OPL Teen Scene: 2016

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Teen Review by Uly B

Glass Sword is a bone chilling sequel to The Red Queen.A craft-fully chosen plot with an emotional edge is what I love about this book. The book opens with Mare and Cal being rescued..but is it worth it? Mare discovers some rather unsavory secrets about those who are closest to her which makes her trust the ones she never would've though of. In this book Mare prepares for war, with the Silvers,and with herself. She doesn't know what to feel..or if to feel at all. In this tragic story of love, fear and war, Mare must face much toil and suffering in order to save those whom she loves. But the question is, is she able to scarify so much and face her biggest enemy? In this chilling novel Mare Barrow, not Red and not Silver yet stronger then both, will face her biggest fears and will try to prove herself worthy of the title she earned, "Red Queen". This book was a good one yet not as interesting as its prequel Red Queen and I have to say I quiet enjoyed it. I will give this book a solid 7/10.

Saturday 17 September 2016

Teen Summer Reading Party

Last night the library hosted the Teen Summer Reading Party. With giant board games and moe food than we could eat it was a blast! Thank you to everyone who came out and congratulations to our big prize winner Ella Black, thak you for all of your awsome book reviews this summmer!

Ella our big prize winner!

Prizes for everyone!

Checking out the popcorn bar

Pizza time

Thursday 8 September 2016

Alexis Verdon's Teen REview of The Hill By Karen Bass

I read "The hill" by Karen Bass. I would rate it 3 and a half stars out of 5. The entire idea of the book is really unique. At times it was hard to follow because of how it was wrote. Your constantly trying to figure things and by the end of the book it leaves you with many questions. The book genre was horror/thriller. I will definitely remember this book because of how unique it was. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a very different kind of read. I'm not familiar with this author but after reading "The hill" I would read more books wrote by her.

Taylor Tomlinson's Teen Review for Ghostopolis

Garth Hale seems completely okay with the fact that he's dying, and with his luck he accidentally gets transported to Ghostopolis - the land of the dead.

I've read this book a few years ago, but entirely forgotten the plot, so I decided to read it again. Ghostopolis is a very light read, and I'm glad I picked it. I have a huge appreciation towards graphic novels specifically because authors are able to put your imagination into drawings and pictures, which I think Doug TenNapel did a great job of doing so. Personally, I relate to Frank Gallows more than any other character. He's clumsy and stubborn, yet passionate and heroic. I did love this book, but at times it was a bit all over the place. I was absorbing a lot of information in such a small amount of time. I couldn't process what was going on at certain times throughout the book.

I would recommend this book to my friends, but my friends actually recommended it to me, so I can't exactly tell them to read it they've already have. Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I clearly liked it - I mean, this is my third time reading it. Therefore, I'm giving this book a well-deserved 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Sam Buck's Teen Review

Invaded My Melissa Landers

Even though this was the second book in the series and I had not read the first book, the author does a good job of pointing out the majors facts from the first book. The way the author intertwines alien and human life together makes a little part of you believe it could be true. From a readers perspective it was good and well though out. Each character was unique and very developed. I feel like if I had read the first book, I would have enjoyed this book a little more. I would give this book a 6/10.

Teen Reviews By

Vatsal

“The boy at the Top of the Mountain” by John Boyne is a masterpiece of a novel which juggles the horrors of WWII with the innocence of childhood. The novel is about 7 year old Pierrot, who had just became an orphan and has to leave his home to live in Paris, with his Aunt. She is a servant in a in an upper class house. This is taken time during 1936, the uprising of Hitler and the Nazis and the start of World War 2. They are quickly taken under Nazi control and Pierrot is thrown into a world of horror and terror. This is an amazing novel and I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13, I say that because of some of the violence in this novel might not be safe for the younger audience. My favorite component of the novel is the story and the theme. The author does a fantastic job at showing how hatred and power can beat innocence. This was an amazing novel written by John Boyne and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I hope to read more novels from the author in the near future.

I personally dislike the novel, “The Haters” by Jesse Andrews. I gave this book a shot because i had read a book by Jesse Andrews before and it was amazing (the book was, “Me and Earl and the dying girl”). The story is about a couple of kids that love bands that are sent to a Jazz camp over the summer. They hate it and so does another girl named Ash. So they decide to run away from camp and start a band. The only problem is, they are haters. They hate everything. They hate the music others make. They even hate their own music. What i dislike about the book are the characters. They make stupid decisions and what i hate the most is the fact that they can’t appreciate what they have. They must find a way to hate on everything. They don’t look at pros and cons, they just look at the cons at everything. I thought this book would be about haters that would maybe change their ways. But I was wrong. The characters contain the same amount of hate as some politicians. I like the style the book was written in. I really like the author Jesse Andrews but this book was a disappointment for me. I do not recommend this book to any of my friends or family members. I’m usually optimistic when it come to giving reviews to book but i really did not enjoy this book. So therefore I give this book a poor 2 out of 5 stars.

I think the book You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan is an amazing book for teens to read this summer. This is a novel tracing the powerful friendship of two lovesick teenagers—a gay boy, Mark, and a lesbian girl, Katie—over the course of Pride Week in San Francisco. Told in alternating chapters, You Know Me Well explores how Mark and Katie help one another overcome heartbreak, fractured friendships and the dizzying speeds of change. I would recommend this book for every teen. It is a great book for teens confused about their own sexualities. This is a two-perspective novel written with the concept of pride and LGBTQ happiness. The authors have done a great job at developing characters like Mark and Katie. They have also made the story poetic and lyrical. There are a few issues I have with the plot like the unrealistic world they were living in where everyone was accepting of the LGTBQ community, especially in high school where they are more likely to be made fun of their sexualities. There are a few problems with the plot at times and it often had me reading pages more than twice over but other than that this is actually a really good novel. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. I didn’t give it 5 out of 5 because of the confusing plot at times but the authors did a great job writing this book.

The book, “This Book Love You” is a comedy and advice book written by youtube phenom PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg) full of amazing colourful illustrations that are sure to appeal to his millions of followers. I’m not really a fan of PewDiePie and his videos and I was a bit skeptical when picking this book because of the lack of text but i gave it a shot. The book is full of hilarious advice and quotes by PewDiePie and is full of nice and bright illustrations. The Illustrations go well with the funny quotes. However, the advice in this book should not be taken seriously. They are for laughs and are parodying popular quotes on the internet to suit PewDiePie’s sense of humor. This book made me feel better about myself and made me laugh at a few parts. After reading this book, I realized that Felix Kjellberg is a better person than I thought, he thinks positive and has a great sense of humor. In my opinion, the greatest aspects of this book has to be the nice, creative illustrations and the witty humor. The only negative part about this book is when Felix sometimes tries to boast his ego, which is already massive. But other than that, I would recommend this book to someone who wants a quick read for a humorous book. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of PewDiePie and a fan of his humor. Personally, I would recommend this book to a friend or family because it is funny. So to conclude, this is a humorous advice book with amazing illustrations and is a great book for anyone looking for a quick and easy read. I give this book a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. This book is well designed and is a great quick read.

Long Walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith Inspired Two Teen Reviews!

This graphic novel is about a boy and his strange brother, a dead baby and an awful father. Emotionally moving and slightly scary this graphic novel moved me to deep thoughts and actually made me cry.
Long Walk To Valhalla is an amazing graphic novel and I give in a 7/10. -Uly B

Long walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith is a must read graphic novel for anyone. I picked this book because it was a graphic novel and I really enjoy reading graphic novels. This book has an amazing, well written story. It made me want to keep reading and wanting the authors to write a sequel to the book. It made me want to read more and more, wanting to know what is going to happen next This book is about Rory, who grew up in rural Arkansas with his abusive father and his mentally challenged older brother, Joe. Rory is often called brave by people for staying close with his, “retarded” (What their father called Joe) brother. But Joe is Rory’s best friend and loves him more than anyone else. But one day while Rory was driving for a new job interview, his car broke and noticed a young girl named Sylvia appears from the corn fields. Sylvia is a Valkyrie sent by the Norse god Odin to deliver Rory to Valhalla. And that was where Rory’s perception of life completely changes. My favourite part about the book is the sad yet happy ending, the well written story and the well developed characters. I would recommend this book to anyone. I give this amazing graphic novel a 5/5 stars. -Vatsal

Check Out These Bullet Reviews by Uly B

Fever by Lauren DeStefano is a fast paced sequel to Wither, with even more action and secrets. Fever is a dark and disturbing read following the life of Rhine Ellery after she escaped the clutches of her housemaster,and her misfortunes on the way to trying to find her twin. I thought this book was very well written and with a very interesting plot. I'll give this book a 8/10.

A slightly darker twist on Peter Pan, Unhooked (by Lisa Maxwell) is no Disney fairytale. In this Neverland nothing is ever what it seems. An intense novel of survival ,friendship and a very inicritly woven web of secrets ,this book is much more then I expected. I adored this book and I'll give it a 9/10.

This novel is about magical sirens luring people towards their deaths. But sirens are people too.With hearts that ache and love. Kallen has always been faithful to the Ocean but a turn of events changes everything. A darker twist on the little Mermaid this book is everything I've been looking for. Just enough fairy tale, dark secrets and heartbreak to get me on the edge of my seat. This book is really amazing and I give it a 9.5/10.

Monday 29 August 2016

New Arrivals

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E Pearson

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

The Taking By Kimberly Derting

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Infinite Risk By Ann Aguirre

Beyond the pull of life and death lies the Immortal game. Edie Kramer has leaped back to put things right and save the boy she loves. Alone in the wrong timestream, she must reinvent herself and square off against dangerous Immortals determined to win this mortal match once and for all.

But righting past wrongs carries fresh dangers. As she navigates a new school and tries to put Kian on a different path, she also battles those will stop at nothing to keep her from derailing their deadly schemes. With few allies and her first love treating her like a stranger, Edie faces the most dangerous enemy of all―time itself. Yet she's come a long way from that dark night on the bridge, and when her back's to the wall, she'll go down fighting...

The conclusion of New York Times-bestselling author Ann Aguirre's Immortal Game trilogy is thrilling and unforgettable.

Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott

In this thrilling sequel to World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's captivating young adult debut, a girl immersed in high-stakes competition holds the fate of a kingdom in her hands.
Now a Challenger, Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives--the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons alike. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on her traveling party puts Jes at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos--the prince she still loves--is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion.... She must become a warrior.

Learning to Swear In America by Katie Kennedy

An asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. A big, bad one. Yuri, a physicist prodigy from Russia, has been called to NASA as they calculate a plan to avoid disaster. He knows how to stop the asteroid: his research in antimatter will probably win him a Nobel prize--if there's ever another Nobel prize awarded. But Yuri's 17, and having a hard time making older, stodgy physicists listen to him. Then he meets Dovie, who lives like a normal teenager, oblivious to the impending doom. Being with her, on the adventures she plans when he's not at NASA, Yuri catches a glimpse of what it means to save the world and save a life worth living.

Prepare to laugh, cry, cringe, and have your mind burst open with questions of the universe.

The Edge of the Light by Elizabeth George

Seth Darrow is a straightforward guy, and he likes life to be simple. Lately, it’s been anything but.
   Since his beloved grandfather’s stroke, Seth has been focused on getting Grand home again, before his aunt can take advantage of the situation to get her hands on Grand’s valuable real estate. Seth would also like to get his relationship with Prynne on solid ground. He loves her, but can he believe she has her drug use under control?
   Meanwhile, things are complicated for the other Whidbey Island friends. Derric has found Rejoice, the sister he left behind in Uganda, but no one – including Rejoice – knows she is his sister. Jenn is discovering feelings for her teammate Cynthia, feelings her born-again Christian mother would never find acceptable. And Becca, hiding under a false identity since her arrival on the island, is concealing the biggest secret of all.
   In the final book of the Whidbey Island saga, events build to an astonishing climax as secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, and lives are changed forever.

The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

Nina isn’t about to let that happen…even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Monday 22 August 2016

New Reviews in this Week

By Uly. B

The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim by Shane Peacock

Good Reads Summary

Edgar Brim is a sensitive orphan who, exposed to horror stories from his father as a young child, is afraid of almost everything and suffers from nightly terrors. His stern new guardian, Mr. Thorne, sends the boy to a gloomy school in Scotland where his dark demons only seem to worsen and he is bullied and ridiculed for his fears. But years later, when sixteen-year-old Edgar finds a journal belonging to his novelist father, he becomes determined to confront his nightmares and the bullies who taunt him. After the horrific death of a schoolmate, Edgar becomes involved with an eccentric society at the urging of a mysterious professor who believes that monsters from famous works of literature are real and whose mandate is to find and destroy these creatures. With the aid of a rag-tag crew of friends, the fear-addled teen sets about on his dark mission, one that begins in the cemetery on the bleak Scottish moors and ends in a spine-chilling climax on the stage of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in London with Henry Irving, the infamous and magnetic actor, and his manager, Bram Stoker, the author of the most frightening and sensational novel of the day, Dracula. Can Edgar Brim truly face his terror and conquer his fears?

Teen Review

The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim is an exciting tale of a young boy and some very real monsters. This book is a masterpiece I couldn't put down. There were enough twists and turns to make my head spin! A very unexpected twist on some very known fairy tales, this book made me wish there was a sequel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would give it a 9/10.

23 Minutes by Vivian Velde

Good Reads Summary

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret ability: she can travel back in time twenty-three minutes to relive events she wants to change. But Zoe has learned from experience that this is more curse than gift. Things almost never end well and people just tend to think she’s crazy.

But when she steps into a bank to get out of the rain and finds herself in the middle of a robbery gone horrifyingly wrong, Zoe knows she’s the only one who can help. The problem is, she has only a limited number of tries to make things right. Plus, a single mistake could get her killed—and not even time travel could bring her back from that.

Zoe has always considered herself a loser, about as far from a heroine as a girl can get. Now she has to dig deep to find a strength she never thought she possessed.

Teen Review

23 Minutes is an emotional thriller about a sort of normal girl with a exceptional ability. That ability being, she could turn back time 23 minutes. And when she gets caught up in a bank robbery her ability becomes vital.
With loads of action and a very charming young man, this book is an edge of your seat read. I really liked this book and I'll give it a 8/10.

Wither By Lauren DeStefano

Good Reads Summary

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Teen Review

This book is an emotional roller coaster all the way through. But it's not just romance blooming in this book..it's also dark and dangerous secrets. When Rhine Ellery gets chosen to become a bride of one of the richest men in her County, she is forced to leave her family and her life behind. Because the new generation lives only 20 years female and 25 years male, the old generation is frantic to find the antidote in the children of the new generation.
Rhine seeks the secrets of the dark mansion she is forced to live in with 2 other brides while her new father in law plans something sinister ..
Wither is a slightly disturbing read but overall quite exciting.
Overall I give this book a 6/10.

Red Queen

Good Reads Summary

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Teen Review

In a world where everyone is divided by the colour of their blood ,silver and red ,lives Mer. Being a red blood she is forced to work for and worship the silvers. A sudden change of events makes her see the world with a new colour. And what she sees makes her more scared of the silvers then ever.
With romance ,action and a lot of unexpected events, this book has a cliffhanger on every chapter.
I loved this book and I'll give it a 9.5/ 10.

Monday 15 August 2016

Two New Books in Today!

The Smaller Evil

By Stephanie Kuehn

17-year-old Arman Dukoff is struggling with severe anxiety and a history of self-loathing when he arrives at an expensive self-help retreat in the remote hills of Big Sur. He’s taken a huge risk—and two-thousand dollars from his meth-head stepfather—for a chance to "evolve," as Beau, the retreat leader, says.

Beau is complicated. A father figure? A cult leader? A con man? Arman's not sure, but more than anyone he's ever met, Beau makes Arman feel something other than what he usually feels—worthless.

The retreat compound is secluded in coastal California mountains among towering redwoods, and when the iron gates close behind him, Arman believes for a moment that he can get better. But the program is a blur of jargon, bizarre rituals, and incomprehensible encounters with a beautiful girl. Arman is certain he's failing everything. But Beau disagrees; he thinks Arman has a bright future—though he never says at what.

And then, in an instant Arman can't believe or totally recall, Beau is gone. Suicide? Or murder? Arman was the only witness and now the compound is getting tense. And maybe dangerous.

As the mysteries and paradoxes multiply and the hints become accusations, Arman must rely on the person he's always trusted the least: himself.

Recreated

By Colleen Houck

From Colleen Houck, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Curse, comes Recreated, the second book in the epic Egyptian-inspired Reawakened series, in which a seventeen-year-old must literally go to hell to save the love of her life.

Lily Young thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun prince was a grand adventure. Now she’s about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

When Amon and Lily part tragically, he transports himself to the Netherworld—what mortals call hell. Tormented by the loss of his one true love, he’d rather suffer in agony during Lily’s mortal years than fulfill his duty to protect humanity.

Heartbroken, Lily seeks refuge on her grandmother’s farm. Yet she can feel Amon’s pain, and she has been having dreams—dreams of Amon continually suffering.

For before he departed, Amon gave Lily something very special, an item that connects them even though they are worlds apart. Now Lily must use this object to free him, and to free their realms from darkness and utter chaos. She will do whatever it takes.

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Teen Book Review: Fall of the Butterflys by Andrea Potter

Good Reads Summary

Willa Parker, 646th and least popular resident of What Cheer, Iowa, is headed east to start a new life.

Did she choose this new life? No, because that would be too easy—and nothing in Willa’s life is easy. It’s her famous genius mother’s idea to send her to ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Pembroke Prep, and it’s only the strength of her name that got Willa accepted in the first place.

But Willa has no intentions of fitting in at Pembroke. She’s not staying long, she decides. Not at this school—and not on this planet. But when she meets peculiar, glittering Remy Taft, the richest, most mysterious girl on campus, she starts to see a foothold in this foreign world—a place where she could maybe, possibly, sort of fit.

When Willa looks at Remy, she sees a girl who has everything. But for Remy, having everything comes at a price. And as she spirals out of control, Willa can feel her spinning right out of her grasp.

In Willa’s secret heart, all she’s ever wanted is to belong. But if Remy, the girl who gave her this world, is slip-sliding away, is Willa meant to follow her down?

Teen Review

The Fall of Butterflies written by the brilliant, Andrea Portes, whom of which wrote my personal favorite novel, The Anatomy of a Misfit. I had a feeling her second young adult novel would be good and (spoiler alert!) It was! It tells a story of a young girl who has given up on life, for good. She is forced into moving away to a boarding school, a school she got into because of her demeaning and entitled mother, who just happens to be very famous. As soon as she gets to this school she has plans to end it all, but then she meets someone quite amazing. A beautiful, adventurous and very mysterious girl who was born with wings and has the need to fly. She shows our main character, Willa, just how great life can be and how great you can pretend it to be. Before long, this great person shows Willa and the audience that some lives, even if they may seem perfect on the outside, they are most often screwed up, and can be toxic to those around them. However, this book was not as amazing as her first but, nonetheless, this book speaks beautifully about friendship, life, love and adventure and left me with something that will never fly away. I give this book ⅘ stars.

Teen Reviewer-Ella Raine