Who I'm Not by Ted Staunton

Jonathan Rutiaga

Summary 

Who I’m Not by Ted Staunton is about a teenage boy who has no clue who he is.  Oh, and did I mention he’s a con-man in training?  The book starts off with someone getting shot while the main character, whose name is unknown, is trying to steal a car with valuables with in it.  The main character gets caught and is investigated by the F.B.I on what he saw. He then lies and finds out a kid who was kidnapped and he pretends to be him.  The rest is for you to find out what happens next.

Critical evaluation

I am rating this book a 9 out of 10 because the book really makes you want to continue reading and not put it down. The ending wasn't the best, but it was still satisfying because you finally find out the mystery about what happened to “danny”

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

Odalis Rojas

Summary
When Cynthia Rothschild's best friend, Annie, falls for the new high-school librarian, she can totally see why. He's young, smart, and super cute but there is something different about him. Maybe it's the way she feels chills running down her spine every time she's near him or the way his dark eyes seem to suck away the life out of you or is it because Mr. Gabriel is in fact a... demon! Will Cyn help rescue her best friend from Mr. Gabriel or will Annie be gone forever?

Critical Evaluation:
I rate this book a 10 out of 10. This book will keep you hooked and wanting more. Also if you like a spooky, dark book, then this book is for you. I love how this book gives enough information to keep you hooked. It also shows true friendship and how you have to value it or else you might lose it.

Paralyzed By Jeff Rud

Henry Nguyen

Plot Summary

Middle linebacker from Lincoln High, Reggie Scott accidentally injures Nate Brown, an opponent over the summer at a football camp. Brown could be paralyzed, which makes Reggie think about his football career and whether he should keep playing or not. 

Critical Evaluation

I would rate this book as a 10 out of 10 because it is very interesting.  This book made me think that anything can happen in thirty seconds, whether it is a bad thing or a good thing. You can imagine yourself being Nate Brown or Reggie Scott. Reggie worries a lot about Nate as seen in this example, "Can you at least tell me how he's doing? I knew I sounded desperate, but I needed to know right now that Nate Brown was going to be okay." Reggie wants Nate to be fine and be able to play football again. 

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Isabel Figueroa

Plot Summary

Three strangers that should’ve all died at the same time thousands of miles away all land in an abandoned hospital in the middle of nowhere. But they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places around the world are trapped there with them. Someone is controlling all the bad things that are happening around them. They have little time to figure out how to get back into the regular world and get a second chance at life.

Critical Evaluation

I would rate this book a 10 out of 10. This book takes you on an adventure, a whole different universe in your mind. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to keep reading even when the book is over. The book is based on three teenagers, Sophie, Declan, and Anat. Before they are moved into this whole new universe they face life threatening situations. Throughout the book they go through obstacles and challenges to stay alive and make it back where they belong. They lose some people and they gain new clues to figuring out who is the mastermind behind all of this. Their clocks are ticking and they are running out of time.

Providence Trilogy by Jamie McGuire

Stephanie Garcia

Plot Summary
Nina is a good girl going to college in Providence but when she meets a stranger her world goes upside down. Soon, she is finding out things and people that were hidden in order to protect her.

Critical Evaluation
I love this book because of the way McGuire gives enough information to lose yourself in the world of Nina and Jared. Providence is romance and supernatural put together. Between these two genres, you learn about the love that a family needs to go through different obstacles.

Unstoppable by Tim Green

Tonga Keti

Plot Summary
Harrison Johnson is one of the top football players in his high school. In the book Unstoppable, Tim Green tells a story about a foster kid who is adopted by mother who is a lawyer and a dad who is a football coach. Harrison's dream is to play football for his career. He struggles when he becomes handicapped.

Critical Evaluation
This book is a 9 out of 10. The structure of this book is a long story, which takes place on a farm then in a modern day house. Tim Green does a great job putting a motivational message in a football story. The ending is great and shows Harrison coming back to his dream after a tragic problem.

Edge Of Flight by Kate Jaimet

Henry Nguyen

Plot summary
Rock climbers Vanisha and Rusty face a field of marijuana.  When their friend Jeb gets shot, they try to save him.  But in order to do that, Vanisha must climb the Edge Of Flight, the toughest rock climbing route that she has faced.

Critical Evaluation
I rate this book a 10 out of 10 because when reading this book you can picture every little detail like in this example, "A rock sticks out like a stepping-stone. I pose my left foot on it, gently. It seems solid. I begin to shift my weight. But the rock breaks off beneath my foot. My leg fails in the air. I grip the cliff face tighter and hug my body against it." This quote talks about how Vanisha was climbing the Edge Of Flight, in order to find some help to save Jeb. The book inspired me in many ways. When I was done reading the book I thought how fun it would be to rock climb, how you can use rock climbing skills in saving others or climbing to the roof of a house to retrieve something that got stuck.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Gordon Jack

Summary

Midwinterblood takes place over thousands of years.  Each chapter tells the story of Erik and Merle who encounter each other on a remote Scandinavian island.  In each story, Erik and Melle connect in different ways and are tragically torn apart.  Why this cycle is happening, and how the characters will break it, is a mystery that unfolds over centuries.

Critical Evaluation

This book is easily a 10 out of 10. The book is structured as seven short stories, all taking place in the same place, but across very different time periods.  Marcus Sedgwick does an incredible job of linking these diverse stories involving, at different times, ghosts, vampires, and Vikings.  The mystery of why Erik and Merle keep meeting is very compelling.  The ending, which brings the reader back to the future, explains enough to be satisfying, but leaves some intriguing questions to ponder.    

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Gordon Jack

Plot Summary
Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history.  In My Friend Dahmer, author Derf Backderf tells the story of his friendship with Dahmer and how both his friends and family contributed to his isolation.  Because no one pays much attention to Dahmer, his excessive drinking and growing obsession with death goes unnoticed until it is too late.

Critical Evaluation
I rate this graphic novel a 10 out of 10.  You might think a story about a serial killer would be filled with gory scenes of murder, but this is more about how such people are created.  In Dahmer's case, he was emotionally disturbed, but because he was ignored by friends and family, he never got the help that might have saved him.  The author's tone of regret is felt throughout the book. In Backderf's words and pictures, he tells a sad, rather than scary, story that will make you think of social isolation in high school and how we all contribute to the making of monsters.