Young Adult Department
Book Reviews

Here you may peruse book reviews of Young Adult Literature, written by your fellow teens. We will periodically add new reviews to the list.

Reviews added July 15 '07.

Alanna Lioness Rampart
by Tamora Pierce
Review by Mina R.

Five out of five crowns. It's a really good book. Also, is very detailed and has an interesting plot. Is about a lady knight and her action filled adventures. Has a good and triumphant ending.

Archimedes
by Susan Keating
Review by Mohan P.

Five out of five crowns. I really liked the book. It was short and factual. The book is about Archimedes and his contributions to science. First he invented the screw which helped farmers water their crops faster and easier. Then he invented the catapult and the revolting crane. The revolting crane could flip ships. Archimedes discovered the theory of displacement while taking a bath at a public bath house. He jumped out of the bath and even without stopping to dress, he ran out of the room shouting "Eureka! Eureka!" (meaning "I have found it". He was later murdered.


Beauty
by Nancy Butcher
Review by Hannah C.
5/5

To a certain extent, I can sympathize with the way Anna, the main character, tries to make herself feel some semblance of love from her mother. I respect her greatly for not letting “beauty” go to her head. This story reminds me a bit of Sleeping Beauty (without the dwarves.)

Boy Proof
by Cecil Castelluci
Review by Crystal K.

Five crowns out of five. I could not put the book down. Read it within one day. Had a great plot.


The Clique
by Lisi Harrison
Review by Rebecca W.
5/5

I like the genre of the story and just the way the author writes. I’m glad it’s a series! I also enjoy the author’s style of writing and the way the events unfold.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Review by Mohan P.
5/5

I gave this book a 5 rating, because it was funny, scary, and sad. It was funny, because Christopher said, “I cannot tell a joke,” but he told 3 jokes. It was scary because Wellington was murdered and the killer was still at large. It was sad, because his dad said his mom died from a heart attack, but she went away to London because his mom and dad fought a lot.

Dancing in Red Shoes will Kill You
by Denise Patrick Lewis
Review by Crystal D.

Five crowns out of five. I thought this was an amazing book I read it in almost four hours. And it only took me that long because I had to put it down once or twice to help my parents with something.


Double Dutch
by Sharon M. Draper
Review by Justin W.
2/5

Because it was so long and different from the rest of the books that I’ve read. But I liked the teacher.

Eragon
by Christopher Paolini
Review by Tawnymara I.

Eragon was very intriguing. It takes you in and doesn't let you go! The characters are very described and fun. The creativity was stupendous! I highly recommend this to anyone with a sense of adventure! This is definitely 1 out of 10 on my favorite book list!

Extreme Weather
by Christopher Burt
Review by Monica R.

Kind of lame... It had cool pictures but it was so boring! The title and cover were cool.

The Face on The Milk Carton
by Caroline B. Cooney
Review by Shaunna R.

Five out of five crowns. It was really interesting and kept me in tacked. It was very hard to put it down.

The First Part Last
by Angela Johnson
Review by Cammie S.

5 out of 5. I thought that The First Part Last was a wonderful book. It held my attention and I thought it was well written. It tells about how he is struggling to be a father while he is trying to find himself and keep everything together when Nia falls ill. he feels stupid because now he has a baby to take care of and he is only sixteen, and his emotions go up and down- he loves Feather, but he knows he messed up. He is confused and tired, but he knows he has a baby now, and he'll have to step up and be a good father.

Freewill
by Chris Lynch
Review by Allison V.

1 out of 5. I disliked it because it was extremely hard to comprehend. It might have been alright if it hadn't messed with my mind.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
by J.K. Rowling
Review by Rachel P.

The fourth Harry Potter book is my favorite out of the five for a number of reasons. It starts out with the Quiddich World Cup; Bulgaria vs. Ireland, with a very surprising ending. When Harry gets to Hogworts, he and his fellow students are informed of a tournament that is happening at the school: The Triwizard Tournament. The three wizard schools in Britain get together and one student from each (age 17 or above) gets to compete. There's only one problem, Harry somehow got entered and now has to compete. So there are two students from Hogwarts. At the end of the third and last challenge, something strange and terrifying happens. This may be the end of the wizardry world, let alone Harry Potter! Not everything is as it seems, especially the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book over and over again and I give it a 4.5 out of 5.


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling
Review by Abigail S.
5/5

There is a lot of action in this book. It is very sad, but very exciting. It is my favorite Harry Potter book so far (I have read all of them twice.) This book is awesome!!! Two Thumbs Up!

Hikaru No Go
by Yumi Hotta
Review by Shante K.

2 out of 5. I disliked it because it was a backward's book and it was hard to keep track of the story. Also I didn't know which little box to read first. Besides all of that it was an ok book.


How Angel Peterson Got His Name
by Gary Paulsen
Review by Steven C.
5/5

Gary Paulsen makes the funniest jokes about his childhood and all sorts of downright foolish stunts. Whether it’s the tale of Carl beating the speed record on skis or his buddy Harris repeatedly pounding himself while bungee jumping, you’re sure to get a laugh if like extreme sports mishaps.

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
by Carolyn Keene
Review by Cynthia R.

Five out of five crowns because I love mysteries and I like how she is skilled at being a sleuth.

Pass it On
by J. Minter
Review by Cammie S.

6 out of 5. I thought that the book Pass it On was very funny, and it shows how being in love can catch up to you. I've read another Insider's book, and they have certainly carried on to this book what they did in the last. Patch is still always missing, Micky and Phillipa broke up 3 up like 3 times, David and Amanda broke up too, and Amo never really settles down enough to get a girlfriend, anyway. Jonathan finally gets a girlfriend, but she breaks up with him because of his dad. Patch hears that they've broken up, and tells his sister, Flan, that it's ok to date Jonathan, because they like each other, they just don't know it yet. I really can't wait to see what's in the next book, they've got me hooked!

Poison Study
by Maria Snyder
Reviewer Anonymous

Five stars! Poison Study is exciting, full unexpected turns. You can't put it down! Yelena finds herself in blood-chilling situations. Love somehow worms its way into Yelena's life, while Brazil is hot on her trail. Mixed with Ixia's most important people, Yelena finds herself in deep trouble when a Sitian sorceress starts foiling around. For Yelena it's a life or death situation.

The Princess Diaries
by Meg Cabot
Review by Rebecca W.

This is a great book! It was really fun to read. It's funny because it's about this overly dramatic freshman, Mia, who goes through a lot of changes; including when she finds out she's heir to the thrown of Genovia! Everyone should read it!


Review by Rebecca W.
5/5

I loved this book! I enjoyed the style and the way the author writes. I really enjoy the whole series!


Recast 1
by Sueng-Hai Kye
Review by Hannah C.
5/5

If you like manga you will like this! Things start off a little bit slow but then they speed up and don’t slow down. The main character JD is pretty silly and for a long time doesn’t realize the seriousness of what is happening around him. Then he realizes what he has to do and sets out on a crazy trip!

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Lotsa Luck
by Diana G Gallagher
Review by Allison V.

5 out of 5. I liked it for one because I like most books that deal with magical things. I also liked it because it teaches you that you can't take good luck for granted. I really enjoyed reading it!


Someone Like You
by Sarah Dessen
Review by Madeline K.
4/5

I thought the book was really good. It had a great message and shows true friends.


Sunset
by Erin Hunter
Review by Ashley M.
5/5

I love Erin’s books. They are so easy to read. You never want to stop reading them. I would recommend them to anyone. It also surprises you, who dies in the end.

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083
by Andrea White
Review by Michael R.

Five out of five crowns. I liked this book because it was exciting and five teenagers had to learn to work together to make it to Antarctica.

Trickster's Choice
by Tamora Pierce
Review by Naomi K.

Five out of five crowns. This book has an excellent plot which keeps you on your toes, you never quite know what will happen next. It is a story that you are transported into. It has sorcery, fighting, and trickery. I really enjoyed this book.


Trickster's Queen
by Tamora Pierce
Review by Mina R.
5/5

I like all of Tamora’s books and have read most of her series. This book was the last of the series. The story’s main character had the same personality as me. Trickster’s Queen was very interesting, kept your interest throughout the book. This book shows how a girl this age can control a spy group to put a new queen on the throne. I enjoyed reading Trickster’s Queen.

War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
Review by BJ G.

Four out of Five crowns because it is my kind of book action some adventure. It is really exciting a lot better than the movie. It is one of my favorites. I like it a lot. When you read it, you feel like that is happening in the world today.

The Wedding Planner's Daughter
by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Reviewer Anonymous

Awesome, I would tell others. The book had good word choice and had surprise so you had to read to the end to find the surprises out. Nothing was bad! I thought the title/cover was very creative and cute! Also it was impressive.


Wenny Has Wings
by Janet Lee Carey
Review by Shante' K.
5/5

Because of my brother’s disabilities, I think I would feel the same as Wenny’s family if something happened to him or to any family. Plus it was an awesome book.

A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Review by Abigail S.

Five crowns! I loved a Wrinkle in Time because it was so exciting. I loved learning about tesseracts. Madeleine L'Engle makes you feel like you're actually in the book with Calvin, Meg, and Charles Wallace. This is truly a good book.

Books Reviewed:
Alphabetical by Title

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