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Fallen by Lauren Kate

Published September 20, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  452

RAC Book:  Yes

Luce begins her first day at Sword and Cross, a reform school, and feels lost until she sets eyes on Daniel Grigori.  Suddenly she feels like she is home and has known him all of her life.  He insists he does not know her and tries to push her away at every opportunity.  Meanwhile, Luce is trying to come to terms with the reason she has had to come to Sword and Cross.  She was involved in another student’s death at her previous school and knows that her weird visions had something to do with it, but she maintains her innocence to anyone who questions her about the incident.  She meets some unusual students at the school and finds she has no real allegiance to any of them when Daniel is present.   Can she find out why she is so drawn to him and yet why he is so determined to keep her away?

This fantasy mystery story will appeal to the Twilight and City of Bones readers.  There are no vampires in the story, but the romance is compelling as it plays out.  The story has a unique nature that many fantasy stories do not and the characters are colorful and memorable.  Beware that there is a sequel in the works and the story is not resolved by this book’s end.  A must read for fantasy/romance lovers.

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

Published September 16, 2010 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 3 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  265

RAC Book:  Yes

In this fourth installment of the Gallagher Girls series, Cammie Morgan is heavily protected by secret agents because the evil spy organization, the Circle, is trying to find her.  No one knows why Cammie is so important to the Circle, but several security measures are taken at Gallagher Academy to ensure that she is safe at all times.  Meanwhile, on her winter break Cammie is startled to learn that someone she was very close to has been accused of working with the Circle.  Can she trust anyone again?  Can Cammie and her friends find out why the Circle is after her?

This book picks up right where the third one left off and makes for an exciting and fast paced story.  The plot has many surprises and many questions are raised, but for the first time readers get a few answers too.  The characters and dialogue are just as fun as ever and fans of the first three Gallagher Girls books will devour this one too.

Past World by Ian Beck

Published September 14, 2010 Fantasy , Historical Fiction , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  353

RAC Book:  Yes

Pastworld is a theme park designed to look exactly like 1880’s London.  In this historically accurate world, anyone who comes to visit must abide by the dress, laws, language, and even technology found at this time.  Some people were born in Pastworld and do not realize it is merely a tourist attraction utilized mainly by the wealthy.  Others, like Caleb, travel to the old London in order to see what life was like back then.  The problem is that crime definitely existed in the 1880s and has crept up again in this new city.  Law officials are forbidden from using any technology not found during the 1880s to solve crimes.  When a Jack the Ripper type serial killer starts killing innocent people there seems to be no way of stopping him.  Meanwhile, Caleb is blamed for a crime he did not commit and must go on the run or risk spending the rest of his life in a historically accurate prison with an archaic judicial system.

The idea behind this story is very intriguing and sets itself up with lots of details and interesting characters.  The Fantom, or serial killer, is an interesting idea but the character ends the story feeling unfinished and undeveloped.  Readers who enjoy fantasy or historical fiction will enjoy the idea of this interesting tourist attraction, but may find the ending a bit abrupt and unsatisfying.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Published September 10, 2010 Adventure , RAC , Science Fiction 3 Comments
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Genre:  Futuristic Fiction

# of Pages:  390

RAC:  Yes

In this third and final installment of The Hunger Games trilogy Katniss must deal with the aftermath of her actions, and those of some rebellious friends, at the Quarter Quell.  As she recovers from her injuries she cannot help but wonder about Peeta, who was not rescued from the arena.  Her worries are founded when Peeta appears in a Capitol broadcast in which he appears to be on the side of the Capitol.  As Katniss struggles to find her place in this rebellion she is asked to be the symbol or Mockingjay for the entire fight for freedom.  Does she have the strength to be the Mockingjay?  If she becomes the mockingjay will it endanger her friends and family?  Will she ever see Peeta again?

This final installment accurately portrays the difficulty of starting and carrying out an overthrow of government.  Circumstances continue to get worse and with every person lost in the fight Katniss feels responsible.  The action and suspense are good, but maybe not quite as good as the arena action and suspense.  The character development is wonderful and amazing considering the extreme pressure these characters are under.  It would be hard to to portray them as truly human as Collins did.  Readers should be satisfied with the ending, especially after some reflection.  A nice ending to an unforgettable series.  Highly recommended.

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Published September 7, 2010 Adventure , Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  25

RAC Book:  Yes

Chris and his best friend, Win, decide to go on a cross country bike ride the summer after graduation.  In the fall, only Chris returns to begin college.  Win’s parents enlist the FBI to find out what happened to their son.  Chris claims he has no idea, but worries he may have to face the events of that summer one way or another once the FBI starts threatening his family.  Can Chris face the events that led up to their separation?

This book delves into best friend relationships, parental relationships, growing up, and even choosing future goals.  The story is told in alternating chapters between Chris in the present getting harassed by the FBI and Chris and Win’s adventures on that summer trip.  Readers will become engaged in the story from the beginning and will want to know where Win is.  The story is fast paced and the characters are well-written.  Highly recommended.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Published September 3, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Fantasy

# of Pages:  376

RAC Book:  No

Micah admits that she is a compulsive liar and would like to tell her story straight through with no lies.  Her boyfriend is found murdered in Central Park and several people suspect her involvement simply because she was his “secret” girlfriend.  She denies any knowledge of his murder and tries her best to avoid the stares and gossip.  She has difficulty getting along with her parents due to her lying and they want to send her upstate to live with relatives even though Micah is vehemently against this.  As the story goes on it becomes obvious that Micah has lied for so long that she has difficulty actually telling the straight truth, even when she wants to.  Can she ever set the record straight and tell what actually happened to her boyfriend?

While this book stays true to its title throughout the story, it does take a bizarre fantasy twist in the middle.  The twist will be liked by some, but disliked by many who thought the book was going to be more of a realistic fiction novel.  The ending is a bit quick and some teen readers may find it confusing or unsatisfying.  The story is interesting, but will leave many readers unsure about how they feel about it.

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Published August 30, 2010 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  254

RAC Book:  Yes

Jean or “Jinx” as she is called has a habit of finding bad luck wherever she goes.  Due to this bad luck, she moves in with her Aunt’s family in New York City in order to escape from a tough situation back home in Iowa.  When Jinx arrives she is hoping to bond with her cousin, Tory, like they used to when they were younger.  However, the Tory she remembers is gone and has been replaced by a magic obsessed goth girl who believes she is a witch and wants Jinx to join her coven.  Jinx has bad feelings about playing with magic, for reasons which are revealed later, and refuses.  Tory becomes enraged and begins to wage a war against Jinx so that she will be humiliated and will return home.  It does not help matters that Jinx hits it off with Tory’s neighbor, whom Tory also has a crush on.  Can Jinx convince Tory to leave black magic alone before it hurts her or someone she loves?

Jinx’s story of moving to New York City and trying to fit into a new family, school, and atmosphere will interest teen readers.  She tries to do the right thing even when she knows it will bring her bad luck or cause her to get into trouble.  The characters in the story are fun and endearing, but Tory’s plot to control Jinx gets way out of hand and might startle some readers.  All in all, a light fantasy read that Meg Cabot readers will enjoy.

Hit and Run by Lurlene McDaniel

Published August 18, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction 9 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  180

RAC Book:  Yes

When Analise does not return home from babysitting one night her parents immediately call everyone, including the police, to try and find her.  They have no luck until the next morning when her badly injured body is found off the side of a road, where they believe she was struck by a car when riding home on her bike.  Analise’s parents and boyfriend are determined to find out who did this, but as time goes on the leads begin to go cold.  Meanwhile, Laurie is horrified when she hears about the accident because she believes she might know something about it.  The problem is that she has to decide if she should come forward with this information or use it to better her own life by blackmailing someone.  Will Laurie make the right decision or will Analise’s attack go unsolved?

Lurlene McDaniel provides a gripping tale told in many perspectives as several different characters try to cope in the aftermath of this hit and run.  The motivations of the characters are clearly portrayed as the reader sees how they all react to this tragedy.  Teens will like this book because it is so easy for them to think of themselves in any one of these character’s shoes.  The book is a quick read and teens will find the ending satisfying.  McDaniel is not afraid of tackling difficult issues and this is no exception.

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen

Published July 23, 2010 Award Winners , RAC , Realistic Fiction 4 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  281

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa Teen Award

Holly writes her story in a diary style format as she escapes from an abusive foster home and goes on the run.  She describes how she travels, finds food, and avoids capture from police.  The life of a runaway is more difficult than many teens probably realize because many shelters will not help you unless you are accompanied by an adult.  As Holly weighs her possible choices, her main focus is always on survival from starvation, bullies, and even the haunting memories of her drug addicted mother who left her in this position.

Life on the street is much harsher than most teens realize and this book accurately describes what it would be like to have to fend for yourself at the age of 12.  The reasons for why Holly chooses to live on the street instead of a foster home are made clear as well as her fears of asking anyone for help.  The details begin to feel a little long at times as the reader waits for things to change for Holly.  The ending is satisfying, albeit a bit too easy after such a difficult journey.  Readers who like journal style entries like in Go Ask Alice will find this interesting.  Also, fans of A Child Called It will enjoy this quick read about a similar topic.

Elephant Run by Roland Smith

Published July 18, 2010 Award Winners , Historical Fiction , RAC 4 Comments
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Genre:  Historical fiction

# of pages:  318 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Iowa Teen Award 2010

Nick Freestone is living with his mother in London during 1941.  When the blitz begins she sends him to live with his dad in Burma, only life isn’t much better there as the Japanese invade his father’s plantation.  Nick is held captive and forced to work as a slave and his father is sent to a prison camp.  Mya, a native girl whose family has always worked the plantation, is trapped as a slave with Nick because her brother has been sent to a prison camp as well.  When life begins to get worse for them on the plantation they decide to make a clever, but risky escape attempt in order to save Nick’s father and Mya’s brother.

Roland Smith always does a nice job of telling unique stories from different cultural places and times.  Elephant Run is no exception as Smith delves into WWII from an angle many adults and students do not usually hear about.  The invasion of Burma by the Japanese will be interesting to young readers studying this time or who just like adventure books.  The cultural aspects of life in Burma are described well and the characters are well developed.  A very unique adventure story that will keep Roland Smith fans coming back to find out what he will write about next.   

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Published June 25, 2010 Adventure , Award Winners , Mythology , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  375

RAC:  Yes

Iowa Teen Award 2010

Josh and Sophie are fifteen-year-old twins who are thrust into a crazy adventure when they see some golems or “mud men” attack Josh’s bosses, Nicholas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle.  Nicholas and Perenelle have been hiding out for hundreds of years because they have possession of the Codex, which is a famous book that contains many spells including one for immortal life.  Dr. John Dee created golems to help him steal the Codex from Nicholas and ends up getting all but two pages of it and kidnaps Perenelle because she is very familiar with magical spells.  Nicholas is positive it is not a coincidence that Josh and Sophie were present at the time of the attack because twins are prophesied in the Codex.  He believes they have strong magical powers and do not even realize it.  Can he help them awaken and learn their powers in time to save the world from imminent disaster?

This fantasy story contains a lot of background knowledge and characters that actually existed.  The author provides a lot of information at the end about which facts are true and which are fabricated, which is fun for readers to learn after finishing the story.  The adventure moves quickly as Nicholas and the twins are attacked by many different mythical creatures.  The ending is very exciting, unique, and will leave readers wanting more.  Readers who like The Lightning Thief or Alfred Kropp will want to pick up this title.

A Wind in Montana by Mitch Davies

Published June 10, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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**Special Review**

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of pages:  271

RAC Book:  Yes

This new book by Mitch Davies follows a high school student, Rory, through his senior year of high school.  He finds a passion in chemistry and decides to quit band in order to study harder for a big scholarship awarded at the end of the year.  This decision does not go over well with his band teacher who argues he just wants to spend more time with his girlfriend, despite Rory’s insistence that he really wants to focus on chemistry.  Meanwhile, he begins to spend more time with another person in the chemistry group named Victoria.  They always seem to have a lot to talk about and challenge each other in many ways.  As they begin to grow closer and Rory splits with his current girlfriend, they both try to decide what they want in their futures. 

Senior year is a stressful and exciting time as you try to decide what you will do after graduation and what kind of person you ultimately want to become.  Mitch Davies does an excellent job of conveying how these different feelings and pressures are put onto these young students.  The relationships between colleagues, teachers, and parents are written in a way that anyone can identify with.  The ending is satisfying and will cause a lot of discussion among teenage readers.  Recommended for all readers, but high school students will get a lot out of it as they are struggling with similar decisions and pressures, not to mention the excitement of young love.  There is a bit of language and sexuality, but it rings true to the characters. 

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Published May 27, 2010 Award Winners , Historical Fiction , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Historical Fiction

# of Pages:  174 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Iowa Teen Award 2010

This WWII story is based on true accounts of a boy named Helmuth who lived in Germany when Hitler took office and was forced to join the Hitler Youth.  As he got older he began listening to an illegal radio and was shocked to find out how much the German media was keeping from the people.  He decided to create some pamphlets informing citizens of the actual losses Germans were suffering in the war.  He was caught for his crimes and faced trial and a possible death sentence for what he had done.  Helmuth had to come to terms with the fact that he may die at a young age and wondered if he felt it was worth it for standing up for what he believed in.

This chilling story based on true facts moves quickly and provides a different view of WWII.  Bartoletti helps young readers to see what it was like to be a German during this time, how they were lied to, how afraid they were, and the kind of torture the Nazis were capable of doing even to their own citizens.  Fans of books from this era will enjoy this and want to know more about this person.  The only criticism would be that fans will want to know more about Helmuth than is provided in the story.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Published May 24, 2010 Award Winners , RAC , Science Fiction 3 Comments
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Genre:  Science Fiction

# of Pages:  265

RAC Book:  Yes

Iowa High School Award Winner 2010

Jenna Fox was in a horrible car accident and wakes up a year later in a different part of the country with no memory of the previous year.  She lives with her mom and grandma and her dad is back home.  No one will tell her why they moved or why she has no memories of her life.  They assure her it will take time to recover and remember who she was.  In this book, it is possible to replace organs or create clones, but it is illegal to do so.  As Jenna starts piecing together bits of information that do not make sense she starts to wonder what her parents were willing to do in order to save her.  How far would a parent go to save a dying child?

Students who like Jodi Picoult books will enjoy this one, because it moves quickly and has several twists and turns in the plot.  There are also many moral issues discussed as the society struggles with the previous overuse of antibiotics that have annihilated several species of plants and animals on earth.  What scientific measures are appropriate if the intentions are good?  When does it go too far?  An interesting futuristic story that will leave the reader thinking about the possibilities the future could hold if we do not monitor some of our ways today.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Published May 21, 2010 Adventure , Award Winners , Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  400

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa High School Book Award

Jena and her four sisters use a secret portal to sneak into the woods to dance with the magical creatures every full moon.  When Jena’s father gets ill and is sent away to recover, she is left in charge and her cousin Cezar begins to take over.  Cezar believes that women are frail and need to be looked after by men.  As Jena struggles to take care of her sisters, their home, and her father’s business she always has her best friend, Gogu, by her side.  Gogu is a talking frog that only she can hear.  As Cezar becomes frantic trying to control the five sisters, Jena starts to worry that all is not well in the wildwoods either.  Can she protect her sisters and everyone else she cares about from a power hungry dictator?

This fantasy story begins a little slowly as the characters are introduced, but accelerates quickly as the family battles Cezar on a daily basis.  There are some twists and turns along the way, but a few are fairly easy to predict.  The end will leave readers wanting more.  Highly recommended for fantasy lovers.

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