Patron Book Review ~ Children of the River

Children of the River by Linda Crew
Published: 1989
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction,

Description:
Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army when she was thirteen, leaving behind her parents, her brother and sister, and the boy she had loved since she was a child.

Now, four years later, she struggles to fit in at her Oregon high school and to be "a good Cambodian girl" at home. A good Cambodian girl never dates; she waits for her family to arrange her marriage to a Cambodian boy. Yet Sundara and Jonathan, an extraordinary American boy, are powerfully drawn to each other. Haunted by grief for her lost family and for the life left behind, Sundara longs to be with him. At the same time she wonders, Are her hopes for happiness and new life in America disloyal to her past and her people?
Review by patron, Anonymous: 

I liked this book because Sundara travels to America when her family is attacked an army in Cambodia.

Have you been to a library program or read a book you'd like to review? Send it to kwill@lmelibrary.org and it may be published!

First names only are used in all reviews for privacy. Inappropriate or defamatory reviews or comments will not be posted.

Reviews are typed exactly as patrons submitted them. The LME Library is not responsible for any incorrect or misspelled information contained in reviews by patrons.

Patron Book Review ~ Killer

Killer (Pretty Little Liars #6) by Sara Shepard
Published: 2009
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Description:
In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie - and so do Rosewood's four prettiest girls.

Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things - things they had to keep secret for years. And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn't die with her.

Hanna's on a mission to corrupt Rosewood's youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria's snooping into her boyfriend's past. Spencer's stealing - from her family. And pure little Emily's abstaining from abstinence.

The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali's killer was arrested and A's true identity was finally revealed. But now there's a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.
Review by patron, Anonymous: 

I love these books. They are very suspnsful. I learned what was coming in the tv show. It was also pretty funny too.

Have you been to a library program or read a book you'd like to review? Send it to kwill@lmelibrary.org and it may be published!

First names only are used in all reviews for privacy. Inappropriate or defamatory reviews or comments will not be posted.

Reviews are typed exactly as patrons submitted them. The LME Library is not responsible for any incorrect or misspelled information contained in reviews by patrons.

Patron Book Review ~ Sleepaway Girls

Sleepaway Girls, book 1 in the Whispering Pines series by Jen Calonita
Published: 2009
Genre: Young Adult
Description:
When the exceptionally people-pleasing Sam spends a summer as a counselor-in-training, she learns how to say no, to stand up for herself, and what it feels like to have a crush on a great guy.





Review by patron, Peyton:

This book is one of my favorites. It includes friendship, drama, + romance. They all meet each other at camp and they are stuck together all summer.

Have you been to a library program or read a book you'd like to review? Send it to kwill@lmelibrary.org and it may be published!

First names only are used in all reviews for privacy. Inappropriate or defamatory reviews will not be posted.

Reviews are typed exactly as patrons submitted them. The LME Library is not responsible for any incorrect or misspelled information contained in reviews by patrons.

Book Review ~ My Boyfriend Is a Monster Series

My Boyfriend Is a Monster: I Love Him to Pieces by  Evonne Tsang

Cover Courtesy of
www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

Published: April 2011
Genre: Graphic Novel/Fantasy

Description from Fantastic Fiction:

Can love survive the zombie apocalypse? Maybe Dicey's first chance at a real relationship was dead from the start. She's the star of her high school baseball team, and Jack's the star of the science program. Her idea of a study session includes sleeping in the sun, and his idea of a good game involves dungeons and dice. But opposites start attracting when they're assigned to be partners in a class project. Now an outbreak of a weird infection--it eats your brains and leaves you hungry for more--might not mean just the end of their first date. It might mean the end of everything. Will their relationship fall apart faster than zombies in the Florida sun, or can Dicey and Jack beat the odds and find a happy ending?

YA Staff Review:
This was a cute quick read. I liked how Dicey never gave up on Jack or their relationship. The first time you see Dicey talk to Jack is quite entertaining. I actually was shocked when I got to the last page. I thought the story could have continued for a while longer. If you are in the mood for a quick romance give this a try. No need for long descriptions of characters or locations with this fully illustrated graphic novel. I find this gives my brain a rest from imagining these things so I can concentrate more on the dialog and story line.

Book Review ~ Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Cover Art Courtesy of  http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/. 

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Published: February 2009
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Description from Fantastic Fiction:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life' plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth--and he's her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war--and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.

YA Staff Review:
Why do we fight the hardest when we are told we are required to do something? Our choices and free will taken away? To me this has a bit of a "Country Mouse; City Mouse" feel as Lucius grew up around strict decorum and Jessica is comparatively a country bumpkin. She learns to enjoy the regal things in life and Lucius finds denim and basketball quite enjoyable. I found if funny the letters Lucius writes describing his "Americanization."

Frankly, I don't know how I missed this book when it first came out? You shouldn't judge a book by it's publication date either, LOL! Currently there are just two books in this series along with an "online only" segue book filling you in on some things that happened between book 1 and 2. "Jessica 1.5" can be read on the author's site here.