Dresden Files: Storm Front

This is the first novel in the Dresden Files series. I enjoyed it so much, that I have continued to read the series and am now on the 12th entry. Storm Front follows Harry Dresden as he tries to solve a series of strange murders that have occurred in the Chicago area. This is not an average noir novel however, as Dresden is a both a detective and a wizard. The book mixes suspense and fantasy into a gripping and thrilling tale that introduces many interesting characters and the unseen side of Chicago. As Dresden closes in on the murderer, he himself is hunted to prevent the crime from being solved.

 The combination of thrills, deception, and action found in the story creates a book that is fast paced and hard to put down. I would recommend this novel to anybody even remotely interested in mystery or fantasy, as it has become my new favorite series by far. It is written for a mature audience, but anybody who picks up this book will not regret it. - Justin L., class of 2012

Game of Thrones

This is the first book of 7 and I fully plan on reading the other 6 as soon as possible. This book was recommended to me by Mr. Gimm and many other students in my class who had already progressed onto the other novels in the series. The story line is thrilling and intricately woven among the lives of the many characters in the story. Every chapter gives you a new point of view from the eyes of a different character which creates an interesting dynamic. Martin does a great job creating twists and turns that are utterly unpredictable and that keep you reading into the wee hours of the night on many occasions. This is a definite read for mostly mature audiences (as things get quite graphic at times) but a definite read none-the-less. - Cody P., class of 2012

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks has written yet another timeless love tale for all to enjoy. Uniquely written by each character narrating a chapter, Sparks captivates the readers and leaves you wanting more. The story follows war veteran Logan Thibault on a journey to find his lucky charm from a photograph, Elizabeth. He takes up work in her familys dog kennel, and soon after they fall in love. Elizabeth’s crazy ex proves to be a constant obstacle, even straining the relationship between him and his own son, Ben. The end is both tragic and exhilirating, and will hold your interest until the very end. I suggest reading this novel before seeing the movie, because it is so well written. Will their love be enough to keep them together? - Katie N., class of 2012

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The second installment in the Heroes of Olympus, The Son of Neptune is arguably as intriguing as the first installment, The last hero. The Son of Neptune brings readers in by reuniting characters from the original Percy Jackson books, while incorporating new characters that make you stay up at night wondering what will happen to them next. There are three heroes in this second installment and one of them is the unusual, brave and amusing Percy Jackson from the original series. The second hero is new, but very interesting; Hazel; the mysterious girl with weird powers and Pluto for a father. She will definitely keep you on your toes and keep trying to guess what her background story is. Last, but not least, we have the third member, Frank; the sometimes confused, sometimes extremely brave Chinese-Canadian. As he searches for whom he is, what his true powers are, and who is his godly father is, you will want to go on the quest with him just to help figure out these questions. The twist in this series is that these books highlight Roman mythology, whereas the Percy Jackson series focused on Greek mythology. With the new mix of characters and new quests to be had you will not want to put The Son of Neptune down until you are done! - Amanda N., class of 2012

Oh.My.Gods.

Suddenly, Phoebe’s perfect life is temporarily turned upside down as she goes from popular track star to outcast when her mother demands that they move to a beautiful island in Greece. How will track ever be her special talent when every student athlete is a descendent to a Greek God or Goddess? Oh.my.gods is truly a sentimental book that will have the reader on the edge of their seat wondering about those flirtatious young men, and the treasured secrets that are shared with Phoebe as she learns more about herself and overcomes challenges. What would you do if you were forced to move away from your best friends, team mates, and westernized lifestyle right before your senior year of high school? Whether or not you have ever been forced to move against your will, pick up this quick read and imagine what challenges you might face living amongst the present day descendents of Greek Gods. It should be noted that the book makes reference to literal context of Greek mythology; therefore it is to the reader’s advantage to have some knowledge of this subject. - Samantha S., class of 2012

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

This book is about a girl named Gwyna who is forced to serve a bard named Myrddin. Myrddin is a mystic person who can spin a tale around to make someone seem like something that they are not. He follows King Arthur and his band around as King Arthur tries to win Britain back from the war mongering Saxons. Gwyna is transformed into a boy by Myrddin and travels all across the country with Myrddin and Arthur doing anything they ask. Me personally, I didn’t like this book. It had way too many details that they could have gone without telling. They didn’t have any importance to what was taking place in King Arthur’s journey to become the true King of Britain. I would describe this book as a terrible knock off of the tail of Arthur that we all know with Merlin the wizard and the sword in the stone. - Jacob C., class of 2012

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

Naomi Benaron’s second novel, Running the Rift, was the 2010 winner of the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, and was highly acclaimed for its passionate and historical storyline. Rightfully so, this book immediately hooks the reader with its moving depictions and plot twists.

A central theme of Running the Rift is the Rwandan genocide that occurred between the Hutus and the Tutsis in the early 1990’s. The main protagonist in the novel, Jean Patrick Nkuba, is a Tutsi who first encounters the tension between the two groups at a young age. Jean Patrick was always exceptional at running, and as he continues in school he begins to expand his passion for running by joining track at school. As he receives proper training and begins to compete, he creates a new goal for himself; hoping to become Rwanda’s first Olympic track competitor. Jean Patrick continues to excel at running the 800 meter race and his interest in a beautiful woman named Bea grows, whilte tensions heat up between the Hutus and the Tutsis, readers sit on the edge of their seats, engrossed in Running the Rift.

Running the Rift contains numerous contrasting themes and conflicts that Jean Patrick faces. He feels a conflict between the nation he loves and has a strong allegiance to and the political turmoil and disorder that is occurring. The growing love and acceptance of Bea and her family, who accept everyone independent of their race, is a sharp contrast to the racial centric and violent activity that surrounds them. Several times throughout the novel, Jean Patrick is forced to choose who and what he is loyal to.

Running the Rift is told in a first person narrative style from the perspective of Jean Patrick. The novel follows his life story from 1984 to 1998, and is an invigorating historical fiction novel that provides an insight into Rwandan life. Every character was extremely well developed through both physical and personal descriptions. Naomi Benaron successfully incorporates the native language into the text through dialogue and descriptions. Each time a foreign word was introduced, it was creatively defined, further drawing the reader into the novel. The reader feels as if they are in Rwanda, looking through Jean Patrick’s eyes; a part of the village or a crowd member cheering on the sidelines at one of his track meets.Both high school students and adults will enjoy following the life story of Jean Patrick. Due to the disturbing themes surrounding the Rwandan genocide, a mature audience would be more appropriate for this novel. Does Jean Patrick become an Olympic track competitor? Read Running the Rift to find out! –Helen B., Class of 2012

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been recognized as a true piece of treasured American literature since it was written, and this was the factor that drew me to the book initially.

This story revolves around Scout, a young girl growing up in a small county in Alabama, and follows through throughout her unnatural childhood. Scout's best friend is her big brother Jem, whom she plays with and grows up with, along with her respected lawyer of a father, Atticus. Atticus finds himself caught in a trial where he decides to defend an African-American man named Tom Robinson who is convicted of raping a white woman, a crime punishable by death. The story follows the trial, and much of the story is characterization of Atticus, who is developed to be a fantastic example of moral value. The story also follows Jem and Scout's relationship with their mystery neighbor, a man rumored to go by the name of Boo Radley, who ends up playing a much larger part in the story later on.

Overall, this book was enjoyable to read, and I would absolutely read it again. However, it was dry at parts, and it took a little while for me to really become interested in it. I do agree that it is a fantastic demonstration of true American literature, and that every high school student should make it a must-read. - Courtney H., class of 2012

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad Poor Dad for Honors Economics was a positive experience.

At first his novel seems as if it is simply a get rich fast scheme but as we continue to read the book it becomes apparent that that is not the message at all. Mr. Kiyosaki encourages people to be financially literate and educated because only with those tools can you become financially sound. His talks with his rich dad, his friends 8th grade educated father who became a multimillionaire by growing his own business and never working underneath anyone, and his talks with his poor dad, his PhD holding father who was always riddled with money problems, and Kiyosaki talks about how he was influenced by both.

I was hoping this book would give me advice on how to start becoming wealthy right now, but it never gives specifics on where to put your money but rather, the book gets deeper down into what really keeps people from making it, human traits such as fear and cynicism. I enjoyed the book because I was able to reflect a lot on what he was saying and ask myself how I could change these things so I could lead a better financial life in the future. This book is a very easy book to read and if you enjoy books that make you think about yourself this would be great for you! - Rachel D., class of 2012

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind takes place in the future after a second civil war which was fought over abortions. The aftermath brought about a conclusion where people who do not want there kids can have them unwound between the ages of 13 to 18, where the kids will be reused as bodyparts for others in need of them. The book follows three kids about to be unwound and there adventures of running away and trying to stay alive. This was a good book. The first half was sort of boring, but the end makes it worth reading. - Wyatt S., class of 2012

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

If you’re looking for a tale of science, religion, midgets, love, and the end of the world, Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle would be the perfect fit for you. This novel follows a writer initially desiring to create a book entitled The Day the World Ended, a recount of what influential people did when the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, mainly the day of Dr. Felix Hoenikker, a brilliant and deceased scientist who had made the largest impact in the creation of the atomic bomb. John does so by first finding and interviewing his strange children, one a midget, one a very tall, strange woman, and the last a recluse hidden from the world. This novel also revolves around the religion the author follows at the time the book is written; Bokonism, which follows the “lies” of a self-made prophet on an island in the middle of the Caribbean.

 I thought this novel was fantastic. The structure of the novel made it very easy to read, yet a very interesting and new perspective on writing a fiction novel, in the way that it consisted of 127 chapters of 2-3 pages each and the writing was extremely straight-forward and simple. The plot itself evolved and had very interesting and shocking plot twists throughout the novel. Another interesting aspect of the plot was in Vonnegut’s ability to tie almost every character and moment together, all combining into a single and brilliant purpose, reflecting the novel’s title and the Bokonist teaching of Zah-mah-ki-bo; “Fate-inevitable destiny.” - Henry H., class of 2012

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Joshua Ferris definitely wrote a roller coaster of a book! In The Unnamed, he does not "sugar coat" any sexuality, violence, or vulgar language; however, it does add to the novel and it lets the reader into the protagonist. Tim is the main character of the book that has a terrible problem: he cannot stop walking. Every time he approached a doctor about his issue, they could not offer a diagnosis. This really takes a toll on his family, his work, and ultimately his life. He eventually leaves his family to deal with his own issues, except later in the novel he realizes how much he misses them (although he does not admit it!) The book is a tale about a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants in life, even if there are obstacles in his way. He wants his family so badly toward the end of the story, but you must read to find out Tim’s many secrets! In addition, I believe the book is called The Unnamed simply because of the fact that nobody can diagnose the strange disease. I believe that people of all ages will enjoy this book because of the crazy plot line, and there is even a love story tied into the whole novel between Tim and his wife Jane. Would you like to know about Tim’s adventures on his never-ending walks? Read The Unnamed to find out! - Brittany G., class of 2012

Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain

Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain is a non-fiction novel outlining the life of Ryan Blair. Blair grew up in a middle class family that was destroyed by his father's drug addiction. He consequently ended up moving into the city as a teenager and became involved in gangs and crime. However, after spending years in juvenile jail, he committed himself to turning his life around. So, he became an entrepreneur and ended up a young, successful millionaire. This book tells the story of how he went from gang member to multimillionaire entrepreneur. It gives helpful advice to those looking to get into entrepreneurship, yet you need to know something about business before reading. I would suggest this to readers 17 and up and would encourage reading with a paper and pencil in hand--his ideas may earn you millions! - Nick N., class of 2012

Life of Pi

The author came upon this story after many struggles to make it into the acclaimed section of the book store. The novel starts with an explanation of various religions and Pi's unique views on them. Brief exerbs from interviews of Pi interrupt the explanations but tie the whole story together. You come to learn that Pi's family owns a zoo and he goes into detail about various animals and their habits which foreshadow events later in the book. When his family decides to move from India to Canada they travel over the Pacific with all of their sold animals. One night the ship sinks, Pi survives in a life boat with a hyaenas, Richard Parker-the tiger he helped into the boat while in a bit of hysteria, a zebra with a broken leg, and Orange Juice the orangutan. His experiences on the boat are terrifying and amazing. That was probably what kept me reading the most. I wanted to know what happened to him so badly because I became so attached to his character. I wanted his faith to prevail and his hope. I think anyone could read this book, it has something in it that I believe would draw anyone in. - Lauren G., class of 2012