The Chicken Dance Review

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The Chicken Dance ReviewHow do you go from being an unknown in Horse Island to becoming famous? It's simple -- win a chicken judging contest. The minimum age for entering the contest has been lowered to eleven this year. Don Schmidt sees this as his opportunity to become more well-known and to make a difference in his normal ho-hum life. He rents all kinds of different books from the library and becomes a chicken "expert."
The chicken judging contest is only the beginning of the many changes in Don's life. He lives with his Mother and Father; they don't want him to ever call them Mom and Dad. They are an unusual family who always eat TV dinners. Mother even surprises Father and Don when having a dinner party, but it is quite a hassle getting all the potatoes out of those foil trays. Don is caught looking at some papers in his parents' room, and finds out that his real name is Stanley. Mother and Father are always talking about his sister Dawn, who disappeared around the time that Don was born. Don is always living in her shadow. No mention of whether she is dead or was kidnapped intrigues Don, so he decides to go search for her.
Don does such a great job at judging chickens that he is chosen to attend the regional chicken judging event in Baton Rouge. He learns from a dancer that Dawn has been seen dancing at a club in the same town. He enlists the help of one of his friends and the boys set out on the streets and find her. Its one discovery after another while on the trail of Dawn.
This is a very exciting book with its many twists and turns. There is a certain amount of mystery involved as well as an intriguing storyline with often times very humorous portions. This is a must-read for those tweens who enjoy a story where an ordinary boy makes himself known and sets his boring life on a more exciting track. This book would definitely be enjoyed by girls as well as boys, though. There will be portions where you will be cackling with laughter. You will never do "the chicken dance" the same way again.
Reviewed by: Lori P.The Chicken Dance Overview

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Hate List Review

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Hate List ReviewGold Star Award Winner!
Valerie is alone. Her family tiptoes around her, her friends act like she doesn't exist, and most of the people in the community think she should be dead.
Valerie's boyfriend, the person she trusted more than anyone else, shattered her life when he brought a gun to school and wounded several students and killed many others, including himself. Most people believe Valerie was involved, but she had no idea what Nick was planning.
After spending weeks in the hospital recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound to the leg, Valerie is moved to the psychiatric ward for observation. Afterwards, during her many therapy sessions, she begins to think back on her relationship with Nick and all the events that led up to the terrible act that changed an entire community.
HATE LIST is an extremely powerful story. I was in tears for the last eighty pages and felt emotionally drained by the time I reached the last page. Jennifer Brown has given us a wonderful example of the importance of keeping a watchful eye out for bullying in our schools.
Valerie is a strong character and it was great to witness her healing process. Once I started HATE LIST I couldn't stop. I read every chance I could. Even though the subject matter is very serious, this book was a pleasure to read.
Thank you, Ms. Brown.
Reviewed by: Karin LibrarianHate List Overview

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Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom Review

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Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom ReviewFrom the lighthearted title, this reader expected Violet's story to have plenty of moments of humor, and the author does not disappoint. Violet's Hollywood dad left her mom for a starlet, and she and her younger sister now have two step-sisters, a less-glamourous lifestyle (in Canada), and Violet has a plot to get her mother out of the rut of dating weirdos, and on to something better. I'm glad to say that in the end, Violet realizes there is a benefit to substance over style, and George Clooney (as much as Violet ever gets to know him) turns out to be a great guy.
NOTE FOR PARENTS ON WHY 4 STARS: I guess I'm keeping my head in the sand about what tweens are up to, as the 12 year olds in this story are indulging in "retail therapy", Facebook pages, hearing about their parents' flirtations and affairs and inviting each other to school dances. I wish Violet had been 13 or 14, but that's just me. Violet plays a mean joke on her stepsisters that didn't come off as funny to me.Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom Overview

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Skunk Girl Review

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Skunk Girl ReviewPlot: Girl notices Hottie. Sometimes in these sorts of books, the heroine has an interest besides boys, but not really here. So you expect the book to be mostly about getting the guy. Usually, the formula for these books go: Girl notices Hottie. Girl comes up with some kind of scheme to snare the Hottie. Wacky misunderstandings result. Girl gains self-respect and winds up with a guy who is not nearly as hot, but more compatible. There are variations, but these kinds of books have been around forever. This is not that kind of book.
Nina, the heroine is likeable and sympathetic but passive. If you are expecting there to be some kind of hookup or drama, you will be waiting quite awhile. For example, there is a Queen Bee ordered straight from central casting, and she and the heroine don't get along, so you expect that there will be some kind of confrontation. Which there finally is - on page 176. Then there's the hookup which only lasts a chapter. I kept waiting for Nina to do something proactive instead of just pine after the Hottie. I waited in vain for her to sneak around behind her parents' back, or for her to confront her parents, or her older sister to drop a bombshell, like that she's a lesbian or is dating a white guy. Something, anything to put some drama in the story. By page 90 or so, I wasn't picky. To mix mediums, I wish she were more like the girl in the movie "Bend it Like Beckham," who was also a Pakistani Muslim teen (I think) and who defied her traditional family so that she could play on a women's soccer team. Books are not usually written about people who follow the rules almost all the time. If they did, there would be little drama and even less story. Teens of every ethnicity get embarrassed by their parents, feel their parents don't understand them, etc., etc. While reading about another culture is fascinating, there has to be something more to sustain the story.
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Everything Beautiful in the World Review

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Everything Beautiful in the World ReviewIf you combined the family strain and personal search from The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando with the forbidden teacher-student relationship from Teach Me by R.A. Nelson and added a pinch of the melancholy from Lisa, Bright and Dark, by John Neufeld, you would get Everything Beautiful in the World, a stunning debut from Lisa Levchuk.
Set in New Jersey in 1980, the story is that of seventeen-year-old Edna, an only child whose mother has recently been diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized in New York City. Edna can't (or won't) visit her mother, with whom she fought shortly before the diagnosis was revealed. She can't get that unfinished fight out of her head and feels guilty, as though her words caused the illness. As Edna pulls away from her father, she falls for her sculpture teacher, a married man in his early thirties who "sees beauty in things that other people take for granted," including her. Edna keeps their developing relationship a secret as she continues her day-to-day routine, attending school and working at a pharmacy where she occasionally steals objects and works for a middle-aged man who thinks he looks like Elvis Presley.
Though Edna is initially consumed by her relationship with Mr. Howland, the story becomes more layered as time goes on, especially with revelations related to her family's past. Her parents insist that she begin seeing a therapist, so she does, but she still can't manage to visit her mother. In one memorable scene, she and her father set out for the hospital, but Edna gets physically ill to the point that they must make multiple stops, then ultimately turn around and head home.
Told in vignettes titled after the locations or goings-on ("Another Night at the Pharmacy," "A Party at Patty's House"), with realistic references to the time period (the music of Bruce Springsteen, the aftermath of the Vietnam War), this coming-of-age story will appeal to fans of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson as well as those who lived through the actual era and/or read young adult fiction written in the eighties.Everything Beautiful in the World Overview

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How to Make a Hollywood Movie for Under $800: For movie lovers and movie makers of all kind From steps A to Z. Contracts, copyright, script writing, ... your Film dream come true Everything abou Review

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How to Make a Hollywood Movie for Under $800: For movie lovers and movie makers of all kind From steps A to Z. Contracts, copyright, script writing, ... your Film dream come true Everything abou ReviewI have to give at least that to the author. It will immediately become clear to you that he's very passionate about filmmaking as soon as you begin to read the first page, and it's hard to criticize his honest and down-to-earth effort at explaining the way things really are in Hollywood. In his opinion, you don't even need the 'Hollywood' machinery to make and distribute your movie.
I bought this book just over a year ago because, as an aspiring filmmaker myself, I was very curious to know how anyone could do a movie for under $800. Well Costanza did it, and he explains in detail how. I did have some issues with the quality of the book though. There are no photos or illustrations (except in the back of the book, where he plugs his movies), there were more than a few grammatical errors throughout, and the way the text is formatted on the pages gives the book the appearance of something that wasn't put together by professional editors. Those details aside, the author includes a lot of basic information that will be very useful to the microbudget filmmaker. Don't buy this book expecting it to be a 'how-to' manual for any technical stuff related to moviemaking. But, buy it if you're looking for a simple read about how to get started with the elementary stuff.How to Make a Hollywood Movie for Under $800: For movie lovers and movie makers of all kind From steps A to Z. Contracts, copyright, script writing, ... your Film dream come true Everything abou Overview

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Just Listen Review

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Just Listen ReviewHow beautifully written this book is, I cannot even begin to explain, nor would I ever do it justice. It's hard to believe that Dessen's books keep getting better and better, because I always wonder how she's going to top the last one. Somehow, she always does, and in a way that leaves you desperate for more. I have never been one to re-read books, but I absolutely cannot lay this book to rest. I want to re-live the story, because I can't bear to let the characters go.
Annabel is facing the hardest school year of her life. She's dealing with a lot of family issues including her sister's severe battle with anorexia, and trying to tell her mother that she desperatly wants to quit modeling. Her ex-best friend Sophie no longer talks to her, because she thinks that Annabel slept with her boyfriend, but the truth is far deeper and the worst part is that nobody knows. Now that her friends have turned on her she has nobody until Owen Armstrong, the most unlikely person, befriends her and makes her see life in a new light.
Dessen did a beautiful job of portraying family relationships and how difficult it can be when you have to sacrifice for them. You feel so much a part of this book that it's as if you are sitting at the table with them arguing, crying, screaming, laughing, talking, or holding one another. The struggle with friendships is so real and honest that I'm sure every one of us can relate in some sense to the loss of a best friend, or a misunderstanding that never was resolved that Annabel deals with on a daily basis. The pain she has to endure while desperately hiding the truth from everyone else is incredible and you feel so deeply for her that it may bring you to tears or just want to reach into the book and give her a big hug.
Every young woman should read Dessen's books, but especially this one. It has so many lessons to offer girls on topics that are extremely important for them to be aware of. Everything from love and loss to anorexia and rape, this book has it all and it is so very beautifully done. I cannot express enough just how highly I reccomend this book to women of all ages, but especially to high school girls. Dessen is absolutely brilliant.Just Listen Overview

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Thirteen Reasons Why Review

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Thirteen Reasons Why ReviewI just finished this -- and I am telling you it was compelling. It should be required reading by anyone in high school or middle school -- or anyone who has a child in high school or middle school. Basically it tells of Clay Jensen, a high school student who receives a box of audiotapes narrated by a girl who he had a crush on, Hannah Baker, who has recently committed suicide. The book interweaves her words from the audiotapes with his comments and memories. It gives Hannah's reasons why she did what she did and names the people (who also are receiving audiotapes - each person is to mail them to the next person on the list) and why they contributed to what happened. It may have been something big, somewhat small, something seemingly innocent, something no so much. But it all leads up to Hannah not being able to cope by herself even when she reaches out for help. If anyone can read this and see themselves in it and make changes - or even better see someone else and reach out in compassion, this book will have a huge effect.Thirteen Reasons Why Overview

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Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked Review

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Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked ReviewIan Thomas is in jail awaiting trial and the girls are able to relax and return to their lives. Or can they??? Just when the reader thought that the mystery of A has been solved at the end of UNBELIEVABLE, more bizarre events await the girls of Rosewood.
Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria slowly try to settle back into their normal lives. Hanna is working through the trauma of learning that her best friend tried to kill her. She tries to live with her soon-to-be step-sister, Kate, and build up new friendships at school. Spencer is dealing with the cold shoulder she is receiving from her family. And through her grandmother's will, Spencer has just learned that she might be adopted. Aria has ventured to an art exhibit on her own, only to learn that the guy she was maybe flirting with was the artist himself. And finally Emily has met a boy. A boy that sends tingles through her.
The four girls still meet to discuss their grief and pull themselves together for the trial that is about to begin. But when Ian is released on bail to attend to his dying mother, the mysterious text messages start again.
Each girl receives messages that are more haunting than the ones before Ian was arrested. Now, the sender seems to be stalking them. The messages are sent at the most inopportune times, and some even come with photos attached; photos that were taken mere moments before the text arrived.
As the trial looms nearer, the girls are again thrust together trying to piece together the life that was Alison DiLaurentis. In WICKED, the reader gets a glimpse of the past and how the five girls initially became friends. The story hints at the Time Capsule and the flag pieces that bring the girls together.
In WICKED, Ms. Shepard brings the reader even deeper into the intrigue that is Rosewood. Told in alternating voices by each of the girls, the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together.
The wonderful thing about the PRETTY LITTLE LIARS series is that Ms. Shepard is able to lead the reader down one path, only to leave the ending wide open and wandering off in a different direction. With the shocking ending of WICKED, the reader will be waiting anxiously for the next installment, KILLER, due out in June 2009.
Reviewed by: JaglvrPretty Little Liars #5: Wicked Overview

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Beautiful Creatures (Beautiful Creatures, Book 1) Review

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Beautiful Creatures (Beautiful Creatures, Book 1) ReviewI liked this book. It was interesting, the paranormal aspects were fairly unique, and I love a story with a long family history like this one has.
But I just liked it. It never grabbed me by the throat and demanded that I keep reading. I think, mostly, this was because the pacing was off. There was too much time during the story when I was relaxed and not worried about whether the characters were going to get out of trouble. Sure, there were intense moments when I was glued to the pages, but then things slowed down too much and I was lulled into a strange sense of security. This made it too easy to set the book down.
The characters weren't as developed as I wanted them to be, either. Ethan's voice felt too feminine to me. Actually, when I first started reading, I thought the story was from Lena's perspective, just based on the voice. Then, after I adjusted to Ethan's voice, he didn't feel real to me. His entire character felt cliche, like the teenage girl's ideal boyfriend, not what boys are actually like (I think another reviewer said this, and I couldn't agree more).
Then there was the setting. It didn't *feel* like the south. To me, the story could have taken place in any rural situation. We didn't get a sense of southern culture, which is so unique and could have had an amazing impact on the story. A really good example of southern setting, by the way, is Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell. Great book. But I digress...
Beautiful Creatures is a good story. I think it could have been great if it had been shorter, which would have increased the tension and kept the reader glued to the pages through the whole story. Or, at least, if it had a bit more depth to it with the characters and setting. Overall, the only thing that really set it apart was the paranormal aspect, which was really interesting and unique. Unfortunately, it's not enough.
Total side note: I find it interesting, and a little sad, that so many people here are voting against the reviews that don't give high stars, even when the review is fair and well-written. After all, different opinions are what make the world an interesting place. Expecting everyone to agree with you just turns us all into lemmings. :)Beautiful Creatures (Beautiful Creatures, Book 1) Overview

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Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) Review

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Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) ReviewIt seems like only yesterday that Hanna Marin, Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Emily Fields were carefree, fun-loving seventh graders at posh private school Rosewood Day. Planning sleepovers, gossiping about boys, braiding each others hair, sharing secrets. But like the flip of a switch, everything changed. Ali mysteriously disappeared, and the four other girls parted ways. That was years ago. Now the mysterious "A" has dredged up the past once more; barraging Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily with painful memories of the past via text messages. It's obvious that "A" is Ali's killer; but if the girls tell, one of them will be the next to die.
Hanna Marin has always been so full of life. Shopping as much as possible, prancing around in sky-high platforms, and perusing fashion and gossip websites to get her daily fix of all things celebrity. Seeing her lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, bruises dotting her face, in a coma seems completely out of the ordinary. Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields know Hanna, and this isn't her. But it is a reminder of just how close "A" truly is to them; and how "A's" threats are absolutely true. But Hanna isn't the only one in turmoil at the moment.
Emily Fields has suddenly been shunned by her family. The fact that she has come out of the closet, so to speak, shames her parents, and even her sister, and has landed her on a one way trip to Iowa to live with her strict aunt and uncle, along with their children. Iowa seems like the worst place on earth. But some of the people there are actually pretty cool; and very into Emily.
Spencer Hastings has finally come to the realization that she has black-outs at times, and can't help but wonder if she is the one responsible for Ali's death. With the Golden Orchid competition coming up, however, Spencer has no time to think about the past - only the future. After stealing her older sister's essay, and having it nominated for the Golden Orchid, Spencer can't believe that her family is supporting her in this competition. But it's up to her to do them proud. Too bad she has a strange feeling that somehow, her lying, stealing, cheating ways are going to come back to haunt her.
Aria Montgomery wants nothing more than to be with her older teacher, Ezra. But after "A" spilled the beans about Aria and Ezra's little affair to Aria's boyfriend, that's impossible. Suddenly, Ezra is under scrutiny, and Aria has been cast out of her temporary living space. The only thing left for her to do is to turn to her cheating father, Byron, and his artsy girlfriend, Meredith. But turning to the two of them is right up there with selling your soul to the devil, and Aria doesn't know if she's ready to do something so drastic.
It seems like decades since I completed PERFECT, and finally UNBELIEVABLE is here. Sara Shepard has outdone herself with this fabulous fourth book. After the cliffhanger in PERFECT, I didn't know that it would be possible for Ms. Shepard to concoct an even more perfect conclusion; but she has done just that. The suspense found in UNBELIEVABLE is, quite possibly, greater than any of the three previous books. Each word peaks the reader's interest, and with each page read, you can't help but find yourself dying to find out what will happen next. A jaw-dropping conclusion to an UNBELIEVABLE series!
Erika Sorocco
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Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer Review

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Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer ReviewKILLER is the sixth novel in the PRETTY LITTLE LIARS series.
The story starts off with the girls discovering what they believe to be the dead body of Ian Thomas, the accused killer of their childhood friend, Alison DiLaurentis. The girls hear a snap in the woods and quickly go for help. But by the time the cops show up to investigate, there is no evidence of a body. Nothing remains in the space where Ian was moments ago.
From this point on, the rest of the story is downhill for Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily. Soon, the girls are branded as liars and can no longer go to the cops for help. Besides, Detective Wilden is acting suspicious. The girls uncover a connection between the detective, Alison's brother, Jason, and Ian Thomas from high school. How deep is the connection, and could there be a cover-up of some kind?
Throughout all of the murder drama and hunt for Ali's killer, the girls struggle to move on with their lives. But just as with the police, there are complications.
Spencer is positive she's adopted and is determined to find her birth mother. Only, once again, Spencer is taken advantage of. Emily has a new boyfriend, but his mother obviously hates her. Hanna is in a battle of wits with her step-sister, Kate. They are fighting over Aria's younger brother, Mike, and Hanna is determined to win his heart. And a chance encounter with Jason DiLaurentis rekindles the crush Aria had on him when she was younger.
KILLER is one of those books that is setting up the reader for what is to come in future installments. There is a lot of stuff going on throughout the book, yet it seems that none of it gets resolved by the time the reader gets to the final page. It will keep the reader anxious for the next chapter and frustrated that the next book is not available yet.
The final note from the ever mysterious "A" at the end of the novel sums the book up nicely... "The questions are probably killing you..." and "It's enough to make anyone crazy." Need I say more???
Reviewed by: JaglvrPretty Little Liars #6: Killer Overview

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Someone Like You Review

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Someone Like You ReviewHalley was named for her grandmother, who was named for the comet. Scarlett, across the street, was named for you-know-who. Both are "onlies," just turning sixteen, and have been best friends, almost-sisters since they were eleven. Then Michael, the boy to whom Scarlett lost her virginity only the night before, is killed in a car wreck and -- you guessed it -- she's pregnant. Her mother also had gotten pregnant in high school and (fortunately for Scarlett) had kept the baby, and now she decides to do the same. Meanwhile, Halley is getting more and more involved with Macon, Michael's dangerous buddy, who wants more than she's ultimately willing to give. The nine months of Scarlett's pregnancy is the backdrop for a very well-written story about love and sex and real friendship and dealing with parents. And the final scene, in the hospital waiting room, is very cinematic. This is a terrific book for teenagers, but it's also simply a very, very well done novel.Someone Like You Overview

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All the Things You Are Review

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All the Things You Are ReviewAfter Courtney Sheinmel's Positively, Courtney and her books officially landed on my book radar, because she has such a knack for writing memorable and poignant middle-grade fiction. Thankfully, her newest release, All the Things You Are, did not disappoint.
In Carly Wheeler's life, everything is nearly perfect. She has a best friend named Annie whose funny and one of a kind. She attends a diverse private school filled with lots of interesting and nice people. Best of all, her mom works on Lovelock Falls, one of the top soap operas, and because of it Carly and her friends are constantly meeting celebrities and wearing fancy clothes. However, everything changes when her mother is accused of embezzlement. Suddenly, everything is different. She's dodging questions, her mom, who has always been there for Carly, seems to be drawing back into her own cocoon, and her best friend has betrayed her in the worst way possible. Worst of all, Carly still does not know what exactly happened with her mom...Did she really commit embezzlement? Will she go to jail? Will Carly ever be able to forgive her for turning everything upside down? Only time and more pages can tell in this one of a kind contemporary read.
One of the things I always love about Courtney's books is that she always introduces likable and charismatic characters, Carly being one of them of course. Carly and her story managed to take a hold of my heart from the very first pages, because not only did I relate to Carly in some basic ways, as will any tween or teen girl, but also her story is one that is so innocent yet heartbreaking. I especially loved reading about the relationship between Carly and her mother. It was strong yet the impact of the drama and deceit weighed heavily on it, causing lots of drama that constantly managed to test it.
The premise of this story is also nearly one of a kind. I do not think I have ever read a book about embezzlement; much less, what happens after to the family of the accused after everything is said and done. It caused for lots of twists and turns as more info was brought into the story, and it allowed Carly and other characters to go from being sometime selfish and materialistic to being stronger people who realized that money is not everything. A coming of age that was unique and memorable to say the least.
Courtney's writing was also fabulous. I loved what she did with the characters, and how will she brought their emotions and feelings across the page. Better yet, I loved how this story did not exactly have a happy ending; instead, it was realistic but hopeful.
Sweet and heartwarming, Courtney Sheinmel's All the Things You Are is yet another fantastic addition to middle grade, one that will be sure to satisfy previous fans and bring new ones to the mix.
Grade: A+All the Things You Are Overview

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Blood Brothers Review

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Blood Brothers Review"Darkness, darkness be my blanket,
Cover me with endless night."
-- Jesse Colin Young
"Don't die, don't die, don't die. Can't you hear me? You can't die when we're doing all we can to save you.
"A few more minutes pass. The doctor tells me to stop. 'Still no pulse without CPR,' Guthrie says finally.
"The doctor breathes in deep and lets it out slow. 'Let's call it.' He removes his gloves, his face mask, his gown. He slams them into the trash. 'We can't do anything more.' He frowns and his big brown eyes glisten in the bright light.
"I don't want to stop. I want to tell the girl I'm sorry she's dead and won't ever go to college, or fall in love, or do anything she ever dreamed of doing. I'm sorry she won't ever be able to get mad over something stupid. I'm sorry, but we gave everything we had to give.
" 'Thank you,' Dr. Murphy tells us. 'For all your help.'
"I stand there and listen. All I can hear is a buzz from a machine. All I can see is the dead girl. She fills the room even though she's just a small, still body on the metal table.
" 'I can't do this right now,' Guthrie says. 'I'll be back in a few minutes to finish up.' I pull the sheet over the girl. I won't leave her there lying naked. On the way out, I leave the door cracked just in case there really is a soul and it needs to escape.
"I step into the waiting room in time to hear the wailing of the girl's mother, her father's anguish. Head down, I start thinking about Michelle, about Joey, about myself -- and it hits me. What right do I have to be so pissed about how they treated me? Everything that's happened with them seems as important as bird droppings when a teenage girl dies in front of you."
Clay Gardener, Med Tech One, is the youngest employee in a Georgia hospital. Nearly eighteen years ago, Clay himself entered the world in a far away hospital in Endurance, Texas, where his mother died giving birth to him.
For the past ten years Clay has been best friend and cycling partner to Joey Chancey. The pair met after the warehouse in Endurance, where Clay's dad had worked, burned to the ground and Clay's dad moved him and his sister to the Georgia town where his dad's old Vietnam War buddy -- Joey's dad -- lives. Clay, who with Joey, graduated from high school last month, has always wanted to be a doctor, but he doesn't have the grades or the money to pursue his dream. Instead, he's doing twelve-hour shifts at the hospital. Joey, the class valedictorian and football hero, is heading to Duke in the fall.
But after Clay gets off the tough shift that was marked by the teen girl's death (after a car accident), he wearily enters the shed in Joey's backyard -- the shed that has always been Clay and Joey's clubhouse and sanctuary -- and finds Joey naked and in a violent, psychotic state. Apparently it has something to do with a party Joey had been at. After an intense struggle in the shed, Clay has to call 911 and soon Joey is on life support at the hospital.
What has happened to the supposedly straight-arrow Joey and what is the deal with Michelle, the girl who was sort of with Clay but who has been coming on strong to Joey?
BLOOD BROTHERS is a gritty mystery which is relentless in its pacing because Clay has to sandwich his attempts to figure out what happened to Joey into those all-too-brief periods of time when he is not either working at the hospital or watching his friend's struggle in critical care.
The author's long career working in hospitals, beginning as a teenager, is clearly responsible for the vivid depictions of hospital work -- from the yucky and mundane tasks to the life-and-death climaxes -- which will hold the interest of all but the most squeamish readers. Chalk another one up to the Class of 2K7.
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Crushed Review

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Crushed ReviewI decided to purchase Crushed after reading and thoroughly enjoying Zipped and Crooked, other young adult novels by Laura and Tom McNeal. This husband and wife team always does a great job of writing from the perspective of average teenagers. In Crushed, the three main characters are Audrey, Wickham and Clyde. Audrey, an innocent and intelligent good girl falls for the smooth but mysterious new guy, Wickham. Blinded by her first love, she fails to notice that Clyde, Jemison High's resident oddball, has a crush on her too. Wanting to protect Audrey, Clyde follows his gut instinct and digs deep into the dark past of Wickham. In the mean time, an underground newspaper called The Yellow Paper circulates the school, ready to spill everyone's secrets with its witty and biting commentary on students and teachers.
Told from alternating viewpoints, McNeal and McNeal made it easy for me to really get to know the main characters. Audrey, who was naïve in the ways of love and friendship, gets a rude awakening when she is betrayed by people she loves the most and eventually comes out stronger on the other side. Her transformation is very believable and readers find themselves rooting for her even at her lowest moments. The only character of the novel that I found to be unrealistic was Audrey's best friend Lea. The development of Lea's personality, from shy and quiet, to reckless and rebellious was hurried. The surprising change was unexpected and happened to quickly to be believable. It also wasn't supported by clues in the text that might have explained why this transformation had occurred.
The intricate plot of Crushed is what really drives the novel. It starts off fast and keeps pace till the last chapter. The theme of the novel, that everyone has a secret, runs throughout and ties in with almost every single character's development. These secrets, some that The Yellow Paper decides to reveal, threaten to undo their seemingly perfect lives. Story lines that include a fatal car wreck, bankruptcy, and cancer, propel the novel past the average teen fair and give it a mature feel. By the end of the book, I was satisfied with the directions the authors decided to take the characters, and wasn't let down or disappointed.
The reason I enjoyed the book so much was because of how realistic it was. Gossip, rumors, cliques and crushes were all aspects of the novel that I could relate too. I love the fact that Crushed made me feel as if I could be there, at that same high school, walking amongst the characters. A believable suspense is also built up during the novel, which kept me reading until the end. This is mostly due to the wonderful writing style of the authors. McNeal and McNeal know how teenagers think and this fact comes through with their writing. The characters aren't your typical teenage stereotypes, and it helps seeing them from different points of view, a technique the writers have incorporated in all three of their novels. First love, physics reports and all of high schools other uncertainties are presented fully and truthfully.
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Return to Daemon Hall: Evil Roots Review

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Return to Daemon Hall: Evil Roots ReviewToo many YA horror novels get bogged down in romance and teen angst. Not this one. This was a great spooky read with solid scary material appropriate for teen readers. There was no gore, no inappropriateness, and yet it is a story that held enough scariness to haunt me after finishing the book. The illustrations bring the tale to life and the plot adds a horrific backstory to the first book.Return to Daemon Hall: Evil Roots Overview

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Remote Control (Lab (Scholastic Hardcover)) Review

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Remote Control (Lab (Scholastic Hardcover)) ReviewI love this book. The first one rocked, but it was basically one action scene to the next. The story developed a bit later. Here, the action pulls the story forward. It's basically a story where an innocent hero is being chased, where you would think it's cliche'. It's not. The story is well paced and complex. How it's executed is the amazing part. The details are amazingly vivid. Good for teens 13 and over.Remote Control (Lab (Scholastic Hardcover)) Overview

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Honk If You Hate Me Review

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Honk If You Hate Me ReviewIf you are looking for a spunky, colorful read with a bit of a mystery, you will really enjoy this book. The main character is effervescent and you will find yourself routing for her throughout the book. Enjoy!Honk If You Hate Me Overview

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The Lying Game Review

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The Lying Game ReviewIn the Lying game Emma finds herself stepping into the life of Sutton, her long lost (and dead) twin sister after seeing a video of a snuff film starring Sutton placed on the internet. The novel is narrated by the dead Sutton (who doesn't remember much of her life) who watches as Emma tries to find out who killed her. The matter is complicated by The Lying Game which is popular with Sutton and her friends which involves cruel pranks that often include making the victim feel as though she is the victim of a crime.
The Lying Game is by the author of Pretty Little Liars which is one of the novels that has been packaged by HarperTeen for multiple media distribution. The book reads like a TV show (and the TV show is already in pre-production) and is a very entertaining and fast read. The mystery is intriguing but does not resolve at the end of the book (all of the characters are still suspects) there is a bit of resolution regarding a clue but the reader is still left a bit unsatisfied with the ending. The back cover (of my ARC) presents the novel as part Pretty Little Liars and part Lovely bones and honestly that's giving far more credit than the novel should get. The book is fun and trashy but can't be compared with a novel like The Lovely Bones (although if you can use this to convince your child that she should read The Lovely Bones then go for it).
Appropriateness: This is one of those books that will give conservative parents lots of worry. There is plenty of sex talk (although no actual sex), lots of drinking (complete with drinking games), criminal activity, mean girl bullying and even a bit of drug use. As is common with this genre book there is also an obsessive amount of "label dropping" as the author describes all the clothing with super-high end labels (even Emma as a foster child is obsessed with designer clothes). However, the characters in the book in no way appear normal (they're super rich) and Emma quite frequently looks down on their bad behavior. I wouldn't give the book to a high reading elementary schooler but if your middle grade reader wants to read the book it would be good to use it as an opening to have discussions of how to deal with situations (such as being at a party where everyone is participating in a drinking game) that they may find themselves in when they're older.
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