One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Reviewed by Trudy L.
Grade 8

Family. Many meanings come to mind when hearing this word, of unconditional love, trust and at times, annoyance. For twelve-year-old Carley Connors however, her "family", consisting of her new stepfather, Dennis, and her pleasure-seeking, yet loving mother, whenever she thinks of this word, she thinks of a time, an event in which her life changed dramatically.

How had Carley's life turned upside down? She was always used to shopping in Salvation Army boxes with her fun-loving mother who would treat her to ice cream afterwards, congratulating her on how in the world would she live without Carley. Carley's life had turned upside down after a heart-breaking betrayal in which Carley vaguely remembers a scuffle that involved her mother holding down her leg as Dennis was about to kick her, before she soon lost consciousness. Afterwards,she is placed with the Murphys, a family with Mrs. and Mr. Murphy and three boys, in Connecticut, a place different from where her mother and she lived (Las Vegas), and she bonds with them over time, through misunderstandings and faults, and finally, she finds peace within them, a family where she could become be one of the Murphys and belong in their family. Carley goes into 8th grade and also finds a best friend in Toni Byars, and they find out that their personalities are like each other. Unexpectedly, shocking news from her mother changes everything and Carley has to fight between who she loves more, the Murphys or her own mother, who claims that she loves her,and maybe, just maybe, life can go back to how it was before the betrayal.

Carley's strong and funny personality shines throughout the story as she bonds with the Murphys. She sees the world in different ways, such as when she figures out that "love" spelled backwards is,"evol." I loved that! Also, she learns to accept the way things are at the end of the story..not going to spoil the ending. Moreover, the author reveals a surprising revelation near the end of the story that unravels what really happened after Carley lost consciousness. The author's plot is strong and her characters well-developed, except for a few characters such as, Adam, Carley's middle foster brother, whom the author didn't go into much extent.One more thing, Michael Eric, the youngest Murphy, was adorably cute in the way he talked and through his actions.

I would recommend One For the Murphys based upon the author's funny writing style and because I connect with one of the themes of the story, "Keep moving forward." Though pain keeps us on our knees, that's the only way to grow stronger, and for your eyes to be opened to things that you've never noticed before.

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

1968. The Vietnam War is raging. Joe Pepitone is playing for the New York Yankees, and the Apollo space missions are under way. At this time there were lots of families with soldiers overseas. Being in New York, which is not the safest city, there are a lot of broken up families. Would you like to live like this? How would it make you feel if your oldest brother was off in the war and your other brother was accused of robbery? Doug, the main character in Okay For Now, goes through this when he moves to upstate New York.

Doug Swieteck lives in a small apartment that he personally calls "dump." His father is a drunk, but his mother is one of the most caring and thoughtful mothers there is. Doug's older brother is off in the Vietnam War, and his other older brother was accused of a robbery. Doug does not have the ideal family life. One of the more positive things Doug focuses on is baseball. Doug is a huge new York Yankees fan. Joe Pepitone, the Yankees' star player at the time, had even signed a hat and a jacket for Doug. Although valuable things don't last long in his house, so he lost his hat on the side of the road, and his brother took his jacket. With practically nothing left he decided to pay a visit to the library, where he meets sassy Lil Spicer, the daughter of the deli owner. The two of them form a surprising alliance as Doug's older brother comes home.

Even though I'm usually not interested or entertained by books that are historical fiction or realistic fiction, I like Okay For Now. I absolutely could not put it down! It was very good overall and very well written. I really liked how the author put the story together and the word choice in this book. I would highly recommend this book to readers of all kinds!

Legend by Marie Lu

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

What will happen to the United States in the future? Who will be the ruler? What will it be like? June, a fifteen-year-old military prodigy, experiences the future United States or, what was the United States. She also has to deal with the country's most wanted criminal!

In the book Legend by Marie Lu, June came home to some unpleasant news. Her only brother, who was also her only guardian, was killed. There was a knife thrown in his shoulder by--or so they think--Day, the county's most wanted criminal. They live in the Republic, which used to be part of the United States, until a huge feud broke out and the country was split in two: the Republic and the Patriots. Day,has been accused of theft, arson, destruction of property, destruction of military property, and more. When June's brother is killed, she is sent out to hunt down Day. June's brother was a high ranking military officer, and so is she. With her on her hunt for Day is Thomas, her brother's best friend. When Day and June meet, June is alone undercover roaming the streets. After she spends several days with him and another girl that he took in, June reveals her true identity and turns him in. While he is locked away she comes and visits him several times and develops feelings for him and decides to help him escape.

After reading Legend I definitely think that it is one of the best books I have ever read in my life! I loved all of the action, but at the same time I thought that it was a fabulous love story of two fifteen-year-olds. The events that lead up to June and Day meeting are very important because they are the causes of the events later in the book. I was very shocked at the ending!

I would recommend this book for two reasons. The style of writing and the overall way the whole story was worded was magnificent, and the story itself was very good and very entertaining. Legend would be a good book for readers of almost any interests. With a wide variety of characters with vibrant personalities to the setting it was all very well done. I would highly recommend this book to almost anyone!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

How close are you and your grandmother? How would it feel to lose her, especially if you have lived with her all your life? What would be your initial reaction if the person who feed you, raised you, and taught you went missing? Scarlet goes through all of this and more when goes on a quest to find her grandmother.

While Cinder is trying to escape from prison, halfway across the world, Scarlet's grandmother has gone missing! Now orphaned, Scarlet sets out on a journey to find her grandmother. Her quest takes a bit of a twist when she meets Wolf, a handsome street fighter who decides to tag along with her. Wolf not only swoons Scarlet, but might also have information about where her grandmother is. Although Scarlet knows that Wolf has a few secrets of his own she has no choice but to trust him. When Scarlet and Wolf encounter Cinder they then discover the real mystery.

Scarlet is a very good book; overall it is action packed and has lots of surprises! I would recommend this book to sci-fi or fantasy readers. It would be very hard to determine whether Cinder or Scarlet is better. The combination of brilliant writing and fantastic storyline makes this book fabulous. After you start reading it will be hard to put down!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

You may think being cyborg--half machine, half human--would be cool. Living the life of a cyborg is more difficult than you may think, but it does have its advantages. People of today's society despise people that are different. Don't you think that an exposed cyborg would be made fun of, or teased, or even taken to be experimented on? In fear of becoming an outcast, Cinder, the main character in Cinder, is careful about what parts of her body she shows.

Cinder, a rather gifted mechanic living in New Beijing, is a cyborg. She lives with her stepmother and ill stepsister. Her stepmother greatly despises her and blames her for her stepsister's illness. Cinder is the only mechanic in New Beijing's weekly market. One day, disguised and barely recognizable, Prince Kaito stumbled into her booth looking for Linh Cinder, the mechanic. The prince and Cinder soon became friends. After her many visits to the castle to meet with Prince Kai, Queen Levana, Kai's evil, soon-to-be wife, gets suspicious. Soon enough Cinder finds out secrets of her own past to help protect her world against the evil Queen Levana.

The different pieces that make up the book as a whole come flying at you from all different directions at the least expected times. In the end, when the puzzle is complete, it all makes sense. There are a range of characters with colorful personalities such as Peony and Iko. They only make the story that much more exciting and emotional. I think that this book has a very good story that will appeal to fantasy and sci-fi readers.

The style of writing paired up with the story line makes for a truly fantastic book that will pull readers in so that they don't want to put it down. I was able to personally connect with this book because I have three little sisters; in the book there are several touching moments where Cinder shows her love for her sister. I would highly recommend this book to readers in search of a truly wonderful and action packed story.

The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen

Reviewed by Marral P.
Grade 9

RUN. Run as fast as you can. Run and hide and do not come back. This is not your home anymore, not until the time is right. A stone is all I am giving you, a stone for you to survive. A stone is all you need to come back. And the prince was lost…

In The False Prince, expect the unexpected. The False Prince is book one of the Ascendance Trilogy and the start of an amazing adventure. The story starts with Sage and three other orphan boys whose resemblance to the lost prince put them in a dangerous situation. The kingdom is in the middle of a civil war and in disarray. It may be up to the prince to bring back peace, but the prince is lost. Conner, a nobleman, has a plan to use one of the boys as a puppet, so he can control the kingdom from behind the curtain. But there is a great price to pay, and a lot to gain for the boys! At the end there will only be one fake prince. So it is up to Sage and the others to play a high risk game, but there is much more to the story than meets the eye.

The False Prince opens the door to your imagination. The writer uses every opportunity to play with your emotions. The book will make you cry, laugh, hold your breath, and wonder what will happen next. There are many surprises that make this story a very fun and exciting book to read. Make sure you have plenty of time when starting this book, because you do not want to put it down until it is done.

The Demon King: a Seven Realms Novel by Cinda Williams Chima

Reviewed by Marral P.
Grade 9

What will happen if one day you find out all your life and beliefs were based on a lie? What will you do if you find out you are a descendant of someone hated by everybody and heard stories about it all your life? What path will you choose to prove you are not a demon who will destroy the kingdom, but brings back the balance to it? Han Alister, the main character of the book of The Demon King is the guy who faces all these questions.

The Demon King, the first of four books in The Seven Realms Series is just the beginning of the excitement and adventure of Han Alister. The book introduces us to Han, the poor boy who lives with his mother and sister and their complicated life, but it is all about to change as the truth comes out about Han. It all begins when Han takes an amulet from an old and powerful wizard family. Soon after that Han, who everybody thought to be a thief, turns out to be much more.

The book excites you with so many turns and twists about Han’s friends, enemies, his choices and his journeys. On the other hand, the book introduces you to Princess Raisa, the main female character in the book. A princess, who has a weak queen mother, goes above and beyond to save the Kingdom she loves so dearly. Fate will bring these two characters together and test their strength.

The book is well written and will take you through the journey with Han Alister and princess Raisa. You can imagine every detail in the book and live through it with Han and Raisa. You will enjoy reading The Demon King and after that the rest of the series because they are as exciting as the first book.

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)