Teen Reviews - Summer, 2009

Article Index
Teen Reviews - Summer, 2009
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
All Pages

Page 1 of 7

Soto, Gary. The Afterlife. 2003. (YA Fiction Soto.G): When seventeen years old Chuy was killed in a nightclub in Fresno, he found himself in a life after death. While in the afterlife, Chuy was able to see things that he's never seen before, and hear things he's never heard before. He met a girl that he knew when he was little and falls in love with her. Together they experienced the afterlife. Chuy visited his family regularly. He spent lots of time around them, watching and listening to them. He also visited many other people that he knew when he was alive. Chuy was able to find out that people cared for him and loved him. (Rools)
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 1999. (YA Fiction Myers.W): Sixteen years old Steve Harmon, the main character of monster, is on trial for murder. On December 22nd, three men, James King, Richard "Bobo" Evans and Osvaldo Cruz robbed a convenient store which ended up with the murder of the storeowner, Alguinaldo Nesbitt. Though Steve was not part of the robbery, he was falsely accused of being a lookout. He was arrested and sent to jail for a crime that he did not commit. While on trial Steve found himself writing a moviescript about the whole experience. At the end of the trail, Steve was found not guilty, and was set free. As for James King and Richard "Bobo" Evan, they were both sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Somehow Olsvaldo cruz didn't serve any time in jail. (Rools Henry J.)
Thompson, Kate. Highway Robbery. 2009. (J Thomp.K): This stranger leaves his horse to this boy he's never even met before. He offers to pay the boy he never met before. Then soliders demand and ask where the owner of the horse went to. The soliders ask to use the horse so they can find the horse's owner, but they couldn't find him.(Britanny S.)
Verne, Jules. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. 2000. (J Verne.J): In this classic book the world has had many boats destroyed by a strange creature. Professer Aronnax says that it's a giant narwhal and goes on the U.S. vessel The Abraham Lincon to see the creature. Accompanied by his friend Conseil they meet famous harpooner Ned Land. When an accident with the narwhal occurs it is revealed that it is in fact a submarine commanded by Captain Nemo, who has a mysterious past. Since the captain will not let them off the ship the 3 must stay onboard as the captain travels the world. What wonders will they see? (Dylan)
Reaves, Michael. Star Wars, Coruscant nights I : Jedi twilight. 2008. (Science Fiction Reave.M): Taking place after Revenge of the Sith the book follows a jedi Jax Paven on his quest to fulfill his master's dying request. With the help of a fellow Jedi Laranth Tarak they search for a droid with vital information on it. At the same time Den Dhur and a droid I-5YQ search for Jax as the droid claims to have known his father. What complications will the group encounter when a crime syndicate, Black Sun, and the Empire get involved with the mess?(Dylan)

Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. 2008. (YA Fiction Myers.W) Cover Art

In "Sunrise Over Fallujah," the main character Robin "Birdy" Perry and his friends, Jonesy, Ahmed and Marla, are sent to the war in Iraq in order to help bring security and peace to the country. While fighting in Iraq, they learn about how hard and dangerous it is to fight in the war there. They were attacked many times by the Iraqis while on patrol. One day, as Birdy and his troupe were on a mission, the Iraqis started shooting at them, they fired back at the Iraqis while trying to get to safety. Jonesy was shot while trying to save a young blind boy standing in the middle of the firering. Birdy prayed for his friend jonesy to survive, but unfortunaltly he died. Birdy felt terribly sad that his friend was dead while he survived with only wounds on one of his leg. When the mission was over the rest of the troupe went back miserably to the safety of their camp. Then, later on, Birdy is sent to Germany to have his wounded leg taken care of and to be reassigned. (Rools Henry J.)

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. 2008. (YA Science Fiction Colli.S) Cover Art

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is set in a futuristic society following a failed revolution. The country is split into districts, some very poor, some very rich. Annually, the over-controlling government forces two teenagers from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death in a "sporting event" dubbed the "Hunger Games" (sharing the same title as the novel itself). The event is held for the sole purpose of striking fresh fear into the hearts of the citizens, showing the power that the government holds over them by forcing the civility and humanity out of them, successfully keeping them under control. The main character, Katniss, takes her sister's place in the event and the reader follows her through the challenges and trials, observes the horrors she and the others are forced to face as pawns for the government. Katniss finds ways to keep her conscience and rebel throughout the tournament. The setting of the novel "The Hunger Games" is crucial to the story and by extension the world because it is essentially a warning for us, set in over exaggerated circumstances, to never let hunger for power and fear control us. (Laura G.)

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper : A Novel. 2004. (YA Fiction Picou.J & Fiction Picou.J) Cover Art

Jesse Fitzgerald is the oldest child in the Fitzgerald family. He has two younger sisters: Kate who has terminal leukemia and Anna who was born for the sole purpose of being Kate's organ donor and prolonging her life. Jesse has always been the trouble-maker of the family. He feels guilty for having not been able to help Kate (he wasn't a perfect genetic match). Everyone thinks he doesn't care about what the family is going through at all. In a scene when his mother accuses him of doing drugs (he had bruises on the inside of his elbows) he reveals that he has been donating blood to his sister three times a week for a long time. In my opinion this scene explains two very important things about Jesse. One, that he is willing to go to great lengths to help those that he loves (donating blood is quite painful). And two, that he doesn't want to be a hero; he just wants to do the right thing (he did not admit to what he was doing until pressed). (Laura G.)

Miller, Karen. Do No Harm. 2008. (Pbk Science Fiction M) Cover Art

If you are a big fan of the show "Stargate SG-1" then you will love this book. When Stargate Command teams are being killed, Washington pressures General Hammond to find something of worth to make up for the loss. The Pentagon sends a team to fill in the holes and one Colonel Dave Dixon is assigned to SG-1. Unfortunatly Dixon wants answers from the team leader Colonel Jack O'Neill about a friend who died at Stargate Command and O'Neill would much rather not talk and the 2 conflict. During which they discover Adjo which is a planet filled with naquadah which is a mineral vital to earth. Team member Teal'c advises against going because of Jaffa legends but Washington disregards the warning and sends SG-1 plus Dixon to investigate. What horrors await on Adjo? (Dylan W.)

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. 1988. (YA Fiction Myers.W) Cover Art

"Fallen Angels" is a story about a young man named Richie Perry who joined the army in order to go to college. When the Vietnam War started he and his best friends, Duncan and Peewee, were sent in Vietnam to fight in the war. While fighting there Perry saw many people die. Many of his friends were injured or killed. When his best friend Duncun was killed, Perry was very affected. Later in the war, Perry was shot in the hip, and his best friend Peewee was wounded in the thigh during an ambush as they were fighting -- luckily they both survived. They were sent to be treated at the hospital in their base in Vietnam; then when they recovered they returned home to complete their task. (Rools Henry J.)

Smith, Roland. Jack's Run. 2005. (J Smith.R) Cover Art

Jack's run is about a teenager named Jack Osborne who is in the witness security program because his father worked in a drug cartel as a pilot. So he gets caught by the man that his father worked for and goes on big huge adventure (I guess you could call it that). His father was an ex SEAL (navy seal) and when he hears from his son's captors and they tell him what to do, he doesn't listen to him and his wife and him decide to take some friends that could help them and go rescue their son and daughter. (Christopher)

Brashares, Ann. Girls In Pants : The Third Summer Of The Sisterhood. 2006. (YA Fiction Brash.A 2006) Cover Art

"The image stayed on the screen and we all watched it, even when it went still. Back then was exactly the same as now. To brave the undertow, we had learned to hold hands." Girl in Pants is the third book in the Traveling Pants series, it is full of yet again each girls unique story of how she spends her summer having fun, but most importantly, learning about herself. Carmen's mother gets remarried to David and is now expecting a baby. Carmen learns how to embrace that and allow herself to help her mother prepare for the new addition to the familly. Along the way getting a summer job and meeting a new guy. Bridget, makes another journey to soccer camp, but now comes as a councillor. She sees Eric for the first time in two years, and they becomes friends again, but it will always be more then that between the two of them. Tibby struggles with the loss of her friend Bailly and the new change from friendship to romance between her and Brian. Lena, does her best to forget about Kostos and focuses on her art, attempting to get a scholarship to an art school since her parents will no longer pay. Of coarse at the end,the girls reunite at a summer house to spend some time together before they all head their separate ways.

Simone, Ni-Ni. If I Was Your Girl. 2008. (YA Fiction Simon.N) Cover Art

This was a fantastic and interesting book! Why I liked it so much was because there was so much drama in it and loving relationships. But anyways; this book is about a girl name Toi McKnight who is seventeen years old and has a baby boy name Noah, the baby daddy Quamir is careless about his son. He never comes to visit and is always messing around with another woman. Besides all that Toi meets a cute, handsome young man name Harlem. They then start to hang out, get a closer relationship and now they go out as a couple. But the thing is Harlem doesn't know that Toi has a son. See what happens next as the drama continues as you read this marvelous book! (Taylor J)

Prev - Next >>

View , Navigation and Search

Teen Reviews - Summer, 2009