The Program by: Suzanne Young

Amazon.com

Teen Suicide runs rampant. Depression is a sickness, a virus, it grows deep within its victims and spreads until there is no other choice but Quikdeath. Sloane refuses to let it take her. She's seen what it can do. After her brothers suicide Sloane refuses to follow suit. But, nobody escapes the Program.


The program is a solution, at least that's what the propaganda shoved down teen throats says. You'll come back shiny and new with no memory of your life before. You'll come back better. The program is here to fix what's broken. Sadly, most would rather be broken. The pills wipe away the bad and the good. There is no cloud or backup drive to save you. Once your memories are gone, they're gone. It's Sloane's worst fear and greatest nightmare. One terror she can't wake up from.

While the Program has a plot that would seem to thrill, it focuses more on romance then the dystopian society it has built up. The young adult novel is more focused on romantic tension and bonds rather than destroying an oppressive society. If love amongst chaos is your go to then I recommend this. But, if your priorities lie elsewhere I would not say this is an adventure you would like to partake in. ( 2/5 stars )

Code of Honor By: Alan Gratz

Amazon.com

2 brothers closer than you could imagine. They know everything about one and other too the smallest minute detail. At least they thought they did. Kamran thought he could trust Darius. Until the News Feed came. How could this happen? His brother, his Army Ranger brother, a terrorist. It just wasn't possible. Deep down he knew that it couldn't be true, but how can he prove it. He knew how, and it was farfetched, insane even. A code made so long ago; a code between brothers. Their code of honor. If Darius was still true, maybe just maybe, he could bring him back. Now he just has to convince the US government.

Code of Honor has the perfect blend of heartfelt family, societal issues, and military drama. The exciting twist and turns keep readers hooked. Award winning author Alan Gratz brings about a new perspective on your everyday Armed Forces adventure.

Dark Energy by: Robinson Wells

Amazon.com

Humans have always wondered what lies beyond the dark starry sky. What else is out living and surviving in the universe? What will happen if they find us? Out in the middle of nowhere Iowa, it seems they have. A spaceship larger than a skyscraper has tore through the land killing thousands. The people are enraged, the aliens are silent. For days they stayed locked inside their beaten ship. Until finally they emerge, shocking not just the nation, but the world. When terror and lies threaten to end humanity it is up to a NASA scientist daughter to save not only our world, but theirs too. Friendships formed from the sparks of conflict will grow like wildfires. Whereas dangerous lurking in the dark may hold truths we wish not to know. Events spiral down further and further as new truths are brought to light. Who are these strangers? Why are they here? An who's going to follow?

At first glance Dark Energy may seem as your run of the mill Sci-Fi novel, but i assure you,  Robison Wells has an ace up his sleeve. A rag tag bunch of teens, aliens from amongst the stars, death far greater than ever before, it will draw you in and never let you leave. The story flies right off the page leaving readers itching for more. Hugging the edge of there seat and devouring line after line. No one can get enough of this fantastic new adventure.

Salt to the Sea by: Ruta Sepetys

Amazon.com

A heart wrenching tale of a group of misfits daring escapades during World War 2. Fighting hunger, wounds, language barriers, and persistent russian attacks each wonderful character has his or her own motives. Only one thing brings them all together, passage aboard the Gustloff. Evacuation may be their only chance at survival. Having already braved such hardships the Wilhelm Gustloff appears to be a light shining gallantly through the darkness. Unbeknownst to them this beacon of hope will turn into one of history's greatest maritime disasters. Wills will be tested, friendships strained, alliances broken, and once again death will strike a mighty blow upon his victims.

Ruta Sepetys is a world renowned historical fiction author who is not afraid to show the true horrors of history. Time and time again she has brought the hidden past to light in gruesome yet glorious displays, Salt to the Sea lives of to her fantastic legacy in more ways then one. She wields words like an artist with a paint brush. The scenery and events play like films for all readers. It is with no doubt I can say that any who read this book will find either a lesson to be learned, a thought to be pondered, or a life to be cherished. It is with that I push you, dear reader, to find yourself lost in the pages of this magnificent novel, and simultaneously get lost in time. 

What Waits in the Woods By: Kieran Scott

What Waits in the Woods on Amazon

Jeremy, Penelope, Lissa, and Callie all venture into the woods. 4 nights, that's all it should be, then Callie will be home. Shopping in New York, with her mom. 4 nights in the woods, how bad can that be? She tries her best to stay positive but a mysterious laughing man, ghost stories, and a tumble of a bridge begin to shake her confidence. Lost and drenched the groups seeks refuge with a new comer, Ted. With friendships and relationships dwindling they follow their new guide skeptical, but trusting in their time of need. Foundations begin to shake when  it seems that an outside force is threatening their lives. What will it take to survive in the woods? Who will have strength to survive? Hidden secrets and lies may be the end of our protagonist. We may not want to know what waits in the woods...

The classic horror story for all those who absolutely love them. Filled with a wilderness adventure, lore like no other, and an exciting plot twist that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While I may not have loved this book, mostly because i'm not into horror, I just know you guys out there with an eye for the spooky sides of things will devour this new novel with a passion. 

All Fall Down By: Ally Carter

All Fall Down on Amazon

The first book in the thrilling Embassy Row trilogy focuses on the return of Grace Blakely to Adria, home of Embassy Row. Grace is not crazy, despite popular opinion. Her mother was murdered, it wasn't an accident. The scarred man killed her, and now he's going to kill again. Grace pulls out all the stops to discover the Scarred Man's conniving intentions toward some important employee on Embassy Row. With the help of Noah the classic boy next door and official best friend, Megan the tech wiz, Rosie the acrobat, and Alexie her brother best friend since forever, she plans to foil the plots of the Scarred Man. But with secrets better left untold hiding in the shadows, danger lurks beyond ever cornor for our slightly insane protagonist. A past of loss, and a future not yet foreseen, what lies a head may be the downfall of Grace Blakely once and for all.

Full of colorful twist and turns All Fall Down is a classic government adventure novel. With a plot that engulfs the reader into a world full of corrupt politicians and unlikely alliances, you'll never want to put it down. Ally Carter does it again with this wonderful new edition, that is at home in any teen readers bookshelf.

The Honest Truth By: Dan Geminhart

The Honest Truth on Amazon

The mountain was calling him, he had to run away, he had to.
Mark has cancer, he's dying and he knows it. Tired of the coddling, the sad smiles, the looks that are already grieving. He can't do it anymore, won't do it anymore. It's been on off for seven years. Seven years since the phone call that made his mother cry, seven years of treatments and doctors and headaches. He thought he was getting better, for awhile it was clear. But it came back again, and this time hes not sticking around. Armed with the will of a thousand, a backpack, 100$, and his faithful dog Beau. He's going to climb the mountain, even if it kills him

Jess's best friend has disappeared. She knows why he left, but she can't tell. They keep each other's secrets. You don't share secrets. She wants to help him, but doesn't know how to. She could tell the cops, they'd bring him home and he'd be safe. Or she doesn't say anything he can live his dream, or die trying. As the storm gets thicker, so does her dilemma.

The Honest Truth is one of those books that pulls at the heart strings while keeping you on the edge of your seat. A neat new perspective from the eyes of a young boy battling Cancer. Dan Gemeinhart gave an interesting twist to the story by showing both the point of view of Mark and Jess. An excellent quick read for those of us wanting to taste the bittersweet side of life. 

The 39 Clues: Doublecross: Mission Titanic by Jude Watson

This book is in the mystery and adventure genre. 

Amazon.com

Amy and Dan Cahill are no longer the heads of the Cahill family. They wanted a life without all of the stress, and they got their wish. Ian Kabra, Lucian, has know taken over at just seventeen years old. He has connections to the most important and powerful people in the world. Ian has been waiting for this for years.

And he has already screwed up.

An old member of the Cahill family has invaded the organization, calling himself the Outcast. The mysterious man has given Ian a test. Four of the world's greatest disasters are to be re-created, and Ian has to stop them. If he doesn't stop them in time, thousands of people will die. But Ian can't do this alone. Back from their vacation early, Amy and Dan have come to help.

What I like about this book is that it had a lot of humor that a lot of the other books didn't have.

I don't really have anything that I didn't like about this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Angelfall by: Susan Ee

Angelfall

The apocalypse has settled on Earth. The Angels have come and the world is taken into their deadly grip. Death and destruction reign true as humanity slowly slips into darkness. What the world needs is a hero but that's not who Penryn is, she is just a daughter of man, a human girl trying to survive. If life wasn't hard enough before the apocalypse it might as ell be hell now (literally). Her schizophrenic mother crippled her sister when they were very young. A disability like that gets you killed now-a-days. How is Penryn supposed to protect little Paige from Angels and Demons if she can't protect her from their own mother? That's one of the many questions Penryn asks herself when Paige is stolen by Angels. SHe must team up with a wingless vengeful Angel named Rafe to save her sister, and maybe just maybe the world in the process. But will she get there in time.

Angelfall is a thrilling apocalyptic novel with twist and turns at every page. An amazing cliff-hanger end accompanied by the growing hunger and suspense for what follows keeps readers on their toes awaiting the next book. The way what we know about religion and pop culture blend together to make this wondrous tale is beyond me. It's a swirling storm of family, trust, and daring. A resistance novel mixed with magic and  a moral. Truly fantastic.

Gifted by: H. A. Swain

Gifted

Throughout the book we see the government trying to dictate who the citizens are. They use special schooling and medical procedures to decide who will be a popstar, a scientist, a warehouse worker, and a big shot. Who a person naturally is and becomes isn’t allowed. Society gets to decide not the individual. That is why we see rebellions more commonly known as “brain activist”. These people are fighting for their right to think freely and be who they want to be, not who they're told to be.The whole population is conforming to one man's idea of a perfect society. In this “utopia” your own thoughts aren’t even yours. They are patented and sold by Chason Industries. Only certain select members of the elite are able to afford ASA’s that allow them to become gifted. Without these procedures you are not allowed to have a career in anything. The big shot corporate manager of Chason Industries controls all of society and this cannot continue. It’s time people stood up for themselves and showed the world that their brains aren’t just there for the taking.


This book is one of the better books I have read but lacks a certain crucial piece of a story. It has no falling action and very little conclusion. It seems that the climax is practically the ending. You have this extreme build up to a moment of pure suspense and then are just dropped right into the end. It is one of my extreme pet peeves and bothers me greatly. 3/5 stars.

Les Misérables By: Victor Hugo

Amazon.com

France, 1789-1799. This is the period of the revolution.
During this time Jean ValJean was condemned to 5 years of hard time.  For multiple attempts at escape he ends up serving 15-20 years. He escapes around year 18 and 19. Once escaping he flees into the countryside. Only to be rejected by all he asks for help. He searches for days tired a weary he come to the house of the bishop. The Bishop shows poor Jean ValJean hospitality and kindness. The experiences Jean has change his outlook on life.

After he leaves the Bishop's house he swears to be a good man for the rest of his days. And acting upon his vow he becomes the  mayor of Montreuil-sur-mer. He is a good man who helps all people and when he sees that a women has been through great hardships in his name he is devastated. He wants to help poor Fantine and that he does he saves her from the ruthless Javert who is always tracking and pursuing Jean ValJean.  He lets her live in his home and tends to her every need. He even saves her poor child Cosette from the ruthless Therniaders. But alas at the sight of seeing Javert again kills Fantine (who never saw her child again). Jean ValJean and Cosette are sent into a world of down spinning doom. A life of hiding and a life of hope. They lead their live the best they can while running from Javert. But there can be no happiness for them. For how can they be happy when after all they are The Miserables.

Les Misérables is a wonderfully written book. It's language and imagery is astounding. The way it pulls at every heart string is truly incredible. The reader feels the pain and misery, but also the love the characters feel. Victor Hugo is a true literary genius. A quote I particularly like in this book is in the dedication it states the following; "... in other words, and with a still wider significance, so long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Misérables cannot fail to be of use." -Hauteville House 1862

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by: Erin Jade Lange

Amazon.com

This book is in the adventure genre along with romance.

REBEL: Andi, popular girl gone rogue, is now a tattooed wild thief.

BULLY: York i the most popular guy at school, but he is also the rudest person you could ever encounter especially to his brother.

GEEK: Boston, with a 4.6 GPA, is tired with his brother's torments and strives to get into Ivy League.

PARIAH: Sam is like a ghost, never to be seen, never to be noticed, until that dreadful night.

These four teenagers would die before they would be seen together, but when they all find themselves in the woods near a raging party, they will have to make an exception. To get away from the cops, they all hop into a car, that is not theirs, to make a get away. Little did they know, an "undercover" cop owns the car that they basically stole. The night of their lives begins now.

What I liked about this book was that it was humorous and very subtle with it.

There wasn't much detail when describing the surroundings, so I had to use my imagination and had to change the entire view if it didn't correlate with the book.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5.

The Forever Song By: Julie Kagawa

Amazon.com

Alison Skemento, a fringer turned vampire with a seemingly unreachable goal. Her and her somewhat dysfunctional vampire coven are on a mission across the world to stop the psychotic vampire Sarren from releasing his mutated version of the red lung virus called requiem. She is fueled by revenge due to the death of her lover Ezekiel. He was abducted by Sarren, he was tourchered for hours before he was brutally killed. Allison heard the whole thing via demented voice recording. As she travels she keeps hearing Sarren's sick and twisted message in her mind "Sing my little bird and make it a beautiful song" followed by Zekes cries of agony. But when she finds Zeke back from the dead new surprises are in store. He is a childer of Sarren, a vampire who is controlled by their Sire. Zeke is a vampire, a blood sucking demon who shall never once again regain his innocence. Allison is a monster trying to helplessly cling to her only shred of humanity left. Allison, her Blood Brother Jackal, and her sire Kanin, this team of wayward vampires must find a way to change the fate of humanity.

Once again Julie Kagawa has thrilled her readers with a new installation of the Blood of Eden. The third and finally book is a true literary masterpiece. We see the depths of human emotion from each and every character. Love, hate, rage, desperation, and above all fear. I feel that Julie Kagawa can do no wrong when it comes to dystopian societies. She keeps her readers on the edge of there seats for all 485 pages.

The Liberation of Gabriel King by: K.L. Going

This book falls into the category of Historical Fiction.

KL Going

Gabriel King is a wuss. He is literally scared of almost everything he encounters, and he especially doesn't
want to go to the fifth grade. Frita, his best friend, will take no more of this. She wants to be able to experience with fifth grade with her best friend. So, to solve this problem, Frita decides that they should make Gabriel more brave. Gabriel makes a list, a long list, of his fears to cross all of them off, so that he will be brave enough to go on to the fifth grade. With this, great tribulations and challenges continually come his way.

I really liked the plot and the idea of the book, but the writing just made it all the worse.

What I didn't like about this book was that it wasn't very descriptive at all, and since it is set in a different time period, there was a lot of room for mistakes for me to make.

I give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.

All In By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

All In falls into the romance, action, and mystery category, and it is the third book in The Naturals series.

Amazon.com

There is a new murder, and this time, it calls for a field trip. Cassie and the team are taken to Las
Vegas for the investigation. Someone has been killing people in casinos. The person has also been tattooing a series of numbers on the victim's wrists. While Cassie doesn't want to think about it, Sloane, her teammate, has been acting awfully suspicious lately.

All victims have a series of numbers tattooed on their wrist, and they're going to need Sloane's mathematical gifts to find out what they mean. That is if Sloane is on their side.

I liked that this book a had a lot of mystery in it, but not so much that it made it confusing.

There really isn't anything that I can think of that I didn't like about this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Insurgent by: Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent Series)

Tris, Four, Marcus, and the rest of their band of Abnegation refugees have taken refuge in the peaceful fields of the Amity farms. They are outsiders, factionless now. After the Erudite simulation which controlled the Dauntless into slaughtering innocent Abnegation, Four and Tris had to leave the city to avoid execution by the Erudite. They try and stay hiding for as long as possible but when Dauntless traitors ( those who were Dauntless but now work for the Erudite) come looking for them they must flee. They take sanctuary with the factionless who, to their surprise, are more like a faction then the actually factions right now. The factionless are banning together to make an uprising against the Erudite. The factionless plan to join forces with the remaining Dauntless and bring down the Erudite tyrants. But when the Erudite start hunting Divergents she must make a choice. She could choose to be selfish and let others die for her decision, or she could be brave. Tris chooses to be brave. She turns herself into the Erudite, knowing that when they are done with their painful research they will kill her. What is so important about the Divergent that the Erudite want to study them before killing them off? What is Jeanine hiding in the Erudite tower?

Veronica Roth has done it again in this wonderful sequel to Divergent. She is truly a magnificent author who knows who to entertain an audience. She develops such a bond between the reader and the Protagonist that you feel as if you are living this story with them. Every page turn is a plot twist, every chapter is a new addition to the already building tension. This masterpiece of a story is thrilling from the first word to the last mark of punctuation.

Killer Instinct by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Dark Faerie Tales

This book is within the adventure and mystery genre with a little bit of romance. It is also the second book in a series. The first book is The Naturals.

Cassandra "Cassie" Hobbes is a Natural. She is part of an FBI organization because she is a natural profiler.Knowing who someone is, what they do, and how they act is what she can figure out with just a few details.  In the organization, Cassie and 4 other teens work on active and cold cases solving them when FBI agents can't. After a thrilling last summer, she wishes that she can just relax with cold cases.

She didn't get her wish.

There is a new killer out there, and they seem to be copying everything Dean's serial killer father did. The five teens just can't resist helping their friend find out who is impersonating his father.

What I liked about this book was that it was unpredictable and simply kept you guessing at every turn. Once you think you are right, you will be proven wrong.

There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

The Giver By: Louise Lowry

The Giver Site Amazon 

The Giver is a fast paced book full of ideas and theories that touch on some of today's most popular topics. These idea’s really grab the reader's attention and is generally the reason I enjoyed it so much. It’s views on the government, what control they should have over the General Population, can translate easily into what is happening today politically. In the Giver the government completely controls what the public does day in and day out it never stops watching and monitoring them. Once one person steps out of line they are killed to keep their opinions from spreading. While in today's government that may not exactly be the case it is close to it we are always watched by the government they monitor what we do on the internet what we post, what we view, they can see it all. Anything we think and want to share can easily be demolished by the government. If we have an opinion that doesn’t match theirs they have the power to take away our means to share it, lock us away, keep our thoughts contained and not let them run wild. 

Another topic the Giver touches on is the importance of emotion. In the Giver emotion isn’t allowed. It is taken away from the public making them emotionless complying robots with no means to express how sad and empty the really are. This is a pressing issue in today's society. Fear of being rejected or showing any sort of emotion toward something causes people to ignore how they feel and hide their true colors. People are so afraid of what someone might think they let them control how they feel, think, and act. It is important to acknowledge this and start expressing how we feel in a civilized matter. We can’t let the fear of others opinions and reactions dictate our right to emotion. If we do we are no better then the robot like citizens in the Giver. Most books have something that always just picks at the back of your mind and annoys you so much but every once in awhile you get that one book that you just can’t find something wrong with and in my personal opinion the Giver is one of those.

I rate this book 5/5 stars.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

www.notyetread.com

This book is mainly realistic fiction, or it could be placed in the mystery genre. It is also a 2016-2017 Gateway Nominee book.

Samantha doesn't remember. She doesn't remember her birthday. She doesn't remember her mother, her
father. She doesn't remember that she had a boyfriend.

She doesn't remember who killed her best friend.

As if she didn't have enough problems, Sam doesn't want her old life back. Everything about the old her simply disgusts her now. How could she have been that person? She was the typical mean rich girl of her school. Everybody hates her, feared her, yet people act like they are happy to see her back. What exactly did she do to make everyone fear her? Not only that, but she seems to be developing feelings for Carson, the 'help,' when she supposedly despised him before all of this happened.

Cassie is still missing, and it is tearing Sam apart. How can she regain her memories so she can help them find her? With that, the police seem to have a new suspect.

Sam better watch out.

What I liked most about this book is that it has a lot of suspense and really makes you wonder who actually killed Cassie.

There isn't anything that I can find that I don't like about this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak: The most reading fun I've had in a long time!

Image from Amazon.com

Guys. This book is so much fun. This book is read until it's too late to finish your homework fun. It's you forget to text your friends back fun.

Written by Missouri author Brian Katcher, The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is a story from two points of view. Ana is straight-laced, and lives with very controlling and demanding parents. her life revolves around her college applications and living up to others' very high expectations. Zak, on the other hand, is a slacker. He'd much rather being playing video games or table-top RPGs than working on school work or joining a club.

When Zak's attempt at plagiarism goes awry, he and Ana are forced to compete together in state Academic Bowl championships-- forcing Zak to miss Washingcon, his favorite even of the year. While Zak does end up being able to attend his nerdy convention, it's definitely not in the way that he originally thinks-- and a very angry Ana is along for the ride.

This book is as fun as it sounds and more. Don't get me wrong-- it has serious moments and moments that will make you upset, but it's definitely a feel-good book. I loved being able to see the two different sides of the story. Zak and Ana have such different perspectives that the book stays very lively and interesting throughout. Books don't often make me laugh out loud, but this one certainly did.

This book is on the list of Gateway novels for 2016-- so there are some places that are a little mature. There's some swearing and a few inappropriate jokes, but it's certainly fine for a PG-13 reader.

I'd give this book a 6 out of 5 stars, but we made the rule last year that 5 out of 5 would be our max.