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.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Reviewed by Alexandra M.
Grade 9

Vampires, werewolves, and humans oh my! These characters may sound like a very strange combination of personalities, but they all fit together nicely in Stephanie Meyer's novel, creatively named Twilight. The book contains many different elements. Twilight has a central theme of a love story between a vampire and a human; it also has many smaller themes, morals, and stories. Each of these themes has a unique never before seen twist to it. This made for a very interesting book.

Bella Swan sounds like an average name for an average girl. Bella Swan is anything but average. She was never one to be pulled into the crowds or into peer pressure. She was fine being on her own and doing what she wanted to do, unlike some of the girls at her Arizona high school. She decides to move to a much cloudier place ( Forks, Washington ) to live with her father. Her parents are separated. She thinks she would prefer the quiet life rather than a more demanding one in Arizona. Though she does like Forks better, she could have never imagined why. She meets a boy, Edward, and they are instantly attractive to each other. Though this is no average teenage romance. He is a vampire. While he loves Bella, he must resist killing her for her blood. A huge problem comes up when another vampire vows to kill Bella. Edward must stop this other vampire, if he can't, then the love of his life will die.

The characters in this book were very well planned out and defined. Each one had such a unique personality. Each member of the Cullen "clan", Edward's family, had their own unique, and sometimes surprising, traits. For example Alice was described as shy at first, but then surprisingly outgoing! This made for a little humor every now and then. The setting was described well, mostly in the way Meyer describes the mood of each different setting, for example when she describes how the mood of Forks differs from the mood of Arizona. The conflict and the author's style were both very good. The style really kept you reading, and the conflict even more so, such as when Edward and Bella first meet, there is a lot of tension.

This book is definitely something to be recommended. The author's style itself made the book hard to put down; this style combined with the theme made the book impossible to put down. Every teenager or young adult can probably make some sort of connection with this book because it discusses what everyone goes through in high school, but with a big twist of course. This book is suitable for almost all ages.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Reviewed by Kady D.
Grade 8

Everyone knows that tryouts are one of the worst things in the world. You keep thinking to yourself “Am I going to make the team?” Sixteen-year-old Jack faces this same dilemma. He goes to soccer tryouts at his high school and hopes to make the team. However, Jack gets the biggest surprise of his life. As he prepares to shoot the ball into the goal the school bully, Garett Lobeck, comes up by him. Garett Lobeck looks like a giant human wall. Suddenly, without realizing it, Jack suddenly fends off Lobeck’s attack and sends Lobeck into the net right after the ball. And, he wasn’t even touching him! All of this is possible because Jack is a Weirlind, a magical race of human beings with extraordinary powers. I guess Jack won’t have to worry about making the soccer team after all.

Jack is a Weir. There are hundreds of thousands of people around the world like this (in fact, one could be your neighbor). There are many types of Weirs, all of them having a significant population to represent them. However, Jack is special. He is a Warrior Weir, and his kind of people are dying out. Warrior Weirlind are very strong, agile and very difficult to beat in a fight. Jack is the last of a dying breed, and people are looking for him. The two Wizard Houses, the Red Rose and the White Rose, are looking for a Warrior Weirlind to add to their team. Every year, they hold a magical tournament to decide who will rule all the Weir of the world. Soon, Jack is on an adventure of a lifetime. With help from his aunt Linda, and a fellow Wizard Weirlind named Leander Hastings, he learns how to fight and protect himself from the Roses. Jack doesn’t know who to trust or what to think of his own life anymore. Will Jack escape the treachery of the Roses, or will he be sucked into the evil world of human battling?

The author’s style of this book is one I enjoyed very much. She didn’t stay on one topic too long, which I feel that many authors do. Instead, she kept the pace going and kept me guessing till the very last word of the last page. Also, the main plot of the book is one I have never seen before. I don’t think I’ve read a book where the character is running away and has absolutely no safe haven to go to. This keeps the pace extremely fast, and many scenes of the book are filled with action.

I would recommend The Warrior Heir to anyone who likes action, suspense, drama and a bit of sadness. The author’s style and basic plot of the book kept me reading this book without stopping. A lot of people might think this book is only for guys, but it is not! I can honestly say it is one of the greatest books I’ve read (Why else would I be reviewing it?).

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Reviewed by Kady D.
Grade 8

When you think of a book, you expect it to have some reference to what it is going to be about in the title. The Name of This Book is Secret gives you no clue whatsoever. When I first saw this book on the shelf of the bookstore, I immediately grabbed it. Why? Because I wanted to know what was so special about this book that it couldn’t have a normal title. Oh, and before I forgot, the author’s name is Pseudonymous Bosch. We don't even know if he is a he, she or animal!

The two protagonists of this book are Cass and Max-Ernest. Both go to school in a secret location that the reader doesn’t know. We don’t even know if these are their real names! The two of them meet at lunch time when Max-Ernest randomly comes up to Cass and starts talking to her about how people meet (He is a bit of a blabber-mouth). Cass accepts him as a friend because he knows so much about toxic waste. A little later, the two discover a box of smelling vials that will allow them to smell anything in the world. This then leads them to a mysterious house where we meet the antagonists of the book, Ms. Mauvis and Dr. L. These two are out to discover a secret that could change that course of history in a bad way. Cass and Max-Ernest must find some way to stop the two villains before time runs out. Will they succeed? Or will humanity as we know it be destroyed forever?

The author wrote this book so that he (or she) is writing from his (or her) perspective. The author narrates the book throughout, and there are even entire chapters devoted to him (or her?) and only him. I really thought that it was creative and different from any book I ever read. In fact, the author says, in one of his chapters, “You try wrapping up a story.” This chapter allows you to write your own ending!! It is amazing!!!!!!

I would supercalifragilisticespialodociously recommend this book to anyone who wants a book filled with laughter, tears, and hours of awesome reading. The main characters of the book are so much like me (especially Max-Ernest), that I could relate to everything that they were doing and why they were doing it. I also LOVED the way the author narrated the book. I thought it was one of the most creative writing styles I have seen in a long time.

Seriously, you need to read this book.