Between the Lines Reviews - November 2018

Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful is a collection of six short stories that take place between the the next couple of years and thousands of years in the future. Although each story has a very different plot, there is one aspect that all these young people have in common: their lives have been affected, for better or for worse, by “genetic editing”. One dying boy is saved by merging his organs with those of his twin sister. One mourning girl’s face is fused with parts of her dead mother and brother, so that her father will not forget them. And one outcast girl, who is living in a society that has left us far behind, finally realizes that even those who are “pure” are still human. I loved this book, because the idea behind it is so unique. I would recommend this book for fans of sci-fi and dystopian novels who are 12-17 years old. Fans of The Lunar Chronicles will love this book as well! — Aliyana, age 12

 

In the epic sci-fi novel Strange Days the author, Constantine Singer creates a complex world between the future and the past ensnaring us, but not the main character Alex. Because Alex has the unique ability to witness what happens in the future. Jeffery Sabazios, a famous inventor, has been waiting for Alex in his compound after his parents are killed by an alien incursion. Led by a mysterious voice in his head Alex plows through one discovery after another each forcing him deeper and deeper into a mess he doesn’t want to be in, saving the world, while still figuring out who you can and can’t trust. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys reading about aliens time travel or both. People who read A Wrinkle in Time might like this or if you just like sci-fi in general. — Mia, age 13

 

The Beauty of the Moment is the type of book you’d want to read if you liked teen drama and/or realistic fiction books with a little bit of romance. This one’s from bollywood! It’s about a girl who’s from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Susan is straight forward with straight As. She’s the sort of person who you want babysitting your kids, because she’s both responsible, creative, and a great role model. Don’t tell her parents, but she wants to be an artist.Then there’s Malcolm. He’s the so-called “bad boy”, with not-so-good grades. His mother died of cancer and his father isn’t the best father. They meet when Susan moves to Canada with her mom. She wants to be an artist, and, well, Malcolm just wants for his sister and himself to be well away from his father. Everything seems crazy, but it all starts to come together when Susan and Malcolm come together. Will it all work out? Keep reading and maybe even read this book! — Ella, age 11

 

I loved The Size of the Truth. Sam Abernathy is a really likable character who just wants to be a chef, but his overprotective parents skipped him ahead to eighth grade to start his future life of success. The author’s style is cool: James Jenkins, who Sam blames for pushing him into a well when he was 4, is another fascinating character who at first keeps getting described as a murderer but ends up full of surprises. Bartleby, the talkative armadillo Sam met in the well who always annoys him, is yet another great persona. I would definitely recommend this! — Simrah

 

I loved Lion Down because it really grabs your attention, especially for mystery fans, because King, a famous radio show host’s dog suddenly dies and his owner, Lincoln Stone says that a Mountain Lion killed his dog. He wants a permit to be issued to kill Rocket. But Teddy and his friends believe Rocket was framed and didn’t actually kill the dog. That leaves Teddy and his girlfriend, Summer McCracken who is the daughter of J.J. McCracken, FunJungle’s owner, to solve the case. It makes it harder when Large Marge, who is a FunJungle security force member, is screwing things up again. From Lincoln Stone and his crazy friends, Lily Deakin and her crazy animal protection ideas, to the malfunctioning fish cannon, readers will love this book by Stuart Gibbs! — Reid, age 10

The premise of Love and Other Curses is that Sam’s family has a curse: If Sam falls in love before he’s seventeen, the person he loves will die.  I really liked this book, but it’s hard to discuss because I don’t want to give anything away; the plot threw a lot of curveballs. This book was really interesting to me because some of it took place in a drag bar. I had never read a book like this before as it’s realistic fiction with mystical qualities. It was very open about sexual and gender identity. I highly recommend this book.— Sadie, age 13

Circle of Shadows - A mischievous girl. A boy with a heart of the wild. A girl interested with potions. A boy who loves explosives. Spirit, Wolf, Fairy, and Broomstick are Taigas in the magical world of Kichona. All Taigas stick by tradition through their choices. But these 4 have other plans. This book is a great fantasy book. I love how every part is a mystery, and there are so many twists. This was a great way to keep me reading. I also like how the author is able to develop the characters so well. The author is able to make a character change personality traits without losing their defining characteristics throughout the story. I recommend this book to fans of fantasy. — Ben, age 11

 

I liked Storm Blown by Nick Courage because it shows the perspectives of different people in different chapters. I like books that do that because it lets me know what every character is feeling instead of just one. That's why I like a related book series by Rick Riordan called Heroes of Olympus. I also liked Storm Blown because it's about a natural disaster and has lots of action. It says on the back of Storm Blown that it is for people who like the I Survived series, which is me. I really liked this book and I am giving it 4.5 stars out of 5. — Bruno, age 9

 

The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School by Kristen Mahoney was so good! The book is about Augusta (Gus) who is going into middle school. The story is written to Louisa, Augusta’s little sister. Gus writes about her adventures of her experience in sixth grade, and is so entertaining! I would recommend this book because it is funny in some parts and I always wanted to read more! 10 out of 10! — Tess, age 11

 

 

Song for a Whale - Iris is a deaf girl, but still she likes radios. But at school she feels alone. So when she hears about Blue 55, the loneliest whale in the world. She is determined to help the whale.This touching story about differences is a book I would definitely recommend. I think this book was unique because the book does not only use the main character’s perspective but also uses the whale, Blue 55’s perspective and how he is feeling. For example it says he feels happy when the dolphins swim with him. I liked this perspective. I think this book is good for people who like a book that touches the heart. — Ben, age 11