New Moon by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight Saga, Book 2)

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer is the sequel to the book Twilight.  Bella is back and is about to turn 18.  She doesn’t want her birthday to be a big deal, but Edward and Alice convince the rest of the Cullens to turn it into one.  While at her big not wanted party, Bella gives herself a paper cut and the Cullens go crazy trying to get her blood.  They realize what they did and apologize but fear that they aren’t safe in Forks anymore and leave leaving Bella hurt and depressed.  While Edward is gone, Bella becomes close with family friend Jacob Black.  Will Edward return before Bella possibly falls for Jacob?  Is Bella in danger of other vampires without Edward to protect her?

If you read Twilight, I really think you should read New Moon.  It’s full of twists and turns and is hard to put down.

Review by Tierney M. – 8th grade

The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) by Eoin Colfer

The Lost Colony

Artemis Fowl is a flat out genius and he is on a quest for a demon and will stop at nothing to get one. He has help from his body guard, Butler, and one of his fairy friends, Holly. He has competition, however, when Minerva Paradizo joins the hunt. Artemis and his friends need to find a demon so they can travel through time and save Hybras. Hybras is a place where all demons live; it is a place where time doesn’t exist. If they don’t save Hybras, the whole demon nation will be wiped out forever. Can they beat Minerva, travel through time, save Hybras, and live to tell the tail?

This book is very exhilarating and there is never a dull point. It is a cool plot because the book suggests that there is a whole other world that we don’t know about. Eoin Colfer incorporates fairies without being girly or completely unrealistic. This novel is science fiction, so serious readers beware.

Artemis Fowl is on a quest for a demon and will stop at nothing to get one. He has help from his body guard, Butler, and one of his fairy friends, Holly. He has competition however, when Minerva Paradizo joins the hunt. Artemis and his friends need to find a demon so they can travel through time and save Hybras. Hybras is a place where all demons live; it is a place where time doesn’t exist. If they don’t save Hybras, the whole demon nation will be wiped out forever.

This book is exhilarating and never has a dull point. Colfer does a very good job using fairies in an adventurous way instead of the fairy princess style. This book is great for anyone, but it is science fiction, so serious readers beware.

Both reviews by Kelly P. – 8th grade

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (Book 4 of the Twilight Saga)

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn is my favorite book out of the Twilight saga. It is a continuation of Bella’s journey with Edward, a vampire. The book starts out with Bella and Edward getting married.  Bella becomes pregnant with a strange creature and Bella and edward fly home immediately. Bella couldn’t stand the pain of childbirth, so Edward had no other choice but to turn her into a vampire. This story explains near-fatal battles and a love story.  This book is the best!

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia

Jesse Aarons practiced all summer and is sure he is the fastest kid in the class, until Leslie comes. Leslie is faster than all of the boys, she is the new girl who moved in next door to Jesse. Jesse quickly befriends Leslie. They find a rope swing and swing across it to a magical land called Terabithia. They rule Terabithia and protect it from evil. One day when Jesse is on a field trip, something terrible happens to someone very close to Jesse. Can Leslie’s spirit help Jesse through his hard times?

I think others would like to read this because it is a heartwarming story about friendship. They may not want to read it because it is very sad, but the grief definitely makes the story better.

Review by Cassidy M. – 6th grade

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever

Macy Queen’s boyfriend Jason is away at Brain Camp, and Macy has to face his job at the info desk in the library, where there are two girls who look down upon her. Jason thinks that they should have a break with their relationship just because Macy told him something. But Macy doesn’t have any courage to stand up for herself. She is also having problems with her and her mother get through life with Macy’s dad’s death on their shoulders. When she met and joined Wish, the very chaotic catering crew, her whole summer turns around. They help her to start looking at life in a new way.

I think others would like this book. I suggest this book to other girls. I think they would enjoy it because it is very well written, and interesting to read. It’s a book that will keep you reading until the very end.

Review by Jocelyn M. – 8th grade

Comfort by Carolee Dean

Comfort

Kenny Willson wants to run away. He wants to leave behind his dependent little brother, lying drunk of a father, and dream-killing mother. Will Kenny ever make it to Dallas and will Cindy Blackwell ever go out with him? Read on and find out.

People who like books about life stories and books that make you think would like this book. If you like adventure you should pick a different book.

Review by Jimmy H. – 8th grade

Quiver by Stephanie Spinner

Quiver

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Atalanta. She was given up by her father as a baby, because she was a girl, and then raised by a she-bear sent by the goddess Artemis. When she is older, her father claims her and brings her back. Atalanta is pretty, although finds athletics more interesting. She wears men’s tunic that only fall to her knees and trains with the men. The rest of the men who train with her, except for Meleager, are prejudiced against her. One day, there is a grand boar hunt. Meleager slays the boar, but then gives its head to Atalanta, a might prize. His uncles and trainees are very upset. He gets into a fight with his uncles, and then kills them. Then Meleager’s mom does something to him, as well. Atalanta, heartbroken, returns to be a palace princess again, although she is still determined to keep up her athletics. The king says that Atalanta must marry, so Atalanta, a shrewd girl, thinks of a plan. She says that whoever wants to marry her must beat her in a race. If he does not, then he will be murdered. The king agrees, and men come. But, the fate is the same for all of them. They are sent to their deaths. At first, Atalanta enjoys the feeling of success, but then despises it. Finally, one man comes that Atalanta likes. But, she is a promised priestess to Artemis, so she cannot. She begs the suitor not to run, but he does not heed. What Atalanta does not know is that this intelligent man has had the help of a goddess. The goddess with the most power over women. Aphrodite.

I think it’s a great novel about the classic Greek myth, “Running from Love”. Mytholites (mythology lovers) will especially enjoy this book. We learn from Atalanta how to keep trying and how women can be just as good as men, although we also find out that fate often takes us on sorrow-filled paths.

Review by Rama G. – 6th grade

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipse

The amazing sequel to New Moon (and also the third book to the Twilight Saga), Eclipse is a dark, impulsive romance about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen and their passion for each other. But when there is a killing spree in Seattle, Edward overreacts in order to keep Bella alive, and drags her off to Florida, far away from the little town in Forks, Washington to “visit her mom”. This confuses Bella, but when they return to Forks, she is shocked and frightened to find that her enemy vampire, Victoria, is still stalking her. As Stephanie Meyer quotes in Bella’s point of view ‘my former best friend(and werewolf) and my boyfriend, Edward (and vampire), bitterly hate each other’. But sometimes you have to join forces with someone you would rather avoid to protect somebody you both love from a common enemy. Soon they find that Victoria is leading a powerful army of newborn vampires (vampires just changed from humans) to hunt down Bella. A year ago, in Twilight ,Edward killed Victoria’s mate and now she wants revenge. She plans on going mate for mate, meaning Edward killed her mate, so she will kill his. The Volturi, a royal vampire family, are also intent on Bella’s heartbeat to stop one way or another because she is not supposed to know that vampires exist. Bella has made a deal with Edward’s father to become a vampire just after graduation, but graduation is still a week away. Will Edward and his family be able to protect Bella until then, or will it be too late?

I would highly recommend this amazing, “on the edge of your seat”, tear-jerker book to anyone. Even people who do not like to read or do not like vampire books have been known to love this book.

Review by Sarah G. – 7th grade

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Twilight

When 17 year old Bella move from Phoenix to Forks, Washington to live with her father, she is not to happy. Then she meets a very handsome boy. His name is Edward, and it turns out he is not fully human. He is actually a vampire. But Bella doesn’t care – she loves him, but they do get into trouble. Soon to be a movie!

Others would want to read this because it is a hit series. It is also a excellent story with a good plot.

Review by Tess L. – 6th grade

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Twilight is about a girl named Bella who decides to move away from her mother in Arizona, to her father’s home in Forks, Washington, where there are rarely days with sunshine. Here, she finds an odd person by the name of Edward, who is captivating and breathtaking but very unusual. Bella is overwhelmed by him, and they soon become very close, almost inseparable, although their dispositions completely vary. All the while, Bella finds something very odd about him, and eventually comes to the conclusion that he is a vampire. Although she believes this, and knows that part of Edward thirsts for her blood, she is so madly in love with him, that she would never be able to live without him. Soon, Bella finds herself in a treacherous situation with a vampire hunting her down. Does she survive? Who is the vampire? Read for yourself to find out.

Twilight is the type of book that does not only entertain a certain audience. Anyone, from science fiction lovers, to hopeless romantics, will enjoy this book. Because it is filled with a little bit of every genre, many people will enjoy it. There is some romance, without the book becoming cheesy, a bit of suspense and adventure, mystery and some horror. The book is creepy in parts, yet completely addictive, and I found myself having a burning desire to continue on and find out what happens in the end of the book. It is a wonderfully written book, with a little bit of every genre mixed in, to suit many different people’s tastes.

Review by Cara C. – 8th grade

Twilight is the first in its series. The book begins with Bella moving fom her mother in Phoenix to her dad in Forks, Washington. Forks is the most rainy town that has ever existed.  In this book Bella first meets some new friends. When the boy, Edward in Biology with her seems to hate her. He always stays clear away. Later in the story Bella finds out his darkest secret with her knowing that it explains why he stayed away.

I think other people would love this book. It includes suspense terror and love. It keeps you on edge at all points of it. This book is amazing and everyone should read it.

Review by Micah R. – 6th grade

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Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is about a 17-year-old girl named Bella Swan. Bella lives with her mom and step-dad in Phoenix, Arizona and decides to move to live with her dad in the small town of Forks, Washington.  Bella quickly makes new friends but she comes across an interesting family named the Cullens.  The Cullens consist of the young town doctor Carslile, his wife Esme, and their adopted kids Emmet, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and Edward.  The kids all attend Bella’s school and she is very interested in them.  She ends up getting close to Edward and falls in love with him.  Bella then learns that the Cullen family are vampires.  Can Bella be able to love Edward if he is thirsty for her blood?

This would be an amazing book for anyone who likes adventure and action.  It was a great book and very hard to put down.

Review by Tierney M. – 8th grade

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere

Elsewhere is about a teen named Elizabeth Halls (Liz) that dies at a young age. The beginning is really confusing because it is told in the point of view of the dog, but after the first chapter it gets much better. In the story when someone dies they go to “Elsewhere.”  Elsewhere is very similar to life on Earth, except that you can’t die. In Elsewhere, people get younger every year, and when they are babies again they are sent back to Earth with a completely different life and personality. Liz meets an old relative of hers that passed away long ago from cancer.  Liz stays with her relative in elsewhere, but can’t get past the fact that she is dead. Her acclimation doctor (a man that helps the newly diseased people to adjust to life in Elsewhere) said that Liz should find a job and stop dwelling on the past. In order for Liz to take her doctors advice she knows that she will have to forget about her parents, brother, friends, dog, and most of all, her old life. Is Liz willing to give up all that she had and move on, or will Liz dwell on her past until she is too young to think, and is sent back to Earth as a different person?

People may not want to read this book because it is really sad. Although, people who like sad stories may not like it because it is not realistic fiction. Others would want to read it because it is very adventurous, and it shows how much we would miss what we had if we didn’t have it.

Review by Emily K. – 7th grade