Teen Fiction

Shelter, a Mickey Bolitar Novel

Review written by: Logan "Bacon" Bahm
4

When I first picked up the book I saw that it had been praised by some of the greats, like Rick Riordan and R.L. Stine, of which authors I both enjoy. I then started to read. I found that the protagonist (Mickey Bolitar) has had a pretty rough life (dad dead, mom rehab (drinking problem)) and has his uncle take care of him. I found this book to contain marvelous amounts of mystery and excitement as Mickey attempts to solve the mysteries of the Bat Lady and Ashley (girlfriend) and also attempts to weasel out of bullies and even trouble with the law. This book contains many mind wrenching plot twists and keeps you reading as a Hunger Games can't-put-the-book-down type of book. Although this book is great and a recommend to mature adults and teens it cannot recommended to those younger due to the violence and the strip club part of the tale. Despite this, all in all it is a good book. ~ Logan

By Author/Artist: Harlen Coben
Format: hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-399-25650-9

Signed By: Zelda

Review written by: Cindy
5
First of all, there are 4 main characters, Lucy Bertel, Nicky Gibson, Pigeon, and Nicky's Grandma, Grandma Zelda, and the book takes place in New York. Lucy believes every handwriting has a secret to it and has a heart for examining people's handwriting and signatures and just moved from Savannah. Nicky spends most of his time in his time in his room because of the time-outs his father gave him. He knows his father isn't a nice man and suspects that he has done something wrong. Pigeon can talk and is a pie eating pigeon. Grandma Zelda makes delicious Zeldaberry pie and is very adventurous. But later, Zelda goes missing, and Nicky, Lucy, and Pigeon join forces to find her, and the only clue they have is a note that Grandma Zelda left, that says "Help Me". http://nmlbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/signed-by-zelda.html Check link out for picture of the book.
By Author/Artist: Kate Feiffer
Format: Hardcover Book

WORLD Through Literature Book Group for Teens

WORLD Through Literature Book Group
Saturday March 16
3-4 pm
Grades 7 & up
No Registration Required

Please join the WORLD Through Literature
Book Group as they discuss Boys without Names by Kashmira Sheth on March 16 from 3-4 at the East Lansing Public Library. After the discussion, an activity is planned. Click on the book title above to check for availability.

To request an interlibrary loan copy through MeL with your East Lansing Public Library card, click here.

By the way, did you know that the word "WORLD" in the book group's name stands for We Overcome Real Life Divisions?
For more information contact Melissa Chamberlain at mdcham92@yahoo.com.

Before I Fall

Review written by: Eileen
2
I didn't like this book. It is the story of a girl who dies in a car accident and then must relive her final day seven times to correct her mistakes. I didn;t really strike me as being very good or very bad, just sort of blah.
By Author/Artist: Lauren Oliver
Format: Hardcover

Impossible

Review written by: Eileen
3
This book is about a girl forced to break an ancient curse or suffer madness forever. I felt the story line was god but it was not very well-written. Those who like romantic books would really like it.
By Author/Artist: XXXXXXX
Format: Hardcover

Mocking Jay

Review written by: John Le
5
The book Mocking Jay is one of the best books that I've read this summer. Mocking Jay is the third book in the Hunger Games series. In this book, District 12 has been destroyed completely by the Capitol. The Capitol is where the leaders who rule the Districts live and they have the power to control them. Katniss and her family survived the big explosion made by the Capitol. The sad thing is that everyone else in District 12 died and Peeta is captured by the Capitol. Everyone in Panem knows that District 13 is still alive and that Katniss and her family are living in District 13. There are also new rulers which the Districts hate. Katniss and District 13 are now planning to ????????????? READ THE BOOK YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOUR GETTING FROM ME, PERIOD. :)

Note from ELPL:  John Le, so cruel, leaving everyone hanging.  But I give you credit for not revealing any spoilers.  ;-)  The Hunger Games trilogy ends with Mockingjay in a very satisfying, mesmerizing and heartbreaking finale (I'm not giving anyting away either!)  We have 15 copies of this but still can't keep them on the shelf.  You can also get it as an audiobook or eAudiobook.  Unfortunately not in eBook, none of the Hunger Games trilogy books are avaiable for sale to libraries in eBook format.  :-(



By Author/Artist: Suzanne Collins
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780439023511

Young Adult Fiction Finalists from NPR

So summer is moving along, and you've read all those sequels you had been too busy to read during the school year.  Need some more suggestions?  Thank you to Rowena, who told me today about NPR's Young Adult Fiction Vote.  They have compiled over 200 titles, old and new, of the best young adult fiction, and are asking you to vote for your 10 favorite titles.   Look here for the list.   Post some of your favorites on ELPL's site, too!

You can also vote for YALSA's Teens Top Ten beginning on August 13.   This is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year.You can find the books that will be on the ballot here.That voting goes from August 13 until September 13.

The Iron Knight

Review written by: Eileen
5
I really loved this book. It is the companion/sequel to the Iron Queen, but told from a different perspective. I enjoyed the fresh outlook, and it was a perfect end to the series. Ash, the former prince of the Unseelie court travels to the end of the world to become human to be able to be with the girl he loves.


Note from ELPL:  This title is also available in eBook as well as author Julie Kagawa's other books in the Iron Fey series.  Glad you enjoyed the series Eileen!
By Author/Artist: Julie Kagawa
Format: Paperback

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Review written by: Jen
4
I requested this book due to the upcoming movie with the same title coming out this summer. Although it was the first YA book I had read in a while, it paints a clear picture of a young, innocent boy starting his freshman year of High School and experiencing all that the high school encompasses. Charlie narrates the book through letters wrote to his "friend", who we never find out who this friend actually is, but by the end I believed that the friend was supposed to be me, the reader. Quite different from many books about high schoolers, Charlie must deal with various dark subjects in his adolescence, such as suicide, molestation, and death. Near the end of the book, we find out that he had actually been suppressing memories of a horrible thing that happened to him when he was younger. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it has quite a lot of depth to it. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie adaption.
By Author/Artist: Stephen Chbosky
Format: Paperback

Catching Fire

Review written by: Jeanine
5
The first Hunger Games book had me on edge the entire time and the second book did not fail to do the same! This trilogy is not just for teens; Adventure, suspense, action, mystery, and romance are all wrapped up into a fantastic story. Even though this book is still about the Hunger Games, it doesn't spend as much time in the arena as the first book did. Collins adds detail to the lives of the characters outside of the arena and broadens the scope of the events and people in other districts. And don't forget about the love triangle which gets more interesting in this book! I don't want to spoil a single detail because this book is full of surprises. I can't wait to read Mockingjay!

Note from ELPL:  This title is still so popular, and I agree Jeanine, it has something that will appeal to everyone - if you can't wait for a print copy to come in you can also get it in book on CD, Playaway or eAudiobook.
By Author/Artist: Suzanne Collins
Format: Kindle, hard and soft cover
ISBN: 0439023491

Staff review: Lies Beneath

Meh.

That's about all I can muster for the new teen-mermaid-love story-Twilight-wanna be titled Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown.  But that's not a very compelling review so let me back up a bit.

I was very excited when I read the description for this book, which begins with:

Divergent

Review written by: Sky Blue
5
Hey, all those adventure lovers out there! Come get this book at your local library and read it on your next adventure. Some people may not think of Divergent as an adventure, but those people must have been forced to read this book, because this is a great adventure story! Absorbing you into the surprises that are waiting just around the corner, Roth expertly weaves dystopian society and futuristic fiction together in one cliff hanging book. Each chapter leaves you to ask, "What will happen next?" Patricia, later known as Tris in the story, lives in a world that is divided into five factions. Amity - the peaceful, Dauntless - the brave, Erudite - the intelligent, Abnegation - the selfless, and Candor - the honest. When Tris transfers from her old faction, Abnegation, to Dauntless, people are surprised. An Abnegation rarely moves to Dauntless, they all say. Tris now must go through initiation, "classes" to determine who gets to stay with the Dauntless and who becomes factionless. Soon, Tris finds conflict in her seemingly perfect world, and to save those she loves, she must embark on a journey to uncover the truth about themselves, their family, and the order of society itself. After all...one choice can transform you.

Note from ELPL:  The library has this great title in print, ebook and eAudiobook.  Glad you liked it Sky Blue!
By Author/Artist: Veronica Roth
Format: Paperback

The Haunted House Kid

Review written by: Matthew Gary Milam
5
For great, Halloween-anticipating, summer reading, check out this great young adult (teen) title (Amazon, B&N, Xlibris) --For a complete synopsis and more: wix.com/thehauntedhousekid/matthew-gary-milam

Note from ELPL - This review was submitted by the author of The Haunted House Kid, Matthew Gary Milam.  ELPL doesn't yet own this title but you can find it on Amazon.com.  Congratulations on your book Matthew!
By Author/Artist: Matthew Gary Milam
Format: Paperback/Hardback & ebook (Amazon,B&N,Xlibris)
ISBN: 978-1-4691-8821-8

Catching Fire

Review written by: John Le
4
The book Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, is one of my favorite books and I really enjoyed reading it. The reason I liked reading the book is because when I started reading the first book called The Hunger Games, I couldn't keep my eyes off of it and I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series. This is what I really liked about "Catching Fire," it started off as Katniss and Peeta going back into their daily life style back in District 12 after both of them won the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss would be hunting and Peeta would be baking bread, but they can't go back to their life style until they travel to each District showing their faces to the parents whose children they killed in the games. They also had to keep up with their fake relationship with each other because Katniss and Peeta used this strategy so they can both win the Hunger Games. If President Snow finds out that they weren't really in love, he would kill them. Katniss and Peeta would meet up with their stylist Cinna and Portia to help them look good. Haymitch and Effie their instructor helped them with their presentation for each District. But something shocking turns out, Katniss and Peeta ?????? well you need to read this to find out. Read this book if you are interested in the Hunger Games series because when you start reading it, you will never stop, I mean NEVER STOP.
By Author/Artist: Suzanne Collins
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-545-31059-8

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