Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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After the death of his grandfather, Jacob, starts seeing odd things and is convinced that he needs to travel to the island where his grandfather grew up in order to reconcile the things his grandfather told him and what everyone else tells him. He finds adventure and a reality that he was not expecting.

It seemed that everyone was reading this book so I resisted for a long time.  A book club that I’m a member of picked this book and I read it.  The book started out strong with an interesting premise and a realistic main character.  As the story went on I found myself predicting what would happen and being disappointed with the way the story was being told.  That said, it is a book for teens so maybe they would not see the ending coming from a mile away.  The pictures are very cool and it’s nice to have an mystery/adventure to give to teen guys. 

Gone by Michael Grant

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In a quiet town in California, in the middle of class, everyone over the age of 14 disappears. Adults and older teens just blink out of existence. In the world that everyone now lives in there are no rules, no parents, no one to tell kids what to do, fix a broken arm, or make food. Add to that the fact that there are little kids and babies who need to be taken care of and you have a pretty gripping story. But why stop there? Let’s pile on. Some kids have special super abilities and some kids are powerless. When the power hungry kids from the private school come to town and clash with the public school kids anything can happen.


I enjoyed reading this book. I’m reading the sequel right now. I hardly ever read a whole series, because there are too many good stories to get to and I don’t have the time, but I really want to know what is going to happen to these kids. The book drags a little in the middle, and it takes a while to get where it’s going, but the final showdown is worth it, and there are some amazing action sequences that would translate really well to a movie. There is a lot of violence so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing don’t read the book. The main characters are mostly 14 and that is the youngest aged teen I think I would recommend the book to.

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

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Avery has superpowers. He can fly and is crazy strong. There may be other powers but he needs to keep a lid on his abilities because if the wrong people find out, he could end up being dissected by guys in white lab coats. Avery has some trouble controlling his powers, which leads to property damage and parent drama. He even has to quit the wrestling team because he can’t control his strength. As soon as he switches schools things really start to change for him. He meets some other people with abilities. Are they good guys, bad guys, really hot girls with evil plots to rule the world?


I liked the book. It was a fun read, and gave a more realistic look to what might happen if you really did have special abilities. I would recommend it to guys that are looking for something fast and exciting to read. The internal conflict is a little reminiscent of the Smallville T.V. series Superman. I’m hoping for a sequel. You can check out the author’s blog for more info and some cool extras about the characters.

Odd Is On Our Side by Dean Koontz

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Odd Thomas sees dead people. He lives in a small town and he tries to help the dead to find rest. Sometimes the dead aren’t just concerned with their own former lives and troubles, sometimes they are trying to tell him about something dark arriving in town. When Elvis (yes, The King) appears to Odd to warn him, Odd and his girlfriend take it seriously and try to save the town.


The story was interesting and I liked the art in this graphic novel. I liked the idea for the story and the characters, but the way it was told left me a little flat. I didn’t feel a real connection to the story and I was skipping stuff to get to the end. Not my favorite graphic novel, or supernatural mystery.

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

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Missy has a terrible secret. She cuts herself to let out all of the bad stuff she feels. She thinks she keeps it hidden so well, but when something brings her secret to light she’s not sure what to do. When her cutting brings her to the edge of death she is presented an offer. Die or become one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Now she is the Red Rider; she is War.


This is the second book by Jackie Morse Kessler. The first featured a girl who became famine. Both books are amazing. I usually hate books that deal with the sad depressing fact that people hurt themselves. For some reason the way Morse Kessler writes, the insight she brings to the topic, and the fact that death likes to wear the skin of a rock god I listened to when I was a teen all comes together in an incredibly readable story. I recommend these books to everyone. There is some implied sexual content and violence, but it’s nothing gratuitous. What happens in the story is what must happen to get the main character where she belongs. GREAT BOOK!

Virals by Kathy Reichs

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Tory moves to a remote island to live with her dad near the research facility where he works. There are other teens on the island and they become friends. After Tory saves a wild wolf dog from an experiment, she and her friends are infected with a virus that gives them heightened senses and reflexes. The virus turns them into Virals. Now they are similar to the wolf dogs that the infection came from; they are a pack. They use their new abilities to try and solve a murder.


This book never took off for me. I read it and kept waiting for the exciting part to happen, but it never did. The beginning was slow, and there was a lot of background and build up about the relationship of the group. Once they were infected and started to have the special abilities, it was still slow. On the front cover James Patterson gives the book an endorsement. I think the book is trying to appeal to fans of the Maximum Ride series, but the book lacks the fast action and believable friendship in the group of teens. It reads less like a teen book, and more like what an adult thinks being a teen is like. This was not the book for me, but it might be for you. Let me know what you thought.

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

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Nine Lorien children and their care givers escape a planetary massacre.  They flee to Earth, the nearest planet that can sustain life.  They will grow up on Earth, come into their powers, and get ready to fight the evil aliens who destroyed their world.  Once they are of age, they will go home and rebuild their planet.  The book starts with the death of the third Lorien.  This is the story of the forth Lorien.  He moves from town to town, staying under the radar and trying to survive until his powers, or Legacies, are fully developed and he is able to defeat the murderous Modagorians.  This book is about Four's life, his fight, romance,and the friends that he makes while growing up.

This is the first book in a series.  There has to be more because the story does not end.  I can't wait for the next book and to see the movie.  It was a fast and exciting read, with lots of action, PG13 romance, and very little cursing.  I would recommend this to guys and girls and anyone who likes action.  Check out the link below to see more information on the book and play some cool games.  (I didn't include this picture just because Alex Pettyfer looks awesome.  It's just a bonus.)

Click here for the Book Webpage.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

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Lisabeth is anorexic but she won’t admit it even to herself. One night after a bad fight with her boyfriend she tries to kill herself. Death appears before her with the Scales of Office. She will be the Black Rider; One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. She, a suburban teen with an eating disorder, will be Famine. As her supernatural powers grow, so does her control over her own body. She meets the other Horsemen and learns that there are no easy ways out.


When I heard eating disorder I almost put the book down because I hate reading those books. Those stories are too serious and too sad. I’m glad I read it. The story was powerful and the author really captured what it’s like to have an eating disorder. The writing is realistic and heartfelt, but without sacrificing humor. The book is well written and powerful. My only complaint is that she revealed the inside joke about death. I liked that only someone in their thirties would recognize the description of death for who he was. As the book goes on the author gives away the secret with big hints. I like knowing something that the teens in my book club don’t know about the book. I wish she would have kept the secret a little better. I recommend this book to guys and girls who have had or know someone who has had an eating disorder, and to those who like reading about the four Horsemen.

There is a new book in the series.  It will be published on 4/4/2011.  I can't wait to read it.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia Margaret Stohl

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Finally a supernatural romance from the guys point of view.  Ethan is the smart son of two professors,  He lives in the same small town that his family has live in since before the Civil War.  (Also known as the War of Northern Aggression if you are from some places in the south.)  Lena is “The New Girl”.  She has moved into the haunted plantation house of her recluse uncle.  When the two meet and start to form a friendship, things go from weird to worse.  They both discover things that neither thought were possible.

The book grabs you with the idea of a town that no one leaves and holds onto you with the story of why.  Not everything is as it seems in a small town and not everyone is who they appear to be.  The story held my interest the whole way through and the romance was not too overwhelmingly mushy.  A good read!  I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good gothic, supernatural mystery or romance.

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell

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          Damien is the son of a supervillian.  When he turns 16 he should see a V on his thumb confirming that he will be a supervillain too.  He should be going to high school for villainy and dating a supervillian girl.  Things don’t go as planned and Damien might have some superhero blood in his family tree.  With his destiny not as clear as he thought Damien finds himself torn between the way he was raised and doing what’s right.  

          This was an interesting book.  With the action, talk about girls, and guy humor this is definitely a guys book.  A lot of guys will relate to Damien, because even though he wants to be a supervillian, he is just a regular guy.  He is scared of heights, loves his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him, and he is not great at school.  I enjoyed reading the book and some parts were incredibly funny.  Even with the superheroes it is a realistic read.  I give this book a 3 out of 5.  It was worth reading but if you are interested in a superhero teen book I would read Dull Boy by Sarah Cross or Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor.

Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

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     If you could have only one superpower what would it be?  Think about it because it's very important.  This is Jakes question to the reader.  He has a secret; he has a power.  When his friends Ophelia and Milo accidentally discover his gift they start on a deadly adventure.
     What seems like a regular superhero story is actually a well written look at the way people deal with death.  The characters are all well formed and the plot is realistic.  How would a person with a special gift really act?  What would life really be like if you had a superpower?
     This book is amazing.  I loved it from start to finish.  Patrick Carman is a genius!  Think about what you would really do or or what your life would be like if you were indestructible.  This book is a must read for anyone who loves comics and superheroes.  If you never really understood what Uncle Ben meant when he said, "With great power comes great responsibility."  you will understand by the time you get to the end of this book.