Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 25 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
Montooth 3: Red Cross of Gold
Meghan Christian, Robert Jay
Synopsis: The third book in the Montooth quintet follows the main characters as they finish high school while experiencing the advent of Rock n' Roll in the mid-Fifties. Off to college, Carty Andersson's archery skills and outspoken criticism of a professor, leads police to suspect her in a bizarre campus murder. Her friends in The Crew utilize their skills and display unquestioned loyalty as they attempt to save her while discovering and capturing the real killer. Meanwhile, her close friend and high school roommate, Elena Rafferty, joins the forces of Fidel Castro as he begins his quest to take power in Cuba. The infamous Cruz Cruz, teaming with actress-singer Sara Ann Dan, manipulates both sides of the Cuban Revolution as it marches closer to finality. Sally, the erstwhile witch from the initial book, Montooth and the Canfield Witch, exposes ancient family history to show origins of her enormous cache of gold, jewels, and other property. Smithsonian researches trace it from King Solomon's mines to the Templar warrior monks in France and Scotland, to Colonial America to the swamps of Florida. Author Jay includes his signature Montooth fable, this time involving the title character alligator and beehives.
Publication Date: 10/30/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Iron Traitor
Julie Kagawa
Synopsis: From the limitless imagination of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Kagawa, The Iron Fey series continues.



WHEN WE MET, I HAD NO IDEA HE WOULD BE THE CATALYST...FOR THE END OF EVERYTHING

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten.

As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Don’t miss the first book in Julie Kagawa’s highly anticipated new series, SHADOW OF THE FOX, AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2, 2018

“Julie Kagawa is one killer storyteller.”
—MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog

“The Iron King has the…enchantment, imagination and adventure of… Alice in Wonderland, Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, but with lots more romance.”
—Justine magazine

“Fans of the first 'Iron Fey’ series will be interested in seeing Meghan and her family again, while new readers will find enough detail to help them jump right in and enjoy the magic, adventure, and touch of romance.”
—School Library Journal on The Lost Prince
Publication Date: 10/29/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Obsidian Pebble
Rhys A. Jones
Synopsis: 11-year old Oz Chambers lives in a haunted house (Penwurt). His mother wants to move, but Oz would rather do double algebra (yuck) every day for twelve months than leave. Where others see spooky, Oz sees wonder and mystery and aching reminders of his deceased dad. When he and his friends hear ghostly footsteps in the boarded-up dorm at Halloween, it leads to an exploration of the old place's eerie reputation. In his Dad's locked study, Oz finds a parcel addressed to him and posted  the day before his father died. Inside is the obsidian pebble, the link to all of Penwurt's astonishing secrets. Suddenly Oz begins to change; he goes from maths dunce to A student overnight and has to deal with suspicious teachers and jealous pupils. But the footsteps in the locked rooms don't go away and slowly, Oz begins to knit together the strands of lies and mystery that tie the obsidian pebble, his father and him together. What Oz hasn't bargained for is that he's not alone in that search for understanding and that solving Penwurt's puzzles lead to other, much darker secrets that will test his loyalty and his bravery to the limit.
Publication Date: 10/29/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Dunnard's Pearl
Mike Williamson
Synopsis:

People are remarkably adaptable. If you ruin them slowly enough they barely notice!

Humans and aliens take on the establishment in Mike Williamson’s funny and thought-provoking debut, Dunnard’s Pearl.

Part-time teenage idealist James Justice is transported to a strange world from the playing-fields of his London school. Despite the bright, new surroundings, the same dirty, old tricks are being enthusiastically employed by a self-serving government to fleece the people.

James promises to champion the down-trodden and stumbles upon two more earthlings who have also found themselves mysteriously beamed aboard the ‘Vortex’.

Together, the three teenagers tread a fine line as they attempt to play along with the powers that be while desperately seeking a way to return home.

They find themselves thrust into the company of a very soft alien couple, are recruited for a reality television show, and learn the awful secret that the Administrators are determined to hide. As they try to avoid this awful fate, James and his allies face a final, violent showdown with the Grand Administrator. Will they win? Will they ever find a way to return to their homes?

Publication Date: 10/20/13
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Adventure
Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot
Synopsis: Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced middle grade series perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys.

"I'm one of those people who believe in Bigfoot and this Bigfoot book was AWESOME!" -- Amazon Review

Is the legendary Bigfoot real?

Twelve-year-old Alec Kerley finds out, in an adventure he'll never forget!

Alec's mom died six months ago, and his world is upside down. Now, it's just Alec and his dad, alone, together but apart.

Making matters worse, Alec has discovered that his dad works for a secret government agency that investigates monsters -- real, living, breathing monsters!

When Alec joined his dad and the Gonzalezes, longtime family friends of the Kerleys, on what he thought was a short getaway to the Branson, Missouri area, he and his best friend Ken Gonzalez -- along with Ken's sister Sarah and her pretty friend Emily -- expected to stay in cabins with a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. What they got instead was a close encounter with a wiggly kid named Ethan Elvis Edgar, who breaks wind whenever he gets scared, and a terrifying attack by a group of the fabled Bigfoots, who are not happy the vacationers are there.

And what Alec learns through his experience is that faith and hope and healing can be found in the most unexpected places -- even in the midst of the Terror of Bigfoot.

****

Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot is a middle grade inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 50,000 words, 22 chapters.

Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot is the first in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two) and Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur (Book Three).
Publication Date: 10/17/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes)
Synopsis: Meet Randi Rhodes, the world’s first ninja detective! Mystery abounds in this delightful new middle grade series from Academy Award–winning actress Octavia Spencer.

Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of their Founder’s Day Festival. But the festival’s main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town’s treasure, has gone missing.

Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee–inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating in a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect.

They have three days to find the treasure…the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day?
Publication Date: 10/15/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Bzrk Reloaded
Michael Grant
Synopsis: From best-selling author Michael Grant, comes the highly anticipated, terrifying, and mind-bending second book in the BZRK trilogy.

The entire BZRK cell--including Noah and Sadie--has been left in pieces after the last round of battle with the Armstrong Twins, conjoined brother who plot to rob mankind of its free will. Vincent's mind is shattered, and his memories hold dangerous secrets--secrets that Lear, BZRK's mysterious leader, will stop at nothing to protect.

Meanwhile, Bug Man has taken control of the President's brain, but playing with sanity is a dangerous game. The consequences can spiral way out of control, and the Armstrong Twins are not people Bug Man can afford to disappoint.

The nano is as terrifying, exhilarating, and unpredictable as ever. But the wall of secrets that surrounds it is cracking. What will it reveal? And once the dust has settled, who will be sane enough to find out?

Releases simultaneously in electronic book format (ISBN 978-1-60684-395-6)
Publication Date: 10/08/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Kingdom of Little Wounds
Synopsis: A 2014 Michael L. Printz Honor Book

A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion. Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.
Publication Date: 10/08/13
Age Level: Adult
Genre: Adventure
Canyon of Danger (Goldtown Adventures)
Synopsis:

Jem Coulter’s pa, the sheriff of Goldtown, is away on a trip to deliver a prisoner to Sacramento, and he has left Jem in charge of the ranch—along with Aunt Rose, that is.

No sooner is the sheriff gone then trouble starts—a dead calf, a mysterious stranger, and then Pa’s horse, Copper, and his prize rifle are stolen. And Pa’s deputies seem unconcerned.

Jem and his cousin Nathan find Copper’s tracks end at a dark canyon up in the hills. Jem remembers an old Indian legend Strike-it-rich Sam is fond of retelling about people disappearing and no one ever seeing them again. What is the real story of the canyon of danger? Have thieves found the perfect hideout?

Readers ages 8 to 12 will be entertained by the adventurous spirit and historical lure in this fast-moving series that teaches about life in the post–Gold Rush days of 1860s California. Quick-paced plots and unforgettable characters make these books fun for the whole family.

Publication Date: 10/07/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Shadowlark
Meagan Spooner
Synopsis: Ever since she escaped the city within the Wall, Lark Ainsley's wanted one thing: to find her brother Basil. She's always believed he would be the one to put an end to the constant fear and flight. And now, hidden underground in the chaotically magical city of Lethe, Lark feels closer to him than ever.  But Lethe is a city cowering in fear of its founder, the mysterious Prometheus, and of his private police force. To get the truth about what happened to Basil, Lark has no choice but to face Prometheus. Facing her fears has become second nature to Lark. Facing the truth is another matter. Lark never asked to be anyone's savior. She certainly never wanted to be anyone's weapon. She might not have a choice.
Publication Date: 10/01/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Dead City (Blue Moon)
James Ponti
Synopsis: Molly is ready for more nonstop, undead action in this follow-up to Dead City, which Kirkus Reviews described as “a fast-paced read for those who like their zombies with just a little fright.”

When Molly Bigelow discovered that zombies shared New York with humans, she didn’t think life could get more shocking. Then she learned that her mother was once one of the greatest zombie killers ever—and she discovered that her dead mother is not technically dead at all (although she isn’t alive, either).

Molly’s efforts to keep these secrets and to help her Omega team track down the identity of the original thirteen zombies will take her from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Her loyalties to friends and family will be put to the test. And her life will be changed in ways she never could have imagined.
Publication Date: 10/01/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Tour of the Merrimack
R. M. Meluch
Synopsis: The U.S.S. Merrimack was the finest battleship class spaceship in Earth's fleet, able to stand up against the best the Palatine Empire could throw at them. They were even able to survive  an attack by the  deadly swarms of the seemingly unstoppable Hive. Only her sister ship, the Monitor, was her equal. However, with the Palatine forces preparing a massive offensive, and the Hive targeting every living organism in the galaxy for destruction, even these two great battleships may fall....

This omnibus edition includes the first two novels of R.M. Meluch's acclaimed Tour of the Merrimack series, The Myriad and Wolf Star.
 
Publication Date: 10/01/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Scroll of Years
Chris Willrich
Synopsis: It's Brent Weeks meets China Mieville in this wildly imaginative fantasy debut featuring high action, elegant writing, and sword and sorcery with a Chinese flare.
 
     Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are a romantic couple and partners in crime. Persimmon is a poet from a well-to-do family, who found herself looking for adventure, while Imago is a thief in his ninth decade who is double-cursed, and his body has not aged in nearly seventy years. Together, their services and wanderlust have taken them into places better left unseen, and against odds best not spoken about. Now, they find themselves looking to get away, to the edge of the world, with Persimmon pregnant with their child, and the most feared duo of assassins hot on their trail. However, all is never what it seems, and a sordid adventure--complete with magic scrolls, gangs of thieves, and dragons both eastern and western--is at hand.
Publication Date: 09/24/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Wild Boy
Rob Lloyd Jones
Synopsis: Murder mystery meets carnival flair in a rollicking Victorian adventure centered on a boy with a unique appearance — and unique gifts.

In the seedy underworld of Victorian London, a boy is born and abandoned. Snatched up by an unscrupulous and abusive showman, Wild Boy, covered in hair from head to toe, becomes a sideshow freak. Isolated from other children and wickedly abused by the cruel master who bought him, Wild Boy becomes an avid observer, developing Sherlock Holmes–like deductive skills. Although he is tormented and insulted, kicked and spat at, his quick mind takes in everything he sees. When a murder occurs at the fair, Wild Boy is hastily accused. Can he use his powers of deduction to save himself? And will the talented and spunky young acrobat Clarissa be with him — or against him? Readers will be swept along by the cinematic pace, immersed in the vivid historical setting, and gripped by suspense as they wait to find out if a better fate could possibly await someone so very different.
Publication Date: 09/24/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Rooftoppers
Terry Fan, Katherine Rundell
Synopsis: Embrace possibility in this luminous novel about a girl in search of her past who discovers a secret rooftop world in Paris.

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck that left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive—but “almost impossible” means “still possible.” And you should never ignore a possible.

So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian, threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has— the address of the cello maker.

Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers—urchins who live in the hidden spaces above the city. Together they scour the city in a search for Sophie’s mother—but can they find her before Sophie is caught and sent back to London? Or, more importantly, before she loses hope?

Phillip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials series, calls Rooftoppers “the work of a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.”
Publication Date: 09/24/13
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Task Force
Brian Falkner
Synopsis: A sci-fi military thriller perfect for kids who love Halo and Call of Duty!
 
They depend on each other. Humanity depends on them.
 
The final invasion is coming. The aliens have massed on the northeastern edge of Russia, waiting to attack as soon as the turbulent waters of the Bering Strait turn to ice. Recon Team Angel must act now.
 
It’s up to them to shepherd a task force upriver and infiltrate the aliens’ stronghold. They must cripple their enemies quickly and quietly. Luckily, Recon Team Angel was made for such missions. The six teens have been modified to look like aliens. They have spent years mastering alien culture so that they can talk, act—even think—like their enemies. But with their target in sight and time running out, can they save humanity and themselves?
Publication Date: 09/24/13
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS