The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Maya lives in a secluded medical research town in British Columbia. She and her friends are still mourning the mysterious death of their friend Serena. No one is sure why she died, and no one can explain the sudden interest that the local cougar population has in Maya. When a new boy, Rafe, shows up in town, he may have the answers that Maya craves. Rafe may also be able to explain the significance of Maya's paw print shaped birth mark, a mark that he shares. Maya must join Rafe on the search of their past in an attempt to save their futures.
Rating: Awesome

- Kristen, Waterdown

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

In this book, the Baudelaire orphans were sent to the Squalors, for protection, by Mr. Poe, because(obviously) he can't provide enough care for them. While they were in the apartment, they were told to climb the stairs as the elevator is out of service. After the orphans climbed a 66-storied apartment(that time they lost their count) and reached the Squalors' penthouse, the couple saw them exhausted and Esme fed them with aquatic martinis, which they're not alcoholic.

Whenever Esme talks about stylish stuff, she uses the word "In", while for outdated stuff "Out".One day, the orphans and Jerome went out for dinner and suddenly saw an auctioneer named Gunther, which is disguised by Olaf (the Baudelaires knows that) and he disguises the way he speaks by using the word "please" in the wrong.
[spoilers!!]
Next day, the orphans decided to go into the elevator, which they discovered a missing elevator shaft, and they had to go down, using Violet's invention, which took 3 hours, and discovered the Quagmires (Duncan & Isador) in the cage. while the tried to escape the Quagmires out of it, Count Olaf found them out, snatched them and escaped out. After they came up they told Esme about what they discovered about Olaf (can't write anymore)

Rating: Awesome

- Rahma, Barton

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Amir and his Hazara friend, Hassan, were born in the same country, Afghanistan. Then, forty years, Amir and his dad are fleeing from Afghanistan to Pakistan because Soviets invade Afghanistan, killed many people. Next, both of them took their journey to America to be settled.

Rating: Okay

- Mohammed, Barton

She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

Ally Ryan was just a normal girl until her dad made a huge mistake in the stock markets with not only their own money but also all her friends parents, this huge loss was the reason they had to move the reason her dad disappeared, and now they have to go back, her mom is hoping everything will be normal again, but all her friends hate her now. I was quite a struggle but eventually she starts to get along, even if it isn't with the cresties (a nickname for anyone on the crescent, all the rich kids, where she used to live).Its the story of her struggle, some romance and many betrayals.

Rating: Awesome

- Gurlin, Red Hill

Need by Carrie Jones

An overview of this book is that it's about a teen who moves to Maine to live with her grandmother because her stepfather died. Oddly enough the man she sees back in her hometown somehow is in Maine stalking her, and if thats not weird enough he's actually a pixie king that happens to be her birth father. Her grandmother ends up being a shapeshifter thats a tiger, and the cutest guy ends up being a werewolf who falls for her. This book was amazing and had me hooked on the first chapter. Its something everyone who enjoys a good out of the ordinary book would love.

Rating: Awesome

- Aman, Stoney Creek

Rules for Secret Keeping by Lauren Barnholdt

The book, Rules For Secert Keeping, is about how to keep a secret. The characters also share secrets. One secret is how this girl Samantha always got confused as a boy because everyone called her Sam. So in kindergarten she had to sit beside this guy Eric and he stared balling his eyes out because he had to sit beside a girl and that made Samantha cry as well. The characters names are Samantha, Eric, Taylor, Dad, Emma, and Charlie. I recommend this book to everyone. It's awesome and teaches you good rules for secret keeping.

Rating: Awesome

- Adrianna, Sherwood

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

It was a very good sequel to the Gathering. I loved how she's tying her first series into it. It was very suspenseful, i couldn't put it down, she does her first change into a couger and she isn't having any mental disabilities like Annie, so everything is going well untill she finds out that St.Cloud's has sold them to the nasts!!!! Hopefully there are less betrayals than there were in the first series but so far it isn't looking good. I would recommend this book to anyone who like a good adventure/mystery.


Rating: Awesome


- Gurlin, Valley Park

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

This book was awsome and attention grabbing. All I did was read until I finished it. It felt so real sometimes I wonder if that stuff actually happened because it seemed to have a well placed background.

Rating: Awesome

- Elia, Saltfleet

Hooked by Catherine Greenman

This book was about a teenage girl (16-18 while the book went on) , Thea, who ends up getting pregnant with her boyfriend, Will. But during all of this she gets hooked on crochetting. She starts crochetting bikinis which ends up being sold for $300 a peice. When baby Ian is born, there is an accident and Will decides it would be best to put him up for adoption. Knowing this is never going to happen, Thea packs up to move in with her father to take care of Ian. Everything works out well in the end, Ian is not impacted by the accident, Thea and Will are on speaking terms, Thea's father is involved with raising Ian, and now Thea has a source of income with her Crochet Bikini business. This book is a quick read and overall an enjoyable book. Something good to just sit around read while you're at a cottage or something.

Rating: Okay

- Cassidy, Red Hill

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

This is the sequel of I am Number Four. I liked both books but I was especially pleased by this one. It follows the stories of Number Four, John Smith who is on the run with Six, Sam and his Chimaera in the USA and Number Seven, Marina who is living in a monastery orphanage in Spain. There is a lot more action and suspense in this book compared to the first one. More of the members of the Garde meet and they appear to be getting stronger. The worst part of the book was the cliffhanger ending. I can't wait for the third book!

Rating: Awesome

- Katy, Saltfleet

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Okay, this great review has some spoilers at the end, so I've put them past the 'spoiler alert' warning. If you want to read it, don't go any further! - Kat

My first impression when seeing that a book is a translations is that it will probably not be as good as the original because some of the author's descriptions will be "lost in the translation". Usually, the sentences are very choppy. This book, however was very interesting, and i would say it should be made into a movie, but they may not do it justice and that would be just wrong. The story is about how, in the future, a corrupt NASA is sending 3 teenagers to the moon to attract publicity and gain funding for more trips. What they do not tell the world is that there has been strange creatures called doppelgänger discovered on the moon, who kill human and mimic their appearances exactly until they can kill more humans. The whole history of moon space is a lie. The story begins telling how the three teenagers, Antoine, Mia and Midori are the reluctant winners of the lottery, telling their stories and why they finally agree to come on the moon mission. They are then each creepily warned not to go.
[spoiler alert!!]
The do not listen and not far into the mission, the equipment is failing and they try desperately to save themselves and each end up dying. The end is really like a thriller,and you literally fly through the pages. All your fears- abandonment, claustrophobia, fear of monsters, fear of the unknown, fear of death, are all crammed into this book. It may not seem creepy or real here, but it is very creepy in the book, especially because the victims are killed by mean versions of themselves. In the ending, the doppelgänger come to earth and the doppelgänger of the teenager Mia, who went to the moon, kills her own family and starts the apocalypse.

Rating: Awesome

- Yvette, Barton

Debt-Free U by Zac Bissonnette

This is a great book about how to graduate university debt-free. Zac Bissonnette draws on his personal experience as well as his knowledge as a financial writer and investor. The advice in this book is a great way to familiarize yourself with how to avoid debt. There are some discrepancies because the book is about American universities, and we have different systems in Canada. However, he had good things to say and it was definitely worth reading.

Rating: Awesome

- Kristen, Waterdown

Dare to Dream by One Direction

Dare to dream is a biography written by One Direction, telling us about their adventures of being in a band traveling the world together. The band is made up of five people. Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. Four out of the five boys are British and Niall is Irish. Together they share their own story about being on tours, traveling the world, their concerts, pulling pranks on each other, talking to fans, their personal life, and just having a good time. If your a fan of One Direction I would recommend this book for you.

Rating: Awesome

- Mackenzie, Saltfleet

Alexandria of Africa by Eric Walters

This is a great book! I couldn't put it down! It talks about the journey of a rich spoilt girl Alexandria, who is forced to go to Kenya to work for a charity. She tries her very best to slack but that experience completely changed her as she makes friends with an African girl and helps deliver a baby! Alexandria realizes there is more to the world than just money.

Rating: Awesome


- Swati, Barton

Reviews for Summer 2012

Reviews are starting again this summer! If you'd like to submit one, click here! We welcome both youtube reviews and written reviews this year. W00t!