Teens Top Ten Reviews, 2012 Edition!

We received over 30 reviews of books on this year's Teen's Top Ten list of nominees! All of the reviews were truly awesome (and appreciated) but here are some wonderful quotes we picked out that we wanted to highlight:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Victoria (9^th grade) says:

"Sometime in the future, a post-apocalyptic Chicago is split into 5 factions; Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, Candor, and Abnegation. Sixteen year old Beatrice Prior, the protagonist, has lived in Abnegation her whole life, selflessly helping others, but she doesn't feel she belongs. When all the 16 year olds get to choose which faction they will be a part of, she is conflicted. After choosing a faction, she struggles through initiation. Beatrice has a secret too, but can she keep it? Read the novel to find out. Roth weaves intricate patterns with her character descriptions, and suspenseful words. This book will definitely keep you turning the pages."

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Rishabh (8^th grade) says:

"When an Electromagnetik Pulse (EMP) flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions, Alex - a teenage girl, Tom - a young soldier and Ellie - a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP must survive and figure out who can be trusted and who is no longer human. Ashes is an excelent, fast paced, thrilling science fiction book."

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

Danny (7^th grade) says:

"It is about a boy named Rafe that attempts to break all of the rules in his Middle School rulebook.  He creates a game called "Operation R.A.F.E." along with his imaginary friend Leo. They create a point system to keep track of all his rule breaking attempts."

Gabrielle (7^th grade) says:

"More than half of the book was pictures that described the events happening in the book. When the author used words instead of pictures to describe events, the book was more interesting," and "...the author would have the main character go into a fantasy world every few chapters."

Julia (7^th grade) says:
"Although some parts of this book were unrealistic, I found that the main character's adventures were funny and that I always wanted to see what happened next."

Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan

Rishabh (8^th grade) says:

"Trix, an orphan, has only one prized possession, a black meteorite given to her by her parents. When a mysterious masked man who shoots fire out of his hands (Nyl) tries to steal the meteorite, Trix joins the Circus Galacticus crew to unravel secrets of her own past. Circus Galacticus is a great science fiction book that keeps you wanting for more."

Colleen (6^th grade) says:

"This book was AWESOME!!!!!!! It will be included on my list of all-time favorites! Everyone in the world should definitely read this book!" and "My favorite line was But I'll take painful dreams over empty comfort any day. I liked this particular line, because I thought Trix was being really brave when she said that, and I liked that she was being so brave. I think that this book definitely deserves a spot on the final "Teen's Top Ten" list because it was simply amazing, and I hope that there will be a sequel!"

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

Colleen (6^th grade) says:

"The book is about Cole, who has to move in with his Dad in Philadelphia, after his mom decides she can't handle him anymore. Soon, Cole discovers his dad's neighborhood is filled with cowboys, African American cowboys. And maybe, just maybe that's what Cole was meant to be. Harper (Cole's Dad) is interesting because he's so good with horses, better with them than with people. I liked pretty much everything about the book; it was just so good."

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Sharon (9^th grade) says:

"This book is about two girls, Mandy and Jill, that have completely different lives and come together because of an unborn baby. Mandy is a nineteen year old that runs away from home and is about to give her baby up to Robin, Jill's mom, while the woman and her daughter are still recovering from loss of her husband, Jill's dad," and "...I liked how the point of views changed from Mandy to Jill. It was fascinating to see their opinions on a conflict"

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham

Daniel (10^th grade) says:

"Thirteen year old Theo has lived his entire life surrounded by lawyers. His mother, his father, and even his uncle all practice law. Naturally, this causes Theo to aspire to wish to become a lawyer himself and never give up his pursuit of justice. This is what motivates Theo to create his own search effort when his one true friend April is abducted from her home without a trace. Despite the interesting idea and well received author this story comes bundled with, it's execution is lacking. It seems as though Grisham decided to quickly cough up a Young Adult story and rush it to publication without much a second glance in terms of editing and care. I may be being overly harsh with this assessment, but this book truly let me down as a reader with its ridiculous (third person!) narration that attempts to win over kids by using buzzwords and slang. Although some may say that it should be allowed to use simple language because it is a 'kids' book,' this should not give Grisham a pass for this rushed, albeit interesting at times, story."

Justin (7^th grade) says:

"This book is a great choice for a varied amount of readers. If you are looking for mystery and suspense than Theodore Boone is the guy for you."

Nick (7^th grade) says:

"Read this book!!!"

Legend by Marie Lu

Victoria (9^th grade) says:

"What was once the United States has now become the Republic and the Colonies, two separate, warring nations. Fifteen year old June Iparis is a military prodigy, one of their best soldiers. When her brother is killed, she vows to find and kill his killer. His killer is Day, the nation's most notorious criminal. When June meets Day, her whole mission is thrown of track. Check out the novel to see if June can re-track her mission."

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

Rishabh (8^th grade) says:

"When Wahoo's dad takes a T.V. job with Expedition Survival, a reality T.V. show, Wahoo tries to keep his dad from strangling Derek Badger (the lead artist of Expedition Survival). When they go to the Everglades to shoot, Wahoo brings Tuna, a girl running away from her father, along. In the Everglades, Derek Badger gets chomped by a bat and goes missing and Tuna's dad shows up waving a gun. Chomp is a great, fast paced, adventure story which shows the reality of reality television."

Colleen (6^th grade) says:

"...Tuna was an interesting character because, well, her name is Tuna, and she's a taxonomist. I loved how it was just so good, and also how it made me think of one of those survival shows where the guy has a funny accent. But, at the beginning I thought it was a little slow."

Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street  by Peter Abrahams

Justin (7^th Grade) says:

"...This book would not be considered on my top ten list but it is a very good book, if you are into magic and realistic fiction mixed together..."

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

Victoria (9^th Grade) says:

"Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, tells the story of a spaceship called 'Godspeed' that is travelling across the universe to a far away planter similar to Earth, called Centauri-Earth. Before the ship took off, scientists, military specialists, and other important people were frozen using cryogenic technology, to be defrosted at the end of the 300 year journey. Elder, the future leader of the ship, is learning how to lead. Amy, one of the frozen passengers, somehow become unfrozen. Elder and Amy work together to figure out why passengers are being unfrozen, and try to put a stop to it. Read the novel to see what happens."

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Gabrielle  (7^th Grade) says:

"I felt that the book should have had longer chapters and been longer in general.  I also think that the book could have been better if it described the events and characters in more detail than it did."

Julia (7^th Grade) says:

"I thought this book was very well written. The characters were realistic and the storyline was too. I enjoyed this book because I felt that the situations fit middle school problems. I also liked this book because I could relate to some of Joylin's feeling about fitting in. This book was a quick read and I personally think it should be more popular."

All These Things I'veDone by Gabrielle Zevin

Sharon (9^th Grade) says:

"Anya Balanchine, the protagonist, is a girl that lives in a world where chocolate is illegal, water is insanely rare, and she's the daughter of a dead crime boss. Anya has to deal with taking care of her brother and sister while trying to stop the family business from taking over her life."

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Colleen (6^th Grade) says:

"This book was so awesome! It will definetly be included on my list of favorites! Everyone should read this book! This is pretty much the plot: Ollie's father is a traveling preacher, and one of their stops is in Binder, Arkansas where Ollie meets a boy whose mother is in jail for -possibly- murdering his father. Then, the Love family gets involved with the small town of Binder."

The Fault In OurStars by John Green

Jimmy (10^th Grade) says:

"Under normal circumstances, I am usually not a fan of love stories, or weepy cancer books, or really any book labeled as "teen fiction" so I was surprised when I found myself succumbing to reading The Fault In Our Stars. I walked into this book with low expectations, picturing a trite love story with unrealistic characters with the same boring shtick that most books advertised like these portray.

I don't think I could have possibly been any more wrong.

There aren't any words I can use to describe the novel, The Fault In Our Stars but if I had to come close, I'd deem something along the lines "brilliant," "heartwarming," and "single-handedly the best novel I've ever laid my eyes on" as acceptable substitutes. From the epigraph to the last period, this book had me captivated and feeling a range of emotions that I did not think was possible to obtain within the span 313 pages. It had me laughing, shedding manly tears, smiling, and even questioning my own existence. John Green's writing style is phenomenal and can perfectly convey the inexplicable feelings and of adolescence. He can believably get behind the mindset of a 16 year old girl and considering the fact that he is a 36 year old man, I'd say that's pretty impressive.

The story focuses on Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16 year old cancer victim that is only living because of the help of a miracle drug. Hazel is a fun, witty character with the mind and vocabulary of an esteemed philosopher. While obtaining a mandated cancer support group meeting one day, Hazel encounters Augustus Waters, a human representation of everything she sees in a man. Augustus was another cancer victim himself and it had ended up taking a leg from him, but it hadn't slowed down his spirits and optimism. He shares the same charisma and sarcastic outlook on life as Hazel and they immediately connect. Together, Hazel and Augustus go on a journey of love, life, disease, death and the inevitability of it. I would love to elaborate more on the plot but this is all I can say without getting into too much detail.

As I've previously stated, John Green is a fantastic author and his the words and characters he creates are wonderful. Besides Hazel and Augustus, Green creates a lively cast of ensemble characters that range from a blind and heartbroken eye cancer victim, an alcoholic Dutch author, to countless others. Even though it is a cancer book, Green still makes it a book about people, and not just one dimensional characters that are their disease. My favorite quote in the book is stated numerous times and it goes, "That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt." Green is able to vividly discuss the pain that the characters feel and even when he is talking about their cancer, he makes it realistic and believable.

After the first read, The Fault In Our stars had became my all time favorite book and after 3 other readthroughs, I can confirm my decision. And even after reading it over 3 times, I still haven't found anything worth criticism,
If I had to choose one thing to complain about, it would be that the book isn't longer. Besides that, in my opinion, this is the epitome of Young Adult Fiction and it would be unethical if this book did not get a spot on the final "Teen's Top Ten" list. Having said that, I urge anyone who has a library card and a 9th grade vocabulary to indulge yourself in the literary genius that is The Fault In Our Stars. You will not regret it."

Daniel (10^th Grade) says:
"This book is an entertaining look into the mortality of humanity. It stars Hazel, a sixteen year old girl with thyroid cancer, whose body is in a constant struggle between life and death. She is forced to attend a support group for children with cancer by her mother, where she meets a charming boy named Augustus Waters. Together they learn how to live in a truly compelling manner. This book is wonderfully written and teaches many lessons about life through the constant theme of death. Although extremely sad at times, The Fault In Our Stars is still a wonderful novel that truly belongs to its readers."

The Dead Gentleman by Matthew Cody

Daniel (7^th Grade) says:

"I really liked this book.  It had a lot of adventure and twists in the story that made it an enjoyable book to read.  A boy named Tommy Learner and a girl named Jezebel were the characters in the book, however, they were from different time periods.  This made the book interesting because they had to save the universe together but they couldn't relate to each other.  I would recommend this book because Matthew Cody did an outstanding job of making the book unique in many different ways.  I think this book deserves a spot on the top ten list!!"

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Daniel (10^th Grade) says:

"This beautifully presented book describes the interesting journey of Jacob Portman from his boring life at home into something much more peculiar. Utilizing a variety of interesting photographs, author Ransom Riggs paints a beautiful story about life in both ordinary and extraordinary settings. Where this story truly excels, however, is in the large cast of characters and how they develop throughout the story. This book is a must read, as it is on the cusp of kicking off a huge franchise, with a sequel in development as well as a movie to be directed by Tim Burton. You are going to want to read this thrilling novel first."

Great job to all our reviewers! Thanks for making this year's annual Teens Top Ten a success!