Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

    Charlie St. Cloud was about a relationship between two brothers named Charlie and Sam. The two of them got into a car accident and unfortunately, Sam passed away. After Sam dies, Charlie still has the ability to talk to, see, and play catch with his little brother, Sam.
    I enjoyed seeing how close their relationship truly was. Some parts of this book were quite suspensful, which made the book interesting. Charlie St. Cloud showed me that family love never dies even when the person does. This book was a very good book, and enjoyable to read.

                                                       -KS

The Thousand Orcs by R. A. Salvatore

       To any avid fantasy reader, The Thousand Orcs is a must-read. This is the first book in The Hunter's Blades trilogy. The story follows a band of adventurers, Drizzt Do'Urden, the drow who denied his race's dark heritage, Bruenor Battlehammer, the dwarven king of Clan Battlehammer, Cattie-brie, his adopted human daughter, the barbarian giant Wulfgar, and the stout halfling Regis, as they travel to the fabled Mithral Hall, along the way becoming afoul of an army of orcs and frost giants.
       This book was a joy to read, and is suggested for any high school student who is looking for an adventure that will keep them on the edge of their seat. R. A. Salvatore's excellent recipe of mixing together just the right amount of suspense, action, adventure, and psychological and moral inquisition will keep any reader glued to the pages until the story is done.

                                                                                                                               -CM

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

In the novel Lock and Key, written by Sarah Dessen, the protagonist, Ruby has a hard life and doesn't want anyone to know. She is embarassed by what she has hidden from the world. Ruby moved in with her sister Cora and Jamie, Cora's husband.  Her new nieghbor is a complete cutie, a swimmer, and a jock. Nate has always been the center of attention and now that Ruby is hanging around with him they are both the talk of the school. Something Ruby is not used to. Nate started to take Ruby to school so she didnt have to walk or take the bus. She wasnt thrilled about it but it was better than the bus. She soon let Nate in too far but she hooped he did the same. When he did she was surprised to what was going on. Nate was afraid to accept help just like Ruby was. Its is a book for teens and everyone should be exposed to it. This book is a great book to read and if you want to find out what happens with Ruby's mom or Nate and Ruby then check out the book.
KR

Little Brother By Cory Doctorow

Little Brother is about a group of teenage high schoolers that end up in the wrong place at the wrong time in San Fransisco. This novel continuoulsy keeps the reader in suspense, causing the reader to have the urge to read-on. Much of the feeling of suspense lies within Doctorows careful use of detail and in describing each character and all of  their special, technological skills. This book is a great choice to read for anyone , but would be more likely to interest people who understand computers, and are interested in the idea of a technilogical rebellion.The story revolves around Marcus Yallow who is a student that is a very skilled hacker. Marcus was just and ordinary kid playing a game with his friends when a terrorist attack took place  around him and his friends making him a suspect for the attack and causing him to live his life in fear, changing his life forever. When Marcus is captured by the District of Homeland Security(DHS), he is treated as a terrorist and tortured. When he is finally released he is under constant surveillance. He then makes it his "mission" to bring down the DHS, not only because they are suspending the constitutional rights of the people, but because they hae yet to release his best friend from theri custody. In my opinion, this was a fantastic book. The continuous suspense and never-ending thrill ride are more than enough to keep the reader interested and entertained throughout the entire book.

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

        Glass is the second installment of the Crank series written by Ellen Hopkins. In her first novel, Crank, Hopkins tells the story of Kristina, a straight-A student, who after a court-ordered visit to her father's, has a fall from grace that lands her on a downward spiral. Kristina gets involved with a Adam, a guy from down the hall, and tries meth amphetamine for the first time. She soon becomes addicted and transforms into Bree, her alter ego. She returns home but continues to use. One bad decision leads to another and Kristina ends up pregnant at the end of the book.
        Glass begins as Kristina is caring for her three month old son Hunter. She is trying to be a good mother and seems to be on the right track since she has been off drugs for a while and is working towards her GED. The stress of being a teen mother forces her back into the clutches of "the monster". She begins making connections and is again trapped in the cycle of drug addiction. Her home life explodes when her dad and his new girlfriend show up and take Kristina out for a night on the town right before Hunter's baptism. Eventually her mother confronts her about her abuse and kicks her out of her house. Kristina moves in with Brad, Trey(her botfriend)'s cousin. He has two young daughters and his wife left him so he hires Kristina as a nanny so she can earn her keep without paying rent. A love triangle emerges between Kristina, Trey, Brad, and his wife Angela. Kristina and Trey attempt to make it on their own but soon find living in such close quarters with the anxiety from using, isn't easy. They get involved with the Mexican Mofia, making matters worse. Kristina is practically disowned by her family and does not know where her life is headed. The book concludes leaving the reader with a few cliffhangers, wondering how Kristina's actions will imapct her.
        It is difficult at first to adjust to Hopkin's style of writing; the entire book is written in verse. However, once you get into it, the book is a quick read that you won't want to put down. Each page leaves you curious as to what happens next. Will Kristina ever break her addiction? The originality of the writing is interesting and a fresh way to read a novel. The tone of the book is quite dark. There are scarcely any positive moments, however something aout Kristina's attitude leaves the reader with hope that things will get better. This first person account is an intriguing look into the world of drug addiction that is ever present in the world, yet rarely discussed this in depth. There are several mature themes in this book and at times Kristina's world can consume you. Her transformation from Kristina to Bree is frightening because of the reality of how easily someone can slide downhill after so few wrong choices. It is somewhat disturbing but oddly fascinating. The book does not give any suggestion of how to break addiction but it clearly reveals several of the incredibly negative consequences of using. Overall this is a good book and I would recommend it to any teenager who wants a book with a deep tone and only topnotes of romance and American life.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is a thrilling novel full of action and adventure. The characters are young but act mature for their age. They live by themselves with no adults. I know what you're thinking, but it's really not that awesome. These kids, collectively known as the Flock, have wings. They were genetically engineered in a laboratory they know as the School. Luckily for them, they escaped a long time ago. Unluckily, they are constantly being hunted by lupine-human hybrids, who were also genetically engineered in the lab. James Patterson does a great job in writing this novel. Every chapter was fast-paced with non-stop action on every page. Also, every time a question was answered, more popped up. The novel is the first in a series of six books with another on the way. This means that the central conflict was not completely resolved by the end of the book. In actuality, the ending was a cliff hanger. If you chose to read this book, you will not be able to put it down.

                                                                                                                                   C.P.   

Four Blind Mice by James Patterson

        When you first look at this title, you may be thinking, "There's only three blind mice, not four." But this is not a story about mice lacking eyesight, in actuality, this is a novel that encompasses action, suspense, love and an unpredictable plot. Despite the insultingly simple vocabulary, the book does an excellent job of capturing an audience's attention. No one really wants to read a boring book, no offense Fareed Zakaria (take into consideration I am a high school student). The first thing I noticed was how well each character's persona was developed. Each person had at least one or two distinct traits that one could easily pick out of a crowd. Alex Cross, the main character, seems to be struggling with many issues in the book. These include, his super-attractive love interest, Jamilla; three obscene killers that he can't seem to get any information on; his grandmother's health (she's one of those "super-grandmas"); and his plans following the end of this case, his "last" case. This fine work of literature holds a storyline based on a Washington D.C. detective on the verge of retirement who decides to help his best friend take on a case involving a military man with a clean record being framed for murder. All across the country Vietnam veterans were being sentenced to death for murders they all claim they did not commit. No real correlation could be found other than they were all part of an operation in the An Lao Valley. There were only three men that hadn't had any incidents: Thomas Starkey, Brownley Harris, and Warren Griffin; the Three Blind Mice. With the help of a mystery e-mailer, Foot Solider, and an imprisoned Vietnamese gang member, Tran Van Luu. Alex Cross and John Sampson are able to hunt down the killers and bring them to justice, each maintaining a love interest on the side.
        Throughout the whole book, each short chapter encompasses a certain event that not only is important to the plot, but keeps the reader involved and thinking. There are multiple twists and turns with a surprise ending that one would never expect. Four Blind Mice is a perfect book for someone looking for an easy read, but an intense one. I highly recommend.

TM