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Breathe by Sarah Crossan; reviewed by Frances D.

Breathe by Sarah Crossan; reviewed by Frances D.

"This novel is about a post apocalyptic society wherein breathing is no longer a given. Each person is given a certain amount of oxygen per month, and if they go over that amount they must pay extra. Everyone lives in a dome where exercising is illegal, unless you're rich (Premium) and can afford the gym. A poor girl, Bea, is friends with a Premium, Quinn. He decides to take her out of the dome on a camping trip, and they run into a beautiful girl who's escaping the government, then Quinn decides to aid her. While with the girl, Alina, they discover that the government has been hiding the truth from everyone, in order to stay powerful and rich. The three of them, together with a movement called the Resistance, attempt to overthrow the government and restore the world to its former glory. I thought this book showed an interesting and new view on dystopias in general. I enjoyed this book a lot, it was impossible to put down." - Frances D.

If this book sounds good to you, you have to wait until October, but in the meantime you can read more about it here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Survive by Alex Morel; reviewed by Gabby R.

Survive by Alex Morel; reviewed by Gabby R.


"Survive by Alex Morel is about Jane, a teenage girl who has lived in a mental institution for a couple of years because of her attempted suicide that followed shortly after her fathers suicide on Christmas eve. She has earned enough "points" from her doctor to go home and visit her mother for christmas, but Jane doesn't plan to get off the plane alive. She creates a plan to die while on the plane, but her plan is stopped when the pilot loses control in a storm. The plane violently crashes in the middle of snowy, mountainous, and stormy wilderness. Her and the one other surviver, a 20 year old named Paul have to try to fight their way to survive.
Alex Morel describes an unrelatable situation in such a way that I found i could completely understand how Jane and Paul felt at each moment. It was a great story of emotional and physical development of both characters. I would recommend this amazing story to all teenagers who like adventure, and survival stories like Hatchet. I would give Survive a definite thumbs up." - Gabby R.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Flash Point by Nancy Cress; reviewed by Frances D.

Flash Point by Nancy Cress; reviewed by Frances D.

"Flash Point is about the United States after a severe failure of our economy. Almost everyone one is broke, and people will do anything for money, even take a job from a sketchy television channel. Amy, a teenage girl, has no choice but to provide for her grandma and younger sister. Her grandma is too sick to do any kind of work and her sister can't be tied down long enough to keep a job. Desperate for money, Amy applies for a job at TLN, a big television network. By the end of her interview, she has no idea of what kind of job they're offering, only that it pays a lot of money. So, of course, when they offer her the job, she accepts. It only gets worse from there. Flash Point is a very interesting book that was nearly impossible to put down. It's full of surprising plot twists that really keep you turning the pages." - Frances D.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini; reviewed by Frances D.

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini; reviewed by Frances D.

"This book is about a geeky boy, Perry Eckert, who has nothing in life but the role playing game Creatures and Caverns, until he meets a fellow Creatures and Caverns player, Sam. They become friends, playing all day, skipping classes. Once Perry's parents figure out, they send him to a summer camp to get a "real" life experience. Shortly after he arrives at camp, weird things start happening and he gets puled into a strange new world, slowly realizing the real value of life as he goes on other-worldly adventures. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was funny and romantic, as well as adventurous and exciting." - Frances D.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier; reviewed by Hannie R.

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier; reviewed by Hannie R.

"Gwen never wanted to be the Ruby, she never wanted to be able to time-travel, and she never wanted to be part of the circle of 12. The worst part is that no one will tell her anything, she has to figure out the mystery of her powers and the circle with only the help of an annoying ghost, her grandpa from the past (long story), and of course her mystery loving best friend. All while dealing with a sexist count who may be able to control minds, a very confusing relationship, a snotty cousin, trips to the past to collect blood from other time travelers, and of course homework. At least the dresses she gets to wear during trips to the past are beautiful. Suspense, pretty dresses, humor, romance, and adventure. This book has everything you could want, it may even be better than Ruby Red (the first book in the trilogy). Kerstin's book is impossible to put down you'll find yourself reading until 3 in the morning cause you just need to see what happens next. I highly recommend it." - Hannie R.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad; reviewed by Gaby R.

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad; reviewed by Gaby R.

"172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad is about three teenagers who are chosen via a worldwide lottery to go to the moon. They will be the youngest people to ever go to the moon, but the trip quickly becomes  a lot less pleasant than expected. They soon find the reason why nobody had visited the moon since the first moon landing. I found the characters to be relatable, and Johan Harstad vividly describes places and feelings throughout the book. It was very fun to read because it had such a good plot line. I would recommend this thriller to both girls and boys, from 13 to 17 who love mysteries or action stories." - Gaby R.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here! This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne; reviewed by Edward D.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne; reviewed by Edward D.

"In a book by Emmy Laybourne, Monument 14, 14 kids are trapped inside a superstore while a series of natural and man made disasters tears apart the US. Inside the store is a safe haven and a new home for the kids. They must learn how to organize themselves in order to survive. This book was a really good read and makes you wonder what you would do during a complete catastrophe. Overall I would recommend this book as a good summer read." - Edward D.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz; reviewed by Edward D.

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz; reviewed by Edward D.

"No Safety In Numbers is a book by Dayna Lorentz. In the book a biological weapons traps thousands of people in a mall with no contact from the outside world. The story is told from the point of view of several teenagers trying to make sense of their situation. This book was a very enthralling and suspenseful read. The plot had many twists and turns and I look forward to the sequel. Additionally I would highly recommend this book to other teens." - Edward D.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Just a Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer; reviewed by Sarah S.

Just a Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer; reviewed by Sarah S.

"Mr. Mosley is not just a dog to Corey Ingram.  In Just A Dog there are happy, sad , funny and weird stories about Mr. Mosley. It is a great book about stories of the Ingram family and of Mr. Mosley, their dog. I liked it because the story has an unexpected twist when Mr. Mosley was a puppy to when he was an old dog.  I enjoyed the story all the way through.  It had twists, turns and a good ending. For people who like dogs or animals it is something to look out for." - Sarah S.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. Just a Dog will be available in December 2012. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce; reviewed by Isabelle W.

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce; reviewed by Isabelle W.

"Flora Segunda is a fantastic book written by Ysabeau s. Wilce. It is about a girl named Flora who does not want to go to her traditional Catorcena (which is a ceremony that everyone in Flora's family do when they turn 14). Then her butler Valefor takes all of her will, which is her magic. She tries to get her magic back by going to another butler to get a spell that would help her. If she is too late, she becomes see-through and very thin. I really love this book, and I recommend that you read it. I love how the author made her characters seem real. I hope you enjoy it if you read it because it is a truly amazing book." - Isabelle W.

If this book sounds good to you, read more here. This review is part of our Summer Reading Challenge.

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