Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 63 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
Brian, His Granddad and the Cup of Ages
Synopsis: When eleven-year-old Brian Pankhurst has to stay with his grandparents, he's not exactly enthusiastic. He barely knows them, after all, and they're a little strange. They're stranger than he realises, in fact. Very soon after he arrives at their ancient house, Brian starts to feel that something isn't right. Why has someone sent his granddad a completely blank letter? Why don't people who go in to the local bookshop ever seem to come out again? What does his granddad mean when he says Brian's father wasn't really an accountant? Then Brian wakes in the middle of the night and finds he's going to have to adjust to three things very quickly: magic is real, monsters are real, and he and his family are in terrible danger...
Publication Date: 08/15/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Touched
Cyn Balog
Synopsis: Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.

But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Intentions
Deborah Heiligman
Synopsis: Rachel thought she was grown up enough to accept that no one is perfect. Her parents argue, her grandmother has been acting strangely, and her best friend doesn't want to talk to her. But none of that could have prepared her for what she overheard in her synagogue's sanctuary.

Now Rachel's trust in the people she loves is shattered, and her newfound cynicism leads to reckless rebellion. Her friends and family hardly recognize her, and worse, she can hardly recognize herself. But how can the adults in her life lecture her about acting with kavanah, intention, when they are constantly making such horribly wrong decisions themselves? This is a witty, honest account of navigating the daunting line between losing innocence and entering adulthood—all while figuring out who you really want to be.
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
The Mourning Emporium
michelle Lovric
Synopsis: Venice is in peril. Bajamonte Tiepolo is back, and his baddened magic has spread across the globe, from the island of Hooroo in the South Pacific, all the way to London, where Queen Victoria lies dying.

Now two cities need saving by Teo, the Undrowned Child, and Renzo, the Studious Son of a Venetian prophecy. Time is running out as they try to unravel the mysteries threatening London and Venice. They meet mermaids and mourning children, giant squid, a talking bulldog, and the delectable, deceptive Miss Uish. But who is a friend, and who an enemy?
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Soonchild
Alexis Deacon, Russell Hoban
Synopsis: Two internationally acclaimed artists create a groundbreaking, genre-defying adventure to transcend time, place, and identity.

In the cold north where the white wind blows lives Sixteen-Face John, a shaman. His wife is expecting their first child — a "soonchild." But Soonchild won’t come out! So John sets out to find the World Songs that inspire all soonchildren to leave the womb. Along the way, he must shift shape and size, converse with animals and ancestors, and face demons and death. But he also pursues an elusive golden-eyed presence that hints at a connection with his past. This breathtaking novel, as exciting as it is spooky, is a lyrical tribute to the forces of nature, magic, and family.
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Ring of Five: The Ghost Roads
Synopsis: The nefarious leader of the Ring of Five, Ambrose Longford, is still determined to control both the Upper World and Lower World. But Danny and his friends at Wilson's school for spies stand in his way. As Danny struggles with his role in the spy world, Longford is attempting to bring down the other members of the Ring, to usurp all of its power. Or is he?

In this exhilarating conclusion to the Ring of Five trilogy, Eoin McNamee's twists and turns will leave readers wondering who they can believe when dealing with a world of spies.
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Toppling
Rhian Nest James, Sally Murphy
Synopsis: Now that John’s best friend is sick, hanging out with his pals isn’t the same. But what can they do? A kid-friendly story of silliness, sadness, and solidarity.

John lives for that satisfying clink of dominoes as they topple in a perfectly timed rhythm of his own design. His sister thinks he’s a dork, but all he cares about is setting the world record for knocking down dominoes — that and hanging out with his best friends at school. But when his closest friend, Dom, gets sick and ends up in the hospital, John and the gang are left behind, wondering what to do for him. Author Sally Murphy shows what a group of friends, together with an unlikely ally, will do to keep the world of one of their own from toppling.
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Flint Heart
John Rocco, John Paterson, Katherine Paterson
Synopsis: A robust and wildly entertaining fairy tale, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's 1910 fantasy and wryly retold by Katherine and John Paterson.

An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe's magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest creature in the universe, find a way to rescue humans, fairies, and animals alike from the dark influence of the Flint Heart? This humorous, hearty, utterly delightful fairy tale is the sort for an entire family to savor together or an adventurous youngster to devour.
Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Kill Order
James Dashner
Synopsis: A Letter from James Dashner: Top Ten Things I’d Want During the Apocalypse
10. Very, very strong sunglasses.

9. Lots of plastic to wrap around my house.

8. A stranger taken in who happens to be the smartest, ablest doctor in a thousand years.

7. A server containing every show that’s ever been on HBO and a nice entertainment system on which to watch it all.

6. An e-reader loaded with 5,000 books.

5. A generator and a gas refinery next door to provide fuel so I can watch all those shows and charge my e-reader.

4. Deodorant that smells like a rotting dead body so zombies think I’m just one of them.

3. Lifetime supplies in my basement of the following: hot dogs, Almond Joys, potato chips, and Mountain Dew.

2. A cloaking device to hide my house from the tyrannical, evil, bloodthirsty government that will inevitably spring up.

1. Oh, and my wife and kids.

Publication Date: 08/14/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Sleep Before Evening
Magdalena Ball
Synopsis: Marianne is teetering at the edge of reason. A death in the family sends her brilliant academic career and promising future spiraling out of control until resentment towards those who shaped her past leads her on a wild and desperate search for the truth about herself. On the seedy side of New York, she meets Miles, a hip musician busking the streets and playing low-rent venues in a muddled bid to make his own dreams come true. In her new life, she finds anarchic squalor, home grown music and poetry, booze, drugs, sex, violence, love, loss, and, above all, exhilarating freedom on her troubled journey from sleep to awakening. This gritty, relentless story unfolds with the same cool detachment that motivates the central character to peel back the layers of her life and expose the painful scalding within. Finalist in the Regional Fiction category of the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. "...as the drama coils tighter and tighter, it is the exquisite quality of writing that keeps the reader utterly glued. As Marianne struggles with her demons and we almost hold our breath as she nears her eighteenth birthday, Magdalena Ball's Sleep Before Evening shows us that in order to find yourself, you sometimes have to lose yourself first." Cathy Biribauer, The Rose and Thorn
Publication Date: 08/13/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Anthology I - The Other Side
Synopsis: A collection of stories about things that go bump in the night. Stories about the end of the world, what happens when your wishes come true, and when your emotions become your darkest enemy. Come Home with Me - Do not invite her to come home with you. The Best Friend - Ever wondered what your best friend is thinking when she smiles at you. Mary Had a Little Lamb - About what someone would do to save her own life. How far is she willing to go? Children of the Mist - Wishes do come true but at what expense? And many more!
Publication Date: 08/09/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
The Diviner
Melanie Rawn
Synopsis: Bestselling author Melanie Rawn's triumphant return to high fantasy.

The only survivor of royal treachery that eliminates his entire family, Azzad al-Ma'aliq flees to the desert and dedicates himself to vengeance. With the help of the Shagara, a nomadic tribe of powerful magicians, he will finally be able to take his revenge - but at what cost?
Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick
Elicia Castaldi, Jennifer L. Holm
Synopsis: Part graphic novel, part scrapbook and altogether original—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Holm's Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick is just right for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries and Babymouse!
Ginny has big plans for eighth grade. She's going to try out for cheerleading, join Virtual Vampire Vixens, and maybe even fall in love. But middle school is more of a roller-coaster ride than Ginny could have ever predicted. Her family has just moved into a fancy new house when Ginny's stepdad loses his job. (Can worrying about money make you sick?). Ginny's big brother keeps getting into trouble. And there's a new baby on the way. (Living proof that Ginny's mom and stepdad are having sex. Just what she needs.) Filled with Post-its, journal entries, grocery lists, hand-drawn comic strips, report cards, IMs, notes, and more, Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick is the sometimes poignant, often hilarious, always relatable look at a year in the life of one girl, told entirely through her stuff.
Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
Synopsis:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Rivals and Retribution
Shannon Delany
Synopsis:

In Rivals and Retribution, the fifth book in the 13 to Life series by Shannon Delany, Pietr and Jessie will find themselves caught in a pack war with a new breed of werewolves.

Jessie Gillmansen is in trouble again and she's in for the fight of her life--and Pietr's! With Marlaena's dangerous wolf pack putting more pressure on the Rusakova family, change is inevitable and when it comes, it brings a heavy price that forces Alexi into action to save his youngest brother's heart, head, and life. In the stunning conclusion of this celebrated paranormal series two werewolf families fight for control of the small town of Junction, control of each other and--most elusive of all--control of themselves.

Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Angry Young Man
Chris Lynch
Synopsis: Delve into the mind of a teen whose journey of self-discovery leads to the unthinkable in this tense and terse novel from award-wining author Chris Lynch.

Alexander, who wants to be called Xan, is a misfit. He has never fit in—not in academics, sports, or social life. He’s an awkward loner who hasn’t been able to find his place in the world.
     Robert is Xan’s half-brother, and unlike Xan, Robert seems to have his life together. At eighteen, he’s enrolled in community college with a decent job and a great girlfriend. Robert often teases his brother, but he’s also his biggest supporter. No matter what, he’s got Xan’s back.
     When Robert starts to suspect that Xan is traveling down a dangerous path, he may be the only one who can save Xan from self-destructing—before it’s too late. But can Robert save himself?
     This edgy exploration of what goes on in the mind of someone pushed to the brink examines the seeds of extremism that exist in everyone—and is sure to captivate readers of all kinds.

 
Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS