Poison Study

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder C+

"Yelena, convicted of murdering the son of a powerful general, awaits execution. But with only a few hours left, she is offered an incredible reprieve -- and agrees to become the new food taster for Commander Ambrose, the military leader of Ixia. Living in a palace and eating only the best meals is a dramatic change for Yelena, who spent the last year locked up in a rat-infested dungeon, eating gruel. But she soon realizes that she has more to worry about than ingesting potentially lethal poisons in the commander's meals. The general whose son she murdered has vowed bloody vengeance, and everyone in the commander's retinue look at Yelena as an untrustworthy criminal. The longer she stays alive, however, the more she begins to understand her own perplexing abilities -- all of which will be put to the test when cunning rebels plot to take control of Ixia. "
-Back of the book

This is a very exciting book with tons of expecting events, but it also is very descriptive.
This book is pretty much about death and blood, so if you have a week stomach, I don't recommend this book. I think I almost through up when reading this because on every page they have to put something about blood, poison, death or rats. A good book for people who love excitement and scary books but not for anyone under 13 I think.

Just One Wish

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison. A+

"Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly fi nds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?"

-Back of the book

This was one of the saddest books I've ever read, yet I was still laughing through it. It's a very humorous and deep-heart book. I loved it! Like in the description, Annika is trying to find and convince a movie star to come with her to meet her little brother. But the things she does to get to him is down right hilarious!

I think this is a book for all ages.

The Golden Spiral

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

"The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.
As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante—or doom him.
With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point—and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected—and unlikely—ally."

I was so excited to finally be able to read this, It took me weeks to finally get a copy form the library, and of course once i got it I could not put it down. It was even more exciting then the first one with bigger twist, darker villains, and the same lovable characters. It so hard for me because I just know that if I post to much I'm going to give something big away, which I do all the time, and especially with this series because it's all suspense and action I just want to tell everyone about! If you haven't read this yet you HAVE to, I was in love with these books from the beginning of the first.

Ever

Ever by Gail Carson Levine B+

"Falling in love is never easy, but falling in love with an immortal god while your days on earth are numbered is almost more than a young girl can bear.

Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning new world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens in this spellbinding story of Kezi, a girl confronted with a terrible destiny. Attempting to thwart her fate, Kezi and her love, Olus -- the god of wind and loneliness -- embark on a series of dangerous and seemingly impossible quests."
-Back of book

This book was interesting as much as a little confusing. I really loved it and it was fun once you remember this is fantasy not fiction. But the thing that confused me was it took me awhile to relive that mati and pado means mom and dad. And I'm still confused on what time period this is. My favorite kind of fantasy is modern day fantasy but this is one I liked regardless.

After I read this book I watched the movie "Ella Enchanted." When I picked out this book I expected it to be more like the movie of "Ella Enchanted" but of course I was wrong. I'm happy It's not like the movie to because I also like the serious fantasy's and not to much of a comedy. But my favorite kind of fantasy is modern day fantasy

Water Song

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn B-

"Young, beautiful, and wealthy, Emma Pennington is accustomed to a very comfortable life. Although war rages abroad, she hardly feels its effect. She and her mother travel from their home in Britain to the family estate in Belgium, never imagining that the war could reach them there. But it does.

Soon Emma finds herself stranded in a war-torn country, utterly alone. Enemy troops fight to take over her estate, leaving her with no way to reach her family, and no way out.

With all of her attention focused on survival and escape, Emma hardly expects to find love. But the war will teach her that life is unpredictable, people aren't always what they seem, and magic is lurking everywhere."

-Back of the book

This book was cleaver because it said it was a retelling of "The frog prince" but it's not a fantasy. I also liked it a lot because there was a big, suspenseful, event at the begging and it last all through out the book. And the writing skills made the book sound like it was written in the 1940th when really it's just a few years old. I liked this book and recommend it to ages 13-100 It's something any fairytale, or historical fiction lover would enjoy.

I am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. B-

"Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing."
-Back of the book


This book started out good and you'd think it would get pretty suspenseful, and it does, but....it wasn't the most creative Science Fiction I've read, and I thought it was a type of book that boys would enjoy a lot more then girls. I don't really have much to writ about it because to be honest, I kind of spaced out at eh end. But I still recommend this to maybe boys about 12 years old.

The Hourglass Door

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum A+

"His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?Abby's senior year of high school is textbook perfect: She has a handsome and attentive boyfriend, good friends, good grades, and plans to attend college next year. But when she meets Dante Alexander, a foreign-exchange student from Italy, her life suddenly takes a different turn. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Time behaves differently when they are together - traveling too fast or too slow or sometimes seeming to stop altogether. When the band Zero Hour performs at the local hangout, Abby realizes that there's something dangerous about the lead singer, Zo, and his band mates, Tony and V. Oddly, the three of them are also from Italy and have a strange relationship to Dante. They also hold a bizarre influence over their audience when performing. And Abby's best friend, Valerie, is caught in their snare. Dante tells Abby the truth of his past: he once worked for Leonardo Da Vinci, helping to design and build a time machine. When Dante was falsely implicated as a traitor to his country, he was sent through the machine more than five hundred years into the future as punishment. As the past and the present collide, Abby learns that she holds a special power over the flow of time itself. She and Dante must stop Zo from opening the time machine's door and endangering everyone's future. More than one life is at stake and Abby's choice could change everything."
-Back of the book.

I was so shocked with this book. I've been told it was a very good book and I needed a book so I got a copy from the library, sat down, and read. I absolutely loved it! I'm for shur that this author takes a place in my top five favorite authors. It's such a page turner and it keeps you guessing all the way. I can not wait to get the sequel! It's another one of those books that makes you believe everything the characters said was true. I even cryed at the end of this book. And any book that makes me cry is automatically one of my favorites.