Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Reviewed by Lillian R.
Grade 8

Running. That's all I needed to do right now. That's all I've been doing for the past fourteen years. I trip over a stone but quickly gather myself and continue bolting through the trees. I can hear them nearing. Their heavy breathing and stomping is scaring me the closer they get. Maybe it's because to me and the Flock, they represent death, or, in the best circumstances, represent lives filled with pain, misery, and enslavement. So we keep running. Ahead, I see a cliff. I skitter at the end of the rocky land and see a pebble fall hundreds of feet to the ground. As I spin around to face the Erasers, I can hear them laughing and barking. They think I have no choice but to give in. The dog-like monsters realize they're wrong as I jump off the cliff. I feel the wind rushing past my face at a fast pace. Then, it stops. My wings fold out and catch the air, stopping my fall quickly. I fly up to the cliff, wave at the awed Erasers, and wake up from my nightmare.

Most people on Earth want to be able to fly. For Maximum Ride, or Max, she wants the opposite. Being genetically engineered as 98% human, 2% bird, Max and her Flock of Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel, have to constantly hide their secret of wings from the world. And, to make it worse, the Erasers, a genetically altered species of human-dog monsters, is chasing them. The Erasers plan to take the Flock back to the lab where they were created, so that more tests can be done on them. And what's more is that the Flock must get back Angel from the Erasers, who stole her in an attempt to capture the entire flock.

Throughout Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment, Max must make quite a few difficult choices. She has to risk her life for members of the flock and civilians. Max is a very nice fourteen-year-old girl, but at points throughout the book, is stretched to her limits and gets mad. Iggy is a very smart fourteen-year-old and enjoys building bombs with Gazzy. Iggy is blind because at one point in his time at the lab, they tried to give him laser vision and instead blinded him. Being blind all his life gives him extremely acute senses, though. Gazzy is Angel's blood-brother, while the rest of the flock isn't really related. Gazzy likes to build bombs with Iggy as stated above and acts like a normal eight-year-old boy, being occasionally gross. His real name is the Gasman, which he gained by farting a lot. Fang is the same age as Max and is very swift. He has black hair and dark wings with pale skin. Nudge is eleven-years-old and is very talkative. She has cream colored wings and dark skin. She is very girly and emotional. Nudge has her heart set on finding her true parents. Angel is six-years-old and is very different from the rest of the flock. Throughout the book, she gains random powers, but her main one is reading and controlling minds. No one in the flock knows why, but they assume that it happened to her at the lab, or the School, as they call it.

I would recommend this book because of two things. James Patterson writes very well, and it never gets boring. He is really good at writing as if a teen was writing it, and the reader can easily get into the character's mind. The book also teaches the lesson of family. It tells you that you should never leave anyone behind and always stick together. The book Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment will get you hooked on the whole series, and is a real page turner. It will have you thinking well after the book is finished, as will this review!

(A good song to listen to while reading this book is Radioactive by Imagine Dragons)

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Reviewed by Brandon M.
Grade 9

After 84 days of not catching a fish, even seasoned fisherman Santiago is beginning to doubt himself. He has been very unlucky and through perseverance, hard work, and faith, Santiago goes on and doesn't give up. With the support of Manolin, whom Santiago has mentored from birth, Santiago day in and day out goes to sea in search of marlin to catch.

After a dry spell of 84 days, impoverished fisherman Santiago does the same routine as always. He gets prepped for the day of fishing ahead of him, sets sail for the open ocean, drops his lines, and hopes for the best. Santiago is at peace with all of nature, especially with the sea. His “brothers”, or animals, are among him while Santiago is at sea, and Santiago truly believes that the sea is where he belongs. From lots of experience and time Santiago knows what he is doing at sea, but this series of events ahead of him will challenge all that Santiago knows. Will Santiago end his dry spell? Will the series of events in front of him change him for who he is? Is there something greater out there for Santiago?

Hemingway’s simplistic style is astounding in that it says so much in such a little amount of words. This book is a typical example of Hemingway’s simplistic style, and because of this I really enjoyed the book. There were so many things hidden in the context of this book such as symbolism, metaphors, similes, etc. For example, portraying birds as brothers of Santiago was an example of symbolism and a metaphor. Hemingway’s style of writing makes the reader truly think about what he or she is reading and because of this, this made for a great read.

Because of Hemingway’s style of writing I would highly recommend reading this book. Not just for the simplistic tone of writing, but also for the symbolism, metaphors, alliterations, and thought put into this book makes The Old Man and the Sea a must read. The Old Man and the Sea is a classic because of Hemingway’s style of writing. The way that Hemingway writes so little in such short sentences and yet proclaims so much made me really enjoy this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something to read then ponder about. If you aren't up for a read that involves using your brain a lot, I would not suggest reading this book.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Reviewed by Caroline C.
Grade 11

When she was a little girl, Jane nearly died. Ever since then she doesn't remember what happened to her prior to waking up in the hospital. She’s been an orphan ever since that day, and she’s trying to fix her life by attending a boarding school on a scholarship. What she doesn't expect is that going from the streets to a nice and comfortable life won’t be as easy as she initially thought.

Jane gets a scholarship to a boarding school for girls. She is quickly introduced to a life she’s never had, one full of riches and fantasies. School is going well, she has a great friend group, and she falls for the principal’s son who she’s tutoring. She discovers soon that something’s off about the town; a woman committed suicide last year and the previous scholarship student mysteriously moved away with her uncle. She slowly discovers that this great new life of hers isn't what it seems.

I loved the characters. I became irritated with some of the choices made by the main character, Jane, but this made her more realistic. Also, I adored Jack, one of the love interests. He’s an extremely lovable, funny, and sweet character from the first time he appears, when he almost runs over Jane with his bike, to the end of the story. The plot was very interesting and intriguing. Discovering the town’s secrets was extremely enjoyable and some of the surprises behind the deaths of certain characters shocked me.

Dark Companion was a great novel with very lovable characters. It is somewhat a generic paranormal romance, and if you aren't into this genre I don't recommend this. However, if paranormal romance is your thing, I highly recommend this because the love interests are great characters and the plot turns are extremely shocking at times. If you are a fan of The House of Night series and The Vampire Diaries this book is definitely for you.

Montefiore's Goddaughter by Elizabeth Brooks

Reviewed by Caroline C.
Grade 11

Have you ever closed your eyes and gone to your secret place, a place special and unique where you can go to? In Montefiore’s Goddaughter, Abigail Crabtree visits a special place in her imagination every night. With a unique cast of characters, an engaging plot line, and a thought provoking ending, I highly recommend this story.

Abigail is a teenage girl who is sent to a modern day finishing school in England due to the wishes of her godfather. She has never met her godfather before, but goes to the school to please him. Once there she realizes that the school is not an educational program, but a finishing school that teaches girls how to do their hair and teaches children how to take care of a home. She makes a friend who, like her, doesn't belong in the finishing school and visits a special world at night. In Abigail’s dreams she visits a forest of hers with an owl named Eyes, her teddy bear, and Prince Constantine. As she discovers more and more about her godfather the two worlds start melding together and she discovers that her forest could be in much more danger than she ever imagined.

As the plot unravels we discover a lot about secrets of the characters and we see the real personalities of some characters. The plot had some surprising turns and the secrets behind Montefiore, Abigail’s godfather, are shocking. Abigail is a very real character who makes very real mistakes which is why I like her. Her friends are extremely well thought through and are very loveable, especially the brave Prince Constantine who goes through many hardships for Abigail. I also enjoyed the setting of the English countryside; the depiction of Montefiore’s mansion in the midst of a forest of trees is a beautiful thought to behold.

When I first picked this book up I didn't expect anything from it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The book immediately engaged me because it played on dreams and a world where the main character can slip away to at night. I loved this concept and as the book went on I was shocked by the plot that was unfolding. Not because it was unpredictable, but because it was the last thing I expected from the book. The book slowly turned very dark and I couldn't put it down. It left me with a cold feeling, and I'm not sure how much I enjoyed the book because it certainly wasn't a feel good book. If you are a fan of Bridge to Terabithia then this book is for you. It engaged me the entire way through and I couldn't put it down which is why I give it five stars out of five.

Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein

Reviewed by Danilo C.
Grade 8

As the sixth book of a book series that has been one of my favorites ever since I started reading it, I knew Rush for the Gold was bound to be a good book, and I was right. This thrilling mystery takes place at this year’s London Olympics’ swim races. Just like in the books before it, this book incorporates interesting sports understanding as well as investigative reporting which make it a tremendously exciting novel.

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, two teenage reporters who have been covering sporting events together for two years, are back again, this time under completely different circumstances. Normally, Stevie and Susan Carol cover big-time sporting events together as newspaper reporters. In this book, Susan Carol is there as an Olympic athlete. Susan Carol swims the 100 and 200 fly, and after nearly breaking records at the trials, she made it on the Olympic swim team for both races. At first it seemed like a dream come true, but it soon became a nightmare. Soon enough there were agents at her doorstep wooing her father with unfathomable amounts of money, and before she knew it Susan Carol was being used more as a marketing tool than as a swimmer. Things only got worse from there; her longtime swim coach was almost fired, her best friends were being shut out of her life, and her father wasn’t listening to her or anyone but the agents. To make matters worse, she and Stevie found themselves entrenched in a mystery scandal involving a sportswear company and a Russian swimmer.

John Feinstein has always been one of my favorite authors for multiple reasons. One, I am an avid sports fan, so his extensive knowledge of sports always interests me whenever I read his books. Two, I also enjoy mysteries, and John Feinstein is able to combine both of these topics and make them into an outstanding novel. I also like the way he combines real people into the story to make it more realistic.

This entire series is a must read for any mystery reader, sports fan, or both. The way the author incorporates big time sporting events and turns them into thrilling mystery novels is unheard of, which is what makes this book a must read. Reading this book and the ones before it will have any reader anticipating the next masterpiece Feinstein comes up with.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Reviewed by Kathryn A.
Grade 8


Beatrice dragged the knife's blade across her palm, closed her eye and then thrust her palm outward; her blood spilled onto the carpet between the stones of Abnegation, her home faction of selflessness, and the fire of Dauntless, the brave. Then, she reached out, and her blood sizzled on the coals of Dauntless. Beatrice had chosen her life's path and now her decision could not be taken back, either she would survive initiation and join Dauntless or live a shameful life as an outcast, Factionless. Not only were these worries clinging to her, but and even greater worry was at hand, she was Divergent. If this information fell into the wrong hands, the outcome would be death.

It all started with the results of Beatrice's aptitude tests, which were inconclusive; she had three,not two Factions to choose from, Abnegation, Dauntless and Eridite. With the Choosing Ceremony the very next day, Beatrice must pick her lives path, alone. When her name is called she is still unsure of which faction to pick, and is in shock because of her brother, Caleb's choice. She picks Dauntless, and from that point onward her life became a flurry of action. Just to get to the Dauntless headquarters she must join the others as they jump on and off a moving train and down into an unseen net from the top of a building. When she arrives she learns that she must learn to fight with and against the others, and both mentally and phisically control her fears as well as hide the secret that she is divergent.She makes some friends and many enemies along the way who strive to kill her. In the end many will be thrown out and made factionless, and every moment it is crucial that you preform your best lest that person be you. Along the way are many hardships and challenges but Beatrice, now Tris has inside help from one of the trainers, Four and is determined to make it through initiation and rank high in her year.

Tris' character is portrayed in the beginning as a girl unsure of who she is, but determined to find out. Her determination is what carries her through many tough situations and ends up saving her life. She is portrayed as someone who cares deeply about her friends and family and will do anything possible to save them. She is at her best when others are in danger which is shown early on when Al is instrructed to stand in front of a target while Four throws knives at it. Tris takes his place and Four told her that if she flinched, Al would take her place, knowing that she was better at being brave when those she cared about were in danger. Four at the beginning is portrayed somewhat stoney and stern, but as Tris gets to know him better she realizes how alike they both truly are. They both value selflessness as well as bravery and loyalty. Four, also called Tobias, is caring and thoughtful, always looking out for Tris, who he becomes very fond of.

I would most definatly recommend Divergent to teens who love a novel with an action filled plot and many unexpected twists and turns. Veronica Roth's writing style is somewhat complex but easy to follow, making this book one of the best I've ever read. I feel as if many teenage girls can relate to Tris. We all want to be the best we can at everything we attempt, the idea of fighting others is scary and somewhat repulsive, and we all are constantly battling with ourselves to find out who we truly are and stay true to our real identity. In Divergent,Tris too faces these challenges and many more, overcoming them to the best of her ability and setting an example for readers to reflect upon and enjoy.

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Reviewed by Zoey H.
Grade 9

Ever had a summer goal? Maybe it was to find your summer fling or read the whole Harry Potter series. Well for Matt, Sean and Cooper their annual goal is to see a real, live naked girl in person. Not an easy task for guys who have never asked a girl out and are the laughing stock of the Rockwell swim team.

It’s the beginning of the summer, and three best friends Matt, Sean and Cooper are deciding on their annual summer goal. This year’s goal is to see a real live naked girl in person. Matt, Sean and Cooper head off to swim practice and meet the newest member of the team, Kelly West. She quickly leaves a lasting impression on Matt. To get her to notice him, Matt decides to volunteer to swim the 100-yard butterfly stroke--the hardest stroke known to man. After disastrous attempts to see a naked girl involving laxatives, makeup and non-alcoholic beer, things aren’t looking so bright for the guys. Will this be the first year the boys don’t accomplish their summer goal?

The characters in Swim the Fly are hilarious and easy to relate to. The character I found the most interesting was Cooper. He’s the type of person that won’t stop at anything to get something done and always has a plan. Cooper is clever when it comes to getting around rules. This quality came into light when he faked throwing up in the pool to get Matt out of the swim meet.

Swim the Fly is a great read for summer! I would recommend it for anyone who wants an easy read and a good laugh. Under all the laughs and joking there is a good message in this book. With a little determination and will power you can accomplish anything.

Final Four by Paul Volponi

Reviewed by Danilo C.
Grade 8

The seconds are counting down in the Final Four matchup, a college basketball playoff tournament, between the heavily favored Michigan State Spartans and the underdog Trojans from Troy University. As the game’s most exhilarating moments wind down on the game clock, the reader is taken between two different settings--the game, and the lives of four key players on the court leading up to the big game.

Malcolm McBride, Michigan State’s star point guard, is a self-centered kid from the projects of Detroit ready to make millions in the NBA as soon as he can. Roko Bacic, Troy’s fearless point guard, is playing for the pride of his family in his corrupt home country of Croatia. Crispin Rice, Troy’s passionate center, is dealing with the stress of being engaged and the whole world knowing about it. Lastly, Michael Jordan, Michigan State’s shooting guard, usually warms the bench but because of injuries to the rest of the team was thrust into the big game and has never really been able to live up to his name.

The way the author writes the book is interesting because I’ve never seen this style of writing before. He writes about the game as it is happening as well as incorporating flashbacks for each player that tells the reader how each of the characters grew up. I also enjoyed how realistic the book was. You could tell the author was very knowledgeable about sports by the way he wrote the book.

If you call yourself a basketball fan, The Final Four is definitely a book for you. This book had hardly any boring parts throughout the entire novel. The different fast-paced moments as well as interesting anecdotes about each character made me want to keep reading the book. This book was a page turner for me, and I guarantee that it will be for any other sports fan.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Reviewed by Zoey H.
Grade 8

Mateo Alacran (Matt) is just your typical fourteen-year-old boy, growing up in a land called Opium (once present day Mexico). He plays piano and enjoys school. There’s just one thing that sets him apart from the other children. Matt Alacran is a clone.

Matt Alacran is a clone of the powerful drug lord of the land, El Patron. El Patron rules the land of Opium. Matt was harvested in a lab and sent as an infant to live with the kitchen maid of the Big House, Celia. Six years later children of high officials in the Big House, Amelia, Steven and Maria, stumble upon Matt’s home. Matt is curious to see other kids and follows them. But once realizing Matt is a clone, the children treat him like an animal and lock him up. Matt lives in a sawdust-filled room for six months till Celia finds him again. When El Patron learns about Matt’s condition, he becomes outraged. The rule around the Big House is NO ONE ticks off El Patron. With Matt’s standard of living increased he now begins to live a fairly normal life. But one burning question in Matt still remains. Why does the all-powerful El Patron need Matt so desperately?

The setting of the book is very interesting. In the land of Opium the workers of the fields and Big House are very different from normal people. They are called eejits. The eejits are almost like mindless zombies who do a certain job for the rest of their lives. They can’t stop working until someone tells them to stop. Imagine doing the same boring job for the rest of your life without any breaks over and over again.

The House of the Scorpion is a very interesting book. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes science fiction or fantasy. It was extremely interesting to enter a world so different from what we know today! I couldn’t put it down!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Reviewed by Zoey H.
Grade 8

If it were up to Katniss Everdeen, she would try and forget The Hunger Games completely. But the head government has a different idea. In Katniss's world, kids from different districts are forced to fight to the death to prove that they will always be at the mercy of the government. Pretty gruesome, huh? Well imagine actually having to take part in such an event. Katniss has beaten the odds and survived the Games, but life won't be returning to normal for her.

After winning the Hunger Games with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, all Katniss wants are things to go back to normal. As an annual reminder to the districts that the government is in control, the victor of the Games, well in this case victors, must make an appearance in each of the twelve districts. Before the Victory Tour starts, President Snow gives Katniss a one-on-one visit stating that there have been rumors of rebellion amongst the districts because of something she did in the arena. It's her job to fix it, or the government will kill everyone she holds dear to her. Katniss must persuade the districts she is madly in love with Peeta and had no control over her actions in the arena. Katniss must battle against impossible odds to protect the ones she loves from the government’s wrath. And let's not forget the 75th Hunger Games lurks just around the corner with a surprising twist to add to the fun!

My favorite character in the book is Peeta Mellark. His kind, loving personality make him different from the other character in the series. Throughout the book and series as a whole, he always finds a way to stay true to himself and to what he believes in no matter what situation he’s thrown into. He sees good in people no matter who they are. Peeta’s undying love for Katniss gives him the strength to fight for her survival even if means his life. Don’t we all wish we had someone like that? Peeta’s quote, “My nightmares are usually about losing you,” just shows how much he cares for Katniss. The most amazing thing about Peeta’s character is that he loves before anything else.

I highly recommend Catching Fire! There was never a boring moment! I just couldn’t put it down! It has important lessons that we could all benefit from. The characters have very strong emotional depth that makes them seem like they could be real! It’s interesting seeing them develop through the book and getting to know them better. From a drunken middle-aged man to a young baker's son, each character has a burning fire within them kindled with the need to survive.