February 8th 2010
Review by Daniel M.
Who would like this book? First, if you liked the first book; second, if you love adventure, romance, action, and unfair government stories, then this series is the perfect thing for you.( Read “The Hunger Games” first.)
Why? Catching Fire is a book about a 17-year-old girl named Katniss. The best words to fit her are underappreciated, rebel, close-hearted, strong, intelligent, responsible, contemplative, resourceful, and caring. She used to live in District 12 in the clutches of President Snow, who controls Panem, the country that burst out of the ash and flame of Northern America. Katniss has just come back from the cruel deathly gladiator punishment as a victor. Being a victor of this, (the Hunger Games) means that you have the power to be above the reaping ball (the container that holds the names of every person in your district ages 12-18, arranged BINGO style in a ball) so you will never have to be forced to go through the death match again. Unfortunately for Katniss, this year is a Quarter Quell, which means any of the rules could be changed to anyone but the district’s favor. See what happens to Katniss with this wild change of events and how she overcomes sure fatality in Catching Fire.
The details: 391 p. 2009 Submitted by Daniel M.
January 3rd 2010
Who would like this book? Anyone who has read The Hunger Games. You won’t be disappointed in this sequel!
Why? Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12, but their new lives there as the victors of the Hunger Games are drastically different than the lives they led previously. The complications of their new situation are complex, starting with the displeasure of President Snow over Katniss’s manipulation of the ending of the last Hunger Games. Her actions have created a rebellion that the Capital cannot contain, and Katniss’s mockingbird is at its center. To protect the lives of her family, Gale and his family, and others in District 12, Katniss agrees to marry Peeta. Then, the Capital announces that the 75th Hunger Games will be a Quarter Quell with 24 of the previous victors fighting to the death. The alliances and schemes of Katniss, Peeta, and the rest of the victors push the plot to a new level. The characterizations are spot-on. The combination of a page-turning plot, distinctive characters, and thought-provoking ideas makes for a great read. The only drawback is that we now have to wait for the final book in the triology, due out on August 24, 2010.
The details: 391 p. 2009 Submitted by Samrarian
December 6th 2009
Review by Daniel M.
Who would like this book? Any person who loves suspense and loves books that they can never put the book down until it is finished. It is a war/captive/romance novel. Maybe a lot of people would think it is cheesey, but I thought it was great
Why? The Hunger Games is about a 16 year old girl who faces a yearly “arena depression time”, when a girl and boy from each city are taken to an arena as a gameshow/horror cage that is hosted by the main city of the country Panem for the 74th year in a row. Katniss, (the main character/protagonist) is chosen from District 12, the town she lives in. The romance theme is a false relationship that one person thinks is real, but the other is only pretending so they both can stay alive in this gruesome fight to the death called The Hunger Games.
The details: 374 p. 2008 Submitted by Daniel
November 8th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers, especially girls, grades 7 and up, who like ghost stories and mysteries with some romance and real-life relationship problems.
Why? Summer days in Ondine, Louisiana are long, hot, and humid. Nothing happens and there is nothing for teenagers to do. Fourteen-year-old Iris and her friend Collette are trying to stir up some excitement by playing around at casting spells in the town’s old cemetery. Iris does not expect to actually hear from a ghost, so when she hears, “Where y’at, Iris?” in a distinctive voice and sees a boy who nobody else hears or sees, she plunges into a chilling quest to find out who he is and what he wants. As Iris, Collette, and Collette’s boyfriend Ben go from the cemetery to the witchboard (like a Ouija board) to the library’s archives to Elijah’s disturbed mother, Elijah’s ghost becomes increasingly aggressive toward Iris. The story takes surprising twists and is full of suspense. I couldn’t put it down, and the ending worked for me. Shadowed Summer is a good ghost story/mystery during any season.
The details: 183 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
14-year-old Iris
November 8th 2009
Who would like this book? Fans of action-packed spy thrillers, grades 5 and up.
Why? I,Q (Book One: Independence Hall) combines the rock-and-roll world of paparazzi and fame with the dark, complex world of conspiracies, terrorism, and spies. Told from the point of view of 15-year-old Q (short for Quest), I,Q is all action that doesn’t stop for reflection or serious character development. The plot setup pulled me right in. Q is agitated over his mother Blaze’s whirlwind romance and quick marriage to fellow rock star Roger Tucker. Roger’s daughter Angela shares Q’s lack of enthusiasm, especially because she is still grieving for her mother, a highly skilled CIA agent who was killed in the line of duty. The new parents have formed a band, Match, which is all the rage. The new family embarks on a yearlong tour in a tricked-out coach that Roger and Blaze insist on driving themselves. It doesn’t take long for them to break down and to be saved by a world-wise old roadie named Boone. The readers are tipped off at the start that something sinister is going to happen by short, italicized chapters by a mysterious spy that alternate with Q’s main experiences. As the two story lines intersect, the spy intrigue takes off and the skills of Angela and Q are put to the test. I hope that the second book in the series, The White House, gives more character development. I, Q is high on action, but unsatisfying when it comes to feeling for and with the characters. Sarah Weeks (author of So B. It) chose it as the 2009 Oregon Book Award for Young Adult Literature.
The details: 302 p. 2008 Submitted by Samrarian
October 11th 2009
Review by Michael R.
Listen to a bookcast by Michael about Catching Fire
Who would like this book? People who have read the first book in the series (The Hunger Games) and liked it.
Why? Catching Fire is just as good as The Hunger Games, if not better. There are more twists and turns than a road through mountains. We learn new things about Katniss and Peeta and almost feel like we are in the book. To really enjoy this book you must first read The Hunger Games. In Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta repeatedly make the government mad at them so Katniss and Peeta agree to marry each other so they will not be killed. When the pictures of Katniss in her wedding dress appear, President Snow tells people that at the next Quarter Quell only the previous winners of the reaping will be put into the lottery. Of course Katniss, being the only female winner of the games from District 12, gets picked. Read this great book to find out more.
The details:391 p. 2009 Submitted by Michael R.
October 1st 2009
Review by Michael F.
Who would like this book? People who are fine with a slow start a fast paced action in the middle, and a cliff hanger ending. This book is for you.
Why? The Hunger Games is all about a girl named Katniss who is drawn for her District in a game called the Hunger Games. Every year two people from each district are chosen to go to the Hunger Games and either make allies or fight to the death. During the Hunger Games, Katniss teams up with a boy named Peta and a girl name Reu.
The details: 374 p. 2008 Review by Michael F.
October 1st 2009
Review by Michael
Who would like this book? Boys and girls in eighth grade or older.
Why? Marcus, Darrell, Van, and Jolu get caught in a terrorist explosion in San Francisco. As they are taken away they are detained by government officers. Marcus gets picked out and they take him to a prison for questioning. When he gets out he is told that they will be watching him. Then Marcus makes the X-net a free internet service that makes your data encrypted to everybody except you. Marcus then meets Ange who becomes his girlfriend. I would recommend this book to older people.
The details: 380 p. 2008 Submitted by Michael
September 27th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers 13 and up who like vampires and Twilight and are ready for a more complicated story.
Why? Clary Fray thinks she’s just having a fun night out when she goes to the Pandemonium Club with her friend Simon. Her thoughts tend toward the dark side, so it’s not a total surprise that she witnesses a violent crime. It is surprising that the victim disappears before she can report it, and she’s left with the “criminals.’ Clary’s life turns upside down when she discovers that she can see these beings – Shadowhunters – and normal “mundies” (humans) cannot. When her artist mother, Jocelyn, is kidnapped and implicated in the business of the Shadowhunters, Clary must stay with her new companions. The sparring between Clary and Jace, a Shadowhunter who is too aware of his own good looks and talents, helps the story, as does the welcome appearances by Clary’s tried-and-true mundie friend, Simon. The descriptions of the New York’s vampire underworld are great, but the plot gets bogged down in uneven side stories and tedious explication of the history of the Shadowhunters.
It’s a YRCA nominee for 2010 i the Senior Division.
The details: 496 pages, 2007 Submitted by Samrarian
June 28th 2009
Who would like this book? If you’re looking for an adventure/thriller/spy story that is similar to Alex Rider but edgier and more violent, take a look at this book and the one that comes first – Fight Game. 6th grade and up.
Why? Firefight continues the dangerous, edgy adventures of Freedom Smith, a gypsy antihero who has inherited the “Hercules gene,” giving him superhuman fighting strength. Introduced in Fight Game (2007), Freedom is now a reluctant operative with Phoenix, a British undercover police operation. In Firefight, an e-mail called a “Screamer” is sent to selected kids who then disappear a short time later. Thinking that the e-mail is a harmless prank, Freedom forwards the Screamer to his friend Java. When it turns out that the e-mail is actually a mind-controlling plot by the sinister Draconisi family, Freedom and his crazy dog Spike take off for Malta to solve the mystery and save Java and the other kidnapped Indigo kids. There’s plenty of action and humor, and the writing style has a trendy edge that is fun to read. The author has done a lot of research on Gypsies, and this background is evident in Freedom’s experiences, talents, and challenges.
The details: 339 p. 2008 Submitted by Samrarian