The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a horror book for teens, plain and simple. Horror is not my favorite genre, but I tore through this book and could not put it down. The action was set in 1880's New England, and that made the horror more palpable to me, I guess. There was a bit of history slant towards the story. The horror elements were blood and guts, which is probably why I could stand it, too (amazingly, my most tolerable type of horror. I know...this statement seems ridiculous even as I type it).
I loved the author's use of language here. It was rich. It was precise. It was a joy to read. The characters were well-fleshed out and vivid. I read The 5th Wave by Yancey several years ago and while I enjoyed that book, I thought the writing was better in this one.
Since this is a YA book, I have several cautions (because I'm a 6th grade teacher and a parent) -- There is violence in this book. Several characters die horrible deaths. There are monsters in this book, and they are vividly described. Several other "icky" moments are just downright gross. I say all that to alert the parents and teachers out there that your younger YAs may not fare too well with this book. It depends on their gross-out tolerance. I wouldn't recommend this to my gentler students in 6th grade. Some of the more mature kids would do fine. So, I give this a 13+ recommendation but with caveats. There's virtually no bad language or inappropriate physical situations, so that's not a concern. Just a lot of violence alongside blood and guts. If you've got a weak stomach, beware.
Wildwood by Colin Meloy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
5 stars for the richness of the writing, 3 stars for the rambling story. Seriously, this book needed to be 150 pages shorter. I liked it...great story and plot, but it was too long. By the last 100 pages I was skimming. I loved how the author used language and the word choice was amazing, but if Tolkien can get Bilbo to the Lonely Mountain and back in less than 500 pages, then Meloy should be able to do that here, as well. I recommend this book if you have the patience for 541 pages.
Parents & Teachers - fighting and war violence, children on epic adventure with no parents present, no foul language, no inappropriate physical relationships. Ages 10+
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of my top YA books for the summer! I picked it up reluctantly from a coworker who recommended it, but then I was gripped. I could not put this one down and I tore through it. I didn't it want it to end. Talk about a story that stomped all over my heart. Themes here include change, and finding one's true self even underneath all the garbage. Redemption is another one. This is a book that teen boys would enjoy, and it really strikes a chord with troubled youth. Run, don't walk to read this book!
Parents and teachers -- Wilderness survival and violence, teen to teen violence, no swearing but some other strong words, tense situations, no inappropriate physical relationships. Ages 11+
Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books by Gary Paulsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclaimer....I love Gary Paulsen books. I've loved every one I've ever read. He has a way of writing that seems so normal and plain, but once you stop to look more closely, you realize how rich it is. This book is an excellent choice for those who've read Hatchet or any of the other Brian books because Paulsen tells the tales of his own life that played into his writing of those books. I think reading "Guts" at this time also sparked some extra interest in me because we just took a trip out west this summer. I was able to relate to his tales of the wilderness adventures since we had been in the wilderness. I think this book is most enjoyed by those who've read some of his other works, but even if you haven't, this is a well-written book with the "real" adventures of Gary Paulsen. Fantastic. Ages 10+
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a freebie I got on Amazon, so I read it at one of those times when I had nothing else to read. It had been on my Kindle for awhile. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised. A period piece with a whiff of fairy tale, but an interesting heroine...it definitely kept my pages turning and I enjoyed it for a quick summertime read. I might actually read another book about Finley Jayne if I came across one. Nothing objectionable here, some mild action, and a slightly gruesome human experiment but not described in shocking detail. Ages 12+.
The Nest by Kenneth Oppel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not gonna lie, I got a bit creeped out during part of this book and it had to do with swarming wasps. I'll leave it at that and let you read the book to find out what I'm talking about. All in all, I enjoyed this book as I do most of Kenneth Oppel's writing. It was a very original idea, and that makes it stand out in a crowd. Certain middle schoolers might find this book off-putting because it does get intense in the second half. I wouldn't recommend it to a gentle crowd. Others will find the main character's struggles with anxiety and social issues relatable. I "enjoyed" it, and I put that word in quotes because I'm not sure it's the right one. Let's say the book stuck with me and disturbed me a bit. So, there definitely is a quality about it that makes me say, "Well done, Kenneth Oppel, well done." Ages 10+.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The pacing of this book wasn't quite what I expected, but once I fell into it, I really enjoyed this book. It's not high-action, but yet enough happens here to move the story. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's sad, and a few times it's outright frustrating. (I hated the main character's father.) I loved how Shakespeare was used throughout the book. I think it's one quality that would make this book endearing to older YA readers. There's a lot to consider with this story, especially considering the time period it's set in. All in all, I think that this is a high quality piece of writing that the YA crowd can really sink their teeth into.
Parents & Teachers -- Nothing objectionable here. Fine for all kids. Ages 12+.
Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fast-paced, heart-pounding, action-packed. For fans of historical fiction, this is a great book to add to your collection. What I especially liked was the tale of espionage, but with the kid as the spy. I think it would grab the imagination of the YA reader and really pull him/her into the action, especially for kids who are interested in the Nazis, Hitler, and WWII.
There's a lot of action here, as well as some violence. A few scenes are described graphically, so it's not for the more gentle readers. A few characters are beaten and killed. Many German words are used, but the author is able to use context clues to explain them well. I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of the story, but the author does give some historical footnotes at the end, so it seems like there is some basis for truth here. However, I always approach historical fiction not as a tome to be taken to heart, but as an impression of the time period. In that regard, I think the author did a great job.
Other reviews have compared this book to others by the same author. Since I haven't read any of his other works, I can't make that comparison. All I know is that this was time well spent for me. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Parents & Teachers -- No inappropriate physical contact between characters. No romance. War violence as referenced above. Some intense language, but no outright swearing. Ages 12+.
4.5/5 stars....Clones. Drug lords. Futuristic dystopian lands. This books has it all! Seriously, though, this was an engaging read for the YA crowd. It had just the right mix of science fiction and adventure, that I can see most of the 11+ crowd really getting into the story. Older kids can explore some ethical themes with this one. Is it right to have a clone just for the sake of organ harvesting and keeping someone alive past their natural lifespan? (That part reminded me of the movie The Island.) Even if drug production is legal, does that make it right? Are people really happier if they're mindless workers as opposed to having clear thought and free will? There's a lot to digest in this book and I think those themes are what makes it rise to the top. Add in a swarthy display of action and violence, plus some really likable characters, and this is a recipe for success. They only reason I didn't give it the full five stars is because I felt that the last 25% of the book wrapped everything up a bit too conveniently and easily. After the struggle that was so painstakingly described for the first 3/4 of the book, the end was just too neatly packaged for my taste. Also, I had a hard time getting through the first chapter. Then it picked up, and I was cruising.
All in all, I would expect most readers of the science fiction/dystopian crowd to really enjoy this one. It was worth the time and effort.
Teacher & parents -- No bad language. No inappropriate physical contact between characters. Violence was present, both between kids/teens and from adults to kids. Some killing of secondary characters, but not graphically described in detail. Some disturbing moments described in the treatment of various characters. Certain situations are disturbing and thought provoking, and would be worth discussing with the younger set of readers. Ages 11+.
2 out of 5 stars. Oh my, I did not like this book at all. Disclaimer -- when the movie is the only version of the story that I've every really known, I figured it would be hard to give the book a fair shake. However, I just didn't think the writing was that good at all. Could it be a time period thing? Possibly. I just can't believe that this book was ever published and that there were sequels. Also, there are quite a few moments in the book that don't really seem to do anything to move the story along, such as when they meet the china people. What was the point of that? Anyway, I'm not sorry I read this because it is a classic, but I'll never read it again or anything else by Baum. Not a fan.
Parents & Teachers -- No bad language. No inappropriate physical contact between characters. Some action-type violence. Visualizing a few of the scarier characters could disturb a few gentler readers, but nothing really to worry about for most kids. Ages 8+.
3 out of 5 stars -- This is a book for the YA crowd, and if I were a teen, I'd likely rate it higher. Kids who are X-men fans (or any superhero fans) would likely enjoy this. It's an easy read, so the average YA will be able to zip right through it. I'd recommend it for boys or girls who like sci-fi. The main character is female, but she's tough enough to keep the boys reading. This is book #1 in a series and you've got to keep reading to get the entire story. It definitely doesn't end here.
Parents & Teachers - No inappropriate physical contact between characters or bad language. Fighting violence and sci-fi peril. Scientific testing on humans (could lead to interesting discussions on ethics). Kids in peril and without protective parents. Ages 12+.
4 out of 5 stars -- It started out a little slow for me, but picked up at the midpoint. This book has an interesting premise, loosely based on the Cinderella story, but set in the future and with the main character as a cyborg and social outcast. I wish some of the details were more fleshed out, especially about Cinder. I had trouble envisioning what she really looked like. I'd also like more about the setting. So many parts could've been written in much richer detail. Obviously, this is also a series, so the end of the book is not really the end of the book. I'm interested in seeing where this goes, so will likely keep reading.
Parents & Teachers -- Nothing inappropriate here. Sixth grade and up.
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a YA book that a teen would probably rate higher than 3 stars. For me, it was a quick read and mostly entertaining. It got better in the second half. Of course, there are more books to come, but I probably won't continue. As a teacher, I just wanted to sample the series. I think my sci-fi fan students would enjoy this book and probably the whole series. Fast & easy read with plenty of action and some fun characters.
