A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

The new book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is about the struggles of two children living at two different times in Southern Sudan. It is a dual narrative telling the story of two kids named Nya and Salva. Salva is a young boy living in 1985. He is sitting in school when his school and the surrounding area were attacked by rebel soldiers. He escapes into the brush and begins a long dangerous journey across his war torn country to get to the refugee center. The refugee center is closed down as the Ethiopian government is on the brink of collapse. He then makes yet another journey to Kenya where he is chosen to go to America. There he discovers the location of his father that he lost over twenty years ago. He then returns to America and begins to find ways to help the people of Sudan. Nya is a young girl living in 2008. She must walk for 8 hours a day in order to bring home water for her family. That is until a group of men come to her village. They built a well and Nya would never have to walk hours for water again, and it was all because of Salva and his efforts to help the people of Sudan.

I would suggest this book to everyone. This book is a very fast read and I couldn’t put it down. It was a nonfiction book that was a duel narrative, which made the book interesting. I usually don’t like dual narrative or reading non-fiction stories for entertainment, but this book was really interesting. I think it teaches a great lesson. It teaches that no matter who you are and where you come from you can make a difference, just as Salva helped Nya and her village. Even though he spent a big part of his childhood in refugee camp, he was still able to make a difference in the lives of many people.

~Alexis, Teen Book Reviewer

I was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

Throughout the years, historical fiction has been a genre neglected among young people. I was Jane Austen’s Best Friend is the perfect example of historical fiction that would interest youths. Cora Harrison forms an enticing plot with intriguing characters.

The book’s protagonist is a young girl named Jenny Cooper. Her and her cousin/best friend, Jane Austen, are stuck going to a horrible girls boarding school. The walls have fungus on them and the headmistress is extremely mean. Jane suddenly falls ill and the headmistress doesn’t allow Jenny to send a letter home to Jane’s mother, so Jenny sneaks out at night and sends a letter to her aunt. This could prove devastating for her reputation in 18th century England. While delivering the letter she meets a Captain Thomas Williams. The two instantly fall in love, neither willing to admit it. Mrs. Austen then takes Jenny and Jane out of the boarding school. The rest of the book focuses on their lives in England and a few surprise twists that occur on the way.

On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this book an 8. It had a good plot with many twists and surprises while you delve deeper into the lives of the characters. This book can be read by both boys and girls. I highly recommend this book to all looking for something to read.

~Luke, Teen Book Reviewer

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution is a story about a troubled girl named Andi Alpers. She suffers from depression after her brother was killed by a schizophrenic, blaming herself for his death. She stops trying in school, causing her grades to plummet. Her one saving grace is music. Andi plays the guitar as an escape from reality, as well as abusing her antidepressants. When the school contacts her parents and informs them that Andi is about to be expelled unless she can write a great senior thesis, her father steps in and takes her to Paris with him for winter break. When Andi finds a diary dating back to the French Revolution, she reads it obsessively.

The diary contains the story of Alexandrine Paradis, a girl in Paris who wants to be a play performer. She gets noticed by the queen after making the sad prince laugh, and is made his acquaintance. While at first she is using him so she will be able to perform center stage, she soon loves the small boy. All is well until the royal family is killed off one by one, with the small prince imprisoned in a tower until death.

One night during a rave in the catacombs, the diary becomes reality and Andi finds herself trapped in revolutionary Paris.

This book was bittersweet in a way because not all was lost, but not all was won. I didn’t really like the depressed tone of Andi – trying to kill herself one day and then trying whatever it takes to stay alive the next, only to try to commit suicide a few hours later. Other than that, the book was good and well-written. I’d recommend it to someone who doesn’t mind sad endings and someone who enjoys historical fiction.

~Joanna, Teen Book Reviewer

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson

The Miles Between is a unique story about four unique people. The main character is Destiny Faraday, a student at Hedgebrook Academy who tends to separate herself from the other students. Destiny has secrets, but chooses not to share them with anyone. All she truly wants in life is just “one fair day” where the good guy wins and everything works out for the best. One day, Destiny and three of her classmates, Seth, Mira and Aidan happen to find a running convertible conveniently located on school grounds, and for once they decide to break the monotonous routine that has consumed then since they came to Hedgebrook. Throughout that trip they find friendship and much more. The foursome was able to put to rest many of the difficult things they had each endured during their short lives. Destiny is the one that has suffered the most, and thanks to her newfound friends, she is able to find peace and a brighter tomorrow. The Miles Between is a story of fate, friendship, and accepting and confronting our past as a part of who we are as people. I would recommend this for teenage readers, as the story provides an interesting perspective on life that will make a reader appreciate all that he or she has. It is an emotional story that I will not soon forget. ~Eric, Teen Book Reviewer

Brains for Lunch by K.A. Holt

If you have been in middle school, you know how troublesome life can be, well, let's face it any grade can be hard. And you may think only kids like you have to go through it,but zombies have problems in school too. In Brains for Lunch by K.A. Holt, the author shows how similar we are to our undead counter-parts. We all have those stupid friends who always do the unexpected, those annoying kids that tend to tease you till you snap, and the Romeo-Juliet love stories, and many other common things. And not to spoil the book, but like our undead hero, Loeb, once said "We have one commonality: "Middle school sucks hard!" I would personal recommend this book to people who like a quick laugh, and fast read. After all it is a zombie novel in haiku form. If your looking for a genre, zombie humor is best way to categorize this book. ~Constantine, Teen Book Reviewer

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

The Mermaid’s Mirror by L.K. Madigan is a great book about sixteen-year-old Lena, who lives on the beach but has never surfed in her whole life. The reason for this is her father, a former surfer, who almost drowned years ago and banned her from doing so. But one day, she sees a mermaid staring at her from far out of the ocean when she is walking along the beach. This along with sleepwalking, fainting, and random bouts of amnesia is enough to drive anyone insane. But her constant attraction to the sea leads to her discoveries about herself and her family, including her biological mother who was “lost.” Lena finds out that she comes from two totally different worlds alnd must make a difficult choice between true love and her family. This half realistic fiction and fantasy book will keep you turning the pages for more. I would give this book eight out of ten stars because its a great read for everyone and it is very easy to relate to Lena. A word of caution is that this book doesnt exactly have a fairy-tale ending so if you are looking for that, this might not be the best book for you. Overall, this is a great read for anyone who loves realistic fiction but at the same time is captivated by magic and mystery. So go out and read The Mermaid's Mirror! ~Divya, Teen Book Reviewer

Meanwhile by Jason Shiga

The book Meanwhile by Jason Shiga was really fun to read. It’s kind of like a comic book and a maze you follow. You can read it over and over as you follow the different paths of the maze. The book starts out in an ice cream shop and you decide if the boy should order vanilla or chocolate. This is where the adventure begins. It is very creative and interesting. You unlock secrets with codes you find. You can read this book over and over and never get bored. Everyone should take this book out and enjoy it!

~Wendi, Teen Book Reviewer

Falcon Quinn And The Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror is about Falcon and his friends. One day, a bus ride brings them to an academy for monsters. Falcon meets new friends at the academy, but while his friends find out what monster they are, Falcon’s identity is undetermined. Throughout this book, Falcon will go on a treacherous quest to find out who he really is. Will he survive this adventure? Is Falcon even a monster? Find out these answers in Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror. I thought that this book was pretty good. It had an enjoyable and lengthy plot that is comparable to well-known books of the fantasy genre. The book also featured interesting characters, with diverse personalities. The bad part of the book is that it lacked originality. The character Quimby’s role is practically the same as the Oracle’s (From Percy Jackson and the Olympians). Other characters and events seem very familiar to people who have read a couple of fantasy books. Unlike popular fantasy books, this book features common monsters, like zombies and mummies. Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror is somewhat unpredictable. There are some parts of the story that are obvious, but there are other parts that can be a little shocking. This story is also a lot less serious than other fantasy books, like Harry Potter. I’d recommend this book for kids (and teens) 10-14 years old. If you are new to fantasy books (or you don’t read them that often), then you will most likely enjoy this book. ~Matthew, Teen Book Reviewer

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James, was definitely, if not the best, then at least one of the best books I've ever read. It's about a girl named Katherine, who meets Alice; a beautiful, popular, live life to the fullest-type of girl. But what Alice doesn't know is Katherine's past. Rebecca James tells the story in such a way that makes you want more and as if you, the reader, are actually experiencing it. There are so many twists and unexpected resolutions, which is what makes it such a fantastic book. This book is amazing and is like an addicting bag of chips; keeps you wanting more. ~Mary, Teen Book Reviewer