The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
ISBN: 0786856297
Publisher: Miramax Books/Hyperion

Summary:
"Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes it himself.

Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.
Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends - one a satyr and the other a demigod daughter of Athena - will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves."
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Review:

That's quite a long summary from the inside cover of the book that basically gives you the entire plot. It's a lot to take in - but the book is wonderful! The story is the perfect blend of fantasy and adventure.

I was such a huge fan of mythology when I was in middle/high school. I just thought it was the coolest thing we learned in school - everything else was just boring. But mythology was interesting and perhaps started my love of fantasy stories. And this book is a great blend of all of those things.

This book is also great for anyone who is a fan of the Harry Potter stories. There is a similar theme of kid-greatness and such fun adventure. This is a great next-step for those readers. I'll absolutely be recommending it - even though it's already been around for a while.

This book is also being made into a movie... and I'm SO EXCITED!!! It comes out next year, and I'm thinking it's going to be pretty awesome. So yeah, I'll definitely be seeing that as well :).
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Other blog reviews:

Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog
Maw Books Blog
A Novel Menagerie
Melissa's Bookshelf
Blog Critics Books

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Author: Mary E. Pearson
ISBN: 9780805076684
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Summary:
"Who is Jenna Fox?

Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen?

Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions - questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident? "

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Review:

When I ordered this book for my library, I honestly didn't know it was a science fiction story. It seems to be more realistic fiction or a contemporary story. But really because it's based in the future about something we don't have the technology for yet - it's definitely sci fi.

The story reminded me a lot of the book Skinned by Robin Wasserman. I think they both came out fairly close to one another, so I don't think either came from the other. But it's very interesting that both have to do with the choices the parents made for their child - and how the child is dealing with those decisions now.

It really does bring to light the idea of making decisions for yourself that impact others more than you think it would. Also it deals with a bit of the acceptance issue - what people believe to be okay and not. It makes you wonder what the future is going to be like and the moral issues that are going to stand in the way of advancement.

I'll be recommending this book to any girls who are into the science fiction genre. Guys would probably enjoy it too, but with a girl protag it will probably be best for girls. Also, guys tend to like their sci fi a bit more intense and action-driven. This isn't true across the board, but it's what I've generally noticed.
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Other blog reviews:

The Book Smugglers
Presenting Lenore
Book Addiction
Semicolon
Life in the Thumb
A Book Lover's Diary
Melissa's Bookshelf

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Title: Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
ISBN: 9781595141927
Publisher: Razorbill

Summary:
"California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, "Audrey, Wait!," a break-up song that's so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is."
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Review:

This book represents the best kind of "chick lit" there is out there. It's funny, smart, interesting, and a very unique story. It's enough to keep a constant reader involved in the story and left wanting more.

The characters are wonderful and you totally fall in love with pretty much all of them. The snarky and smart conversations are so much fun and I really enjoyed it - I almost felt like I could hear the conversations from people I know. Sometimes probably a little too unrealistic... but whatever - it was totally fun.

I'd absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves chick lit - and, really realistic fiction. It's not so girly that it couldn't be enjoyed by just about anyone. So yeah, pick this one up!!
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Other blog reviews:

Krystel's Book Blog
Sophisticated Dorkiness
Three Good Rats
Casual Dread: Mini-Review
Teen Book Review
Bookshelves of Doom

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher

Title: Ten Cents a Dance
Author: Christine Fletcher
ISBN: 9781599901640
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:
"Chicago, 1941. When her mother becomes too ill to work, fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski is forced to drop out of school to support her family. But her dull factory job makes life feel like one long dead end, until she meets neighborhood bad boy Paulie Suelze. Soon Ruby discovers how to make money - lots of money - while wearing silk and satin and doing what she does best: dancing. Paid ten cents a dance to lead lonely men around a dance hall floor, Ruby thinks she's finally found a way out of Chicago's tenements... until swinging with the hepcats turns into swimming with the sharks.

A mesmerizing look into a little-known world and era, Ruby's story is resplendent with the sounds of great jazz, the allure of beautiful clothing, and the passions of a young generation in a country on the brink of war."
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Review:

You know... as the summary says, it's an era that's not often written about - in terms of the culture and world outside of the war. But it was an interesting story and I really do wonder how close it is to the reality of life during that time.

One thing that did bother me about the story was the emphasis on money - which I know was tight, but it was hard to think about a dollar being a lot of cash. I do understand that it was a really big deal during that time, there was just a lot of emphasis on it. More than I would have liked, I suppose... but after I got over that part, I did enjoy the story.

I think another interesting part of the story was the look at the "taxi dance halls" - something I didn't really even know existed. The concept makes sense and all... it's just something I hadn't though about before.

I did wish that the main characters were a little different, but that was just because they were a little frustrating. The descisions they made, the ways they dealt with things, etc... but perhaps that's pretty close to reality. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy that part of history. It's a great story - and you truely hope the best for the characters in the end.
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Other blog reviews:

Em's Bookshelf
Semicolon
Becky's Book Reviews
Bookshelves of Doom
Teen Book Review

Messed Up by Janet Nichols Lynch

Title: Messed Up
Author: Janet Nichols Lynch
ISBN: 9780823421855
Publisher: Holiday House

Summary:
"With his father out of the picture and his mom in prison, R.D. has been living with his grandmother and her boyfriend, Earl. Fifteen years old and still in eighth grade, R.D. is always being suspended for one thing or another - sometimes it seems just for being Mexican American. But as hard as it all is, R.D.'s touch breaks have only just begun. When his grandmother hits the road with her new trucker boyfriend, it's the beginning of a scary downward spiral. Should R.D. just let himself fall, or can he take his future into his own hands?"

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Review:

This is a very realistic view of what happens to those teens who fall between the cracks. With everything against him, I'm not sure how realistic it is that everything happens perfectly in the end. But it makes for a good story - and I was very much rooting for him throughout the whole thing.

It's not often that a truely good kid can be fully lost in the shuffle, but I suppose I wouldn't know. I do have to say that the amount of adults in the story was a little unrealistic. How many kids have so many parent-like roll models outside of their families - even the good kids?!? Adults don't always stick up for the kid in need... even though they should.

So it's a bit rosey, but I liked this story... and the hope that came with it. The hope for humanity, I suppose. I really did enjoy this perspective and look to the future, and I can only hope people like this exist.

I'll be recommending this one mostly for guys - especially in that "reluctant reader" category. It's an interesting story with cool characters and I believe many teens will relate with them - even if they aren't in the same situatioon.
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Other blog reviews:

Triple R: Recreational Reader's Review
Pettus Secondary Library Blog (Look! It's a trailer!)
Fresno Teens (Public Library)