Review: The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler

The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2013
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375867026

Review: Have you ever lost a friend? If you have you could very well connect with a character in The Dark Between. The Dark Between is written by Sonia Gensler. There are numerous characters some of the main characters are Kate, Asher, and Elsie.

Kate is a 14-year-old girl who works for Mrs. Martineau, but when Mrs. Martineau's show is committed fraud she can no longer work or live with Mrs.Martineau. Kate had nowhere to go because she was an orphan. For a night she stayed at her friend Tec's house. Then she finds out that her dad had a good friend named Mr. Thompson, and that he owned a college near by. When Kate goes to the college to see if he would allow Kate to stay she meets a man named Asher. Both Asher and Kate need to see Mr. Thompson. Kate needs to see him because she needs a place to stay, and would like to see if Mr. Thompson would allow her to stay. Asher needs to see if Mr. Thompson would allow him to stay there at the college also. Mr. Thompson agrees that both kids can stay. While Kate and Asher are both living there they meet Elsie who is Mr. Thompson's niece. While Kate is living there she learns that one of her good friends has passed away. Asher and Elsie try to help Kate figure out who killed Billy, Kate's good friend. While they try to figure out the mystery, Elsie reveals a secret to them that could help then figure out who killed Billy. When they have and idea who might have killed Billy they look for clues, but when they are looking for clues Kate finds out that her other friend Tec has died. Who killed them? Why did they kill them? Those answers will be answered if you read The Dark Between.

This book I would say is intended for girls because there is some romance in it. I would say it could be for older girls because The Dark Between does have some words I did not know. I would recommend this book for 8th grade girls who like mystery, romantic, and dramatic books. I enjoyed it because it was a good mystery story. Also it has some twists to it, and it makes you eager to read it. The book had a good story line also. The Dark Between also makes you wonder while you are reading. Another detail I liked about The Dark Between it describes everything very well. With all the details you could picture all of the events and characters in the story. One thing I did not like about the beginning was that it was a little confusing. Also it seemed a bit long. Also to add the beginning was not as exciting has the other parts of the book. But other than that that this is a magnificent book.

Review written by Danessa (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Dark Between for this review.

Have you read The Dark Between? How would you rate it?

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375869532

Review: Most times when I looked over he wasn't drawing. He was leaning back in his chair and staring at me. And every time he stared I felt like I'd touched my tongue to the tip of a battery. I was nothing but a tingle. After a while the tingle turned to electricity, and when he asked me out my whole body amped to a level where technically I should have been dead. I was pretty sure we had nothing in common, but a girl doesn't think straight when she's that close to electrocution. So begins Lucy's unconventional relationship with Ed. Told through the voices of three Australian teens, Lucy, Ed, and Poet, Cath Crowley's novel, Graffiti Moon, tells a story of adventure, poetry, and life never being quite what it seems.

Lucy, an art student who has just finished her senior year, is a seeker of adventure. After breaking Ed's nose on their first date, she starts out on a quest - a quest to find Shadow. Gifted with raw talent, Shadow spends his nights painting amazing and symbolic pictures on the sides of buildings. He is the ultimate graffiti artist, and Lucy can see through his art and knows he is her soul mate.

Ed, on the other hand, has dropped out of school to find some way to help his single mother support them. Finding a job and a male mentor at a local art store fills a void in his life - that is until his boss loses his life. After having his nose broken, Ed steers clear of Lucy and instead dedicates his nights to releasing his innermost thoughts in his artwork. However, once he hears of Lucy's desire to meet Shadow, Ed tells her that he knows where to find him, and as a result, Ed takes her on the adventure of a lifetime in an all-night search for the man of her dreams.

Poet, is a complicated person who best expresses himself through poetry. In one assignment he composes the following poem titled "Where I lived Before." In his poem he writes, "I used to live with my parents, In a house that smelled like cigarettes, And tasted like beer if you touched anything, The kitchen table was a bitter ocean, That came off my fingers, There were three doors between the fighting and me, And at night I closed them all, I'd lie in bed and block out the sounds." As Ed's best friend, Poet is at his side and has an adventure of his own on that awe-inspiring night when Ed takes Lucy to meet Shadow.

Graffiti Moon is an artsy novel that takes readers through the lives of three seemingly different people who find ultimately that in fact, they are very much alike. The design of the novel, the portrayal of the events from three completely different perspectives is intriguing. It adds an interesting insight into each character that would never happen if the story had simply been told through the perspective of one of the characters. Plus, the complex lives of the characters - each having his or her own demons to hide - creates a realism that will draw readers into the plot. One of the most fascinating parts of the novel is reading Poet's work. Each chapter told from Poet's perspective is told, not surprisingly, through poetry. The level of symbolism and rhetorical devices used in his poetry could definitely be missed by the casual reader. But great insight can be found if the reader looks a little deeper. Overall, Graffiti Moon, is an enjoyable adventure where people come to the realization that whatever is missing in their lives can be found closer than it at first might seem.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Graffiti Moon for this review.

Have you read Graffiti Moon? How would you rate it?

Review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2012
List Price: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9780385740654

Review: A seventeen-year-old should be in the prime of her life, anxiously awaiting all the adventures of adulthood. But that is not the case for Rosie. Her mother has recently died from complications related Huntington's disease. As she faces the reality that she too has a 50% chance of being struck by Huntington's disease, she is struck with a seemingly more traumatizing reality. When she finally decides to undergo testing to determine if she indeed has the genetic abnormality that rears its ugly head in adulthood, her mother's closest friend confides a secret that has plagued her since the day Rosie was born. She was switched at birth. Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale is a thrilling tale of a girl and her ex-boyfriend leaving England and heading to America on a quest to find her "real" mother.

"A person cannot exist without a past. Someone famous said that. But what if your entire existence is a lie? It's like I've been wearing stilettos all my life, leaving footprints everywhere I go, and then one day someone says, 'Hey! Those shoes don't belong to you!' and they take them away. And I look back, and all I have left are the old footprints, which don't even fit my feet anymore, so I can't go back, but I haven't got any new shoes to go forward in, so I'm stuck. Frozen in this place. Not even existing." This is how Rosie views her destiny. As she tries to fill in the gaps in her life, her ex-boyfriend invites her to tour America with him. She agrees unbeknownst to him because she has found the true identity of her mother - a Hollywood star. However, once they hit the States, nothing goes as planned. The secrets that plague her life are far deeper than she'd ever expected, and soon she is tangled in a web of deceit that only she can untangle. Someone Else's Life is a heart wrenching tale of love, lies, and a roller-coaster ride readers won't quickly forget.

From the first page through to the end, Katie Dale keeps readers on the edge of their seats in Someone Else's Life. Not only is the exposure of such a frightening, yet less widely known disease gripping, but the information shared regarding Huntinton's disease is thorough and valuable to readers. In addition, the character development is superbly crafted. It's nearly impossible to watch Rosie travel on her quest for knowledge without noticing the growth she makes as a person. She leaves England a child, but leaves America an adult. Although at times the character's reactions to the situation seem overly dramatic, it only helps in reinforcing the severity of the issues faced when being swapped at birth. The reader, knowing the background for the decision to swap the babies is faced with a moral dilemma that cuts at the core of everything known to be right. Katie Dale has hit on a fabulous young adult novel that will keep readers thinking after the last page.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Someone Else's Life for this review.

Have you read Someone Else's Life? How would you rate it?

Review: Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci.

Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: September 2011
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780152047597

Review: Have you ever read a website and then wanted to track down a run away person? Well in the fantastic written book titled Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci that is the case. In this book there are two main characters named Mike Mavic and Ray Ann. Mike is a reporter he read a website titled ChistopherCreed.com. He and his girlfriend Ray Ann are investigating the case of Christopher running away from home. It starts in a small town in Indiana.

Mike is on the website he visits ChristopherCreed.com- which is run by the "famous" Torey Adams. So since the two college students are on break they decided that they should go to the town were Chris once lived and investigate. When they reach their destination, they are met by some high school students. Who tell them that if they wanted to try to find Chris they should go to Lighting Field where Chris' bother Justin is hanging out. This starts a surreal chain of events as Mike and Ray Ann embark on an adventure filled with death, mystery, and crazy people. If you want to figure out what happens looks like you are just going to have to read the book yourself.

Following Christopher Creed is an amazing book to read. I would recommend this book to anyone 14 and up. The reason I would recommend this book to this age level is because there are some words that aren't suitable for younger kids. So I highly recommend asking your parents to read a couple chapters so they know what kind of words are being used in the book, however the words are sometimes appropriate for the situation, but other times its just bad language. But besides that this book is the best book I have ever read. The plot is very tense which is my favorite type of book. I also think this book is thrilling because everyone in the book is only looking for one person Chris, and Chris is e-mailing Justin to look for him and he appears then vanishes. Even if you don't like mysteries or thrillers I think you will still love this amazing book. The reason is because at first before this book I really preferred sports books. But after I read this book I changed my opinion a lot. I hope that Carol Plum - Ucci makes more amazing books like this. From the beginning I thought this book would be a boring book, but that shows you can't judge a book by its cover. Lastly I think that Following Christopher Creed deserves a five out of five because of all the reasons I listed. So please just read the book- you won't be disappointed.

Review written by Ryan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Following Christopher Creed for this review.

Have you read Following Christopher Creed? How would you rate it?