The Traitor Game - B.R. Collins

Michael and Francis never got along with others. Both stand-offish, they formed a friendship built upon their avoidance of others. And from that frienship came Evgard. Evgard was their secret fantasy, their escape, and Michael's everything. So when he finds a note in his locker revealing his secret, Michael flips. He begins to doubt if Francis is really his friend, or a traitor poking fun at him all along.

Interwoven in Michael's dilemma is the story of Argent, a resident of Evgard. After being captured by a sadistic duke, Argent forms a tentative friendship with the duke's son. As tension mounts and a chance for Argent to escape draws near, Argent must make the fateful decision between loyalty and becoming a traitor...

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REVIEW:

A masterful tale of fear, paranoia, and friendship. Collins draws Michael and Francis together like magnets to metal. His inner tale of Argent and his troubles adds to the struggle within Michael, cleverly voiced in the world of his own creation. 8/10

Write Before Your Eyes by Lisa Williams Kline

Gracie is the quiet child. Only twelve-years old, Gracie keeps a low profile, always a blip on the radar screen. But when Gracie buys an old journal at a yard sale, things start to get wierd. Gracie soon realizes that whatever she writes in the journal comes true, in one way or another. Gracie is awed with her new power and begins to use the journal to attain the life she always wanted. After losing the journal, Gracie and her best friend Dylan are so caught up in chasing it down, Gracie barely has time to fix the damage she's done. Along the way, Gracie learns just how powerful words can be...
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REVIEW:

An intriguing read despite its designation for a younger audience. Kline delivers a powerful message of what change simple writing can cause without disconnecting the plausability from her twelve-year old protagonist. A pleasure to read. And it even features a special guest appearance from an Alice In Wonderland favorite.... 8/10

The Comet's Curse by Dom Testa

When an interstellar virus plagues the Earth, the planet's population is devastated. Anyone over the age of 18 quickly falls victim to this radical disease. Seeking to save the human species, a project is launched. The mission: build the Galahad, a gigantic ship that will house 251 teenagers as they make their way to a habitable planet in Alpha Centauri. But things go awry when a saboteur is discovered on board. Now the crew must pull themselves together to uncover this hidden threat before it's too late.
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REVIEW:

Another slow starter. The book is more focused on a teenage audience, given the main characters' status as teenagers themselves. A good read if you have an interest in space fiction. 7/10

Backtracked

Pedro de Alcantara weaves a beautiful story of a young man finding his true identity. After the death of his brother Jimmy during the 9-11 tragedy, Tommy rebels and becomes a grafiti artist. But after a dangerous prank goes wrong in the Times Square, Tommy finds himself lost in 1918. He finds a home with among the Italian immigrants and a job working on the subway tunnels he will love years later. Just as Tommy gets used to his new life, a subway crash flings him into the depths of the Depression in 1932. There he finds friends in Hooverville in Central Park. Desperate for something more, Tommy accepts a job helping gangsters to profit from the Prohibition. But things go wrong and he once again spins the wheel of time. He lands in 1942, in the middle of World War II. He joins the army, getting himself a new life. But the real question is, will he ever make it home?
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REVIEW:
A little slow at first, but a good read once the story gets rolling. There's a good amount of character building happening and the plot keeps its momentum. Despite the scenery jump, the story gets related back and holds the book up as a whole. An interesting historical perspective too. 7/10

The Stowaway

R.A. & Geno Salvatore's The Stowaway is a part of the new Stone of Tymora series. One of the central characters is Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf who had his own series not too long ago. The Stowaway focuses on the life of Maimun. An orphan since birth, Maimun is plagued by the Stone of Tymora. Constantly on the move, Maimun is hunted by the demon Asbeel, who hopes to use the power of the stone for himself.

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REVIEW: Fun, exciting, and intriguing. The story is told in flashback fashion, reverting to the 'present time' in between phases of Maimun's life. A good style for its type. A good story filled with very interesting characters. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. 8/10

The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha

Caleb Dunne, slacker extraordinaire, coasts through life doing the minimal effort. His overachieving girlfriend, Vicky, has different ideas about Caleb's future though. She convinces Caleb to join a club based on the controversial book The Rule of Won. Caleb goes along with it, thinking the whole thing is just a big joke. As the club gains popularity, however, things start to get out of hand. Caleb realizes that the only thing worse than doing something about the new cult is not doing anything at all. But he soon realizes, stopping The Rule and it's followers won't be as easy as it sounds....

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REVIEW: A definite gem. Petrucha sheds light on the dangers of group thinking and how sometimes our inner desires can be taken a little too far, all with a twist of some delightfully dark humor. Excellent plot and characters. A marvelous read, definitely recommended. 9/10

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Part 2

The adventures of Vladimir Tod continue in this sequel to Eighth Grade Bites. As Vlad discovers more about his own powers, he begins to realize how much a part of both the human world and the vampire world, and yet how much apart. But his training won't come easy, not with a slayer in Bathory. And he might be closer than Vlad thinks...
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REVIEW: A remarkable book. Definitely upholds the story I sought as a sequel. Weaves a charming tale of a boy not quite sure where he belongs in the world, but still pulls through thanks to his friends and family. A good read for those interested in the winged and sharp. 10/10