The Scorch Trials -- Teen Book Review

A plague has infected the world. It turns people insane and cannibalistic. A group does a series of trials, the Scorch Trials being the second one, to try to cure the disease. They escape a massive maze full of killing machines. The Scorch land is filled with the Cranks, the name of the infected people. They have to survive with their group of boys.

5 Stars *****

I rated this book as a 5 because of all the intense and suspenseful action. There were many moments where you expect something and the opposite happens. Also, the plot was very well written. The descriptive language added to the book. The characters seemed real which helped me connect with the book and enjoy the story.

-- Review by Josh D. 

The Outsiders -- Teen Book Review

There are two different social groups. Greasers and Socs. They don't get along very well and the Socs always jumped the greasers. There was a big fight between them and the Greasers won. Johnny ended up in the hospital because he tried to save kids from a burning church.

4 Stars ****

I rated this book the way I did because I really enjoyed reading it. There was a ton of suspense between the chapters and it was great. It was the kind of book you didn't want to put down.


If you liked Freak the Mighty or On the Run you should read this book.

-Review by Madison F. 

Spy School -- Teen Book Review

In this book there is a normal kid whose name is Ben. He gets sent off to a spy school. Half way through the book he gets abducted. He makes some friends and goes in national monuments. One of his friends ends up trying to kill him!

4 STARS ****

I gave this book four stars because there was action. It had a mushy part. It was a great mystery.

If you liked Spy Camp, read this book too!

-Reviewed by Jonathan R.

The Reapers are the Angels - Teen Book Review

The world is infested with zombies. There are a few groups of people fighting against them, and hoping to survive. Temple, a young girl, is on the run - from her past, from the zombies, and from a vengeful killer. She travels restlessly from place to place, killing zombies and looking for some place she can settle. This is a story of her journey through the only world she's ever known.

I rated this book a 3.5 because it was a good read in some aspects, but it fell a bit short in others. There was no real plot to speak of - it was more like a series of diary entries with a few smaller plots built in. The ending was very disappointing; it was almost as if the author didn't know how to end the story so he resorted to the ending that he chose. However, not everything in this book was bad, and it has some good merits. Temple was a good believable character, a strong heroine with a fatal flaw. This book dealt a lot with big, philosophical ideas, and I think there are a few passages and ideas in this book that are worth reading. I don't think you should read this book for an exciting story, but more for the life lessons and ideas and bigger questions that are asked. You can learn a lot from this book.
                                                                                                                         - Ashleigh L.

Summer Reading - 20,000 pages and going strong!

We're not even into July yet and together you've already passed 20,000 pages read, in total - WOW! Check out these reviews from your fellow teens of books they read over the past two weeks. Don't forget to log and review your own books, and stop by to collect your prizes - and say hi!

The Testing - Teen Book Review

Malencia wanted to go to University to get a job, but she had to go through the Testing first. So, she tried very hard in school and got chosen for the Testing. When she found out that the Testing included extremely long and grueling tests, she wasn't scared. But when her father informed her that her life was at risk, and that a wrong or misjudged answer could lead to death, she started to look at things in a new way. Will she survive the Testing? Read the book to find out.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5 because of many things. I rated it a 4 because, for one, the book itself is very interesting and intriguing, as is the concept of the book. I also rated the book this way because throughout the book there is constant suspense. The reason i did not give this book a 5, though, was because in the beginning the book takes a while to get started or interesting.

                                                                                                                - Jerred G. (7th grade)

1984 - Teen Book Review

Winston Smith is a man living in Oceania, a country controlled by the Party and Big Brother. He questions the Party and thinks against it, committing thoughtcrime. When he has a love affair with Julia, he is caught by the Party. He is brought before O'Brian, a Party member, and is cured of his internal rebellion. He comes to love Big Brother.

This book is a prime example of a dystopian novel. It makes you think about Man's lust for power, and what that may cause. It shows you how a government can go to great lengths to achieve ultimate power. Concepts like doublethink and thoughtcrime are creative ways of displaying how people can be controlled by government. Overall, the novel gets you thinking about government, and does this in a way that engages you and makes you not want to put the book down.

                                                                                                                         - Ben C.