Book Reviews by Young Adults
RSSSneak Peek Reviewers Club
The adrenaline must have been flowing in San Leandro, CA, where the Sneak Peekers were reading some of the books featured in this column. The reviews include "exciting," "rollercoaster," "edge of your seat," and "action-packed"—but what else would you expect from a cat killer, a super volcano, and a teen on the run? And we have bookends of a sort, again-while Donna Freitas's The Survival Kit explores a teen's grief over losing her mother, Robin Stevenson's Escape Velocity tells the story of a mother being given another chance with the daughter she left behind. FREITAS, Donna. The Survival Kit. Frances Foster Bks., October 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-39917-7. The novel is a fun and easy read. The fast-paced story moves quickly through Rose's year. It shares all the hardships she faced the year after her mom's death and shows how she learned to move forward and figure out how to live life on her own. The majority of the characters go through huge changes, and for most of them, it's for the better. This book will leave you wanting more.-Moiré B., age 12 MCKINTY, Adrian. Deviant. Amulet, October 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-810-98420-2. MULLIN, Mike. Ashfall. Tanglewood, October 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-933718-55-2. While there's plenty of action, there are some parts where the story drags a bit more than it should. However, any dragging is made up for by the plot twists that'll take you on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the book. It's neither a fast-paced or slow-paced book, rather a mixture of both, adding to the aforementioned rollercoaster feeling. The book is easy enough to understand language-wise, but touches upon some mature subjects, so it may not be the best choice for younger readers. The ending is one that could be picked up on in a sequel, but will leave readers satisfied should there not be one.—Charlene S., age 14 PRICE, Charles. Desert Angel. Farrar, October 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-31775-1. This action-packed, fast-paced novel is great for teens who enjoy adventure stories. The author does a good job describing the different settings and characters Angel comes across in her adventures. This story has a strong sense of good versus evil, and it keeps the reader on the edge of their seats until the very end. Desert Angel is an exciting and interesting read.—Tyler L., age 12. STEVENSON, Robin. Escape Velocity. Orca, October 2011. pap. 12.95. ISBN: 978-1-554-69866-0. Escape Velocity is well written. The story of Lou and her relationship with her mother isn't perfect, but the novel ends with the sense that anything can happen because Lou's story is not over yet. This novel is an excellent example of life and how you never know what it has in store.—Leyla S., age 14 For another take on Escape Velocity, visit SLJTeen 9/21/11. This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.
Gr 8 Up-After her mom died, Rose pushed away everything and everyone. She closed off the life she knew before her mom died, until she found a survival kit that her mom had left for her. Inside, she found a picture of peonies, an iPod, a star, a box of crayons, and a kite. Each of these things is meant to help her move on. Starting with the peonies and ending with the kite, she slowly pulls out of her grief and learns to live without her mom.
Gr 7-11—Danny Lopez messed up in Las Vegas, so his mother decides to move to Colorado Springs, CO, and Danny has to go to a new school. In this little town, people believe that everything is just fine, but Danny can't seem to shake the feeling that something is wrong. He doesn't think it's the school even though it's really strange that every little move seems to be watched by someone. He meets up with a club to find out why cats are starting to disappear and are found dead in random places. As you read more into this crazy, fun, exciting book, everything starts to get more dangerous and Danny needs to figure out whom to trust.
Deviant is unbelievably good. At first, you don't really know what's going on, but as the story unfolds, you won't be able to stop reading it. Every book needs a good villain and this story sure has one. This book should be for ages 14 and up. You shouldn't read it if you don't like killings and scary books. This book will keep you guessing the entire time—that's what made it so exciting. I give this book an eight out of 10 stars.-Leilani D., age 16Gr 9 Up-Navigating his way through the remnants of a super volcano explosion, Alex tries to make his way through miles of ashes to his family. It's much easier said than done. The law is ineffective in this apocalyptic setting, so it's an "every man for himself" ordeal out on the roads. Along the way, he encounters many adversities, and meets colorful characters, such as Target, an escaped convict, and Darla, a witty, strong girl that Alex finds himself drawn to.
Gr 8 Up—After another night of fighting between her mother and Scotty, her mom's new "boyfriend," Angel wakes up to find her mother dead. Scotty then tries to kill Angel by lighting their trailer on fire with her in it. Angel barely escapes with her life and runs to the nearest house in the barren California desert. The people she meets are undocumented immigrants who help her in ways she never would have expected. They move her to friends' houses after Scotty comes close to finding her. Angel learns what it's like to have a family for the first time, but Scotty is never far away. Angel wants to end the game by becoming the hunter instead of the hunted. With the help of her new friends, Angel tracks down Scotty and makes her stand.
Gr 8 Up—Fifteen-year-old Lou comes home to find her father having a heart attack, forcing her to live with her estranged mother in Victoria while he's in the hospital and getting back on his feet. Lou has only seen her mom a handful of times throughout her life and after one visit last summer, Lou had given up trying to be close with her. When Lou realizes her mother has never hated her and has only been afraid of being a bad mother, it's the beginning of the rest of their story together.
