23 Minutes

23 Minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde

 From the publisher:
"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."

Wow, what a ride! I had a great time reading this book. It had an amazing concept, it was full of excitement and tension, and you couldn't help liking the 2 main characters. It reminded me a little of the movie 50 First Dates because of how Zoe would have to explain everything to Daniel every time she went back because she is the only one who remembers anything during her playbacks. Does that sound confusing? It really isn't when Ms. Vande Velde explains it. I will definitely be talking this one up to my students.

Areas of concern:
*Many people get killed in different ways, but those deaths get undone in the "playbacks".
*Under 10 uses of the "d" and "s" words.
*The main character comes from a very dysfunctional family and lives in a group home.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-17

Booklist - Grades 7-10

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle

The Charmed Children
of Rookskill Castle
by Janet Fox

From the publisher:
"Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend."

It took me a while to get into this one, which concerns me for my middle schoolers. You have to grab them and hold on with both hands to get them to read sometimes, so I'm not sure how this one will go over. Eventually the plot became very exciting and even creepy, so I think if they just keep going it will win them over. It also attempts a lot of plot lines, which might be hard for some of my students to keep track of and understand.... WWII and the Blitz, boarding school, magic, spying and mechanical things. The main character is a little annoying at times, but she has a lot on her plate. All in all, I mildly enjoyed it but was annoyed at the open ending and no sequel. 

Areas of concern:
*Some pretty gruesome magic goes on including trading fingers and limbs for special charms.
*Really evil person stealing the souls of children.
*A parent in grave danger from the Nazis

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+
School Library Journal - Grades 6+

Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From the publisher:
"Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?"

Don't Look Back was amazingly gripping - I read it in one day because I literally couldn't put it down. There was intensity of emotion, there was heart-pounding intrigue, there was pathos and sympathy inducing drama. My heart was wrenched by the main character and her situation. I loved to see the changes she made in her life and I cheered her on in her progress. This could have been an absolutely fabulous book.
(Takes a deep breath)
HOWEVER....
There was awful teenage behavior throughout this book. Intense bullying, horrible language, drinking, partying, hooking up with one person and then another, posting of pornographic pictures of a girlfriend on social media, parents who are encouraging bad behavior. Guh - why, why, why?! This book could have been so amazing without all of the disgusting-ness. Granted, the plot needed the main character to make a big change, but much of what was in this is so inappropriate for middle school, let alone for me. 
I also felt like we were left with some major plot holes. I never did understand why Del was acting the way he was. What was driving his great desire to stay with Samantha? It certainly wasn't love. I also never felt like I understood why Cassie had such a hold on Samantha to begin with. 
(Big sigh)
Oh how I wish all of the bad content had been left out of this or perhaps not described so graphically. I can't recommend it because of that.

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 7-10
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 14+

School Library Journal - Grades 7-10
(Those grades 7-10 suggestions are the reason I purchased this one for the library.  However, I very much disagree with that suggestion.)

Need

Need
by Joelle Charbonneau

From the publisher:
""No one gets something for nothing. We all should know better."

Teenagers at Wisconsin's Nottawa High School are drawn deeper into a social networking site that promises to grant their every need . . . regardless of the consequences. Soon the site turns sinister, with simple pranks escalating to malicious crimes. The body count rises. In this chilling YA thriller, the author of the best-selling Testing trilogy examines not only the dark side of social media, but the dark side of human nature. "

This book was intensely chilling for me. Why? Because I can so clearly see something like the plot of this book actually happening. A completely anonymous website that promises to give you things you need just by fulfilling a simple task? And then they reel you in and the tasks become more and more dangerous. Yes, this so could happen in a high school. And while all of the different POV's sometimes confused me, it also showed the different types of teenagers and how they reacted once things started happening. I've known or heard about each of those types of teenagers, and it is scary to think about something like this really happening. So while this was a very entertaining and thrilling book to read, I also think it can teach students the importance of being extremely careful on the internet. A few quotes that I liked:

1. We’re all so used to new things appearing on the Internet every day that we don’t question what’s behind them before welcoming them into our lives. 

2. No matter how many warnings are posted, no one actually believes that online behavior can hurt their lives or the lives of others. Especially if there is a cloak of anonymity. Everyone feels shielded, safe, and invincible. 

Read this for the fun of it, but also read it to become more aware of your choices online. 

Areas of concern:
*A mild amount of cussing. No *f* word.
*Creepiness factor is pretty high. Several deaths of high school students and other intense happenings.
*Talk of adultery.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1)

All Fall Down
by Ally Carter

From the publisher:
"A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down."

I was torn on this book, there were things I loved and things that kind of turned me off. The Embassy Row concept was really fun and very interesting. I wonder how realistic it was? Living in a foreign country surrounded by other embassies would be a unique way to grow up. However, I had a hard time really liking the main character, even though I appreciated the pain and mental anguish she was in. And I really didn't like the ending. But the book kept me enthralled and I did enjoy reading it. Although I had a hard time liking the main character, Grace, I liked the kids who befriended her. I bet all of their personalities will be even more fleshed out in upcoming books. And I'm still not sure whether I trust one of the adult figures. I think middle schoolers and above will like this and I will recommend it to them. I'm interested to see what happens in coming books.  This author already has a huge following in my library because of her Gallagher Girls series and her Heist Society series (which are awesome!).  This one should be popular. Areas of concern: *I don't remember any bad language. *There are some scary moments where the main character feels like her life is in danger. *Intense flashbacks to her mother's death. *A romance is hinted at. Suggested Ages: Booklist - Grades 7-10 Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+