in the media room. While he sifts through a book, he discovers an envelope containing scabs. He puts the book back without knowing the amount trouble that he had just released upon the world. The theme of this book has to be, get rid of problems quickly before they overwhelm you. Mitty’s personal problem, procrastination, and the main problem of the story, Variola Major, both take time to be deadly. If Mitty had started his projects earlier and reported to the doctor when he felt a little down, the story ending may change. It is a real shocking book that I recommend to everybody who is up for a thrilling page-turner. Score: 9/10
 * __Code Orange__ by Caroline Cooney**
 * Brandon Lau**

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier is an amazing read, that can be quite confusing at times. It is about Adam Farmer a teenage boy is riding his bike to a hospital where he thinks his dad is. During his ride, the narration switches to interviews with him and a doctor. On his ride Robert meets several interesting people who give him advice and directions, or people who are trying to beat him up and take his bike. In the flash-forwards you find an interesting story that Robert isn’t who he thinks he is. This novel has a thrilling climax, and a plot twist that will leave you speechless. I really enjoyed this book, even though it was very complicated.
 * I am the Cheese**
 * Reed Millar**
 * 9/10**

__Shug__ is the story of how a girl is going to start her middle school life. The novel is narrated by Shug, the main character, and describes many events that prepares her and changes her for middle school. When she notices that she is falling apart from her closest childhood friends, she realizes she has to deal with the situation and solve her problems regarding friendship. Although the novel is supposed to be moving and engaging emotionally, I think it is too immature and pointless for me so I didn’t enjoy it very much. The entire novel is very girly and unappealing to a high school boy. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone above the age of 12.
 * Shug by Jenny Han**
 * Tony Jin**
 * 6/10**

__The Supernaturalists__ is a futuristic sci-fi novel set in Satellite city, in an unspecified place in the Northern Hemisphere. It is written in the third person omnipotent narrative and is a fascinating story about a crew of underground heroes who try to save the city from evil creatures that suck the life out of humans. This is an action-packed novel with great description. Eoin Colfer has once again created a spectacular adventure story. This novel is full of creativity and it makes me wonder if there is a possibility that the events described in the novel would happen in the future. The characters of __The Supernaturalists__ are very sophisticated and interesting, each with a unique background. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in futuristic science fiction, like me. I enjoyed reading this novel very much and it was hard to put down once you started reading.
 * The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer**
 * Tony Jin**
 * 10/10**

In Whale Talk by Chris Crucher there is a boy named T.J. who gets bullied a lot at his high school Cutter High. He is part of a swim team that is made up of teens who are in a way physically or mentally handicapped. The team opens up to each other and through the trust and support of the team they succeed. This novel is about how people who are not perfect can overcome their personal problems, and find their own self worth. Each swimmer has his/her own role to play. I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick and fun read.
 * Whale Talk**
 * Reed Millar**
 * 8/10**

This novel is told in third person, and it fallows many boys from an all boys’ school which is having a chocolate sale, the main character is Jerry Renault. He decides to not sell the chocolates and stand up against the school. There is an organization called the Vigils, run by students. The Vigils are the ones who assigned him not to sell the chocolates. This story goes into the themes of being a teenage boy. I enjoyed this book, however it didn’t have enough action be an amazing book in my eyes. 7/10
 * The Chocolate War**
 * Reed Millar**

Digital Fortress is a action book by Dan Brown set in modern times. The book plot revolves around the US secret association NSA (National Security Agency) and the high ranking worker in one of its branches, Susan Fletcher. In the book the NSA's super decoding computer, TRANSLTR, is infiltrated by a lone file which it can't seem to decode. This puts the NSA into chaos for there is a file which they are unable to decode. Susan Fletcher is called in on a saturday, a non-working day, by her boss to help him with the situation at hand. At the same time Susan's fiance, David Becker a college professor, is sent to Spain on a mission for the NSA. Through out the book both these characters are almost killed numerous times, and put through face paced action that never seems to end.
 * Digital Fortress**
 * James Plaut**
 * 10/10**

What would you do if you were a high school senior and you suspected your father of murdering your mother? This is what David Crandall had to go through in his final year of high school. Walter Sorrells has created a fast-pace thriller full of continuous action. The plot is entertaining and exciting. This is definitely a great book with excellent description of characters and discusses issues regarding corruption and the dark side of doing business. Beneath the surface of a teenage action novel, it actually has a lot of depth and it requires a certain level of maturity to understand. I found the novel very interesting and I simply couldn’t put it down when I got to the climax of the book. It would have been better with a better ending.
 * First Shot by Walter Sorrells**
 * Tony Jin**
 * 9/10**

The Titan’s Curse is a fantasy novel based on Ancient Greek mythologies. Percy Jackson, the protagonist of the novel is a Demigod, half human, half god. His mother is a mortal human but his father is the God of the Sea, Poseidon. The novel is the sequel to, “The Sea of Monsters” in the series of Percy Jackson and The Olympians. The story takes place in Maine, where Percy’s friend Grover finds two half-bloods. Two siblings named Nico and Bianca di Angelo. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Thalia Grace (all demigods) choose to meet up with the half-bloods. However during the meeting they get ambushed by a manticore named Dr. Thorn, during the fight the goddess of the hunt, artemis shows up and rescues Percy and Thalia however they failed to rescue Annabeth, Dr. Thorn captured Annabeth and takes her away. The adventure begins, with more problems facing the olympians and Percy, he must get in touch with artemis in order to save annabeth, capture a mystical beast that is strong enough to destroy all of Olympus, and stop the invasion of Dr. Thorn’s bone army.
 * The Titan’s Curse By Rick Riordan**
 * William Wu**
 * (8.5/10)**

The Mist is a Horror Novel by the author Stephen King. The story takes place in Bridgton, Maine. Shortly after a violent thunderstorm, a thick layer of mist quickly spreads across the town, blinding just about everyone in the town. However the bizarreness did not just end there. A large amount of supernatural creates began to attack and harm anything that was not in an enclosed space. The story’s protagonists are a group of people that are trapped inside the supermarket while shopping. The protagonists include, David Drayton (the narrator), Billy (the son of David), Brent Norton (their neighbor), Amanda Dumfries, and two soldiers from a military base nearby. Later on the two soldiers committ a joint suicide which meant only one thing, they were the cause of this disaster. The protagonists are only aware of the mist outside but not the hostile creatures. The mist plugs the store’s vent and a boy named Norm goes outside to fix the problem, however the boy does not return and gets pulled into the mist by multiple tentacles. David reports back with the horrific sight that he just saw to the crowd of the people and warns them of the situation. But the crowd chooses not believe David and decides to continue to venture outside. Leading to an intrusion of a monster, far beyond anyone’s imagination...
 * The Mist** **By Stephen King**
 * William Wu**
 * (10/10)**

__Digital Fortress__ by Dan Brown is an amazing Techno-thriller. It's about when the NSA's (Nation Security Agency) super computer TRANSLTR encounters a code it cannot crack Digital Fortress. The NSA calls for their head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, to help crack it. She finds out the code was made my Ensei Tankado, a former NSA member who disagreed with the NSA's ways of hacking into other people's computers. He threatens the NSA saying if he dies, he will release the code to the public, including terrorists. He does died in Seville, by which is suspected to be a heart attack. While Susan is trying to crack the code, her fiance is sent to retrieve a ring of Tankado's which is possibly the password to unlock Digital Fortess. __Digital Fortress__ is an amazing book, with betrayal, misleading information, and the question of "who can you trust?" It is very suspenseful just like all of Dan Brown's other books. It is very good and you will not want to stop reading it once you've started.
 * Digital Fortress**
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Old Man and the Sea__ by Ernest Hemingway is a book about a fisherman named Santiago. It starts by saying the Santiago has not caught any fish for 84 days, and believes he will get lucky on the 85th. So, on the 85th day, he sails far out into the sea. An enormous fish bites, but it is too strong for Santiago to roll in, so he lets the fish pull him and his boat out into the sea. After 2 days and 2 nights, the fish finally gets tired and Santiago is able to stab it. But on the way back, he encounters sharks that try to eat his fish. One of the main themes in this book is determination. After Santiago got the bite from the fish, he was determined to catch it. He cut all his other lines and let the fish pull him for 2 days and nights. Also when the sharks attack, Santiago tries to defend the fish, despite being old, tired, and weakened. Determined to defend his fish. The book is pretty good, but is a bit slow. It can get a little boring, but is worth reading.
 * The Old Man and the Sea**
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 7/10**

__The Sleepwalker__ by Robert Muchamore is the 9th book the the CHERUB series. This series is about a secret organization called CHERUB, part of MI5, that uses children as spies. Because adults never suspect children to be spies, they can often receive information that adult spies can not. The book __The Sleepwalker__ is about a plane that crashed into the Atlantic. All of the 345 passengers died, and the crash investigation is getting nowhere. The only lead they have is a call from a twelve-year-old boy, and this boy has a history of violence and emotional instability. James' younger sister, Lauren, is sent in to talk with the boy. This book is very exciting, as there is a lot of action. And Muchamore often leaves you with cliffhangers, and he switches between the characters each chapter, making you wanting to read on. For those who have not read the CHERUB series, I recommend them to start. And for those that have started, don't stop.
 * The Sleepwalker**
 * Ben Zhou**
 * Score: 9.5/10**

__The Kite Runner__ by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about Amir, an Afghan boy that lived during the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the reign of the Taliban. Amir lived a privileged life; his father was a powerful and honorable man. They had two servants: Ali and Hassan. Ali had been taken into Amir’s father’s house when he was a boy and they had grown up together. The same was true with Amir and Hassan (Ali’s son). Amir and Hassan are two very different people, their contrasting personalities define their roles in the story. Amir, the privileged child is very unsure about himself and his relationship with his father. He’s constantly searching for his father’s approval, even if it means doing things that hurt others in the process. Hassan, Amir’s servant and comrade is pure, good, and honest. He sacrifices just about everything for Amir: his dignity, his physical well-being, his home, and the relationship between his father and Amir’s. The story follows their tragic friendship and family relations and how these shape Amir’s advance into manhood. The book truly has multiple climaxes and covers some universal themes. Some of the themes this book deals with are father-son relationships, friendship, guilt, and redemption. I truly enjoyed this book from cover to cover, even brought to tears in one section.
 * __The Kite Runner__ by Khaled Hosseini**
 * by Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 10/10**

__Legacy__ by James A. Michener is about Major Norman Starr who has been called to testify about his undercover dealings with Nicaragua and Iran. When his friend and lawyer tells him to go back into his family history to build an argument for his loyalty to his government. He rediscovers his legacy and the important role that his ancestors have played in American history. The book carries the theme of knowing and having an appreciation for those that came before you. I don’t recommend this book unless you are an U.S. history fanatic, the only reason I could find the strength to suffer through reading this book is because it’s not really long and the print was quite large.
 * __Legacy__ by James A. Michener**
 * by Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 2/10**

__The Awakening__ by Kate Chopin is the story of Edna Pontellier, a society woman of the American South in the 1800s. Edna comes from a Presbyterian Kentucky bloodline and marries Leonce Pontellier, a Creole man. She lives the society life feeling like she’s constantly acting, constantly acting and putting on a false face to be deemed socially acceptable. Her “awakening” was her realization that she’s just not happy and her decision to do something about it. The book exudes a strong theme of feminism. However, the more universal theme in the book is to live your life on your own terms. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. __The Awakening__ is wonderfully written and evoked not only an emotion from me but made me pause multiple times throughout the book to really think and reflect on my knowledge of myself and the world I live in.
 * __The Awakening__ by Kate Chopin**
 * by Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Enemy__, by Charlie Higson, is about children in London running from zombies. Everyone over 16 has gotten a disease where you either die or turn into a mindless zombie. The children have joined into a group and headed towards the palace since it’s the only safe place in London. They learn that the person ruling is really just a child dictator so they leave, looking for somewhere new to live, but the zombies are becoming smarter. One of the group leaders is a girl, whom I could relate with. She spoke her ideas and fought along side everyone else but sometimes the boys would just ignore her. Eventually, the boys learned to listen to her ideas. This story is very suspenseful from the very beginning until the end. I loved reading it and didn’t want to put it down. I felt like I was there, and worried for all of the character’s safety. This book was full of action and very exciting. It is the first novel in the trilogy and I would love to read them all. 9/10
 * __The Enemy__ by Charlie Higson**
 * Grace Kane**

__Lord of Flies__ is a short classic novel by a Nobel-Prize-winning author, William Golding. It is a about a group of British boys who planes crashes onto an isolated island, and are forced to survive and to govern themselves. They come up with two goals: to have fun, and to maintain a smoke signal trying to capture the attention of nearby ships. At first it seems like they are working along quite well, but as Simon was unable to bear the stress of being a leader, a small group of boys make their own tribe and become “savages”. The name of The Lord of the Flies is also very interesting to found out about later in the story. There are many major characters in this story so I will not list them all, but in general, they all have very different personalities and characteristics that make reading this book interesting. The plot development may also surprise a great number of us because what seemed like a productive group turned into a game of violence. Personally, this book was better than I thought, but still it wasn’t as good as The //Hunger Games Trilogy// which I had previously read. Overall, if you haven’t read this book yet want to read a short classic, __Lord of Flies__ is still a good choice.
 * __Lord of Flies__ by William Golding**
 * Wesley Tian**
 * Score: 8.5/10**

__Mockingjay__ is the last book in //The Hunger Games// series. It follows the story of Katniss Everdeen whom agrees to the lead the rebellion against the Capitol. She is rescued by the rebels of Distruct 13, and is convinced the come “the Mockingjay”. It acts as a symbol of rebellion. They being an assault against the Capitol, and Katniss finds out the truth about President Snow and that he was never lying to her. The Capitol may have never caused the bombing of District 12. Katniss Everdeen becomes insane for a while and tries to commit suicide when her little sister is killed in an assault and Peeta becomes brainwashed. The main characters of this story are the same as the ones in the last few books, with the addition of the District 13 president, and the rebels. As the final book in //The Hunger Games Trilogy//, it concludes the unfortunate tale of the cruelty that the Capitol had brought down upon them. Once you being reading these books, you won’t be able to stop reading as the character development, cliffhangers, and descriptive language will capture you and never let you go.
 * __Mockingjay__ by Suzanne Collins**
 * Wesley Tian**
 * Score: 9.5/10**

__City of Bones__ by Cassandra Clare is the first book of a young adult fantasy series called //The Mortal Instruments//. The protagonist of the story is Clarissa Fray, a 15-year-old girl who witnesses shocking events that help her realize that she is nowhere close to being a normal person. Clary first witnesses a demon being murdered at a nightclub with her best friend. However, her best friend Simon couldn’t apparently see what she saw. From the moment a demon crashed her house and killed her mother the story began to be revealed. I would like to be related to this book, and have awesome abilities of a demon hunter, however this is not possible, and otherwise, I’m not quite related to the book. Overall, I liked this novels plot and character development. All of the characters are generally three-dimensional characters and lots of descriptive language is used to help us picture the action in motion.
 * __City of Bones__ by Cassandra Clare**
 * Wesley Tian**
 * Score: 9/10**

__Catching Fire__ is the second book in a young adult science-fiction novel series called the //The Hunger Games Trilogy//. If you haven’t read the first book of the series, __The Hunger Games__, then I recommend you to read that first book first. The entire series is really great, and everyone I know who as read it has enjoyed it. This book is about another hunger games called the Quarter Quell, which happens every 25 years as a special type of game. The districts begin a game with the old tributes that have won in the past hunger games. The Capitol works on trying to prevent a rebellion by forcing Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark to announce their marriage. However, it is reavealed that there is indeed a secret hidden district 13, and they escape from the arena as part of the rebellion all part of a chain reaction caused by Katniss. This book is filled with suspense and cliffhangers that leave us wanting to read more and more.
 * __Catching Fire__ by Suzanne Collins **
 * Wesley Tian **
 * Score: 10/10 **

__ The Knife of Never Letting Go __ is a satisfying book written by Patrick Ness. This book is significantly different from other books. Todd is the only boy that is living in a small town named Prentisstown; a place where boys become men at 13, a town where you can hear whatever is going on in everyone else’s minds including animals. After Todd discovers a newfound companion at the swamp, they are in danger. They do not know anything; all they are hoping for is to have a nice sleep for a day without the fear of dying during their sleep. This was a well-written book because of the limited resources Patrick gives to the reader. Because of the limited resources Patrick gives, it gives the book a thrill as well as great suspense. Unlike the first book __The Art of Racing In The Rain__ by Garth Stein, this book’s ending is a total surprise because of the unexpected events that occur. Patrick Ness does a great job keeping our attention by not telling us everything but it gets confusing from time to time. I would recommend this book to anyone that doesn’t really like reading and specially
 * __ The Knife of Never Letting Go __**** by Patrick Ness **
 * Sebastian Chen **
 * 9.5/10 **

Imagine you are attempted to kill your father a year or two ago, at the age of 13, this is how __Kings of Colorado__ started off with. A kid named William Sheppard attempting to kill his father by stabbing his father with the pocketknife that his father gave him to protect his mother from abuses then been sent off to the “Swope Ranch Boys’ Reformatory”. That is where the story begins. The place that William was sent off to was a hell-like place, where people beat each other up. He didn’t have any friends there other then the nurse from the camp and 3 other boys. The way the pass their time was only playing poker, their friendship gets deeper over time until a point where they reply on each other. This book was very realistic unlike first book, but not as suspenseful nor interesting. I would recommend this book to any high school student who doesn’t like fictional book because it contains some disturbing contents.
 * __ Kings of Colorado __**** by David E Hilton **
 * Sebastian Chen **
 * 8/10 **

__**The Two Towers**__ **by J.R.R Tolkien** The two towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. The second book in an amazing trilogy Frodo continues on to the city of Elrond where he meets up with a party of amazing fighters. This group of exciting characters who go with Frodo to middle earth in hope of destroying the ring once and for all. The only people in their way are armies of Orcs and the Nazgul. There are strong themes of courage being brave in the face of enemy that may be bigger then you. This story was really fun to read, however it took a long time.
 * Reed Millar**
 * 9/10**

__**The Fellowship of the Ring**__ Fellowship of the ring, by J.R.R Tolkien. This thrilling story is about Frodo Baggins a hobbit and his Epic journey from the shire on his way to destroy the one ring. This story has extremely interesting characters, vivid imagery and a wonderful story line. I truly enjoyed this book; it was just exhilarating as the movie if not more because of more detail and exquisite scenes. The Themes of this story are fighting for freedom, and standing up for what is right. This was a brilliant piece of literature that everyone would enjoy.
 * Reed Millar**
 * 9/10**

__**Flashman**__ Flashman by George Macdonald Fraser Flashman is scoundrel who got kicked out of school, then choice to go into the army, hoping to drink and party until he can leave, however he is sent to India, and eventually Afghanistan. Flashman shows how riding skills and language can get you out of most situations such as capture and torture. Also this story shows how sometimes the dastardly cheaters win. This story is an excellent story that is a thrilling ride until the end. I would recommend it to anyone who likes action and suspense.
 * Reed Millar**
 * 9/10**

__**Fahrenheit 451**__ Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 is about a man named Guy Montag, a firefighter who lives in a futuristic society where books are illegal, and his job as a firefighter is to burn books. However he meets a young girl that changes how he views the world. He takes books home and reads them; they don’t make complete scene to him but understands their importance. He has an hazardous journey in hope to save books from extinction. This book has great imagery, and is fun to read because of its different view of society. I personally didn’t like the ending because it just dropped off, but I would still give the book an 8/10.
 * Reed Millar**
 * 8/10**

__ **Mockingjay** __ **Ben Zhou** Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy. This book is about the rebellion of the 13 districts against the Capitol. Katniss Everdeen acts as a symbol for the rebellion, a mockingjay, as she fights along the sides of the rebels to overthrow the Capitol. This book is amazing, it’s suspenseful and when you start reading, you don’t want to stop. I definitely think everyone should read this book. **10/10**

__ **Fahrenheit 451** __ **Ben Zhou** Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is about a society in the future where books are outlawed. Firemen no longer put out fires. Instead, they set fire to houses which have books in them. Guy Montag, a fireman, loves his job. But his temptations overcome him, and he reads. He meets a professor who wants to preserve the books, and his adventure begins. This was an excellent book, vivid images, suspenseful, and an interesting story. I recommend this book to people who have not read it. **9/10**

Witches, spells and magic. __Sweep Volume 2__, by __Cate Tiernan__ is about Morgan Rowlands, who is a sixteen year-old high school student who found out that she is a blood witch with infinite power. In beginning of __Sweep Volume 2,__ Morgan knows there is something wrong with how Cal – her soul mate acts, although she can’t put her finger in it. Morgan is not sure if whether Cal is trying to hurt Morgan or not. Later, Morgan found out that Cal and his mother, Selene tried to “steal” her power to use on dark magic. While you are reading, the way how __Cate Tiernan__ wrote this story might bother you, because she explains characters name that was in __Sweep Volume 1__ again. However, while you are reading, you will feel the bond between you and any of the characters in the book. Overall, Tiernan writes stories with different and unexpected plot lines, although she explains every single character that was in __Sweep Voulme 1__.
 * __Sweep Volume 2__ by __Cate Tiernan__**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 9.5/10**

__Sweep Volume 3__ continues from __Sweep Volume 2.__ Morgan Rowlands goes to New York to find her birthfather, Ciaran, which is the leader of Amyrath: a coven with dark magic. While she stays in New York, she meets Killian, who is her biological brother. One night, Morgan got a vision of Amyrath. Every witch in Amyrath has animal mask that looks like predator and she got a vision of a cub on a table for sacrificing. So, Morgan thought it was Killian and goes to Century Park to save him, but she did not see Killian. A cub that she saw on her dream was herself, but it was too late to go back; Amyrath captures her and they are taking her power by dark force. In the middle of the process of taking Morgan’s power, Ciaran found out that she is his biological father and sets Morgan free. __Tiernan__ uses her unique way of plot and while you are reading, it gives you a visual image of what is happening in the book.
 * __Sweep Volume 3__ by Cate Tiernan**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 10/10**

How would you feel if your best friends are gone all the sudden and nobody knows what happened? __Wish you were dead__ by __Todd Strasser__ starts by a blogger called Str-S-D wishing Lucy to die and next day, she vanishes. The students of Soundview High school are scared and worried. Madison Archer feels frighten and feeling guilty is is about a girl, since she was best friend with Lucy since they were very young and she was the last person to see her the night she disappeared. Few days later, Adam, who is a friend of Lucy and Madison disappear again. Now Madison decides to save her friends and stop this madness. However, it is not as easy as she thought and now she is also captured. The way __Strasser__ writes this story is very interesting. It has interesting and weird plot, which keeps the reader interesting.
 * __Wish You Were Dead__ by Todd Strasser**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 9/10**

Vampyres are real and they do exist in the world of House of Night. Six-teen years old Zoey Redbird has just been marked by Tracker and joins House of Night, where she will train to become adult vampyre, if she makes it through changes – not all the students who are Marked to do. It is always hard to get used to in new school, especially when you are away from your friends. And Zoey is different from other students who are Marked. Goddess of Night, Nyax, specially chose her and she found out that she has amazing powers, but along with her power, there is an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. When Zoey discovered that the leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons, the school’s most elite group, is using abusing her Goddess given power. Zoey must feel the courage to seize her destiny, with her vampyre friends. How __P.C. Cast__ and __Kristin Cast__ wrote this story is amazing. As soon as you started to read, you will keep on reading until you are done with it and as you are reading, the story will help you imagining what is happening.
 * __Marked__ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast**
 * Diane Maeng**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Jerk, California**__ __Jerk, California__ by Jonathan Friesen offered me a rare insight of how life was for a teenager with Tourette syndrome. It is a novel how the underdog protagonist finds his role in society and learns to deal with his disorder. He finds a group of people in which he is accepted in and feels comfortable. The theme of the story is finding your true potentials and how to find true friends. I think this story has really affected my views on people with the Tourette syndrome because I never thought it would be so hard for them. I think this is a great novel and I would definitely recommend it.
 * Tony Jin**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Rash**__ Rash is a fictional book written by Pete Hautman, set in the year 2074. America has become obsessive about protecting its citizens and making sure that they are safe at all times. The country is practically run by forced labor and laws are very strict. This creates a problem for a social outcast like Bo Marsten, who has troubles controlling his emotions. When Bo Marsten gets sent to a labor camp surrounded by polar bears and is introduced to American Football, which had been banned a long time ago, he discovers his true interests and decides to pursue his idea of happiness. I enjoyed reading this book very much and I would definitely recommend it because it teaches a very important life lesson: always do what makes you happy, even though society may not approve of it.
 * Tony Jin**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**Spin the Bottle**__ When I first started reading __Spin the Bottle__ by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, I realized that the book was a chick-flick about a girl’s middle school life. I found it rather uninteresting in the beginning but kept reading because it was a book about drama. As I continued reading, I realized that I could relate to Phoebe, the main character’s story. The novel focuses on dealing with school life and social life and creating a balance. Also, it is about solving conflicts with friends. However, the book is very immature and too shallow for my liking. I would not recommend it.
 * Tony Jin**
 * Score: 5/10**

__**The Davinchi Code**__ The Davinchi Code is a book written by Dan Brown set in a relatively modern time. The plot is based around a secret society called 'The Priory of Sion' which is a secret cult that worshipped the sacred femininity and the only society in the world that knows where the Holy Grail is. The book is put in the view of four main characters: Bishop Aringosa, Robert Langdon, Silas, and Fache. Each of these people have motives that are unknown to each other. The author makes the book interesting by presenting hard core facts that is relatively unknown to the modern world, mainly because the true meaning of these symbols are lost in common society. Such as what we call rabbit ears or the peace sign is actually from the egyptian society and their god of fertility who has a ram's head, because of this when used on men the symbol actually compliments the males huge sperm count. I rate this book to anybody for being very well writ and now one of my all time favorites.
 * James Plaut**
 * 10/10** even though it should be **11/10**

__**Game of Thrones**__ Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, is a book set in a nation with a more medieval time setting, in a world of fiction. In the beginning it is a more sinister start as a traveler is killed by a 'thing' later defined as an other. Afterwards the story goes to the main characters of the first book, some members of the Stark house. They find a litter of direwolf pups near the corpse of a grown direwolf. The point of view throughout the book switches inbetween the main characters almost all on different conquests. The book has an extremely interesting plot with tons of action, and it is demonstrated by the author that he will kill off his characters mercilessly, adding more tension to the book and making the plot faster placed. The ending just leaves you begging for a sequel, I recommend this to anyone who does not mind some more 'adult' content.
 * James Plaut**
 * 10/10**

__ **The Hunger Games** __ **Ben Zhou** The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is about a future nation called Panem that is ruled by the Capitol and has twelve surrounding districts. To remind the districts of their failed rebelling, each year two tributes, a boy and girl between ages twelve and eighteen, from each district are sent to fight in the Hunger Games. A battle royal to the death. The book is in first person, the view of Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from district twelve. This book is amazing, with a good balance of plot and action, and is very suspenseful. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
 * Score: 10/10 **

__ **Catching Fire** __ **Ben Zhou** Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. The book takes place a year after the first, which is also the year of the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell takes place every twenty-fifth Hunger Games, and each has a twist. For this year, the Capitol requested the tributes from the remaining victors of each district. This book ends as the districts begin their rebellion against the Capitol. Another amazing book by Suzanne Collins, very suspenseful, and ends with a cliffhanger, making you want to read the next book. The part where Katniss finds out that there was a planned rebellion among the tributes was very unexpected and I strongly recommend this book.
 * Score: 10/10 **

__**Black Hawk Down**__ The Book Black Hawk down is an action war drama by Mark Bowden written in the perspective of an American Ranger. In 1993, American rangers were sent to the city of Mogadishu in order to end the destruction of the civil war. American rangers were sent in to help the victims of the Mogadishu Militia. Important members of the Militia planned to meet in the Militia head quarters in Mogadishu. Intel was provided by a local spy, and head commander of the operation sent in Black Hawk Helicopters loaded with American Soldiers to secure the perimeter of the Head quarters and Humvees to extract the members of the Militia in order to arrest them. However the Militia was aware of the situation and launched an RPG at one of the Black Hawk Helicopters, deterring the operation from its plan which later on cost one of the Black Hawk Helicopters. A Black Hawk is down and its crew is in danger, the plot starts to kick in as the American Rangers attempt to save the Black Hawk’s crew at all cost. The book includes all that the American soldiers had to go through in that single battle as if the 24 hour long night was happening to you.
 * William Wu**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**Lone Survivor**__ The Book Lone Survivor is a novel depicting the heroic actions of 4 members of Navy Seal 10 for the part they took in operation red wing (assassination of an uprising Taliban Leader). The book is written in the perspective of Marcus Luttrell, a member of The Navy Seal Team 10. The book starts off in Marcus Luttrell’s childhood where his dream was to become a Navy Seal. As the story progresses he eventually begins the training to become a Navy Seal including the infamous training known as Hell Week. Marcus Luttrell was then finally accepted as a Navy Seal and was sent to Afghanistan for the mission of operation redwing. Marcus Luttrell was sent to Afghanistan along with 3 of his team members, Danny Dietz, Michael Murphy, and Matthew Axelson. When they arrived in Afghanistan they realized that the operation was not one that could be completed by normal seals. The harsh weather and landscape that provided no cover made them vulnerable to open fire. At the end of the mission over a hundred Talibans were killed but Danny Dietz, Michael Murphy, and Matthew Axelson were also killed during the operation. Though wounded, the 4 Navy Seals continued to fight alongside with each other and their heroic actions will be forever remembered and their memories lie within this book.
 * William Wu**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs**__ The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs is a book that dissects Steve Jobs’s success into little pieces inspiring the reader all throughout the 15 chapters of the book. Throughout the book, traces of Steve Jobs float onto the surface of the pages with his words and quotes, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” (Steve Jobs). This quote gives us the theme of the book, Innovation. The reason why Steve Jobs is different and more successful than most of the people in the world. The book starts from when Steve Jobs first founded the company to designing Apple’s first successful computer with Co-founder Steve Wozniak to show the world what Apple is all about. The book describes the whole process of Steve Job’s way to success, from struggling to give the brand a name in the world to surpassing Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable technology company.
 * William Wu**
 * Score: 8/10**

__**Tuesdays With Morrie**__ Tuesdays With Morrie is a sentimental non-fiction novel based on the life of a Sociology Professor and the last few moments of his life. The book is written in the perspective of his student, Mitch Albom. Morrie is a well-known sociology professor, he has written several books in his field, and has a special love for dancing. Morrie views death differently, different from others. In his late years he experienced asthma that put an end to his hobby of dancing. However his positivity during his late years is very astonishing for many that know him. Every Tuesday the student would visit his professor to talk, the reason why the book itself is called “Tuesdays With Morrie” and every tuesday Professor Morrie would talk to him about his life, the things that he came to realize, and the deeper meanings of life. I have a connection to this book, a connection to Morrie. I live with my grandfather and I can’t describe how he is because he is just simply my favorite person in the world. Morrie reminds me of my grandfather, when I was little he taught me how to be a good person. He taught me the rights and the wrongs. I recommend “Tuesdays With Morrie”, it is a fantastic book that is most definitely worth reading.
 * Will Wu**
 * Score: 10/10**

__To Kill a Mockingbird__ is a fascinating novel about the childhood of Jean Louise Finch, and her older brother Jem. The story follows their lives through a few summers, with a basic plot of meeting Boo Radley, the mysterious man living nearby. Harper Lee did a good job at keeping the story interesting, though I have to say I got lost a couple times. I never quite knew when something was happening, and just continued reading. It is a good depiction of how life was like during the 1930’s, with just the right touch of childish innocence that forces you to read between the lines. I find the book is recommendable, though probably not for everyone’s taste.
 * __To Kill a Mockingbird__ by Harper Lee**
 * Kim Kargl**
 * Score: 8/10**

Throughout my life, there have been two books that have made me cry. One was __Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix__; the other was __Good Night, Mr. Tom__. This book is a fantastic novel about a young abused boy named William Beech, who rewrites his life in a small town in the England countryside, where he takes refuge during World War II. The book starts off kind of slow, as Willie learns what life really could be life, and that not everything he does is automatically a sin. It then quickly becomes a light and happy story that is written in a way that you can’t put it down. There’s a very clear conflict in the chapter, when Willie has to return home to his mother in London, and the descriptions of abuse make you want to retch, but like any proper story, this too comes to a happy ending. Then, two chapters to the end of the story, there’s a sudden twist in the plot that almost makes you have a mental breakdown. Michelle Magorian somehow manages to weave her characters into your heart, and make even the most reluctant reader fond of them. Personally, I find it difficult to connect to characters, and really see them come to life in my mind. However, even I couldn’t help but love the characters, and cry along with the pain they felt. __Good Night, Mr. Tom__ tells the reader that, life goes on, even through that hardest of times, which is a message that I can connect to personally. I honestly loved this book, finding it one of those rare stories that you just want to read over and over again, and you’d never get tired of it. To anyone who hasn’t read it, I recommend //really// recommend you do. It’s definitely worth checking out.
 * __Good Night, Mr. Tom__ by Michelle Magorian**
 * Kim Kargl**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Hunger Games__ by Suzanne Collins, is an amazing novel about a post-apocalyptic reality show, where twenty-four children between the ages of twelve and eighteen fight to the death. The book is written from Katniss Everdeen’s point of view, as she fights her way through the Hunger Games together with the male tribute from District 12, Peeta Mellark. Suzanne Collins did a great job in writing this book, by balancing out everything perfectly. However, it does have some points that I believe could have been expanded on, such as the whole thing with Rue. Despite these few minor annoyances, I found the story captivating, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
 * __The Hunger Games__ by Suzanne Collins**
 * Kim Kargl**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Lighthouse Land__ by Adrian McKinty is a fantasy novel about two boys, Jamie O’Neill, and his friend Ramsay, who get transported to an alien world via The Salmon. The book starts out with Jamie living in New York with his mother. They receive a letter, which states that they have inherited a small island in Ireland. The two move to the home that stands there, and soon after, Jamie begins his adventures in Altair, together with the alien girl Wishaway. __The Lighthouse Land__ is a good story for when you are bored, and in need of something to pass the time. McKinty had a very unique idea when he began writing this story, and you would probably have to read the entire three books to get a more in depth understanding. Personally, I found this book un-interesting, as the main character did not do much but mope and brood, and Ramsay turned into a misunderstood genius sometime halfway through the plot. The emotions felt by all the characters are constantly conflicting with each other, and I found there were some major plot-holes in the novel. Despite this, I didn’t stop reading the book, since I found it almost so boring it made me laugh. This isn’t a story that I think should be taken too seriously.
 * __The Lighthouse Land__ by Adrian McKinty**
 * Kim Kargl**
 * Score: 2/10**

__The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy__, by Douglas Adams, is about a guide, written by Ford Prefect, about traveling the galaxy. Vogons need to create an interstellar highway and Earth needs to be demolished for this to happen. Ford is friends with a human, Arthur Dent and together they board the Vogon’s ship without them knowing. Somewhere else, the Starship Heart of Gold with its Infinite Improbability Drive, is being stolen by Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian. Ford and Arthur get picked up by the Improbability Drive and are taken with Zaphod and Trillian to Magrathea. There they find that the answer to the universe and everything is 42. After hearing this, the question to this answer is needed so another computer is created. In the end, two genius mice that really are the ones running the world figure out a question to use when telling the public. This book is very funny and captivating. Sometimes it is a little confusing but it is definitely well written. It is an entertaining and well paced sci-fi novel. It’s the best sci-fi novel I have read.
 * __The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy__ by Douglas Adams**
 * Grace Kane**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Hobbit__, by JRR Tolkien, is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who travels with dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf to claim back treasure. Their journey is towards the Lonely Mountain, where the treasure lays guarded by Smuag the dragon. The main character, Bilbo, claims not to like adventures but really does loves things like maps and dragons. He is brave and smart and uses these characteristics to get out of trouble and help his friends. JRR Tolkien kept the reader interested by having action throughout the story. Sometimes the pace was a little slow but soon the action started again. Tolkien uses much descriptive language to describe Middle-Earth (the ‘country’). Sometimes there is too much descriptive language but mostly it is used well and effectively. I think this book was well written and interesting. I think it a good book to read.
 * __The Hobbit__ by JRR Tolkien**
 * Grace Kane**
 * Score: 9/10**

__The Art of Racing in the Rain__, by Garth Stein, is about what it means to be human. This novel tells us that we can control the direction of our life. That just because our life is not going well doesn’t mean we can’t turn it around and make it better. __The Art of Racing in the Rain__ is told from Enzo’s, a dog, point of view. He loves car racing and through this, teaches us about embracing the moment but also looking toward the future. Enzo wants to become human in his next life but teaches us that you should not spend you whole life waiting for something to happen. The story tells about the life of Enzo from a puppy to an adult. Enzo’s owner is Denny, a semi-pro racecar driver in Seattle. Enzo is upset about his lack of opposable thumbs and tongue that he can’t speak with. This novel is well written and recommended. It is a funny, happy, and sad story all at once that is well worth reading. 10/10.
 * __The Art of Racing in the Rain__ by Garth Stein**
 * Grace Kane**

__ **Prince Caspian**  __  **by C.S Lewis** __Prince Caspian__ is the 4th book in the Chronicles of Narnia. The plot is reasonably good with a surprising twist at the end. The majority of the book consists of a story being told from a Dwarf sent by King Caspian to the High King Peter and his brothers and sisters. The second half of the book consists of troubles getting back to King Caspian. It has a very un-suspenseful plot with only one big action scene. The conversations and writing style are mostly in older English and is sometimes hard to follow. Lewis also uses lots of parentheses, which disrupts the flow of the novel. The good thing about the book is that you can read it without reading previous books in the series. The ending of the book was very mysterious. The different scenes and actions at the end of the book helps King Caspian achieve his goal of becoming King. Most of the action at the end is the result of Aslan’s return and the victory was only won by luck.
 * Kevin Lee**
 * Score: 7/10**

__ **Night**  __ **by Elie Wiesel** **Elaine Jiang** __ Night  __ is a work by Elie Wiesel about his horrifying experience with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps during the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, a town in northern Transylvania, Hungary. With his father, Chlomo, his mother, Sarah, and his sisters—Hilda, Beatrice, and Tzipora—Wiesel lived in a close-knit community of mostly Orthodox Jews. Wiesel's sense of security changed in 1944, when the invasion by Nazi Germany resulted in the deportation of Hungarian Jews to concentration camps. In __Night__, Wiesel writes about believing less in God, his increasing disgust with humanity, and how it is reflected in the inversion of the father-child relationship as his father declines to a helpless state and Wiesel becomes his resentful guardian. These themes are hard to empathize with, but I now understand more about the inhumanity in the actions which occurred in the Holocaust. Through __Night__, I was able to grasp that it is possible to lose faith in life. Although __Night__ is a heart-rending story, I recommend it to those who are interested in gaining more knowledge about the victims of the Holocaust. **Score: 9.5/10**

**__Whale Talk__ by Chris Crutcher** **Elaine Jiang** __Whale Talk__ by Chris Crutcher is novel about a boy named T.J. and a group of high school misfits who are brought together to form an unusual swim team for Cutter High School. At Cutter High, earning a sports jacket is the most prestigious of all symbols, and many teachers there display favoritism toward star athletes. T.J., an adopted Asian-African-European-American teenager, is determined to have every member of the swim team earn a letter jacket to show that everyone deserves respect and dignity. In __Whale Talk__, Crutcher writes about the harsh realities of life, including the discrimination in which the swim team was treated, tolerance for the bullies, and overcoming obstacles. In some ways, I can connect with the themes portrayed in this novel. I understand the persistance needed to achieve goals, and the stress of drawbacks. Through __Whale Talk__, I was able to learn more about challenges in which kids are still facing today, and how acceptance is essential in a diverse community. I recommend __Whale Talk__ to anyone who enjoys an entertaining story propelled by exhilarating swimming action mixed with a powerful message about prejudice and self-respect.
 * Score: 9/10**

__Uglies__ tells of a future where everything is beautiful and peaceful…Unless you were an ugly of course. Tally is an ugly who is only 3 months to becoming a pretty, and is suffering from loneliness after Peris, her best friend, is sent to New Pretty city ahead of her. Tally decides that it is time that she goes to see Peris, who is now residing in New Pretty City. Returning to her house, she meets Shay, another ugly, whom she soon befriends. They turn out to have conflicting opinions on becoming pretty, and soon, Shay escapes the city, and Tally has to track her down, or never become pretty again. Tally does find Shay, however, finds that the city, and becoming pretty had simply been a "pretty" veneer which the government used to keep people thinking "pretty", through the creation of a lesion in the brain. Though she decides not to give Shay in, she accidentally exposes the Smoke's location to the city, and Shay is turned pretty. Tally and David escape, and rescue the people. Once they rescue them, Shay's mother finds a cure to revert the lesions, however, Shay refuses to test without knowing it's safe. The book ends with Tally asking to become pretty, so she can test the drug, so Shay will be convinced to take it. This book was quite an interesting, but typical book with government conspiracies, and pretty veneers which cover them up. However, it was an interesting concept, and gave me content which I didn't expect it to give me after I read the summary on the back. This book was very content filled (And hard to summarize…), and gave me a satisfactory reading time.
 * __Uglies__** **by** **__Scott Westerfield__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**
 * Score : 9/10**

__**The Alchemyst**__ **by** **__Michael Scott__** __The Alchemyst__ tells a story of two teenagers named Sophie and Josh who become involved in magical perils when a man named Dee enters the book shop which they are working in, and asks for a certain book named the codex. The two find out that the bookstore owner is in fact, Nicholas Flamel who had been prolonging his life with the elixir of life. However, a man steals the book containing the secrets, and attempts to revive the dark elder. Sophie and Joshua embarks on an adventure to stop the man. This book was interesting, and had allusions to a topic which I am relatively familiar with, such as the Yggdrasil, Nicholas Flamel, and deities from Nordic Myths, Greek Myths, and Egyptian Myths. The storyline was also quite intriguing, and provided a good mix-up of mythological allusions, however, the book was quite mainstream, with the common evil->adventure->defeat evil structure. However, it was still quite a good read.
 * Seok Hoon Kim**
 * Score : 9/10**

Imagine of a society where everybody can hear and see what everybody is thinking (including dogs, squirrels and other animals) and in this town thought sharing, there are no women. That’s what __The Knife of Never Letting go__ is all about. When Todd Hewitt ventures in the swamp, he comes a cross a wave of silence: something that does not omit a single peep. After discovering what the mysterious object was, Todd and his newfound companion were forced to run a journey. Why? They do not know. To where? They do not know. All they wanted was a place to sleep without the fear of being murdered in slumber. A theme to describe this book can be to “learn about the threat before opposing it.” The cunning antagonists and limited knowledge given to civilians trick others to secretly give them what they want. The best trait of this book is undoubtedly the suspense. At the end of every chapter lurks a change in plot, a betrayal or a death of a character. I always find myself hoping for certain characters to stay safe and others to writhe and decay. This book is one of the best thrillers I have ever read.
 * __The Knife of Never Letting Go__ by __Patrick Ness__**
 * Brandon Lau**
 * Score: 10/10**

__I Am the Cheese__ is a novel about a boy’s journey to find his father while uncovering his true identity and past. The main character, Adam, is a young teenage boy living in Monument, Massachusetts. He lead a normal life until the discovery of a huge secret that would change his life forever-his entire family has a double-identity. His father used to be a news reporter in Blount who found dark and disturbing secrets about the government, and testified against the corrupted government. Adam’s father’s behavior of ‘justice’ lead to attempts of vengeance by those he testified against, so he was advised to change his name along with his family and move to a complete different city. The novel is very confusing to read because it is told in three parts. The first one being Adam’s journey to a hospital to find his father, the second one being a psychiatrist/interrogator trying to help Adam unveil his memories, and the third being Adam’s actual memory from the past. I enjoyed reading this novel, although it was very frustrating at times because of the confusion in the change of narrative. I recommend this novel to readers who like critical thinking.
 * __I Am the Cheese__ by Robert Cormier**
 * Tony Jin**
 * Score:9/10**

The chocolate war qualifies as one of the best books for teenagers that I’ve ever read. It is a realistic story about a powerful gang based in Trinity High School and their influences on the students as well as the teachers. As much as the teachers hated the gang, The Vigils, and their pranks, they needed their power and influence in a school chocolate sale to solve the school’s financial issues. The story is about how Jerry Renault, the protagonist, a quiet freshman refuses to take orders from the Vigils and stays true to himself. This is a fascinating story about life as a teenager in a corrupt school and pressure from a powerful gang. This story teaches the reader to not take orders from evil and do what you think is right. It’s all about standing up for yourself and friends so you won’t have to be involved in bad things other people force you to do. The protagonist, Jerry Renault is often upset about the passing away of his mother a few years ago, and only finds pleasure in playing football. When he was challenged by higher authorities, he didn’t lose himself and that teaches the readers a very good lesson. I would definitely recommend this book.
 * __The Chocolate War__** **by** **Robert Cormier**
 * Tony Jin**
 * Score: 10/10**

__Truancy__ is the story of a society in which the Educators, or the government, enforce a brutal public schooling system designed to enslave the students and discourage free will. It follows the story of Tack, an ordinary boy who eventually learns of the Truants, a rebel group formed entirely of ex-students. By joining their cause, he joins the fight against the Educators, and a brutal civil war begins. But the entire time, he fights an inner battle with himself that might decide the fate of the entire city. This book had very interesting characters; each one able to surprise you even if you thought you knew them well. Fukui makes the kids almost seem life adults, as if the war they are experiencing has forced them to grow up too quickly. In addition, I’m sure many kids around the world would be able to relate to the plight of the students. However, the writing can seem at times amateurish, but this is simply because the author is a kid. Overall, a good book, and one worth the time it would take to read it.
 * __Truancy__ by Isamu Fukui **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 8/10**

__Truancy Origins__ is the backstory behind __Truancy__. It tells the story of Zen and Umasi, two brothers who together created the situation that Tack enters in __Truancy__, a war between the government and the Truants. The story follows Zen and Umasi from the moment they leave school and embark on their own epic journeys. Not only the Truancy, but other mysteries from the first book are unveiled, such as where Noni came from, and Umasi’s previous students that he only briefly mentioned to Tack. Although this book takes place chronologically before Truancy, it should definitely be read after __Truancy__. Fukui’s writing is more refined, and he makes references to __Truancy__ (even if they are a little too coincidental). In addition, the main characters in the prequel are much more unique than Tack from the first book. They have more interesting flaws and talents. Once again, readers will be surprised at the maturity of all the kids and their ability to fight against their elders in the face of ridiculous odds. Without a doubt, fans of __Truancy__ will be pleased with __Truancy Origins__.
 * __Truancy Origins__ by Isamu Fukui **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 8.5/10**

__**The Book Thief**__ **by Markus Zusak** __The Book Thief__ is a novel set in Nazi Germany. It describes a young Germany girl named Liesel Meminger and her relationship with her foster parents, her neighbors, and a Jewish fist-fighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. The narrator of the book is Death. Death is omniscient, and in __The Book Thief__, Death has the tendency to define moments by their color. I think the major themes of this novel is the impact of words and propaganda, the act of thievery as a form of self-actualization, and survivor's guilt. Although this book is set in the gloomy era of the Holocaust, there are many light-hearted moments of childhood and innocence. Zusak does not suger-coat anything, yet he makes a depressing subject bearable. With the heart-rending moments of death and abandonment, there are many joyful experiences of books, music, and love. The point of view of __The Book Thief__ is very original and absorbing, and I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great novel. It is a must-read!
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Speak**__ **by Laurie Halse Anderson** __Speak__ by Laurie Halse Anderson tells the story of Melinda Sordino's rape, recovery, and confession. After being raped at a party, Melinda is excluded by her peers because she would not confess why she had called the police. Because of her inability to explain what really happened during the party, Melinda decides to stop speaking altogether. With the help of Mr. Freeman's class, Melinda begins to express her voice through art. I believe that the main themes in __Speak__ are having the courage to speak up, finding one's identity, and acceptance. This story can also be viewed as a story about speaking out against violence and victimization. I liked how __Speak__ is a diary-like narrative featuring lists, subheadings, and blank spaces. Anderson organizes the plot around the four quarters of Melinda's freshmen year, starting the story in the middle of Melinda's struggle. There are also flashbacks of the past as the story gains focus on what really happened to Melinda. I recommend __Speak__ to someone interested in reading a story about courage, pain, and recovery.
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 8/10**

__Night__ by Elie Wiesel is a autobiographical book about the author's horrifying childhood memories of the Holocaust. Wiesel was born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania and was only a teenager when taken away from home to concentration camps in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. In the concentration camps, Wiesel and his father, along with all the others, were treated with unbearable cruelty. Throughout the book, Wiesel shares his personal experiences of losing his family members and ,at the same time, losing his faith and belief in humanity. Wiesel focuses on his relationship with his father and the way they supported each other in survival. However, in the end, as his father died of physical abuse and dysentery, Wiesel actually felt a sense of relief. This book is different from all the other books I've read about the Holocaust. Written in first person, Wiesel is able to really connect his story to the readers and show them how an experience can change a person completely. The book touched me with its simple purpose of helping people to remember and keeping a record of what really happened during the Holocaust. It brings a strong message of how it must never happen again. I would recommend Night to anyone who would like to learn more about the truth of the Holocaust.
 * __Night__ by Elie Wiesel**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10**

MockingJay by Suzanne Collins is the third and last novel of The Hunger Games Trilogy. In Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen had just escaped her second Hunger Games and was sent to District 13, where she and the survivors received help from the rebels. She was soon made to be the face of their revolution with the name "MockingJay". Katniss felt like she was trapped into a situation that was even more terrifying than the Hunger Games. To me, reading Mockingjay was just like watching a movie. There was a lot of action in the book in which Collins was able to bring to live just with her words. Mockingjay is quite different from the other two books and includes twists that would really shock the readers. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading action/romance novels. However, you do have to read the first two books to understand the plot.
 * __Mockingjay__ by Suzanne Collins**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 10/10**

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a novel by Stieg Larsson about a unsolved mystery of the disappearance 40 years earlier of the Vangers family 16-year-old Harriet Vanger. Henrik Vanger is determined that Harriet was murdered on the island the Vangers family owns and that the murderer is one of their own family members who was on the island that day. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a famous journalist, to solve the mystery of Harriet's disappearance. Blomkvist later works with Lisbeth Salander, who is the girl with a dragon tattoo on her left shoulder with a very different and unapproachable personality. Together, Blomkvist and Salander would solve the mystery of Harriet Vanger. The novel really talks about the ugliness of humanity, morality, and trust. It was definitely a good read however I would only recommend it to those who are okay with violence as it is one of the darkest books I've ever read. It also has a complex structure that can sometimes be confusing.
 * __The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo__ by Stieg Larsson**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**Alanna: The First Adventure**__ **by: Tamora Pierce** Alanna: The First Adventure is the first book of a series because of this its very suspenseful and keeps you asking questions. Some parts are kind of unnecessary and boring. Those parts make it hard to focus and really get into the book. Overall it keeps you on your toes and wanting to read the next book.
 * Andrea Larson**
 * Score: 8/10**

In the Rangers Apprentice: The ruins of Gorlan is very suspenseful book filled with action. Its a fantasy book that keeps you on your toes. It keeps you wanting to read the next book. The first book out of this five book series is just the beginning of the great experience that you share with the Ranger and Will's training to become one. This book will have you asking for the next one.
 * __The Rangers Apprentice Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan__ by John Flanagan**
 * Andrea Larson**
 * Score: 9/10**

__ The Knife of Never Letting Go __ is a gripping and elegantly paced novel following the adventures of Todd Hewitt, an ordinary boy living on New World, a colony created in our future for the expanding human population. He discovers a dangerous secret that threatens his life, and so he runs, and this is how the story begins. The premise of the story is the Noise, or the fact the people can hear what their friends are saying at all times. It is a unique and fascinating idea for a story, and Patrick Ness uses it to create an extremely fantastic yet realistic setting that can draw any reader into the story. In addition, he masterfully varies the pace of the plot to create suspense. One moment you could be skimming through descriptions of the scenery, and the next, you might be dropped into a fast-pitched, life-threatening chase scene. He also uses dialect and accent to make his writing come alive. In the beginning, the accents are slightly of annoying, but once you are engaged in the story, the accents blend into the characters, really giving you a good impression of every person Todd meets. Overall, Ness writes with a strange kind of beauty, even though he uses a crude sounding accent. And frankly, the plot is just plain interesting. This book gets a full score from me.
 * __ The Knife of Never Letting Go __**** by Patrick Ness **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 10/10**

__ The Art of Racing In the Rain __ is a great book written by Garth Stein. This book was a really different book because it was told in a dog's point of view. The narrator, the dog 'Enzo', he believed in a Mongolian dog legend, which a dog will reincarnate into a human after death. Throughout the whole book you could feel Enzo’s loyalty to his owner Denny, how he wanted to reincarnate into a human after he died and say “This is a hi from Enzo.” After the first chapter it was pretty much a flash back from Enzo’s childhood till the moment he is going to die and what happened after he died. The order of the book creates a lot of suspense, which keeps you interested. I highly recommend this book to anyone and especially animal lover, the bad thing about this book is that the ending was pretty much expected.
 * __ The Art of Racing In the Rain __**** by Garth Stein **
 * Sebastian Chen **
 * Score: 9/10**

__**When You Are Engulfed By Flames**__ **by David Sedaris** __When You Are Engulfed By Flames__ by David Sedaris is a comedic memoir. Sedaris takes us through different periods of time in his life that seem irrelevant and whimsical. However, it really sets a foundation for the story and indirectly characterizes him in the process. You go through the book with a feeling that you're developing a genuine relationship with him and have shared these experiences with him. It will make you laugh, cringe, and even cry out ‘No, he didn’t!’ This book appeals to people who can appreciate situational irony and the ‘non-mainstream’ side of life.
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 8/10**

__Becoming Chloe__ by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a story about an adventure, and not really the kind of adventure that most would imagine. The story is about Jordy and Chloe, two very broken and very unusual people that are thrown together by chance (or fate depending on what your individual interpretation is). The bond that they form is peculiar but they alter each other’s lives. Chloe struggles with years of emotional trauma and Jordy is determined to make her believe that the world is beautiful again. Whilst doing so, he rediscovers how beautiful the world is as well because he too, had forgotten from years of his parents disapproval. From the moment their lives intersect their adventure begins. I passed on reading this book on 3 separate occasions. Finally, I decided to give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised. I became genuinely interested and even concerned for the main characters and the depth of personality that Hyde gives them.
 * __Becoming Chloe__ by Catherine Ryan Hyde**
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**The Outsiders**__ **by S.E. Hinton** __The Outsiders__ by S.E. Hinton is about two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs who are divided by their socioeconomic status. The narrator, Ponyboy Curtis, belongs to a lower-class group of Oklahoma youths who call themselves 'Greasers' because of their greasy long hair. The Greasers and Socs are always fighting against each other — the Socs fight because they look down upon the Greasers, and the Greasers fight because they think that the Socs don't have to face any challenges. As the story progresses, Ponyboy realizes that the hardships Greasers and Socs face may take different practical forms, but the members of both groups have the ability to fear, love, and grieve. I think that the main theme in __The Outsiders__ is the gap between rich and poor. Hinton implies that these differences in social class do not necessarily make them enemies. Instead, she says that shared passions can fill the gap between the rich and poor. I found The Outsiders very absorbing, and was very inspired when I realized that Hinton was only sixteen when she wrote the book. The story was based on a friend of Hinton's who was attacked for being a 'Greaser', which upset her so much that she wrote the book. I recommend __The Outsiders__ to anyone who wants to read a story about hardships, discrimination, and bravery.
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 10/10**

__**Ghost Medicine**__ by Andrew Smith Brandon Lau __Ghost Medicine__, by Andrew Smith, is a mystery novel about adolescents and voodoo magic. Troy Stotts is 16 years old and just lost his mother. His interactions with his father are much less than his friends, Gabe and Luz Benevidez, and Tommy Buller. The four of their personalities seem to compliment and counter each other in different situations: Happy and tentative, caring and thoughtful, ruthless and brave, and a mixture of them all. The story starts with a chain of problems. Troy flees from home to take a break from his life. A mountain lion starts eating sheep from their farm and the sheriff’s son starts to cause problems for the four protagonists. At first, it seems like these events have no correlation but readers soon find out that it affects the number of survivors after a perilous journey. __Ghost Medicine__ becomes a very mysterious book but the action takes a long time to accelerate. Later phases of the book binds perfectly with events in the exposition making the plot structure exceptionally cunning. However, the starting chapters have a few moderately suspenseful spots and is mostly occupied by daily routines and conflict-lacking text. Dialogue is commonly written without clearly stating the speaker making the plot somewhat difficult to understand. I do not think that the cliff-hanger finish is worth the trudge in the start.
 * Score: 5/10**

__The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To__ by D.C. Pierson is a fictional story about two social outcasts in their sophomore year of high school, Darren Bennett and Eric Lederer. The meet and bond over their love of comic books, sci-fi, drawing, and lack of knowledge of females. Eric shares a secret with Darren that he never sleeps, ever. So the boys seek to learn why it is that Eric is physically incapable of sleep. The book does take on a bit of a sci-fi twist somewhat near the end. Drawings of supernatural creatures that Darren made come to life with Eric’s lack of sleep that becomes a “power”. Strange men become aware of Eric’s “power” and wish to capture Eric for reasons unknown. The boys must go into hiding in order to protect Eric. This book was not a personal favorite but I recommend this book to people who are into space themed video games and strange fictional creatures.
 * __The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To__** by D.C. Pierson
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 4/10**

__Fahrenheit 451__ by Ray Bradbury describes a futuristic society where books are considered to be taboo. Firefighters have ceased to exist, in this society all houses are fireproofed. The firemen now start fires, to burn the books and keep the knowledge of the community limited. Montag, the protagonist of the story is a fireman himself. However, temptation overcomes him and he begins to read. He does not understand The Bible or modern poetry but he realizes that books aren’t something that people should be ignorant of. Thus begins his adventure. This book was a great read; the imagery is so vibrant and engaging that you get pulled into the book. It also had one of the most interesting and passionate afterword and coda I’ve ever taken the time to read. I believe everyone should take the time to read this book.
 * __Fahrenheit 451__** by Ray Bradbury
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 10/10**

__The Cardturner__ by Louis Sachar is a book about a card game known as bridge. Alton Richards is a teenager and his greedy parents are always telling him to be really nice to his great uncle, Lester Trapp. He is extremely rich but old with age and diabetic. The plan was to constantly care for him so Alton’s family would get a piece of his will. One day, Alton receives a phone call from Lester asking about bridge. It turns out that his great uncle’s favorite game was bridge and because diabetes has made him blind, he wanted Alton to be his card turner. What this meant was that Alton would read him the cards in his hand, and Lester would tell him which one to play. Under this bridge business was Alton’s own problems including, his best friend dating his ex girlfriend and his dad losing his job. __The Cardturner__ uses a lot of parallel storyline. For example when he makes a comment on bridge game and how he should have played better, a situation extremely similar shows up in real life. This makes the story entertaining because the reader knows things characters don’t. It lacked intense suspense and the tone of the story didn’t fluctuate a lot. Secondly, Louis Sachar focuses on a lot of Bridge action instead of normal story suspense. Personally, I am fascinated by full houses and straight flushes so this book kept me flipping pages. I recommend this book to people who really enjoy card games. Score: 8.5/10
 * __The Cardturner__ by Louis Sachar**
 * Brandon Lau**

__Private Peaceful__ by Michael Morpurgo is a novel about a soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World War I. Each chapter of the book brings the reader closer to the present until the story turns to present tense. Tommo is recalling his childhood from those terrible battefields. He remembers his big brother Charlie taking him to his first day of school, the death of his father, his mother working hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table. He especially remembers his brother Joe, who wasn't quite right in the head, but who to Tommo was very special. He also recalls Molly, the only girl in his life, and how Charlie took her away from him. As the world turned to war, Charlie and Tommo enlist and are sent to France. Together, they fight for their lives and the family they left behind. __Private Peaceful__ illustrates the unfair treatment soldiers were given and the unjust ending many brave soldiers had to face. This novel is also a story of friendship, love, and trust. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a story full of emotion and never-ending hope.
 * __Private Peaceful__ by Michael Morpurgo**
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 9/10**

__Falling Leaves__ by Adeline Yen Mah is a memoir about the author. Born in 1937 in a city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of a wealthy Chinese family. Adeline's mother died giving birth to her. As a result she was deemed bad luck, and considered inferior and insignificant by her older siblings, who constantly bullied her. When her father married again, Adeline found herself at the mercy of a cruelly manipulative stepmother. Her stepmother treated all of her step-children with prejudice, obviously favoring her own children. Adeline was the youngest, and she was a girl, thus she received the most unfair treatment of them all. __Falling Leaves__ is the powerful memoir of emotional abuse and isolation that Mah suffered at the hands of her stepmother. Not only was Mah able to survive her childhood, she also grew up to become a successful woman. With great wisdom, Mah tells a story of not only her life, but the life of China under Mao, and how both were changed forever after the Cultural Revolution. __Falling Leaves__ is an unforgettable story of a courageous woman who was able to put her past behind her and move on with her life. I recommend this memoir to anyone who wants to read the true version of Cinderella.
 * __Falling Leaves__ by Adeline Yen Mah**
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 9/10**

__**The Hunger Games**__ **by Suzanne Collins** __The Hunger Games__ is the first book in the Huger Games series by Suzanne Collins. The story is set in future North America where the Capitol and its 12 districts are the last civilization. Every year, each district would send 2 tributes, one male and one female, to the Capitol to fight to the death. The last tribute standing won. The plot of the story is very unique and suspenseful. Each turn of the page leads to a new climax. The romance in the book makes it appropriate for a wider range of people. Collin’s modern writing style makes it easy to understand and adds humor to the book. It is a well written book and I enjoyed reading it.
 * Kevin Lee**
 * Score: 10/10**

__Whale Talk__, by Chris Crutcher, is a fantastic book that taught me about respect. The protagonist, T.J Jones, is a great athlete who leads a group of problematic students to start a swim team with Simet as their coach. Their goal is to earn the right to wear the leather jacket that goes to everyone who is on a school team. Along the way, he meets Georgia Brown and helps her help Heidi, the child of Rich Marshall who often abuses her. He makes a lot of friend on the way and it teaches the readers about discrimination. I learned about how bad people and how people can be neglected because of races. The book is a great representation of struggles in society and dreams coming true with effort. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.
 * __Whale Talk,__ by Chris Crutcher**
 * Kevin Lee**
 * Score:9.5/10**

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a novel about a sixteen-year-old boy Holden. It is set during a long weekend where Holden wandered alone in the streets of New York, not wanting to go home and bring his parents the news of being kicked out of his fourth prep school. Throughout the novel, it is mentioned that Holden is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital, although his disorder is unspecified. Holden meets a lot of people during his journey, some are people from his past and some are strangers. The Catcher in the Rye talks about growing up, the pain of going through adolescence, and the “phoniness” of adults. This book is very relatable to most people, especially teenagers like us, as it describes the difficulties of relationship and loneliness of losing things as you grow up. The narrator also speaks in a very sarcastic tone when can be quite funny sometimes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, it’s worth a read!
 * The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10**

Score : 10/10
 * __The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy__** by **__Douglas Adams__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**
 * __The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy__** is a truly priceless book. It was quite the giggle. It was relatively short, and not too long to keep the reader bored, though I doubt I would have been all that bored had the book continued on longer. The book was very unique, and had an interesting story which was quite mind-blowing. The language was cryptic, and usually contained very funny jokes. The characters were very peculiar, and the setting of the world was also quite creative in a humorous way. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, however, I did find it quite intriguing why the book was called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as it did not have nearly as much on the topic. Nevertheless, it's a good read which you will not regret reading.

8/10
 * __The Skeleton Key__** by **__Anthony Horowitz__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**
 * __The Skeleton Key__** is a book of teenage espionage. It is a book of secrets. Or so I would have said until I began to read it. Contrary to what I would've expected, it was rather more of an action trend when I read it.The book's plot structure was just as any other book, giving a conflict, and then slowly giving the reader information, (and red herrings, in a way. This book was a good book to read to spend the time. Although it was good, I would have liked it better if it had some way to make it more familiar to the reader, as although the story did not have much need to read the previous books, it didn't feel like an entirely new read due to it's feeling of continuity.

__Feed__ by M.T. Anderson is a futuristic satire with romance, violence and death all bunched up in about 250 pages. It’s set in America way into the future where people can purchase chips and place them in their head. This chip, also known as the feed, functions as an Ebay, GPS, Skype, music player and much more. In this age, humans have become wizards, using thoughts for control instead of actions and nature is deteriorating. The protagonist, Titus, and is group of friends one bit aware of the significance in this decaying of nature until they encounter Violet. The characters and reader slowly discover the danger of our increasing technology and decreasing morality and care for nature. There are many themes concerning the pros and cons of future, one of them being aware of what’s outside your scope of vision. The author also uses a very unique voice; including constant swearing and using made-up futuristic terms that one is not expected to know. The futuristic vocabulary makes the story extremely hard to understand at the beginning but readers quickly catch on. I like this book’s plot, as there are constantly problems and unpredictable turns that keep the book interesting. Score: 9/10
 * __Feed by M.T Anderson__**
 * __Brandon Lau__**

__The Guardian__ by Nicholas Sparks is a love story/thriller about a dog named Singer and a young widow named Julie trying to find a new life partner. Julie considers Mike, her old best friend, and Richard, a handsome, successful manager who treats her like a queen. The reader views Julie through Richard's eyes as his former wife who had tried to escape him. Julie slowly figures out the danger of those who are close to her and the extent at which stalking can go. __The Guardian__ deals with the themes of obsession and true love. It contrasts the difference between truly caring for someone and obsession. This novel also shows the inner world of a highly intelligent murderer. The murderer appears to be amicable and flawless on the outside, but he is actually a threatening and creepy person. I thought that __The Guardian__ was very moving for it describes the close relationship between Julie and her dog Singer. Singer is Julie's protector and makes many sacrifices for her. This novel was especially interesting for me to read because it is written in many perspectives. It shows us the the thoughts of all the main characters. I definitely recommend __The Guardian__ to anyone who wants read about dogs, love, and obsession.
 * __The Guardian__ by Nicholas Sparks**
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 8/10**

__**The Lovely Bones**__ **by Alice Sebold** __The Lovely Bones__ by Alice Sebold is the story of a teenage girl named Susie Salmon. It is the story of Susie who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. In the novel, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie's heaven resembles the environment of a suburban high school where there were no teachers. She struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living. There are many themes in this story about missed opportunities and regrets about not living life to its fullest. For example, Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on Earth as "like an accident - a beautiful gasoline rainbow." Although __The Lovely Bones__ includes random acts in its plot, it is a moving novel of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living. I was satisfied with the novel's ending, and I would definitely recommend __The Lovely Bones__ to anyone who wants to read a story with a haunting and heartbreaking plot.
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 7/10**

__ Of Mice and Men __ is the story of two workers who travel together: George and Lennie. George is a clever, small man who feels obligated to take care of Lennie, a gentle giant whose limited intelligence often gets him into trouble. They have a dream of settling down on their own land, but before that happens, they will have to travel from ranch to ranch and earn the money to buy that land. Although the plot may not sound very exciting at first, Steinbeck creates very likeable and interesting characters that will definitely hook you into the story. And it is not only the main characters, but also almost every character they meet. Even if they only have a few lines, Steinbeck develops them quickly enough to make them likeable. In addition, Steinbeck can change the mood and atmosphere of the setting very quickly, so readers can sense when something bad will happen. Overall, an engaging and interesting book worth reading.
 * __ Of Mice and Men __**** by John Steinbeck **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 9/10 **

__**The Chocolate War**__ **by Robert Cormier** __The Chocolate War__ by Robert Cormier brings you into the life of a young teenager named Jerry Renault. Trinity, the school in which __The Chocolate War__ takes place, is running its annual ritual of selling chocolates to raise money. When Jerry, a freshmen and new kid in the school, decides not to sell the chocolates, Trinity becomes a mess. Although selling the chocolates is supposedly voluntary, Brother Leon, the assistant head of the school, has other problems to take care of. I think that the main themes in the book are conformity and corruption. Everyone except for Jerry agrees to sell the chocolates, thus when Jerry refuses to sell them, corruption within the school begins. Others realize that the school is taking advantage of them. Even the Vigils, the school gang, goes through a bit of trouble to control them. Overall, __The Chocolate War__ is a good read, but I was disappointed with the ending. The ending was a little anticlimactic. I recommend __The Chocolate War__ to anyone who wants to read about rebellion, corruption, and the world of teenage boys.
 * Elaine Jiang**
 * Score: 8/10**

Like its predecessor, __The Ask and the Answer__ is a fantastic read. It combines the interesting themes of __The Knife of Never Letting Go__ and adds a gritty and unbiased perspective on war. This story begins right where __The Knife__ left off, so if you haven’t read the first book, this is a spoiler. In fact, with a cliffhanger ending like __The Knife__ had, pretty much anything I say would be a spoiler, so I won’t reveal much of the plot. Todd and Viola find themselves in New Prentisstown, and Mayor Prentiss has already taken over. In the hopelessness of the situation an organization forms known as the Answer, who are ready to fight against the Mayor. __The Ask__ is just as exciting as book number one; it’s hard to put down. In addition, a new element is added to the truth and lie theme of the first book: the cure of the Noise. In __The Ask,__ men can now hide their thoughts from people as well as women. But in spite of all of that, what really //made// this book was the war, or more specifically the two sides of the war. A lot of books try to make things realistic by creating wars that “have no right and wrong side”, but they usually fail. In this book however, Patrick Ness succeeds. The members of the Answer aren’t the classic freedom fighters, but rather ruthless warriors who are trying to win by any means necessary. If you are looking for a book in which good triumphs over evil, the protagonist sticks doggedly by his honor through thick and thin, and of course the dream-like ending in which everything turns out fine, then you are definitely in the wrong place. There are no stereotypes in this book, good or bad. The characters are detailed and three-dimensional. I recommend reading it, but of course, after the cliffhanger ending in __The Knife__ you really don’t have a choice.
 * __ The Ask and the Answer __**** by Patrick Ness **
 * Jason Konold **
 * Score: 10/10 **

Casino Royale is a under-cover spy type of book. The protagonist, James Bond is sent on a mission to gamble with Le Chiffre in an attempt to bankrupt him. In the end he succeads. Desperate for the money back, Le Chiffre kidnaps Bond and tortures him. After he is released, he meets Lynd and they fall in love. In the end, Lynd commits suicide to reassure Bond's safety. M is a very interesting character and I likes his influance in the story. This book is a great read because it combines 2 of my favorite plots. The writing is very easy to follow and is very well written. The plot is a very traditional spy story but very good at the same time. The suspense in the book is constantly at a high and it keeps you at the edge of your seat. Once I started I couldn't stop. The book is very clear and very detailed. Overall, this is a great read and I really enjoyed reading it.
 * Casino Royale by ** Ian Fleming
 * Kevin Lee **
 * Score:10/10**

__Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs__ by Mary E. Lyons is historical fiction. The book is a collection of unsent letters from Joseph Jacobs a half black slave in North Carolina in 1800s. Joseph lives with his grandmother and little sister, Lulu. His mom is in hiding from her owner, fleeing north. Joseph and his sister attempt to follow their mother north to reunite their family. Joseph’s letters that he writes take us along with him as he grows older and tries to achieve his dream of buying his family’s freedom. The most interesting topic in this book has to be Joseph’s constant battle with his skin color. He’s extremely light, so light that if he hides his curly hair he can pass for being white. He has to make a choice, because he feels that “passing” is not only betraying himself, but his family as well. The use of improper grammar and purposeful misspellings give a realistic feeling of someone who is in the process of learning how to read and write. This also gives us a more realistic of the kind of English Joseph spoke during his lifetime. This book was a good, easy read. I would have preferred a little more depth but it was an enjoyable.
 * Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons**
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 8/10**

__White Time__ by Margo Lanagan is a collection of short unassociated stories of other worlds and other dimensions. The idea of ‘white time’ is introduced in the first story in the book. We meet Sheneel as she is assigned to the Commonweal White Time Laboratories for a school assignment. White time has no definite location or time, at the Commonweal Labs their job is to assist people or even creatures who become stuck in White Time. It is the in-between stage of being someplace/time or someplace/time else. The reading through the collection of stories is truly like being thrown through time and space. One moment you are mourning the death of a princess in the midst of a medieval war and another you’re meeting a girl with the exceptional talent of seeing people for what they truly are. I recommend this book to people who are familiar with Madeleine L’Engle’s __A Wrinkle In Time__, (a personal favorite of mine) as well as people who are interested in science fiction. __City of Bones__ by Cassandra Clare is a book one of a series of two books. FIfteen- year- old Clary Fray goes to a club in New York one night and witnesses a murder. The murder was committed by three teenagers who only Clare could see. The body disappeared and the murders used bizarre weapons. Clary has to find her mother and along the way finds out who her father really is. Through the adventure she finds out her best friend has always loved her and she finds a new lover. She has to fight against demons and learn about her new world. This fantasy book is a true adventure with ups and downs. It was well written and captured my attention. __In the Hand of the Goddess__ by Tamora Pierce is the second book of the series of Song of the Lioness. A girl disguised as a boy goes on adventures to learn to become a knight.She becomes a squire to Prince Jonathan and is visited by a god to explore love. SHe has to protect the kingdom from a powerful sorcerer and it may take all she her strength. This story is filled with action, suspense, and intrigue. I highly recommend this series.
 * White Time by Margo Lanagan**
 * Chandler Cooper**
 * Score: 8/10**
 * City of Bones by Cassandra Clare**
 * Andrea Larson**
 * Score: 10/10**
 * In the Hand on the Goddess by Tamora Pierce**
 * Andrea Larson**
 * Score: 10/10**

__Of Mice and Men__ by John Steinbeck is a novel about the friendship between two migrant workers. It is set during the time of the great depression in America. The two main characters of the story are Linnie and George. Linnie is a gigantic man who is very strong while on the other hand George is a small man who travels along with Linnie. Throughout the novel, we learn that George has a mental issue and most of the time he is very childlike. George takes care and looks after Linnie, treating him like his own brother. George and Linnie share the same dream of owning their own piece of land so they can grow their own crops and also breed rabbits. However, when they get a new job, several incidents occur because of George’s love of soft things and the novel ends leaving the readers in extreme shock. I enjoyed reading this book and it is really quite a short read so I definitely recommend this book to anyone. The author is extremely descriptive in most parts and the suspense in the book also makes it interesting. The ending will really surprise you!
 * Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10 **

__If I Stay__ by Gayle Forman is a young adult novel about a girl, Mia, who gets in a car accident while she was with her family. In this hospital, Mia is shocked to find out that both her parents had died during the accident and that her brother Teddy was in a coma. Mia is also in a coma, but she realizes what is happening around her. She is stuck between the two worlds and in the 24 hours, she has to make the decision to whether she wants to stay in this world with her best friend Kim and boyfriend Adam or continue the journey to afterlife with her family. During the time Mia spends in the hospital, she has flashbacks of her childhood memories and things that happened before the incident. This is a really good book about friendship, love, dying, and loving. It’s the kind of story that will make you think and compare your own life to the protagonist. I recommend this book, but maybe mostly to girls.
 * If I Stay by Gayle Forman**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10**

__Steve Jobs__ by __Walter Issacson__ Seok Hoon Kim __Steve Jobs__ was a biography of Steve Jobs written by Sir Walter Issacson. It told of the life of Steve Jobs, and was very inspiring. It told of his flaws and strength, and the very interesting story of what happened in his life. The views given to the reader during the time that the book was set on the early stages would have made the reader believe that the time was very horribly undeveloped, and there were no computers but the ENIAC. As I read the biography, it gave me a feeling that each story was an epic. I, being a personal fan of Apple and Steve Jobs, had known a few of the things written in the book, and had been able to keep myself interested. The book was a truly inspiring piece of work, and managed to hold all the legacies and astonishing achievements of Steve Jobs into one book, and I respect Sir Walter Issacson for doing that. Though it may have been quite long, I enjoyed every single bit of the book, and truly hope that Apple will be a long-lasting company. Score : 10/10

__Angelology__ by __Danielle Trussoni__ Seok Hoon Kim __Angelology__ was a book of Myths and religion, where the author incorporates myths, and creates a story. It begins with a simple letter requesting a view at the chapel archives. Then the story begins an adventure where Sister Evangeline who read the letter, Gabriella, her grandmother, and Mr.Valeraine begin a quest for a mythological object, a lyre, all the while fighting rebel angels to it. Though the story was quite descriptive and intriguing, I personally found it to be rather unsatisfying, as the religion based books had much better, such as books by Dan Brown. Though both were somewhat of a conspiracy topic, I believe that Dan Brown was better, and therefore I gave the book one point less than planned. Score : 8/10

Kevin Lee __Catching Fire__, by Suzanne Collins, is the sequel of The Hunger Games. The story is set in the future when the Capitol and its districts rule North America. All 12 districts of the Capitol supply the Capitol with tons of items they need, from jewelry to coal. Every year, the Capitol would organize The Hunger Games, a way to remind the districts that they are in charge and the wash out any thoughts of rebellion among the people. This year is the quarter Quells, a different Hunger Games held at every 25 year interval. This year’s Quarter Quells call for tributes picked from previous victors. Therefore, Katniss and Peeta are picked to play again. The 75th Hunger Games were better than any before. The suspense of the book put me right on the edge, over and over again. Collins’ amazing creativity gave the story life and energy. The different aspects of the story links it to __The Hunger Game__ but also gives the story its own unique style. This book is a great read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book and sequel!! Score: 10/10
 * __Catching Fire__ by Suzanne Collins**

Kevin Lee __Mockingjay__, by Suzanne Collins, is the last book in a three-book sequel, The Hunger Games. The book is very well written and ends the sequel perfectly. The suspense in the story is at it’s highest and stays there for the entire book. Every turn of the page is another turning point in the story. Collin uses all the right words at all the right times to create the best effect a book could have. Each book of the sequel ties to the next one, forming a great story. __Mockingjay__ taught me the importance of teamwork and the power it can have. It also taught me a lot about propaganda and its affects on people. I think it’s amazing how such a simple story can teach us so many valuable lessons. After reading this book, I realized how complicated and messy our world is. __Mockingjay__ isn’t just a book about a girl who changes people’s lives, it’s about what our world will become if we continue on our path of destruction. This book is a great work of art and not only tells a great story but also teaches us a great lesso. Score: 10/10
 * __Mockingjay__ by Suzanne Collins**

__**Chaos Code**__ **by Justin Richards** Brandon Lau __Chaos Code__, by Justin Richards, is an adventure packed novel decorated with intricate mysteries and puzzles. When Matt Stribling returns to home for vacation, he finds his father’s house void of life and up in shambles. Not long after, he is silently greeted by what seems to be a rough hand and falls unconscious. After recovering from the sudden ambush, he discovers many clues, which confirms his father’s disappearance and grants him many new eerie questions. Matt doesn’t hesitate. He follows his gut feeling and a few well-placed hints to assemble a rescue team to retrieve his father. Throughout the book, he often faces problems with mind games such as trust, double agents and second meanings. The cunning characters make this book very suspenseful because often, simple judgments would result in caustic endings. However, sometimes the characters are too smart to be realistic and it seems as though most riddles were solved for plot purpose only. Despite this, I believe the strongest suit of this novel is the way the author creates his characters. A downfall of this book is the long excerpts of history inserted into the story. I recommend this book to readers who love a good action book and are able to tolerate breaks from the plot to learn about history. Score: 7/10

The Burning Bridge, by John Flanagan is a sequel to the Ranger's Apprentice series. This book is the beginning of the war between the kingdom and Morgarath. For years Morgarath has been imprisoned by impassable mountains. Turns out during those years that he was planning his revenge on Halt, Will's master. Will get chosen to go on a special mission with Gillian and a apprentice knight and also Will's friend. The three of them travel to a neighboring village to get their help in the war, but they discover that all the villagers have been either slain or captured and forced to work on building a bridge and tunnel. This book is very entertaining filled with action and suspense. I recommend it to everyone.
 * __Ranger's Apprentice Book two: The Burning Bridge__ by John Flanagan**
 * Score: 10/10**

Kevin Lee __In Our Time__, by Ernest Hemingway, is a series of stories written together in short chapters. Each chapter tells a different tale and some stories even span over few chapters. The book is written in old English so it is sometimes hard to understand. The stories span from a wide range of plots, about fishing and about war. There are many stories that are very fascinating while others are not so fascinating. The stories contain lots of dialogue and it sometimes hard to follow. The stories also have some humor in them making it slightly better to read. Overall, this is an ok book. If your looking to read some quick short stories, this is the book for you.
 * __In Our Time__ by Ernest Hemingway**
 * Score: 8/10**

__The Kite Runner__ by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about two boys in Afghanistan. The protagonist and narrator of the story is Amir, who is the son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul. His best friend is Hassan, who along with his father are servants to Amir’s family. The two boys are extremely close and it is shown that Hassan is very loyal to Amir and would always stand up for him when Amir is troubled. Once after winning a kite-running contest, Hassan is raped by Assef, who held a grudge against him because of Hassan threatening to shoot his eyes out for his slingshot to protect Amir earlier. After the horrible incident, a rift begins to formin Hassan and Amir’s friendship. Then we go to many years later when Amir re-connects with Hassan’s son Sohrab after learning that Hassan had died and saying to him the same thing Hassan had once said to him, “For you, a thousand times over.” This was honestly one of the best books that I have ever read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and it touched me in many parts. I would recommend The Kite Runner to really anyone who would like to enjoy a good read.
 * The Kite Runner**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score:10/10**

__Speak__ by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel about Melinda, who is a teenager who has just entered the first year of high school as a freshman. Throughout the novel, the readers notice that Melinda barely speaks or that she is selectively mute. Because of some horrible things that happened during the summer before, Melinda sinks into depression and does not feel like she can trust anyone anymore. However, throughout the school year, Melinda meets her art teachers Mr. Freeman who seems to recognize the talent and potential in the silent girl. She also befriends David Petrakis, her lab partner. The two of them encourage Melinda to stand up and speak up for herself. In the end of the novel, she is able to look back at what happened during the party in the beginning of summer and face her issues. I truly enjoyed this novel! It has a very interesting format where the author divides the story in sections by events or certain subjects instead of having chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read something that is touching and mind-broadening.
 * Speak**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score:9.5/10**

__Tentacles__, by Roland Smith, is an fast-paced adventure book about mythology. A group made of biologists, engineers, journalists, cryptologists and kids take on the challenge of capturing the giant squid alive. They are broadly known as the NZA (national zoo and aquarium) and have previously acquired many other exotic animals including two dinosaur hatchlings! Unfortunately, the group also made enemies. Noah Blackwood and Butch McCall are two really cunning and successful men who own many animal themed parks; all named Noah’s Ark. They intend to sabotage NZA’s giant squid mission and steal the dinosaur hatchlings. The problems don’t stop there because under the business issues, are family issues. Roland Smith does unique things with the way he uses perspective. He starts out in an omniscient view and at opportune moments, switches to different characters’ perspectives. I notice that at the beginning, he switches rather slowly (one switch per chapter) but as the story becomes more and more suspenseful, he switches more often (one switch per page). I highly recommend this book to everyone; its one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Score: 10/10
 * Tentacles**
 * Brandon Lau**

__ One Day __ by David Nicholls is a novel about the relationship of Emma and Dexter. This book has a very interesting concept. You see a day of every year over the twenty years to see how their lives and relationship has developed. Emma and Dexter first meet at the night of their graduation in University and remain as friends for the next couple of years. As Dexter becomes a TV presenter and Emma becomes an author, the relationship between the two of them gradually begins to change. It is shown that they view one another as the most important person, even when they have other people(boyfriend, wife). Dexter turns to Emma many times when he had problems dealing with the death of his mother. This friendship between them faces a lot of obstacles and will dramatically swift in the end. I enjoyed this novel but if I had a choice I would rather read something happier. The ending is very surprising and it made it feel like I needed something funny to feel happy again. However, I do recommend this book if you are ready for a depressing love story. It has a very nice structure and occasionally some funny bits that makes you want to continue reading.
 * One Day by David Nicholls**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 8/10**

__Prep__ by Curtis Sittenfeld is a young adult novel about a teen girl Lee Fiora’s experience at her new school. This book describes Lee’s four painful, life-changing, and dramatic four years at Ault School in Massachusetts. When she first entered the school, she was a complete outsider as she observed the activities that other kids did. She has never done lacrosse before and doesn’t understand half of the things that other people said. As the years go by, after experiencing all the painful conflicts with other students, feeling distant from her own parents, and having complicated relationships with the teachers, Lee has found her place in the school. Only at the end of senior year, something terrible happens and the image of perfect Lee she has been trying to craft for four years was ruined. I joined this book as some parts of it is quite relatable, also being a high-schooler and going through adolescent problems. One thing I liked about this book is that it is very straightforward. Sittenfeld’s descriptions are very realistic, unlike most books that often skip the awkward and everyday parts of life. I would recommend this book to others.
 * Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld**
 * Samantha Chang**
 * Score: 9/10**

__Of Mice And Men__ was a very touching book, though for a person like me, I found the narration to be rather boring, the story was actually very interesting, and showed well the occasions of the great depression. The two characters were very well illustrated for such a short novel, and I found it to be very impressive. I also found the side-characters to be rather contributing to the story, unlike most other novels. All the characters summed up the darkness of the great depression, and I found that to be very descriptive in an indirect way. This book's ending was also very unexpected, but showed the bonds between the two characters of the book, which I found very full of melancholy. I found this book to be very interesting, and think this book is a very good book to read in your spare time. Score : 9/10
 * __Of Mice and Men__** by **__John Steinback__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**

__Momo__ is a book which I find to be very imaginative and creative. The book had gave an interesting story where there were the Grey Gentleman who slyly steal time from other people through trickery and words. However, Momo is a girl who listens very carefully to everyone, and does not fall for the gray gentleman's words. It tells a story of how the Gray Gentleman lure the people into saving their time by depositing time into their banks, but use them instead as life, and smoking them as cigars so they can survive. I believe that this book is a satire on how in current society, everyone is too busy to do much, and life is getting more and more hectic and unoriginal. It was a very interesting book with very interesting stories from several different characters. This book was a definitely interesting read. Score : 10/10
 * __Momo__** by **__Michael Ende__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**

__Digital Fortress__ is yet another book of the conspiracy genre by Dan Brown. This book follows the stories of a cryptologist named Susan Fletcher. It follows the conspiracy where in the end, it leads to an ending where the culprit turns out to be an inside-person, and in fact a very important person called Strathmore, who has been tricked into acting a certain way so he could regain his "honor". This book, though it was very long, was rather boring in some times, and was more like watching a third rate conspiracy movie in text. I would have expected more, but I would say it wasn't the worst book either. Score : 7/10
 * __Digital Fortress__** by **__Dan Brown__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**

__Montmorency’s Revenge__, by Eleanor Updale is a story set in the Victorian Era where Montmorency is a master thief who goes on an investigation to try and figure out who killed Lord George Fox-Selwyn, Montmorency’s acquaintance and friend who worked with him before. Back at London, he finds George’s nephew, Francis, who helps him with the disguise of Jack Scarper. To help with Francis’s disguise, Robert Farcett, Montmorency’s friend and doctor takes on the name of Francis Fox-Selwyn to help cover for their mission. After they tracked down the murderers, they flee to America to hide from them. They track down the killer, Moretti, down in a library where he accidentally kills himself. Afterwards, Montmorency asks Vi, a girl he met during his first time in London, to marry him and she says yes. At the end, a man in a black cap puts a gun to his head, basically ending Montmorency’s life. This book is full or suspense and has a great plot line. The ending of the book is a terrific end to this 4 book series and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good spy series. Score: 10/10
 * __Montgomery's Revenge __ by Eleanor Updale**
 * Kevin Lee**

__The Old Man and the Sea__ is about a story of a fisherman trying to catch a fish after 84 days of failure. On the 85th day, he sails deep into the Gulf in the hopes that he will find a fish. He finally catches a huge marlin and is unable to reel it in so he struggle for 2 days and 2 nights to try and catch the fish. In the end, the fish gets tired and he is able to harpoon it and reel it in. On his way back to shore, the blood from the fish attracts sharks that want to eat the marlin that he caught. He manages to fend them off and land safely back with his marlin. The book shows the mans determination to catch a fish after so many failures. It show’s his endurance as an old man trying to fend off sharks. All in all, this is an ok book. Score: 8/10
 * __The Old Man and the Sea__ by Ernest Hemingway**
 * Kevin Lee**

__Of Mice and Men__ is a great book set during the Great Depression. The book talks about 2 friends, George and Lenny. George is a small but very smart person while Lenny is the complete opposite, slow dumb and powerful. Lenny has a strange addicting to petting soft things, especially rabbits and sometimes ends up killing the animals. They have a dream of working at a farm and are hired to one where they work and meet many interesting people like Candy, an old handyman and Slim, the skilled mule driver. At the farm, many tragic things happen and it ultimately ends in a dramatic ending. This book is a great read and is full of emotion and I highly recommend it. Score: 10/10
 * __Of Mice and Men__ by John Steinback**
 * Kevin Lee**

__Incarceron__ was a book where the world the characters lived in was a highly technologically evolved form of prison called Incarceron, and there is a legend that only one person escaped, the one named Sapphique. The book begins with Finn, who finds a key, and meets another girl named Claudia, who also has a key she found inside her father's study, her father being the warden of incarceron. Eventually, the two find a way to escape, which is through holding the key while escaping incarceron through a chair in incarceron which is a replica of the one in the real world. The book had interesting concepts, and had many imaginative aspects to it. It was a rather long book, or at least it felt that way, and therefore got boring sometimes as I was reading it. However, it was still a good book with a good plot and creative thoughts.
 * __Incarceron__** by **__Catherine Fisher__**
 * Seok Hoon Kim**