More of Your Book Reviews!

Switched by Amanda Hocking, Teen Fic Hocking
Switched was a book on the York High School reading list for this year, so I picked it up at the beginning of the summer just to get through it so I could stop thinking about school. I read the entire thing in one morning! It was a fast read that was really interesting. The actual concept of the book is an odd combination of fantasy (with Trolls and other mythical creatures) and high school/teenage drama. There is love, action, mystery and much more and I loved the book and have been waiting to get the other two books in the trilogy ever since I finished the first book. It is definitely worth reading especially because it is a summer reading list book! -- Lauralee, Grade 12

Divergent by Veronica Roth, Teen Fic Roth
A book I enjoyed was Divergent by Veronica Roth. This story depicts a Dystopian Chicago where at the age of 16, every citizen must pick a section to live in and devote themselves to: Abnegation for the selfless, Erudite for the intelligent, Amity for the peaceful, Candor for the honest, or Dauntless for the brave. Beatrice, who renames herself Tris, finds that she doesn't belong in any single faction, making her Divergent. As she tries to settle into her faction, she learns that being Divergent is a very dangerous thing. -- Unknown, Grade 9? —If this is your review, email eplteen@elmhurst.org and let us know. The booklog did not have your name, library card # or email address.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, Teen Fic Suma. Overall, I thought it was okay but it was definitely a weird book. Also, not all of the questions in the book were answered, like how and why her sister could do the things she could. Also there was a relationship between the main character and a guy and all of a sudden the guy hated her without an explanation which was confusing. --Lillie, Grade 10

Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Teen Fic Hopkins
I didn't like Crank by Ellen Hopkins. This book focuses on a teenage girl who turns to trying drugs such as meth and other more serious drugs when she visits her father after her parents are divorced. Whereas I like the style Hopkins uses to make every page like a diary entry and artistic, this style of publishing wastes a ton of paper in the producing process. I am very anti-drug and alcohol, therefore I did not like the idea of this girl becoming addicted and making other bad choices, without serious consequences. At the closing it implies that the character is not about to change her ways therefore I have no inclination to reading any of the sequels. -- Sarah, Grade 12

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone,
J Fic Malone. I read the book The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone. It is about best friends Ruthie and Jack, two sixth-graders who take a field trip to the Art Institute. Both of them are intrigued by the Thorne Rooms, eerily realistic miniature rooms set in different periods of time around the world. As they slip into the corridor behind the rooms, they discover a key that lets them shrink small enough to be able to explore the rooms. Soon they find some magical objects that don't fit with the room. They decide to spend the night and explore. During the night, they discover many secrets about the rooms, and end up deep in history. The book is expertly written in a combination of historical facts and fictional characters. I really enjoyed this book because it takes place at the Art Institute in Chicago, one of my favorite places to go. The characters were dynamic, the plot thick, and the writing flawless. A wonderful book for art geeks, historical fiction readers, or mystery lovers. --Haley, Grade 9

Queen of the Dead By Stacey Kade, Teen Fic Kade. I really liked The Queen of the Dead. It had suspense and action. It was sort of a mystery and romance. I kept flipping the pages and hope for the sequel! -- Nipah, Grade 9

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Teen Fic Garcia. This book is about a new girl who comes to a small town called Gatlin. This girl, Lena, is picked on and ignored by almost everyone. A boy, Ethan, has lived in Gatlin all his life. He has had dreams about losing a girl in his dreams. When he meets Lena, he knows she is the one he has been dreaming about. Lena and Ethan find a locket and when they touch it, they have a vision about the past, involving both of their ancestors. Read this book if you want to find out more. It is the first book in a trilogy.--Brianna, Grade 9