Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Fantasy
Age group: 12+

Grace has been captivated by wolves for years. In the forest behind her house, there's a pack of them. She watches them. Especially the one with the yellow eyes - that one is her wolf.
As a child, Sam was bitten by a wolf. Now his life is drastically different. In heat, he's a boy. But in the cold, he's a wolf. He lives behind Grace's house, and he watches her. He is the one with the yellow eyes.
One day, a kid in Grace's town was killed by the wolves. His name was Jack. Jack's parents and a few others hate them. So one day, they take a hunting party out into the forest, and start shooting at the wolves. The yellow-eyed wolf - Sam - was shot in the neck. He shows up on Grace's porch, and Grace helps him. They begin a relationship together. But Sam knows the day is coming when he's going to become a wolf and stay a wolf. And Jack wasn't really killed by the wolves... he's now a werewolf too, and an unstable one. He has discovered a mystery in Grace's past... one that could keep him permanently human. And he's determined to get it.

This book was very well-written. It is another story of the difficulties of love, but it isn't written like a sappy poem. It has plenty of action and excitement as well, plus a little bit of mystery at the end. I have heard that this is like Twilight, only better (I haven't actually read Twilight myself). The viewpoint switches between Sam and Grace, and both characters have lots of depth. I especially like the author's take on werewolves - the ways I've seen them interpreted are usually as horrible beasts. But here, they have a lot of emotion and are conscious of themselves as both humans and wolves. The descriptions in this book are lovely. Very good read overall.

Belly Up

by Stuart Gibbs
Genre: realistic fiction
Age group: 10+

It started as a normal day for Teddy Fitzroy. He was at FunJungle, America's hottest amusement park-zoo, sneaking the monkeys water balloons to throw back at visitors. But when the news came, the day was anything but normal. Henry Hippo, FunJungle's official mascot, was dead.
And it was worse than that: After the autopsy, it was uncovered as murder!! Teddy needs to get to the bottom of this. But the police don't take him seriously. So, with his new-found friend, Summer McCracken, daughter of the park's owner, he sets out to uncover the culprit.
But it's not going to be easy. Not only are there too many suspects to count, dangerous wild animals keep getting released whenever Teddy's around. Somebody knows Teddy is hunting for the killer - and they want him dead.

This book has the perfect mix between funny and suspenseful. The characters are interesting, the plot is interesting... The author keeps you guessing at who the real murderer is. Stuart Gibbs is, based on his writing in this book, good at mystery. He deftly weaves in clues that lead to one thing... but no, that person couldn't possibly be the killer. The final answer is not especially unexpected, but it isn't predictable either. Overall, Gibbs has created a thoroughly enjoyable novel that definitely keeps you on your toes.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

by Mary E. Pearson
Genre: Science fiction - futuristic but not totally dystopian
Age group: 11+

Jenna Fox is 17 years old, and she has just woken up from a year-long coma caused by a terrible accident. She has also lost her memory, and at the moment she is trying to relearn everything she used to know. The funny thing is, she can recite history facts galore, but she can't even remember if she had a friend.
Her family has just moved to her grandmother's house. But Jenna's parents are acting strange. They're being overprotective and secretive. What really happens during her mother's trips to see her dad? Plus, all her neighbors think she's only been at the house for two and a half weeks - not even close to a year.
Then Jenna discovers a deep, dark secret, and she needs to find out what really happened in her past.

I especially liked this book because it wasn't like a normal science fiction book. Most of the science fiction books I've read are about cloning, or aliens, or something else. But instead of going along predictably like an average book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox has a very unique plot twist that was never expected. It also raises interesting questions. It asks you, "What does it mean to be human?" This book is great for many types of people: If you like science fiction, here is a book that has a new twist on the genre. If you don't like to read, it's organized in shorter 1-3 page sections rather than 20-page chapters. If you like to think, this book makes you think. If you just like to read, period, this book offers a thoughtful and well-written story.

The Gospel According to Larry

by Janet Tashjian
Genre: Nonfiction...
Age group: 12+
Rating: *****(5 stars)

There's this website. It's called The Gospel According to Larry. It's run by a person, Larry, who is, at least for the moment, hiding his identity. He writes "sermons" about anti-consumerism, and the site is growing more and more popular by the day.
Josh Swenson is 17 years old. His mom is dead, and the girl he's in love with is dating a jerk. And, he just so happens to be Larry.
He is the one behind the "sermons." He's the person who's been writing the blog. But nobody knows except for him. People have tried and are trying to figure out Larry's identity, but none of them have succeeded yet.
Until one day, someone starts posting comments on The Gospel According to Larry. This person is determined to weasel out the true identity of Larry, and expose him for all the world to see. And the problem is, whoever it is is coming pretty close.
Josh still has to protect Larry's identity, and in the end he has to make a choice. But it isn't easy.

Based on what I read, this book is a true story. That is probably one of the main reasons I love it so much. It's mind-blowing to see how the story unfolds, and even more mind-blowing to know that it really happened. Suddenly, all of these crazy things are happening, just because of one website.
Larry's philosophies are also very interesting. They are very thoughtful and really give you a lot to think about. It's also interesting the way he writes them--rather than super-formal and stuffy, he puts real voice into them.
Overall, this story was very real and honest, and that is the other main reason why it was really great. Even though the content is amazing and sometimes sounds crazy, the way it is told makes it sound very real, like it could happen to you. Of course, it did actually happen, so maybe that has something to do with it. But overall, this was a great read. I recommend it to everybody.

Shug

by Jenny Han

Genre: Realistic fiction
Age group: 11+
Rating: ****(4 stars)

Annemarie Wilcox, nicknamed Shug, is now 12 and things are changing for her... And not necessarily in a good way. Her mother is an alcoholic (a fact Annemarie is very sensitive about), her father is barely at home, and when he is both her parents are constantly fighting. Plus, her close friends are growing not-so-close, now they're all in middle school. Especially Mark, who Annemarie is starting to think of as more than a friend...
Jenny Han does a really great job of capturing the difficulties of middle school without going totally overboard. Annemarie's voice is very real, and the story is realistic and interesting. The plot is relatable, and Han does an excellent job taking all the emotions middle school can bring and mixing them up into a wonderfully real novel.

Red Thread Sisters

by Carol Antoinette Peacock

Age group: 10+
Genre: Realistic fiction
Rating: **** (4 stars)

Wen lives in an orphanage in China with her best friend, Shu Ling. Shu Ling and Wen do everything together. Ever since Wen joined the orphanage when she was five, Shu Ling looked after her. But one day everything changes and Wen is adopted by an American family. She's happy about being adopted, but very sad about having to leave Shu Ling behind. Director Feng says she probably isn't going to get adopted, because of her clubfoot. She promises Shu Ling to help her get a home and then leaves for America. Life is hard in America. She knows English but somehow can't let it out. She misses Shu Ling a lot. And most of all, she's finding it really hard to tell her new mom she loves her. But she stays true to her word, and keeps trying to find a family for Shu Ling. It isn't easy--can she do it before Shu Ling turns 14 and can't be adopted any more? She has to--after all, they're red thread sisters.
This book was really great. It had many emotions in it, and the author does a really good job conveying those emotions through the characters. For example, during the one really suspenseful moment in the book, she shows the suspense by describing all the characters rather than just saying it straightforwardly. The characters also have a lot of depth. They are all pretty fully developed and so they're easier to relate to and to feel for. I thought Red Thread Sisters seemed very real and full and warm. I liked it a lot.

Small as an Elephant

by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Age group: 10+
Genre: Realistic fiction
Rating: ****` (4.5 stars)

Jack Martel is going camping with his mother in Maine when one day he wakes up and she isn't there. This isn't exactly unusual - his mom has an illness, and back in Boston she did this sometimes. But there's a big difference from being safe in your own house and being in a small campground with only $14.63 and no food. School is starting in Boston, and Jack knows people are going to notice he's not there. He sets off on a journey to find his mother, but it's going to be hard - sure enough, his friends and family notice he's not in Boston and soon everyone's looking for him. But if they find him, they will have to take him away from his mom because of her illness. He has to lay low while trying to get back to Boston and find his mom - and it's not easy.
I thought this was a really interesting book because it takes place in cities and towns. Usually survival stories are in woods or some other rural, mostly uninhabited area, but Small as an Elephant isn't. The problems for this type of survival story are VERY different. For example, Jack has to deal with the problems of having no money, and whether or not he can trust certain people, which don't really need to be worried about in the woods. Because of that, this book stands out from the other survival novels out there. I also thought this book had an interesting plot, where the mother isn't as straightforward. I liked how the story was more weaving instead of going in a straight line. There are also many elephant references throughout, which sort of adds a solid standing point for Jack as he searches for his mother. Excellent book.