Monthly Archives: August 2015

Blackout by Robin Wells

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blackout_robinwellsImagine you are having a nice day in a peaceful, secluded town when suddenly the government is hauls you and your friends away to test for a biological virus that could give you, or any other teens in the whole world, super powers. This is what it is like for Aubrey Parsons, a normal girl in high school, is suddenly thrown headfirst into a battle between the U.S. government and a terrorist organization using super-teens to destroy national monuments across the country.

With this information, the U.S. government uses their teens to stop these terrorists. Aubrey is highly suited for the situation having some of those powers herself. She has the ability to become unnoticed by anyone around her. Aubrey, along with some friends, eventually joins a special task force in the army that specializes in the destruction of terrorist groups and will help bring the war to an end.

The author, Robin Wells, tells the story from the point of view of a few teens with special powers caused by the virus that go on adventures to stop, or join forces with, the terrorists. Having families back home and being abducted by the government, these kids don’t know who to trust; but they do know one thing: they will not let these terrorists continue to destroy their country and the people in it.

-Kyle H.

Blackout is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. 

Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs

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spycamp_stuartgibbsStuart Gibbs wrote Spy Camp as a sequel to his first espionage novel, Spy School.  Ben Ripley, a.k.a. Agent Smokescreen, is no “regular” kid for his age. He is a spy in training for the CIA and spent the last year learning and preparing to be a spy while his friends back home think he is at a dumb science school.  That’s how secretive the CIA is.  Even his parents think that he has a scholarship to this school. However, the school year is over now.  Ben is getting ready to come home for the summer when the principal notifies him that he and all of his other classmates are going to a spy camp.  Ben has never been to camp before.  He is a little nervous, but then he receives a contract from the enemy group, SPYDER, with a death threat.  This reminded me of the song, Camp Granada, by Allan Sherman.  In the song, the young camper details all the horrible circumstances he has to endure.

Ben is put under “extra extra protection” from SPYDER.  Despite these precautions, when his special training starts in the woods, his group is ambushed.  Ben only has his friend Erica, an amazing spy, to help him.  It is very unlikely he will come out of this situation alive.  For he is wanted DEAD OR ALIVE! It was at this point when I remembered the song “Double Agent” by Rush because both Ben and the song lyrics desire to be “anywhere but here”. Ben is scared and feels as though he is useless to solving the problem at hand. To make matters worse, nobody from his family and none of his friends know how dire the state he is in.

I would recommend this book to any young spies out there or anyone who read the first book. A big thumbs up to Stuart Gibbs for Spy Camp.

-Maya S.

Spy Camp is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. 

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

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MV5BMjM2MDgxMDg0Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTM2OTM5NDE@._V1_SX214_AL_Many aren’t aware of the book which inspired the movie series for Jurassic Park (see Jurassic World in theaters now!), and like most books, the original is better than the movie adaptation.

Michael Crichton’s vision of a utopian theme park gone wrong set a revolutionary example for all sci-fi novels to follow. Most of the characters in the novel are well developed and bear significance in the symbolism of their fates. However, I would have preferred a wider range of female characters as there are only two, with only one portrayed in a mature, positive light. Although most sci-fi novels are geared towards a male audience, it’s a huge bummer for female readers who do exist and do enjoy the genre. And while Dr. Strattler’s minimal role may have been a representation of the sexism faced by women in the scientific field, I think Crichton could have helped break the non-inclusive pattern within the genre.

I’m interested to know if this bothered anyone else who read the book, or if anyone agrees that there is a lack of female representation in sic-fi novels or movies?

– Sara S.

Jurassic Park, both the novel and film, can be checked out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. A downloadable version of the book is available on Overdrive. 

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

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shade_jerismithreadyFrom The Encyclopedia of Shade:

Shift – a remarkable period of time that scientists can’t explain. Every baby, called “post-shifters”, born after this time has been able to see ghosts as a strange, purple hue. It happened almost seventeen years ago.

Red – the color that ghosts can’t take very well. If anyone, including a post-shifter, wears red, the ghost will stay away from them.

BlackBoxed – a new and remarkable invention that allows an entire room to be either free from ghosts or keep ghosts in. This means that if a room is BlackBoxed, ghosts can’t get in or out.

Aura– a young girl of sixteen (almost seventeen) years. There is a huge possibility that she is the first post-shifter, but it is not in solid facts yet. Her mother died from cancer and father is unknown, so her guardian is her mother’s sister, Aunt Gina. With her Aunt Gina, she helps ghosts move on to the Afterlife. After her boyfriend Logan died and she was able to see him as a ghost, she decided to also help him move on and prove to others that he didn’t know what he was doing when he died.

Logan- a ghost who died on his seventeenth birthday. He died because he was drinking, and then took drugs to stay awake and alert, not knowing that a combination of alcohol and drugs could kill him. While he was alive, he was in a band with some of his friends. However, he could become a Shade because of all the hatred he has as a ghost. He is still in love with Aura after he dies.

Zachary– a young Pre-shifter from Scotland. There is a possibility that he is the last Pre-shifter, but it is not certain. He has transferred to Aura’s school after his dad had his work transferred to America. Coincidentally, he is also Aura’s astrology partner, and has the same birth date as her.

Shade– what ghosts can become if they get too angry. They appear as all black hues, and make post-shifters sick. Unlike ghosts, they can go anywhere they want. However, they are always angry, and it is a bitter hell for them. If a ghost turns into a Shade, they cannot turn back, ever. Aura is afraid Logan would turn into one of these.

Overall view- very well written. This book will have readers off the edges of their seats as they solve spectacular mysteries, such as Aura’s father and why the Shift happened. Additionally, the characters were just like one would meet in everyday life and seem to be as real as the person who sits next to them. There is also the idea of suspense, with the readers wondering what will happen next and if the story will be a happily ever after. And when the story does reach its end, the readers will be sad that there isn’t more.

Warning- There is mature content such as drugs, alcohol, etc. Additionally, this book is the first of a trilogy, meaning that readers will be craving for the next book.

-Megan V., 10th grade

Shade is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

I’m Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil

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imgladididit_cynthiaweilThe Big Apple.  Summer.  1963.  JJ Green. The Music Business.  Room for adventure.

JJ Green, a 16 year old girl, is one to speak her mind.  It has always been her dream to write songs, but there is a slight problem. There are three unbreakable rules in the Green family:

1. The Greens always eat breakfast together.
2. The Greens always negotiate instead of arguing.
3. The Greens always become lawyers.

As I read these first few pages, a song automatically popped into my head: “We are Family” by Sister Sledge.  The Greens were happy family, and especially in the 1960s, families stuck together. This song portrayed the scene of family life perfectly. But JJ shies away from these rules, for her wish is to become a songwriter.  Behind her parents’ back she applies for a job at the music business where her ‘disowned’ uncle works.  He calls it the place where songs are born.  Her parents call it the place where dreams are lost. On the contrary, Bobby, the producer, loves JJ’s talent and hires her as an intern for the summer.  When JJ finally shares her exciting news to her unenthusiastic parents, they are furious. Reluctantly, after tireless debates, they sign the paperwork, but they still are not approving of JJ’s decision. Her parents, then, make a deal: If JJ doesn’t get a song recorded by the time school starts in the fall, she will work as a lawyer. JJ doesn’t feel threatened by this arrangement at all.  At this point I thought of the song, “One Way or Another” by Blondie.  Somehow, somewhere, sometime she will get a record.

However, when the time comes to actually write the song, JJ’s fingers stop.  Her creative juices halt.  Her mind goes blank.  This may be a lot tougher than she set out for it to be.  Until she meets Dulcie Brown, her life flashes before her eyes, of thoughts of the deal with her parents. She cannot live the rest of her life as a lawyer; it just won’t do.  Dulcie, a negro jazz singer with an amazing voice, now a custodian at for the producer, can help her through this rough spot in her career. But things take a wild turn. Although a beautiful song is written, JJ’s heart is broken.

I would rate this book 5/5 stars for its originality and incredible authencity because it was written by an actual songwriter, Cynthia Weil.  I loved the historical fiction aspect as well as her unique style of creative writing.

-Maya S., 7th Grade

I’m Glad I Did is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

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lordoftheflies_williamgoldingPre-reading impression:
Boys + island – adults = cannibalism

Post-reading impression:
British Boys + pig infested island – adults and their rules = wait … Was no one eaten?

I think this was one of the main disappointments. It’s a story about a bunch of little boys on an island. Is it too far-fetched thinking that cannibalism would eventually ensue?

The boys still go savage. That at least was consistent with my pre-reading assumptions. All the little boys are between the age of six and twelve. They start their adventure in an assembly. Their main chief, Ralph, calls them all together by blowing into a conch shell. One thing that always struck me odd is that no one ever knows exactly how many boys there were on the island. They have a whole bunch of assemblies where all the boys are present, but for whatever reason, no one bothers to count everyone during this time. Would it be so hard for Piggy, who is the only boy with brains and common sense on the island, to just turn his head and count the little kids and the big kids.

The characters themselves are pretty distinct. I ignored most of the little ones during the story because they didn’t do much except have nightmares. Simon and Piggy were my favorite characters, and Ralph can grow on you. He is a natural leader, and although he stuck Piggy with the unfortunate nickname, he knows how to take charge of a situation and manage the priorities on what must be done to survive.

Some phrases in the book became pretty common in the assemblies. No one liked listening to Piggy, because he was fat and wore glasses, so in order to get the boys to listen, Piggy would say, “I’ve got the conch.” In response, Ralph often replied, “Oh, shut up.” To which Jack demanded, “We need meat.” Where Ralph would say, “The fire is the most important thing.” Just the same argument over and over.

This is one of those classic books where everything is written for a reason. All the main characters represent a different part of society. It starts fairly organized but eventually gets more chaotic. There are strong archetypical symbols. I found myself thinking, rain is an archetype for rebirth. Thank you, freshman English class. But as fun as it is to just pick out symbols and match them with their corresponding meanings, the book just becomes so much deeper with these ideas in place.

So if you are looking for a classic book with all male characters between the ages of 6 to 12 on an island devoid of cannibalism, Lord of the Flies is the book for you.

-Nicole G., 12th grade

Lord of the Flies is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library, Overdrive, and Axis360. 

The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

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cemeteryboys_heatherbrewerStephen’s life is already bad enough, with his mom in the hospital and his dad going broke from paying the bills. It gets worse when his dad tells Stephen that the two of them are moving to the small town his dad grew up in. No one wants to live in Spencer, let alone move there, so to Stephen is very bad news. They are forced to live with Stephen’s grandmother who despises the very idea of them both. As much as they hate to live there, his dad promises it is just temporary, saying that he just needs enough time to get a job and get back on his feet. Then, they can leave Spencer for good. But as weeks drag into months, it’s clear the two won’t be going anywhere for a while.

However, things begin to get better when Stephen meets punk girl, Cara, who he may or may not have a huge crush on and her interesting and protective twin brother, Devon. As nights hanging out in the harmless “Playground”, also known as the town’s cemetery, Stephen starts to realize there is much more going on here than just a few drinks with some friends and he begins to suspect Devon may not just be a regular friend but a leader, leading them all to a fatal end. Stephen wants more than anything to get his life back to normal, or as normal as it will ever be. But what he doesn’t know is that nothing normal can come out of his move to Spencer, Michigan and that he may never know normal again….

I could not put this book down no matter how hard I tried. This amazing thriller will have you on the edge of your seats with every word. And the ending was something I never expected! Everything in this book was just so fascinating, that I couldn’t wait to find out what happens. Because of some mature content, I would recommend this to readers 13 and up. Be sure to look out for this book at the library. The town legends and beliefs will make you wonder that if you were there, would you believe them too?

– Sabrina C., 9th Grade

The Cemetery Boys is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

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In a world where most people are loners comes a tale of two marvelous friends and the obstacles that cross their paths. It’s 1930’s California in the Salinas Valley. Most men who come through are looking for one thing: work. All of them travel from farm to farm, working alone.
This is not true for George Milton and Lennie Small. After being kicked out of Weed because of something Lennie did, they travel together on to the next farm with hopes and dreams of money to buy land: a few acre land with a small house and freedom from the bosses and a little patch for Lennie’s rabbits (he’s really obsessed with rabbits). There on the next farm they met people with hopes and dreams, and learn the basis for reality: dreams will get crushed.
This story is far by one of my favorites. Although (spoiler) the ending is quite sad, there are times when I laughed hard. By the way, the mice part is a metaphor: there is only one mouse, and it’s dead. The title comes from the poem “To a Mouse, On Turning up her Nest with a Plough”: “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men” go astray, saying that we have hopes and dreams, but something shatters them (which describes the book very well).
Steinbeck worked on a farm once, so he knows, and describes very well, the life on a farm in 1930 or so. At times, it’s also a little hard to read because of the Californian accent. However, some good advice is to say it out loud. For example, “purty” is actually “pretty”. Even so, I encourage you to read this book! After I read it, I gave it a two thumbs up. Interestingly, the characters talk about a “cat house” a lot. It’s meaning is actually something different in modern times.
-Megan V., 9th grade