Tuesday, June 17, 2014

A Breath of Eyre

by Eve Marie Mont

Summary:
Emma has always loved stories. But she never expected this. When a lightening strike catapults Emma into the world of the novel she is reading, which just happens to be Jane Eyre, she finds herself in a world where she truly fits in. As the days go by she realizes that she has a choice to make, stay in heroine Jane's world, or go back to her less than perfect real world.

Review:
I had low expectations on picking up this book, but I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. The plotline spans both present day and Jane's world, and Emma is a great character in both. This book-and it's 2 sequels- made me want to pick up and reread the original books that Mont bases them on. It's a great book to give to those who love to read, though I think that it might be less exciting to someone who is not a huge book lover since so much of the books are taken almost right from the originals. It's better for slightly older teens as well, as there is some drinking in them.

Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade

Torn Away

by Jennifer Brown

Summary:
When Jersey hears the tornado alarm go off, she's not too worried. They go off all the time, and 99.99% of the time nothing happens. But she goes down into the cellar anyway, cause she doesn't want her mom to yell at her if she found out she hadn't. This time is not a false alarm. As the tornado recedes and leaves her town devastated, Jersey has lost everything and everyone she loves. Now, sent to live with relatives she's never met, Jersey will have to discover that there are some things you keep even when you thought you'd lost everything.

Review:
Author Jennifer Brown is known for her brilliantly written and poignant books, and this title definitely fits the bill. Jersey is a very empathetic character, and her struggles as she tries to move forward are heartbreaking. The relationships between the characters are believable. I thought the storyline with her stepfather to be extremely realistic and as such very difficult to read. The lack of sex or alcohol or drugs make this a safe bet for even younger teens.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7th Grade

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Expiration Day

by William Campbell Powell

Summary:
Tania has always believed she was rare. One of the few human children in a world where most are actually robots. But when that turns out to be a lie, she finds herself at the center of a debate about what it truly means to be human. And she only has until her 18th birthday to prove she has a right to exist.

Review:
A poignant book about what it means to be human, Expiration Day is a good read to hand to teens who like science fiction. Tania is very relatable as explores what she is and what that means for her life. Though a robot, she is extremely human, making her struggles growing up very similar to those we all undergo. The book wraps up pretty neatly, with a twist at the end that makes the difficult choices leading up to it ok. Good for younger teens as well as slightly older ones, it would be a little simple for older teens to really appreciate.

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 7th Grade