Archive Page 45

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp

Published January 24, 2008 RAC , Sports 8 Comments
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Genre:  Sports

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  233 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

This football story takes place in Kennisaw, Oklahoma where football is the most important thing on earth.  Hampton Green, the star of the team, is trying to lead the team to the fifth straight undefeated season.  This has only been done once before and those men are still revered in the area.  Hampton’s best friend, Blaine, wants the undefeated season worse than anyone.  Blaine used to be a very powerful player as well, but sustained a knee injury during the previous season.  He tries to pretend he is still the same player, but anyone can see that he is not performing where he used to.

As the team inches closer to the end of the season Hampton starts to notice for the first time that not everyone always agrees with what Blaine says.  Ever since Hampton moved to Kennisaw in junior high and Blaine accepted him as his friend, he has listened to everything Blaine said and accepted it as fact.  Since Hampton’s father left him and his mom and she fell apart, Hampton looked to Blaine and his dad for male advice.  Now it seems that Blaine is getting defensive with his words and aggressive with his fists and it’s always Hampton who has to bail him out of tough situations.

Hampton also meets a girl, Sara, who is not interested in football, but in what Hampton has to say.  He really enjoys talking to her until Blaine insists she isn’t good enough and forces him to stay away from her.  Hampton must come to decide if he should stand by Blaine because they have been best friends for so long, or if he should start thinking for himself and decide what he wants to do with his life besides football.  Sports fans will enjoy this book and athletes will be able to relate to the difficult issues that come with having young athletes put so much stress on themselves.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Published January 22, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Romance

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  374 p.

RAC:  Yes

Sixteen-year-old Macy is still trying to cope with not only the loss of her father, but the guilt she felt over the circumstances surrounding his death.  Her older sister has since moved out and gotten married and her mother has thrown herself into her work.  Meanwhile her boyfriend, whom she thinks is so perfect and smart, plans to spend the summer at Brain Camp.  She is supposed to take over his job at the library where his friends are incredibly mean and cold to her.

One fateful night her mother throws a business party and the caterers have some minor mishaps, which makes her mother very unhappy.  Macy is recruited to go check on them and finds them fun and willing to take on challenges.  Delia, the owner, is very pregnant and trying her best to keep things together.  Bert and Wes are brothers who lost their mother to Cancer and only have each other to take care of.  Kristy and Monica are sisters who couldn’t be more opposite as Kristy is friendly and outgoing and Monica only speaks one word at a time.  Macy feels drawn to this crazy group in some way.

When Macy’s boyfriend decides to “take a break” for the summer, she finds herself contacting the catering company for a summer job.  Taking the catering job makes a huge difference to Macy as she tries to deal with her own feelings of grief and those of her mother’s.  At the same time, she grows closer to Wes and wonders if she needs someone who doesn’t make her feel unwanted.

The characters in this book are so believable and captivating that it is hard to put down.  The issues Macy and the others are going through are so real that anyone can connect to them  in some way.  Family, friends, loss, closure, and communication are all themes in this book that help remind us all how important it is to take control of our own lives and not let anyone else do it for us.   Highly recommended.

Anything But Ordinary by Valerie Hobbs

Published January 17, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Reading Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  168

RAC Book:  Yes

Winifred and Bernie have been friends since eighth grade.  They were both unique and refused to conform in order to fit in, which is why they got along so well.  They did everything together and planned to go on to college together as well,  but that all changed when Bernie’s mother died of Cancer.  He shut down and barely graduated high school.  He was dealing with his own grief as well as trying to be there for his father as best he could. 

While Winifred tries to help him, she also has to move on and make her own plans.  Bernie seems shocked and hurt when Winifred announces she plans to go to college in California.  After she leaves, Bernie decides to drive down and see her and cannot believe his eyes when he sees that Winifred’s roommates have given her a makeover and now she resembles all of those people they spent so many years trying to avoid.  She spends all of her time worrying about her appearance and not her schoolwork, which then suffers. Bernie is still trying to gain control of his own life, while also trying to figure out how to help Winifred see how she has changed. 

Sometimes a good friend is very important even if you don’t know it.  This is an interesting story about growing up and the changes and choices that go along with it.  It also reminds readers that it is important to remember who you are and what your goals are even as you grow and change.  Finally, any young adult who has lost someone close to them can connect with Bernie who is going such a difficult time in his life.  Without their friendship neither of them would become the adults they had dreamed about becoming their whole lives.  Recommended

 

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Published January 15, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 9 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  306

RAC Book:  Yes

Alice spends every summer at her family’s summer house on Fire Island hanging out with her older sister, Riley, and the next door neighbor boy, Paul.  Riley and Paul have been best friends since they were kids and Alice always tagged along.  Now that they are in their early twenties they decide to spend another summer there to try and recapture some of their youth.  Alice and Riley have not seen Paul for three years so both feel a little anxious, but for very different reasons.

After Riley contracts strep throat she accidentally forgets her medication on the beach and when she goes to retrieve it finds Alice and Paul in a compromising position.  As Alice and Paul become involved romantically they feel guilty leaving Riley behind.  Riley was always the leader when they were kids and in many ways has never changed while everyone else has grown up.   Due to the fact that Riley never found her strep throat pills, it develops into rheumatic heart disease.  Riley insists that Alice let her tell Paul about her condition herself, but neglects to do so for many months.  Since Alice has sworn not to tell Riley’s secret it drives a wedge between her and Paul.  Alice also gives up her plans for law school and stays home to help take care of Riley.

This is a story about sisters, family, friendship, and love.  However, many of the ways these characters go about showing their love makes the reader wonder if they really love each other at all.  Alice and Paul feel so bad about betraying Riley by getting romantically involved that they actually feel like they brought on Riley’s illness by not telling her.  Riley knows about their romance but doesn’t tell them because she doesn’t want to be left out if they make up.  Riley also fails to tell Paul about her disease even though she knows it’s the reason they broke up.  The motivations of the characters often seem unreasonable and selfish at times.  There are a lot of issues and emotions dealt with, just like many of Brashares books, but readers looking for another Traveling Pants series will be disappointed.  

 

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Published January 10, 2008 Horror , Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Mystery/Horror

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  288 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Dexter Morgan was adopted when he was three and even though he doesn’t remember anything before that, his adopted father, who is also a cop, seems determined to help him rise above his past.  As Dexter grows up, however, he begins to feel tendencies toward murder.  As hard as he tries to fight it he finds himself murdering animals in the neighborhood.  Once his father discovers this he teaches him how to execute a murder so that he will never get caught, while also showing him how to profile serial killers.  He believes that if you have to kill you might as well kill people who deserve it.

 When Dexter grows up he becomes a blood spatter analyst in a police station while his sister strives to become a homicide detective.  He works very hard to find people he believes deserve to die for their sins and making that a reality.  Soon there is a new murderer in town who has caused quite a stir since the bodies never contain any blood.  As Dexter tries to solve this case it keeps getting further into his psyche and he wonders if it is possible he is committing these murders and not even knowing it.  Is it time for Dexter to pay for his crimes before he lost control completely?

This murderous villain forces the reader to ponder very important issues that are often glossed over in television and movies.  Is it okay to kill if you are killing other “bad guys”?  Is it okay to take vengeance into your own hands?  Are there people who truly have a disposition for murder or are they formed into that through environment or mental disease?  Dexter Morgan can be a very sympathetic character, but he can also be a monster which makes these stories very complex and interesting to discuss with students.  The story itself is very interesting and leaves you guessing until the end.  Mystery readers will be fans of this book.

Demons are Forever by Julie Kenner

Published January 8, 2008 Fantasy , Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy/Mystery

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  292

RAC Book:  Yes

Kate Connor has been a demon hunter for a great deal of her life.  Her and her first husband were both demon hunters until they decided to start a family, when they both retired.  Some years later Kate’s husband was mysteriously murdered and she suspected that maybe he had come out of retirement without her knowledge.  Since then she has remarried and had another child, but lately she has been unable to remain retired as demons start infiltrating her safe suburban town.

Kate chooses to tell her daughter, Allie, the truth about what she does and of course Allie wants to become a demon hunter too.  While this causes some stress for Kate her main concern is finding out why there are so many demons around and how she can protect her family from them.  She believes the key to everything might be in her late husband’s possessions that she put into storage, but as she begins to uncover clues she also puts herself and her family into more and more danger.

This humorous tale about a soccer mom who also fights demons on the side has fantasy, mystery, and witty elements that many readers will enjoy.  The story seemed fairly simple at first, but ended up being more complex which makes it a fun ride to the end.  On top of everything else, Kate seems real and flawed in many ways making the story that much more believable.  She is not a superhuman perfect wife and mother who can do it all, which most people can relate to.  Instead, she has to make priorities and hope she is doing the best for her family.  Strongly recommended for those who are fantasy fans.

The Murderers’ Club by P.D. Martin

Published January 4, 2008 Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Mystery

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  376

RAC Book:  Yes

In this chilling tale a group of four murderers get together and form a club.  In this club each killer bids for who he or she wants to kill and then the others watch tapes and listen to stories about the torture the others inflict on their victims.  Sophie Anderson of the FBI happens to be vacationing with a friend when the murders start.  Her friend, who is a cop, learns of the first one and it intrigues both of them.  Some details match a known killer and others are different.  As each murder occurs some details are the same, while others vary. 

The murderers in this book are very clever, which makes for an interesting story.  The president of the club especially has thought of everything to prevent them from getting caught.  The details the police use to piece together the murders are believable, but they also get some interesting twists to help them along.  The ending is a bit predictable, though, and avid mystery readers will see it coming quite awhile before it is revealed.

If the story were not intriguing it would be difficult to finish this book due to the writing style.  The author chooses to talk down to the reader by explaining every term, thought, and intended meaning of everything.  The author obviously holds no faith in her readers that they will be able to understand sarcasm or innuendo or even that they know anything about this genre.  By explaining terms and processes in the criminal field in such a way makes the reader feel bored and unappreciated.  The story is interesting and unique, but it would’ve been better if the writer would just trust her readers to know what she is talking about.

Hero by Perry Moore

Published December 20, 2007 Fantasy Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  428 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Thom Creed is a teenager coming to terms with many issues in his life including the disappearance of his mother when he was young, the fall of his heroic father, and his questionable sexuality.  His father was once a huge hero, but due to an unfortunate event he lost his hand and became a complete outcast.  Now, there is a league of heroes who all have superpowers.  During a basketball game, Thom begins to see the beginnings of a superpower he might possess.  As he struggles to learn more about his power he also struggles with the feelings that he thinks he might be homosexual.  Both of these developments would anger his father greatly.

After getting kicked off his basketball team for the rumor of his homosexuality, Thom decides to go to hero tryouts in order to be a trainee for the league.  He meets many aspiring heroes with powers that have not yet become completely controlled.  After making a probationary team, Thom learns how truly difficult it is to be a hero and feels bad about the disappointment his father has become simply for trying to help people.  As Thom works with the league he comes to find out more about why his mother left, what really happened when his father lost that hand, and where he truly belongs.

This story about heroes training to save the world brings fun adventures along with deep feelings about many very real issues teenagers face today including sexuality, friendship, parents, reputations, and finding what one is supposed to do in this world.    The issue of homosexuality is an issue that many young adult authors do not touch, which makes this story unique.  Thom’s feelings hinder his aspiratons to become a hero, which connects nicely to aspirations many young people have but feel prejudice will keep them from doing it.  For example, even in our evolved society a homosexual teen would have a harder time breaking into pro sports than a heterosexual one.  While some readers may feel his homosexual fantasies are too graphic, they are no worse than any other sexual fantasies present in similar material.  Moore does a nice job of taking realistic elements and mixing them into the fantasy world where superheroes exist.

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Published December 18, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  265 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Alex Gregory is coping with his parents’ messy divorce and one night decides to break into the liquor cabinet, get drunk, steal his mother’s car, and drive to his father’s to tell him off.  His plan doesn’t work out when he drives over his neighbor’s lawn and breaks her precious lawn gnome.  Things only get worse when his judge overhears him saying that he doesn’t agree with his lawyer’s decision to plead guilty since no one got hurt.  This particular judge has no time for drunk drivers and proceeds to give him 100 hours of community service at a local nursing home.

Solomon Lewis is the man Alex is assigned to visit during his 100 hours.  At first Sol seems mean and mean and overly critical to Alex, but one day he brings his guitar and plays some jazz and Sol loves it.  Soon Alex decides to work with two students at school to plan a jazz concert for the home.  To his surprise, Sol ends up knowing a lot more about jazz than he thought.  As Alex spends time with Sol he learns that he has a daughter who never comes to visit him and he also has emphysema.  He wants to help make his last months memorable and meaningful, which is exactly what he does.

Sonnenblick, the author of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, has written another great story about a teenager who loves music and wants to make a difference.  This story proves that no matter what has happened in the past you can always start over and make things right.  His stories show teenagers that they do not have to accept the stereotype that they are reckless, selfish, and an overall a menace to society.  In fact, teenagers can do great things, if they want to.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Published December 14, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Romance/Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  288

RAC Book:  Yes

Ellie, named after Elaine of Astolat, has just moved to the east coast with her parents.  Her parents are professors who have taken a year of sabbatical in order to write books.  Her dad is writing about a medieval sword and her mom is writing about Elaine of Astolat and the connections to King Arthur’s legend.  As Ellie starts at a new school she meets Will, who is the class president and all around a perfect guy.  Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend, Jennifer, so Ellie decides to forget any notions of romance.  When she finds out that Will’s best friend, Lance, is messing around with Jennifer, however, she must decide how to handle the situation.  Should she tell Will?  Should she protect Will?

Although this story seems like a typical teen romance, Cabot adds some mythical literary references, which will keep teens guessing.  The story of King Arthur has been told and retold for many years, but no one really knows the truth behind the legend.  Cabot’s story tries to enlighten her young readers and definitely adds a unique twist to the usual stories these readers enjoy.  The added mystery and action will be welcome to anyone who likes this type of tale and it is unlikely that anyone will guess how this story will end. 

Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Published December 12, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  292 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Kip murdered a child when he was nine years old and had to spend many years in psychiatric facilities in order to help him come to terms with that.  He was the youngest person in Alaska history to commit such a violent crime. Why did he do it?  Is he capable of doing something like that again? 

While Kip was trying to deal with his own feelings he was shielded from the outside world and was shocked to learn the torture his father had been put through.  Their house has been burned down and he had had to change jobs often.  As Kip prepares to enter the real world again he needs to decide if he can shed his old life and begin again as Wade.   Can anyone really leave their past behind or does it always catch up with you? 

Right Behind You tells the story of a boy trying to deal with the demons from his childhood, while also trying to live his life.  He needs to decide whether or not he deserves to live a normal life when the child he killed cannot.  He needs to decide what made him do it and whether or not he can refrain from such behaviors again.  Can he begin again or is he his own worst enemy?

 

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Published December 6, 2007 Mystery , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Romance/Mystery

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  236 p.

Other Books in the Series:  I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

RAC Book:  Yes

Cammie Morgan is on her way back to Gallagher Academy for the second semester of her sophomore year.  At the Gallagher Academy, Cammie is required to learn multiple languages, defensive strategies, and covert operations since it is a school for spies.  Unfortunately, Cammie is still nursing a broken heart from the first semester when she befriended a local boy and was told to end the relationship when it was found out by her superiors.

Cammie has more on her mind than just Josh, however, as she notices some changes around her school.  She knows there is something the headmistress, her mother, isn’t telling her but never in her wildest dreams imagines what it could be.  That is until the day that a group of young men from another spy school move into her school!  If that weren’t bad enough, one of them is the boy who foiled one of her covert operations assignments.  Now this boy, Zach, won’t leave her alone and Cammie isn’t sure what she thinks of him.  Does she trust him?  Is there something he isn’t telling her?  As the semester pushes on, Cammie and her friends must investigate many different possibilities for why the boys are there while passing their courses and attending mandatory events, like a big ball.  Can Cammie save her school from a possible breach of security?  Can she figure out who her allies and her enemies are?  Is she cut out to be a spy after all? 

For fans of the first book in this series, this book will be a hit.  The adventures of Cammie and her friends are interesting and unusual to say the least, but are all described in ways that seem plausible.  There is a lot of room left open for future books since we still do not know what is planned for Cammie in the future and which boy she will end up with.  A fun read with some romance, humor, and mystery.

 

 

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Published December 4, 2007 Fantasy , RAC 17 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  337

RAC Book:  Yes

Miranda, her mother, and her little brother Jonny are all excited about the upcoming event of a meteor crashing into the moon.  Meteorologists have been predicting it for weeks and believe people will be able to see it just by looking at the sky.  People plan big parties and everyone is outside to watch, but somewhere the calculations are off and the meteor has a much bigger impact than anyone predicted.  In fact, the moon is pushed closer to earth, which causes a string of events that end “normal” life on earth.  First, the tides begin to change and cause floods, tsunamis, and tornados.  Then, volcanoes start to erupt all over earth.  The ash in the air causes the sun to become blocked, which kills the crops, etc. 

Miranda and her family live in a place that is not directly affected by any of the natural disasters, but everyone in the world is affected by what has happened.  All of the grocery stores and restaurants close, the price of gas keeps rising and rising, the schools close, and there is no electricity.  Miranda tells the story through her diary where she depicts her family’s activities each day following this disaster.  They gather as much food and supplies as they can so that they can be prepared, but still find themselves eating as little as possible so that they can conserve.  They also spend hours on household chores such as washing clothes and chopping wood since they won’t be able to count on their appliances anymore.

As the story moves on, things keep getting more dire for Miranda and her family and there are times where they all doubt their survival.  There is a theme of hope in the book, but there is also always the possibility that they will all die.  The story is told realistically and accurately portrays how one incident can change everything about life on earth.  Some students may find it too realistic and therefore disturbing, but it is good for students to be aware of how we all depend on each other and what might happen if even one thing went wrong.

 

Sleeper Agenda by Tom Sniegoski

Published November 29, 2007 Adventure , Mystery , RAC , Science Fiction Leave a Comment

Genre:  Action/Mystery/Science Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  308

Sequel to The Sleeper Code

RAC:  Yes

In the first book in this series, The Sleeper Code, Tom learns that he has been programmed into having two personalities.  Tom is the normal teenager who is there most of the time, but then Tyler can be called up at any time.  Tyler is a trained assasin that is called when Tom is put into a coma like state.  During the first book, Tom learns the truth about his so called narcolepsy, but in this book he learns more about Tyler and how they both came into existence.  While Tom is trying to figure out how to cope with learning that his entire life has been a lie, he is also fighting Tyler’s persona who is fighting to take complete control of the body they share.  Meanwhile, Madison’s parents are attacked and she is almost killed because the enemy wants Tyler back. (Madison was the girl who helped him uncover the truth about himself in the first book.)

Tom learns a lot about himself and the people who created him in this book, but parts of it tend to drag a little as he and Tyler battle for control.  The explanation of how they came to inhabit the same body seems a little confusing at times and many details are glossed over.  The ending is satisfying, but a little rushed as the enemy is apprehended during an added-on  ending chapter.  The action in this book is as good as the first, but there isn’t as much of it,which is what fans will be looking for.  Not as thrilling as the first installment, but it’s nice to know what happens to Madison and Tom once he learns the truth about himself.

 

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

Published November 27, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:   Realistic Fiction/Romance

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  246

RAC Book:  Yes

Annisa is a new student at her high school and her first day does not begin well.  First, she discovers that she is literally the only brunette female in the entire school.  Second, she lives in a house that another girl’s family was evicted from for not paying taxes and she blames Annisa for some reason.  Third, she accidently breaks the nose of the most popular girl in school.  Later that night she also inadvertently witnesses two cheerleaders getting busted with alcohol, therefore removing them from the competition squad a mere two weeks before the big regional competition.

Still trying to fit in, Annisa decides to try out for one of the two open spots on the cheerleading team.  Even though several members of the team hate her for one reason or another she manages to get a spot.  Unfortunately, she makes a few mistakes and the rest of the squad starts to fall apart and everyone blames her.  She offers the suggestion of starting a prank war with the nearby school to work as a bonding activity.  The prank war lands her in more trouble than she could ever imagine.  Meanwhile, her neighbor, Daniel, is someone Annisa feels she could be very interested in but of course he is dating her most hated rival, Sage.  As time goes on, Sage shows her true colors and eventually loses Daniel.  The question is whether or not that means he is interested in Annisa.

This story is filled with ridiculous plots twists and the coincidences that teen movies are made of, but the voices of the characters are interesting and the plot moves at a good pace.  Some of the conflicts are worked out much too quickly, which is of course in time for the big cheerleading competition that is two weeks from Annisa’s first day of school.  The fast pace of the book is believable, however, because high school conflicts often start and end quickly.  Girls who like Meg Cabot books will enjoy this.

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