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Teen SRC 2018 – Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu

Written by Charis Au
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Image result for book Rules for Stealing StarsRules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu

Silly is used to feeling left out.  Her three older sister think she’s too little for most things-especially when it comes with their mother’s unpredictable moods and outbursts.  This summer, Silly feels more alone than ever when her sisters start whispering and sneaking away to their rooms together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot: sunburned cheeks smudged with glitter and gold hair that looks like tinsel. When Silly is brought into her sister’ world, the truth is more exciting than she ever imagined. The girls have discovered magic deep inside their old house that gives them what they truly need: an escape full of wondrous secrets and adventure. But it soon becomes clear that there are some secrets that the rest of the family would prefer to keep hidden- and knowing the truth could change everything.

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Teen SRC 2018- The Name Of This Book Is A Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Written by Emi N.
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Image result for the name of this book is secret  The Name Of This Book Is A Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

In this book Cassandra is an 11 year old girl who is prepared for anything. From earthquakes to floods to even hurricanes, she has it all in her backpack that she always wears. Cass is a kid who isn’t like the others, she doesn’t really have any friends until she meets Max-Ernest another misfit kid. Max-Ernest is a kid like others just without many friends and who has a strange life. His parents are divorced but still live in the same house. You see their house is divided into two, but neither parent can cross the middle.

Theres real-estate agent for the deceased named Gloria. She cleans out peoples houses and tries to sell them. But one day she comes across a box labeled “The Symphony of Smells” in a old magicians home. Gloria gave the box to Cass and her grandfathers. Cass and Max-Ernest want to find out more on this box and magician so they become partners and start digging for clues. But what they didn’t know is that two people want that same box. The two find out that the house and box belonged to Pietro Bergamo. After digging a little bit more they soon find a secret room.

Back to the two people, they are Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L. The two of them are part of the Midnight Sun Spa. Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L find out that Cass and Max-Ernest have the box but they also want a special song and they think that Cass has it in a notebook she found that was writen by Pietro. Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L look for Cass and Max-Ernest at their school. Cass goes to the Midnight Sun pretending to be someone else but soon discovers that its an evil business that Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L made. Max-Ernest and Cass do many secret things there and in the end lets just say there is no more Midnight Sun.

I found this book very interesting because you would never know what was going to happen next. I like how the author of The Name Of This Book Is A Secret kept certain things a secret like where they where and when it was, it always kept you in suspense. I think Cass is an interesting person and I would definitely recommend this book to you. I have read the next book in the Secret Series (If your reading this book its too late) and loved it. The next book is a continuation of the first with another adventure in the hands of Cass and Max-Ernest! I can’t wait to read the third book.

 

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Teen SRC 2018 – Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Written by kathyzheng
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SRC Teen 2018 – Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

This book sounded quite interesting to me after I read the summary. In a nutshell, Dorothy Must Die is about a girl named Amy who is whipped to where Dorothy is in order to kill her because she is going evil with power from her red shoes. Initially I read this book to see blood and sick magic action, where a rebel can reveal some sort of flaw within a seemingly nice society, but unfortunately what I got was a shallow novel that never explores any interesting underlying themes. In fact, a surprising amount of portion of the novel is dedicated to this little love story between Amy and a boy named Nox who is suppose to train her for her to become the perfect rebel. Other than Nox and Pete, all other important characters are female, making the crew look more and more like a harem. The book is written in first-person, but even so I feel like rooting for the antagonists. I personally felt that the book was poorly written. It’s only saving grace is the nicely designed cover and an almost-disney-princess-gone-bad character. Sorry Amy, just a low B for you.

“Dorothy Must Die” – Thoughts on a radical new entry in ...

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Teen SRC 2018 – Cold Cereal by Adam Rex

Written by Biscuits
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Cold Cereal by Adam Rex

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex is two parts comedy, one part urban fantasy, and a little sci-fi thrown into the mix for good measure. I am honestly upset that it does not have a bigger following, because it is HILARIOUS. The three main (human) characters may have slightly bland personalities, but Rex makes up for them by tenfold in the humourous, fantastical, sometimes poetic, and most definitely strange world he builds around them. Every page, every end of chapter leaves you wanting more of that world, and the suspense that lives in it.

The demographic for this book is probably somewhere from 7-12, but there are some sequences that you will probably understand better if you’re a little older.

“Cold Cereal” will enchant your, capture your heart, and quite possibly bring you to tears (of laughter). It has not changed my life in a big way, but even as I reread it for the fourth time, it still holds my attention and makes me laugh. Read this book. You will not regret it.

Note: “Cold Cereal” is part of a trilogy: The Cold Cereal Saga. The following books are “Unlucky Charms” and Champions of Breakfast”. Both are also awesome.

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Teen SRC 2018 – White Cat by Holly Black

Written by Julipears
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Image result for white cat bookCassel comes from a family of Curse Workers: people with the ability to change your emotions, your luck, your memories, and even change you into something else with just one touch. And, since performing Curse Work is illegal, all Curse Workers are criminals. But Cal has no magic. He is the only normal person in a family of conmen.

Lately, Cal has been waking up to find that he was sleepwalking. Haunted by a vision of a white cat, he begins to notice disturbing things happening around him, especially his brothers, who may be using him for their own purposes.

I really love all the books by Holly Black, and have read most, if not all, of her books at the library. This series was a great work of art, and I was hooked right from the start.

 

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Teen SRC 2018 – Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Written by Julipears
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Image result for eragonWhen a polished blue stone Eragon found in the forest hatched into a dragon hatching, his life was changed overnight. He realized that he had stumbled upon an ancient legend, one of the legendary Dragon Riders that have long disappeared, one as old as the Empire itself. Eragon is thrust from his simple life into a perilous new world of magic, destiny, and power. With his only support being an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller, Eragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and confront the dark enemies of the Empire a king whose evil knew no bonds. The fate of this land rests in his hands.

This series is my all time favourite series ever. The characters developed and changed drastically over the course of the four books, and it had me absolutely hooked.

 

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Teen SRC 2018 – Lirael (Abhorsen #2) by Garth Nix

Written by Julipears
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Image result for liraelLirael was abandoned by her mother, and raised by the Clayr, who welcomed her into the extended family living at the Clayr’s glacier. However, with looks that didn’t resemble anyone else, and even lacking the gift of the Sight (the ability to see possible futures) every daughter of the Clayr possesses, she has never felt like she belonged. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom now rests in her hands. With help from her trusty companion, the Disreputable Dog, she must undertake a mission under the shadow of an ancient evil, one that opposes the Royal Family, is blocking the Sight of the Clayr, and can break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. On her journey, Lirael must find the courage to realize her hidden destiny.

I loved this series, even though I skipped the first book. I loved the character developement, romance, and magic!!!

 

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Teen SRC 2018 – The Odds of Lightning by Jocelyn Davies

Written by Julipears
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The Odds of Lightning by Jocelyn Davies

This book is about friendship, and how one strike of lightning can change people’s lives forever. The four protagonists, Tiny, Will, Nathaniel, and Lu used to be best friends. But, when Nathaniel’s brother died three years ago, they broke apart, and barely talk to each other now. Taking place the night before the SATs, the story is told from four different perspectives as the former best friends go on an all-night adventure to reconcile with the past, overcome their individual fears, and follow their dreams. In this book, friendship can literally be magic.

This was an amazing and a really enjoyable book to read. Even though it’s not a thriller or a book packed with action, I still found myself glued to the pages, cheering on the characters as they struggle to overcome their fears.

 

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Teen Book Review – Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Written by Rosie
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Tower of DawnIn my opinion, Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas was equally bad and good at the same time. Let’s begin on a good note, all things awesome about this book; Sarah J Maas is honestly a phenomenal author and she has never ceased to amaze me, if you have read the rest of the books in this series, you would know exactly why ;). This book was no exception, the plot is truly incredible and well-planned, nothing happens for no reason.

!SPOILERS AHEAD!Read More

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Teen Book Review- Rebellion by J. A. Souders

Written by Joy Qian
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Rebellion is the third and last book of the Renegade trilogy. This time, Evelyn is trying to stop her mImage result for rebellion ja soudersother from ruling Elysium, the underwater world that once used to be what Evelyn called HOME. With the help of her friends, Asher and Gavin, she desperately tries to rescue the citizens of Elysium, one by one. But her plans don’t work, and her mother is always in the way as if she has a device to know exactly where Evelyn is. The only safe place for her and her friends is The Underground, a secret dimension beside The Elysium. That’s when Evelyn learns that she still has a mission to complete. She has to banish her mother from Elysium and restore all of her citizens’ memories.

I feel that the third book could’ve improved a bit more because the book started with…action. And, to be honest, I was completely lost. I was really excited for the conclusion, but even after finishing the book, I am still lost on some things that happened.

Then, at the end, there were only questions. Lots and lots of questions. If there would’ve been a 4th book, this would’ve been fine, but as a trilogy, there shouldn’t be any more questions. It should feel clear who won or lost, but instead, the author wrote down many unanswered questions, and no real conclusion was written. Another confusing part was when, apparently, Evelyn found the key to taking down Mother but at the end of the book, Evelyn is still in her mother’s power! My reaction was WHAT?! Is there some sort of mistake? The ending definitely didn’t do a very good job of explaining the plot twist.

I am sorry to say that I am pretty disappointed. I expected a great, twisty book with fun and excitement, but instead, there was only questions, and few answers.

To me, the only interesting and pretty awesome part of the story is the cover. The cover features Evelyn, holding a rose and standing in a tube-like street, and if she looks up, there will be whales swimming just above her head.

I recommend the first two book of this trilogy, but unless you don’t care about horrible endings, then you can try the last one, but I definitely don’t really recommend it. I only rate this book a 2.5 out of 5.

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