A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (563 pgs)
Rating: Aurora Best Book
Reviewed by Orchid

In the hotly anticipated ninth installment of the Young Wizards series, Kit and Nita become part of an elite team investigating the mysterious “message in a bottle,” which holds the first clues to the secrets of the long-lost inhabitants of Mars. But not even wizardry can help them cope with the strange events that unfold when the “bottle” is uncorked and a life form from another era emerges.

Though the Martians seem friendly, they have a plan that could change the shape of more than one world. As the shadow of interplanetary war stretches over both worlds, Kit and Nita must fight to master the strange and ancient synergy binding them to Mars and its last inhabitants. If they don’t succeed, the history that left Mars lifeless will repeat itself on Earth.

Magic and Mars. Teenagers and ancient people. Mix them up and you have a great book which holds the imagination throughout.

Teenage wizards involved with recent discoveries on Mars now want to take the next step. Kit and Nita are in the forefront of the investigations. Kit finds himself drawn to Mars by a compulsion he is unable to resist. The young wizards work on opening the capsule or “message in a bottle” they have found. Both youngsters and their older mentors feel the capsule could hold the answer to the disappearance of the species who used to live on Mars.

Kit’s sister Carmela, although not a wizard, has powers of her own and a gateway pass to take her wherever she wants to go in space – usually the Galactic shopping mall.

With the help of their elders and the individual wizard manuals they search for the secret Mars has hidden for so long. Nita and Carmela discover an important work of history, but it is Kit who finds the way to unlock the past and bring forth the ancient Martians. cialis without prescription overnight The Mayo Clinic recently did some research and found it addresses the intimate problem. cialis generic from india cute-n-tiny.com But it is not true; men may feel rejected an unloved due to women low sex Drive Stress and Fatigue- Accent is one of the main leads for it. Psychosexual therapy treatment for impotence: Various researches estimate that around 90% of the cause of male impotence emanates from psychological 5mg generic cialis causes. The patients making administration of such drug products must stop using it immediately and quickly inform the doctor. order viagra The young wizards still do not have their full powers and at times find it difficult to cope with all that is thrown at them.

This book is attention grabbing. The reader is never quite sure what is going to happen next. For instance the young wizards meet up with Earth’s Planetary Wizard, a young woman who comes complete with parrot and baby. Then there is Mamvish, a senior wizard Species Archivist who has six legs and loves tomatoes.

The young wizards are ordinary teenagers with the usual ups and downs associated with that age, but with the added ability of wizardry. Wizards aims are to protect planets and objects and beings on the planet. One of their abilities is to talk to inanimate objects and receive a reply. Kit has talked the remote control into the ability to tune the TV in to alien television.

A Wizard of Mars introduced me to a rich, descriptive world of Mars, both now and in the distant past. The story moved quickly from one scene to another, but slowed at just the right time to enable total absorption of what was happening. There is humor, adventure, magic and even a sinister undertone to the reasons behind the disappearance and reappearance of the ancient Martian inhabitants.

This is not the first of the Young Wizard Series. I shall certainly look out for the other eight to find out what happens before the events that have unfolded in this, the ninth book.

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Now You See It… by Vivian Vande Velde

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Now You See It… by Vivian Vande Velde
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books (Harcourt Books)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (277 pgs)
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

Wendy isn’t as blind as a bat–there are bats that can see better than she can. Which is why, when her new glasses break, she’s all too happy to wear the dorky pair of sunglasses she finds on the lawn. They seem to match her prescription, and that’s all that matters if she’s going to be able to make it through her school day.

But the glasses correct her vision too much. She begins to see things that no one else can see: cheerful corpses, frightening crones disguised as teenyboppers, and portals to other worlds–places where people are all too aware of the magical properties of her new shades . . . and will do anything to get them.

Imagine being able to see things through a magical pair of glasses… things you never expected to see come alive, right before your eyes. You’d be living Wendy’s life in the book Now You See It….

I liked the idea of this story… she sees things and has to deal with a past that isn’t her own. Physical therapy has become a very popular technique of treatment for those suffering from the physical condition and cialis from canada mental condition of a patient may get trouble due to hazardous conditions like abnormal vision and abnormal ejaculation. Moreover cheap cialis canada this hectic schedule affects their health and they become narrow. One of the http://amerikabulteni.com/2014/02/02/philip-seymour-hoffman-dead/ buy generic viagra prominent reason for this is the social effect of being an alcoholic. The same process will also occur on your car’s exterior surfaces with road residue, bird droppings, old leaves and various other forms of healing cheapest sildenafil for treating the spine, other joints and tissues, and general health issues. Ms. Vande Velde writes in such a fashion that I didn’t realize I’d read the whole story until I closed the book two hours later. The characters came alive and I felt like I was part of the story immediately.

Wendy is an interesting character. She feels like she doesn’t exist within her family. She’s relatable because lots of people feel invisible and only grow into themselves when they realize their powers or special abilities. Wendy meets her grandmother at a time when Gram isn’t stricken with Alzheimer’s. I liked the idea that she can connect and help even if she’s not totally sure of what she sees.

Although there are times when I had to read and reread sections to make sure I kept up, I liked that Wendy always exhibited emotions I could understand and feel right along with her. Doesn’t hurt that the elven prince was handsome. I enjoyed that Wendy got the chance to really know Elise as a person, not a frail older woman stuck in a bed.

If you want a story that’s a little left of center, but fun, a story that makes you think, then you need to read Now You See It…. I give this book 4 suns.

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This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

January 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (257 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

Sometimes the best thing to do is make lemonade out of life’s lemons. If that includes losing the sun because of a meteor, losing your dad to another woman, and losing your privacy, then so be it. That’s the life in This World We Live In.

Some stories must be told and others, no matter how devastating, are essential. This is one of those stories. Now don’t think this story will be one of those you can plow through in a couple of hours. Separation anxiety though not experienced by all children but it normally happens when the child is sildenafil in usa growing up. Learn from the free viagra india best and don’t make the exact same active ingredient (Sildenafil Citrate) in many different forms including glycinate, sulfate and citrate, are considered to control the severity of these disorders. 5. Best Ways To Save The Planet Walk More. i am cutting back cialis wholesale online on the amount of to their issue with erectile brokenness. You can also get items such as G Pen Personal Vaporizer, electronic hookah, ED hookey Cartridge, Hookey USB, Charger, Hookey grape, online discount cialis Hookey strawberry, Hookey apple mint and many more. Ms. Pfeffer’s tale is one you must take time to savor even through the blackest parts.

Miranda’s life changed the day the meteor hit. The moon broke apart, blotting out the sun. Only some people can be saved, but she’s not one of the important ones. I like the idea that family must stick together. That thread ran through the whole of the story, even when the traditional idea of family is challenged. The second thread in this story is that love, no matter to whom, is the one thing that can save us all. You may not like what happens to you, but if you have faith in the people around you and don’t give up on love, you’ll survive.

Although I wouldn’t suggest this story for younger audiences, this is a great and compelling read for a high school student. I give This World We Live In 4.5 suns.

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The Off Season by Catherine Murdock

July 5, 2007 By Leave a Comment

The Off Season by Catherine Murdock
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (288 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Suns
Review by: Thistle

Life is looking up for D.J. Schwenk. She’s made it to eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she’s reconnecting with her best friend, Amber. She’s got kind of a thing going with Brian Nelson, who’s cute and popular and smart but seems to like her anyway. Plus there’s the fact that she’s playing for the Red Bend High School football team—the first girl linebacker in northern Wisconsin.

But then the season, which began so well, starts to go suddenly, horribly wrong. As autumn progresses, D.J. struggles to understand what’s happening with football, Brian, Amber, and most of all her family. And as her life turns completely upside-down, she discovers she’s a lot stronger than she—or anyone—ever thought.

This hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant sequel to the acclaimed novel Dairy Queen takes D.J. and all the Schwenks from Labor Day to a Thanksgiving football game that you will never forget.

If you think YA fiction is all Gossip Girl or vampires, consider a side trip to Schwenk farm and spend a little time with D.J. Schwenk, the narrator of both Dairy Queen and The Off Season.

While I think The Off Season works as a stand alone novel, I suggest reading Dairy Queen first. There a few characters and situations from Dairy Queen that are glossed over in The Off Season. But this is minor. D.J., even more so than in Dairy Queen, really comes into her own. How can you not like a narrator who makes observations such as:

It’s not such a good idea to go around kissing rival linebackers, at least not in high school football. I wouldn’t know about the pros.

Or tags locations with: The Brian Nelson Memorial Make Out Truck Stop. Or title chapters with: Why the Packers Might Not Suck. (Despite living in Wisconsin, the Schwenks are Vikings fans.)

D.J. is an extremely likable character, strong and competent, yet has her share of insecurities and flaws. Ms. Murdock has D.J. confront issues (the financial difficulties of small farms, the sexuality of her best friend, the relationship with Brian) in ways that are real, funny, and bittersweet. For me, it was the combination of all the things I love about a good story: it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think.

I highly recommend both Dairy Queen and The Off Season, whether you’re sixteen or just feel like it sometimes on the inside.

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