The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan

Sad But Exciting Mystery

When Edward "Em" Michael Goverton finds his father dead, he is devastated. Then men with guns show up. Em's whole world starts to collapse and a horrifyingly deadly, awe-striking conspiracy arises with Em right in the middle of it. What a mess!

This story starts out interesting, slows down in the middle, and then picks up again. An endearing main character ensures that readers won't put the book down. Constant twists and turns keep excited followers anxiously waiting for the climax!

I didn't enjoy the book as much as I might have due to the mild profanity the characters used. I know that this kind of dialogue becomes more common with tween books and above, but I don't feel it adds to a story and I don't appreciate it personally, so because of that I gave the book three stars.  Readers should be prepared for a sad ending if they are sensitive to that kind of thing.

Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 1 by Colin Meloy

A Tangled Tale

            When Mac, Prue Mkeel’s brother, is swept up by a flock of crows, Prue is forced to trail them into a forest aptly named the “Impossible Wilderness.” Rescuing one baby brother isn’t so easy. Entanglements with evil tyrants and talking coyotes delay things. Against such odds, even with the help from bandits and mystics, the question is, will she make it before her brother is sacrificed to a plant by a power-hungry governess? 
             I thought this book had a perfect mix of comedy and adventure action. The characters were both likeable and realistic, making the story believable. I thought the bandits in the story were an interesting twist on the typical, all-good protagonist model. The bandits fulfill the expectation of good/bad protagonists as they steal from good South Woods citizens while they bring down a tyrant. There is a twist in the ending that seems to sum up the story perfectly. Also, many people will enjoy the avid description in the story and realistic characters. Parents should be cautioned there is some swearing in the story, but I would definitely recommend this to other tweens.
5 Star Favorite!

Zip by Ellie Rollins

Whimsical and Sweet

One girl, five states, and six days to cross them in -- this is the situation Lyssa Lee is forced into when she finds that her home in Texas is to be destroyed. So, she hops on her scooter and heads home. Along the way, magical things, gifts from her late mother’s spirit, happen and speed her on her way. Will she make it? Regardless, it will certainly be a most fantastical adventure. This is a sweet story with a slow pace. Lyssa is a very lovable and believable character. The miracles along the way make the story seem quite light-hearted. This is a book to read to lighten a depression, as it has a sense of joy about the plot. I would definitely recommend it to younger readers. Older readers may find it boring. However, if you like miraculous, feel-good stories than this book is for you. Personally, I thought that Lyssa should work a little harder for her goals.

Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog (Vol. 1)

Dog Lovers Delight

Madison Morgan is unhappy. She doesn't understand boys and fashion, nor does she understand her friend Paige's interest in those things. What she really wants is a dog, but Dad says no. On top of all this, the school bully picks on her and her friend Cooper constantly. Cooper has a dangerous secret too, and her step-dad manages everything just a bit too much. The tale about how all this gets resolved is an interesting mystery that puts many dogs at risk. Though the pace of the book was a bit slow for my tastes, I would not say it was boring and I still found it a good read. I like how the main character, Madison, expresses her thoughts to the reader. The well-rounded characters had interesting quirks and personalities that brighten the whole story. I would recommend this book to others from ages twelve plus for its winding plot. Note: Parents should know that the story contains an occasional mild swear word.

A Boy And A Bear In A Boat by Dave Shelton

Boy And A Bear Bantering

When a boy steps in a boat with a bear, he doesn't expect this voyage to be anything special, but it is. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, like a lack of food, this turns out to be one eventful sea voyage. I thought this book was amusing, but the plot was fairly simple. The obstacles could be exciting at times, but the book remained only moderately interesting. I liked the sibling-rivalry-style relationship between the boy and the bear. The bantering dialogue between the characters was the most entertaining part of the story. However, the characters' objective at the start of the story is never fulfilled and leaves the reader with an open ending at the conclusion. This story was listed in the Tween category, but I feel it is probably more suitable for younger readers.

Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret Toys by Tim Kehoe

Toy Inventor: The Best Job

Vincent Shadow is an inventor, a toy inventor. Luckily for him, he is about to have an internship at the best toy company in the world! Or, it would have been lucky if he had inventions to build. After his first day as an intern, the company owner dies. Without toys, the future of the company looks bleak. If only Vincent could uncover the secrets of the famous scientist, Nikola Tesla. Surely, if he could do that, anything is possible.

The Top Secret Toys has a plot that is much different from many books I have read. Instead of starting slow then speeding up or starting in the middle and back-tracking with the plot, it starts with a question. Being that I aspire to be an inventor myself, I found the story intriguing. I also have an interest in the work of the real-life Nicola Tesla as well.  Although not gripping or exciting, I liked the mystery of the plot.  There are illustrations of inventions also, something I really appreciate. This is a good read, but not generally as fast-paced as I would like, so I gave this book three stars.

Into The Abyss by EJ AltBacker

Not As Good As The First Book

             Gray, a megaladon shark, is nervous, and he should be. After the defeat of the tyrant Finnivus at the Battle of Riptide, Gray knows that the dictator tiger shark will return for revenge. When assassins strike, Gray knows Finnivus is on the move. In the first battle, Gray's forces suffer a devastating loss. Now, Gray must take up the charge and finish this war!

            Into the Abyss, is Book 3 in the Shark Wars series, which centers on Gray, a megaladon shark, and his adventures. Gray, the reader later learns, is part of a mysterious prophecy. In Book 1, Shark Wars, the reader is introduced to the main characters, and Gray learns of his identity as a megalodon shark. Sharks live in groups called shivers, and Gray becomes the leader of the Rogue shiver, a bunch of outcasts. Subsequently, in Book 2, The Battle of Riptide, is when Gray first encounters Finnivus and the war begins! The brutal war continues in Book 3 with Finnivus striving to conquer all of the shivers, but ends in a surprising cliff hanger. I'm looking forward to seeing what the fourth book has to offer.

            I did not like this book as much as the first two, as many of the characters I liked died, which I thought unnecessary to the plot. This also lacked most of the light-hearted banter between characters that I enjoyed in the earlier books. I felt this installment was too preoccupied with the war and could have benefited from the small subplots the first book had using tensions that created internal turmoil within the shivers and kept you guessing. A mako shark, named Velenka, is suspiciously present during troublesome incidences with the shivers. Overall, I gave this book three stars because it had enough intense, fast-paced action to keep the reader engaged and the cliff-hanger conclusion made me eager for more of this series.

The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader

A Comic Twist

            Tucker MacBean has a problem, many problems actually. The biggest of these is the lack of money. While Tucker's father is absent, his mother is working multiple low-paying jobs and trying to go to school, so she is never around. Meanwhile, Tucker has to be responsible for his disabled younger brother. Then Tucker uncovers a chance to save his family from falling apart. It's a chance to win a college scholarship for his mother that will enable her to quit one of her jobs and continue her educational pursuits. Tucker hopes it will make his mother's life easier. All he has to do is make the best superhero sidekick ever as part of a comic contest. It should be easy, after all, Tucker has been drawing heroes since, well, since he could draw. But nothing is ever easy.

             Beanboy is an interesting twist on the traditional super hero story. I appreciated how the author switched between the comic that Tucker is writing and the real life of the main character. I found Tucker's perspective in the story and the lines of dialogue amusing. My favorite part of the story was the interaction between Tucker, the main character, and the school bully. I also enjoyed the little coincidences and mysteries that were unveiled throughout the story. The characters were believable, the plot was never too slow, and the story was reasonably engaging. I would recommend this book to all superhero lovers, but I gave this story four stars because it lacked the action-packed excitement that I have come to expect from superhero stories.