Citizen Sim: Cradle of the Stars by Michael Solana

This review was written by: C and F

Received: Free electronic copy from the author

Publication Date of Book: May 2014
Pages: 220

Stars: (5/5)

Johnny Clark is your typical teenage boy...sort of.  He loves spending time on the computer (instead of going outside),  hanging out with his two friends, and skipping school every once in a while.  He may also occasionally be described as a slacker or chronic procrastinator, but he's still a great character.  His normalcy seems a constant until one day he wakes up and unexpectedly has knowledge of how to do things he never knew how to remotely perform before.  Suddenly, he becomes exceedingly skilled in math when he was flunking this subject as a freshman just the other year.  He's also having visions of Citizen Sim, a renowned hacker that has even taken down the major search engine Google for a period of time.  Every time Citizen Sim is about to strike, Johnny knows what he is going to do time and time again before he even does it.  Even stranger, Johnny has been constructing a peculiar device that he thinks about at night, waking up in the morning with the knowledge and nagging feeling to put this single device together. He knows that he's missing one piece of the puzzle in its construction, but the thoughts have stopped flowing to him.  That is until he figures out what he needs in math class, a lengthy code.  What does this device do?

Amidst his current troubles, Johnny confides in is friends, telling them about his invention and his issues with the visions of Citizen Sim.  Discouraged and yet not surprised that they think he's bluffing or crazy, he accepts that he is on his own.  To make matters worse, there are two very peculiar men lurking around his neighborhood with unknown intentions, Mr. Jetworth and Mr. Florence.  Little does he know, they might have a history of murder.

Problems continue to arise in young Johnny's life.  One simple example includes a very interesting event at school.  During his math class, everyone pauses what they are doing, literally frozen in place.  Confused, our protagonist watches as his peers suddenly disappear only to be replaced by several individuals he has never been acquainted with before, sharing only a short dialogue before the group is reduced to one innocent looking girl.  When Johnny approaches her, her face turns into an ugly demon like formation.  Suddenly, he is jolted awake in his math class where everything is normal again.  He didn't even know that he had fallen asleep.  What's reality and what's not?  Will Johnny ever figure out what's going on?

Citizen Sim was, simply put, a roller coaster ride of adventure, mystery, humor, suspense, and pure adrenaline.  We each ate this book up, excited for the next opportunity to read more and more of it.  Michael Solana's debut novel was absolutely amazing!  We loved, loved, loved the idea and the plot line.  We've read many books over the years and this one was so unlike and unique among the others that we've read.  Sure, it reminded us of the Matrix, but we loved it nonetheless.  We were glued to our seats, reading page after page, word for word.  (Sometimes, we may be caught skimming some of our books but not with this one!)

Solana's voice in Citizen Sim was brilliant.  We enjoyed every second of it.  Johnny was a fabulous character who we only grew to love more and more as the story progressed.  Every second, we wanted to know more about his world, his life.  We promise that the mystery will keep you flipping the pages until the ending is finally reached.  It was a whirlwind.  We particularly enjoyed the humor that was sneaked into the book.  At one point, Johnny was trying to program his device after he figured out the coding that he needed.  It was at this time that his life was in danger and he had to no where to go and nothing to do but try to finish his creation so that he could save himself.  However, he didn't exactly understand how to program it:

"Five plus twelve over weird triangle thing," said Johnny as he touched numbers and glyphs on the center disk, "swiggle thing, swiggle thing, nineteen slash star...where's the star?  Crap where's the-star!  Nine, five, seventeen..."

We highly recommend this book.  It started off with a bang and kept going, sucking you in before you even knew what was happening.  The story and the characters were ultimately appealing, as well.  If you're looking for a book in the science fiction/fantasy genre or one that will mess with your head, this is definitely for you.  Solana did a great job in creating a masterpiece that we will not be forgetting anytime soon!

No Bones about It (A Ginger Barnes Mystery #4) by Donna Huston Murray

This review was written by: B

Received: Free copy from author via GoodReads giveaway

Publication Date of Book: June 2012
Pages: 254

Stars: (3.75/5)

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that people only denied what they were not ready to face.
               -Ginger Barnes

Ginger Barnes is a strong, calculating character.  While trying to take care of a family, which consists of two children and Rip (her husband), and dealing with their new Irish setter, this woman has her hands full.  However, this definitely does not stand in her way of helping and assisting others, juggling her family life and partaking in a slight pastime that revolves around solving mysteries.  When Ginger finds out that one of her old associates from high school may be connected to a murder, she races to the scene.  Linda, the previously mentioned associate, co-owns a German shepherd named Tibor with her former husband, Karl.  Karl and Linda just went through an undoubtedly hard divorce, and while Linda trains dogs, Karl is a diet-doctor.  When Linda's former husband is soon found dead on his property, Linda is immediately accused of having trained Tibor to attack and kill Karl.  Gin is then asked by Linda to save her dog, but first Barnes must first save Linda.

Karl, surprisingly, was also into dog training.  His training was a little different though, enrolling Tibor in the art of schutzhund, a subject that really interested me.  Gin must find out if Tibor was the dog behind the murder and why he would have done it.  After she starts to think about it, Barnes believes that someone else may have trained the German shepherd to kill his master.  However, who was this insidious individual?  Several suspects arise for questioning.  Some of these shady people include Colin Green, a father who blames Karl for his daughter's death from anorexia nervosa after she met with him, Annie Snellenberg, a person who went on a failed diet, Darlene Polk, and unsatisfied customer, Nancy Carlino, Karl's former assistant who became overweight, and a strange spitfire of a woman who saw Karl training Tibor in schutzhund and blew up at him for it.  Will Ginger Barnes be able to solve this mystery, or is Tibor and his last surviving owner doomed for the doghouse?

This was my very first Ginger Barnes novel.  For being a 'cozy mystery,' I found it to be quite enjoyable.  Dog lovers will definitely enjoy this one, and, not only did I get to enjoy a mystery, but I got to experience shutzhund.  As I previously mentioned, this subject piqued my interest.  I definitely have to give Murray credit for her knowledge and research on this particular topic because it made the beginning of No Bones About It quite intriguing.  I had never heard of it and was eager to find out more and more about it.

On the subject of Ginger, she was a headstrong, devoted, and adventurous character, along with being a family woman as much as she was an independent person.  Her observational skills were superb, and yes, this did lead to some judgement of several people that we were introduced to.  Of course, many main characters in mystery books analyze people and their surroundings quite frequently.  Sure, they may be wrong in their thoughts, but they do this anyway, and I'm okay with this.  I loved how Ginger was presented to the reader and how she acted in various situations.  She had a strong motherly complex to herself that she forced on to all those around her.  This was an interesting aspect to her character.

It took me a long time to decide what to rate this book, and I've finally decided on a 3.75.  After the beginning introduction to schutzhund, I became a little distant from the book.  I don't think I would say that I was bored, I just couldn't concentrate with the slower pace for a particular period of time.  However, in all honesty, I found myself flipping pages in the last half of the book, excited to see what happened to Ginger, Linda, and Tibor.  I found that I was happily rewarded for my patience.  The book easily held my attention once again, but it took quite a while to get back to that point.  That's why I gave it a 3.75.  Something about Ginger and the ending made me feel like it deserved more than a 3.5 rating.  In the end, I loved the conclusion and would definitely like to give more Ginger Barnes mysteries a chance.  I think that I would enjoy the series.  I would say that Gin's a lovely character with a strong writer behind her!

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NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS #1) by Michael Buckley

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: September 2009

Stars: (5/5)

"That's your problem, Braceface.  You judge others by what they look like.  You've spent your life putting people into little categories-nerd, geek, athlete, cheerleader, weakling-and you can't imagine they might be more than what you think.  People are always more than what they appear."
-Matilda (a.k.a. Wheezer)

Jackson Jones rules elementary school.  He's the star of the football team, receives decent grades, has a high popularity status, and a group of his own to call his friends.  He spends his days frequently on the field and playing pranks and raids on the nerds of his school.  However, this all changes with a single dentist visit.  He is told that he will now need braces due to the recent discovery of the abnormal amount of teeth that his mouth is harboring.  Wearing awkward braces is not what cool people do, it's what "nerds" have.  Forced to  wear estranged headgear mounted on his face, he is quickly shunned by his peers and those so called friends he used to hang out with.  He's now the object of his past associates' pranks, turning his life around in a complete 360 manner.  Jackson's grades quickly drop, and all he does is "spy" to see all of the ins and outs of everyone at his elementary school, students and teachers alike.

When his snooping leads him to a group of students that abnormally sneeze at the same time, prompting the five to leave their class in a timely fashion, he finds himself in an awkward situation.  After chasing them down the school's hallway, Jackson hides in a locker when the principal comes walking his way.  He can't afford to get in trouble for cutting class.  It's at this time that he falls through the floor of the locker, taking him beneath the school, thanks to an elaborate system built by a group unbeknownst to him.  It's at the end of this journey that Jones finds himself in a lab-like area, surrounded by scientists working on countless inventions.  When he's spotted, he quickly runs into a room that locks behind him.  At this time, people are trying to break down the door to get to the intruder, Jackson, while he is being assessed by some type of computer that's located in the room.  Finding his weakness, his headgear, the computer system gives him the code name "Braceface."  Jackson Jones has no idea what is going on, but he soon passes out in this same room.  When he awakens, he has powers.

Jackson is in the secret headquarters of the super secret spy group, N.E.R.D.S. (National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society).  It consists of a group of five eleven year old boys and girls who save the world on a weekly basis.  No adults suspect children to be more than what they are, little kids who have no idea what's going on around them.  This is what makes N.E.R.D.S. the ideal spy unit, a group of unsuspecting people who are tech savvy.  Using special technology, these eleven-year-old students are able to utilize their biggest weaknesses as a formidable weapons.  This is what happened to Jackson.  He can now use his braces in strange new ways by imagining what he wants them to turn into and then using them to protect himself and fight enemies in their new form.

The former jock decides to join the team of N.E.R.D.S which consists of Ruby ("Pufferfish) who is allergic to countless emotions, actions, and foods, allowing her to be, in a sense, psychic, Matilda ("Wheezer"), a fierce girl with asthma who can use her inhalers to fly and blast people back or create gaping holes, Duncan ("Gluestick") a sweet boy who devours large amounts of glue, allowing him to stick to walls and surfaces with his own paste, Heathcliff ("Choppers") a young lad with abnormally large teeth that can hypnotize people, and Julio ("Flinch"), an extremely hyperactive person that can gather all of the sugar he eats through a harness that gives him the abilities of super strength and high speeds.

Jackson must train with all five of his eleven-year-old teammates so that he may become the best of the best, all while trying to observe their missions and make those he formally bullied turn to him as a friend.  This is no easy task for any person, but Jackson Jones must do it before he is kicked off the team for good.  Their current missions are to stop whoever or whatever is creating the current world crisis: the moving of the seven continents over great distances.  Somehow, the land formations are being made to form what was once Pangaea. When the landmasses come together, they create giant disasters, killing countless people in the process.  Will Jackson, a.k.a. Braceface, be able to be the hero he wants people to see, or will he fall short and be the bully he's been recently known to be?

Countless middle graders will love this book and the rest of its companions in the series!  It was fun, humorous, full of adventure, and an overall good read.  There were two aspects that I really enjoyed in this book.  The first one was how the six main children in this book were all unique and diverse.  This created a great multicultural arrangement and an unforgettable ride for the reader.  The second reason then tied into a theme that struck me multiple times while reading Buckley's excellent book: It's okay to be different.  I think that this is a great message that so many people and children need to read more of.  Sure, the bullying in this book was brief, but it was well addressed.  When Jackson hurt Duncan, Ruby, Heathcliff, Julio, and Matilda, they were just some nerds who blended in with all of the rest of his school.  However, when he spent time with them, he noticed that what made them nerds was unique to their personalities yet it also didn't define them.  People are so much more than what they seem.  This was what he learned after joining N.E.R.D.S.  Jackson also learned that he didn't need to be a bully to be cool or to attract real friends.  He just needed to be Jackson Jones.                  

Teamwork was also important in Buckley's book.  When the gang was fighting or not listening to what the rest were saying and/or doing, things went badly.  They had to notice what everyone was doing to work like a well-oiled machine.  The descriptions were done well, the plot wonderfully executed, and the writing was excellent!  What was really cool about the book was how it was illustrated.  It almost had the feel of a comic book but one geared toward middle graders.  Of course, this was not what it was, it's indeed a full length novel.  Buckley also threw in multiple changes in perspective.  He went from the N.E.R.D.S. characters to the mysterious and crazy, villain.  Full of intrigue and mystery, the ending contained a great twist that left you wanting the next installment.  I recommend that all middle grade students read this.  It's definitely worth it.

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(August 2014) Topic of the Month: Superheroes!

SUPERHEROES

August's Topic of the Month is officially Superheroes! So to kick it off, we have decided to list a few superhero novels that may interest you! Throughout the month we will be reviewing and posting little blurbs about our favorite superhero-filled novels. Hope you enjoy!!!

Here are a few that we have already read, or will be reading in the future, to start you off:


Read by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman can feel the changes. The sharpening of his senses. This incredible stregnth. The speed, as though he can text message himself across miles. The confidence and the strange need to patrol Central Park at night. His dad had been a hero, a savior to America and a confidante of the president. Then he died, and the changes began in Zach. What Zach never knew was that his father was no ordinary man-he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and that knows no boundaries.

Read by: C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Four thousand years ago the world's first super human walked the earth. Possessing the strength of one hundred men, skin impervious to attack, and the ability to read minds, this immortal being used his power to conquer and enslave nations. Now plans are in motion that will transport this super human to the present, where he'll usher in a new age of tyranny unlike anything the world has ever seen.
Determined to stand against them, using power they have only just begun to master, is a ragtag group of young heroes. For them this first test may be their greatest...and last. (Cue dramatic music!!!)

Read by B and C:

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: What do you do if you can deadlift a car, and you spend your night flying to get away from it all? If you're fifteen-year-old Avery Pirzwick, you keep that information to yourself. When you're a former jock turned freak, can you afford to let the secret slip? But then Avery makes some friends who are as extraordinary as he is. He realizes they are more than just freaks together, maybe they have a chance to be heroes. First, though, they have to decide whether to trust the mysterious Cherchette, a powerful would-be mentor whose remarkable generosity may come at a terrible price. 

Our thoughts on the book: Dull Boy is one of those great books that was never truly discovered and given proper credit. It was definitely an awesome story with amazing characters that were just ordinary, everyday people that were finally allowed to become something greater than themselves. Everyone has to read this book!

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Andrew Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn't mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there's Drew's power: Possessed of super senses - his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet - he's literally the most sensitive kid in school. There's his superhero mentor, a former legend who now spends more time straddling bar stools than he does fighting crime. And then there's his best friend, Jenna - their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren't able to throw a Volkswagen the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: Middle school is a drag even with powers.

Read by: B and C
Here is a link to B's review.

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Ever since becoming an IWP-Individual with Powers-Marvin Maywood has dreamed of joining the Core, a group of gifted heroes who save lives and stop crimes. But because he's a homeless teenager who is forbidden to use his amazing powers, wanting and achieving that dream are two very separate things.

But when Marvin saves a family from some dangerous hoodlums with his enhanced strength and speed, his chance to try out for the Core comes at last. The opportunity seems like a dream come true-until he realizes that the idyllic hero life he imagined is just a mask for the corrupt reality. And when a beloved hero is murdered, Marvin is suspected of being the villain behind the crime.

Read by: B
Links to B's review.

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Nerds features a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.

Read by: C

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Book #1 in a series about teenagers that were tampered with as babies - injected with a combination of drugs that were designed to leave them with super abilities. Over time the teens start to find each other, form a team, and search for answers and the man who did this to them. 

My thoughts on the book: Overall, I thought it was a decent superhero novel. I believe Kim Jewell is one of those authors that was never truly discovered. So many people have never heard of this novel and I definitely recommend it. Plus, don't let the cover fool you! The book may be about a few years old and it was an enjoyable read! The second book is also out and I believe the third book is still in the works.

                                       Book #2:                                       

 

Read by: C

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.

My thoughts on the book: Even though this book focuses on the villain aspect of the superhero world, I loved that the universe was one that showed the corruption within the heroic society and how the villains were just trying to set things right. The book also dealt with the constant clash of what we as humans consider to be good and evil. Definitely read this book!!!

A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: August 2002

Stars: (5/5)

Cancer isn't the worst ting that can happen to a person.  And neither is dying young.  Taking life for granted, living badly-these things seem far worse to me.  In many ways-ways that count-I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
-Melinda

Melinda Skye was a bright, intelligent, and driven little girl.  To her, Jesse Rose was her best friend, a boy deeply attached to all things Melinda.  From first grade and on, these two were joined at the hip.  Leaning on and confiding in each other like only best friends do, it was no surprise when they felt something more towards each other later on in the book.  This story is one of loss, love, and life beautifully written through "letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages."

From a young age, Melinda and Jesse connected with each other.  Jesse even attended Melinda's first ballet recital for the Nutcracker, presenting her with a single rose that he bought all by his little self for the end of her performance.  When Jesse's parents started to have problems and decided to separate and divorce, Jesse was still young, and the Skye family was there for Jesse and practically took him in as one of their own.  The Roses were very grateful towards Lenny and Elana, Melinda's parents, because Jesse's mother had to work while Jesse was supposed to be brought home from school.  Jesse was deeply against going to an after school care program and preferred to spend his time with Melinda and her family.  The Skyes even made him his own room in their basement.  It was because of this arrangement that Jesse and Melinda had a very hard time adjusting when Jesse has to move away with his mother.  Separated, the two decide to email each other so that they could keep in touch no matter what.

As they grew up, Melinda became an amazing ballerina, working hard to fulfill her dream of becoming a prima ballerina and work for a huge dance company.  As she worked her way up the ranks, she got more important parts in the annual Nutcracker performances and was invited to an elite dance opportunity taking place during her summer vacation.  She later became best friends with Bailey, a boy-crazed girl at her school.  At the same time, Jesse got into skateboarding and began to have problems with his father who started to want to become more involved in his son's life.  Jesse is conflicted with this due to his loyalty to his single mother and her decision to go to college while his now married dad lives in New York with his new family.  During all of this, Melinda and Jesse talk about all of the previously mentioned things above contained in their personal messages to each other.  Despite their distances, can these two fall in love, especially at such a young age?

Suddenly, Melinda collapses during one of her special dance opportunity classes and is rushed to the hospital.  It is here that she finds out that she has leukemia.  She is only in her beginning teens and has a promising future ahead of her.  Everyone has to bear with it one day at a time, including her and her parents and friends.  Melinda wants to see Jesse soon, and he can't wait to get to her, but what will happen after they see each other for the first time in years?  Will what they feel for each other make it through all of the e-mails and phone calls, or was it all just a dream?  And most importantly, will Melinda make it through these tough days or lose the battle against her disease?

There are certain authors whose books I can continuously read, over and over again, year after year.  People like Rick Riordan, Darren Shan, Neal Shusterman, and...Lurlene McDaniel, are just a few.  Lurlene McDaniel always seems to amaze me.  Despite the fact that this book was only a short novel that consisted of 208 pages, it packed an amazing punch.  All of her books do.  By punch I mean that her stories leave me thinking about them for days.  She puts a lot into those pages, so much so that you wish it was longer.  They're beautifully written and full of heart and soul.  This is one of my favorites of hers.

Melinda and Jesse were so cute together when they were little.  The letters that they wrote to each other from first grade started out with Jesse signing his name from "Signed, your friend" to "Your friend" changed to "Your very good friend."  It's really adorable.  As they get older, you really get to see more into their lives, their dreams, and their struggles.  While it may sound that you only get to hear from Jesse and Melinda, you also get to read things from each of their parents' perspectives.  This was really interesting.  Not only did you get to see the hardships that the two teens face through Melinda's treatments, but you are also able to see into the eyes of what parents must go through in these situations.  I can't even imagine what people must go through when their children get sick.  It's unthinkable.  However, I think that Lurlene McDaniel does a great job portraying this.  She's an amazing author whose written over fifty young adult books.  That's a huge achievement!

I felt like Jesse and Melinda were real people.  The problems they went through were what people today have to experience all the time, divorce, sickness, relationships, and loss.  While this type of writing, in letters, conversations, and the like, may seem odd or unapproachable, but it was brilliantly executed in this book.  McDaniel outdid herself with this one.  Melinda just felt so real.  She never gave up on her dreams and desires, no matter what happened to be thrown in her path.  She was a true fighter, a true hero.  Jesse was also a true hero.  He fought for what he wanted and for Melinda, giving up so much so that he could give her things that would make her happy during the rough patches, including his skateboard.

A Rose for Melinda was ultimately awe inspiring.  It was heartfelt and a truly great read.  I think that many teen girls would love this story and all that it represents.  It definitely deserves a roaring five stars for its unique voice and inspiring presence in literature today.  I hope you have the chance to read it because if you do, I think that you won't regret it.  Maybe, you'll love it as much as I have and share my same feelings!

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