The Teenage Brain by Frances E. Jensen, MD with Amy Ellis Nutt

Gordon Jack

Summary
Dr. Frances E. Jensen understands the teenage brain.  Not only is she a professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, but she has also raised two teenage boys.  She uses both her professional studies and personal experience to explain what is happening in the teenage brain and the various environmental factors that can affect it.  Each chapter discusses a different factor, including sleep, tobacco, alcohol, pot, stress, sports, and screen time, and how it impacts the growth and development of the adolescent brain.

Critical Evaluation
I would rate this book a 9 out of 10.  What Jensen does exceptionally well here is make the complicated neuroscience of the teenage brain easy to understand, both with clear writing and charts. The adolescent brain works and responds to the world differently than the adult brain.  It has some unique advantages related to learning and memory and some unique vulnerabilities, especially in the area of addiction. The book focuses mostly on these hazards and often uses frightening stories to make its point about how vulnerable teens are today.  While these stories have an emotional impact, I would have liked some larger studies to assess the risk these environmental factors pose for teens.

All of Our Yesterdays By Cristin Terill

Isabel Figueroa

Plot Summary 

Imprisoned in a secret military base, Em and Finn must find a way to survive and make their way out to destroy Cassandra (a time machine). Em is the only one who can stop it from being made. She has tried everything but nothing has worked.

Marina loves her best friend and would do anything to keep their friendship alive. Then one night everything is ripped apart with one shot and a kill. Marina must focus on protecting James while everyone is giving up on him. Little by little she begins to open her eyes to see how terrible the future world will look like if she doesn't protect herself. There might not even be a future Marina if she continues.

Critical Evaluation 

All of Our Yesterdays is a book that you do not want to take your eyes off of. It's a thrilling adventure going back and forward between two characters' lives. This is now my ultimate favorite book; I must say I give it an 11 out of 10 that's HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. This is the type of book you have to read slowly, due to the fact that Terill gives very specific details that while you are reading it you should automatically know how the book may end. I recommend this book to all ages!

Homeland by Cory Doctorow

Jonathan Rutiaga

Plot Summary

Marcus Yallow is in trouble........again!  Marcus and his girlfriend find themselves at “The Playa” or better known as Burning Man.  While they are there, they find Masha, a “friend” of Marcus who has something very important to give him: Government files leaks.  Marcus is to release them if she goes missing.  Upon further investigation of the leaks, Marcus realizes how corrupt the government is and does anything in his power to get it right back on track.  But it is not as easy as he might think. He is being followed by a group called ZYZ, not to mention he is also being spied on by mysterious hackers.  Oh and who can forget about his girlfriend problems?  

Critical Evaluation

Homeland by Cory Doctorow is an adventure/mystery book that will leave you hanging on every page.  If you like adventure or mystery books I definitely recommend you to read this.  This book is an 8 out of 10 but I strongly advise you to read the first book called Little Brother to get more familiar with the characters and what they do.

Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack Jr

Tonga Keti

Plot Summary
Jomo Rodgers is an incredible safety who can read plays quickly and also makes plays as well. In the book, Shooting Star, Fredrick tells a story about a senior who makes a decision which changes his life. The decision that Jomo makes is taking steroids to look bigger. Jomo makes this decision because the recruiters keep saying, "You look small for a football player".  Now he faces the problem of becoming addicted, while he loses his girlfriend and best friend.

Critical Evaluation
This book is a 10 out 10. The genre of this book is sports. This book is great because it can teach athletes who want to take steroids what can happen to them. This gives athletes a lesson to not take steroids. As I read the book it was very interesting to me that he had divorced parents who barely worry about him. This book is awesome because Jomo chooses to take steroids but has a change of heart and decides to be the person he is.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Odalis Rojas

Plot Summary

Meet Theodore Finch, the schools freak. He is fascinated by death and he always thinks of ways he can die but there is always something, no matter how little, that stops him. Meet Violet Markey, loved by everyone but she has a dark past which she doesn't want to leave behind. When both Finch and Violet are standing at the ledge of the school bell tower, no one knows who saves who but as they start a new relationship, they start having a better life. Will they be able to save each other or will one of them leave everything behind?

Critical Evaluation

I rate this book a 10 out of 10. This book will leave you with laughter and tears in your eyes. Suicide is a very relatable topic that many teens think about because everyone has problems and they want an escape from the world. This book will keep you hooked and it will make you want more. If you like sad romances then this book is for you.

The Cellar by Natasha Preston

Isabel Figueroa

Plot Summary 

16-year-old Summer gets kidnapped on her way to a gig at a club a few blocks away from home. Her kidnapper is an insane man named Colin, also known as Clover. Clover just wants a perfect family and his idea of a perfect family are a bundle of pretty flowers. He takes her to a cellar where there are 3 other very pretty girls. Rose, Poppy, Violet and now Lily. All pretty flowers only last awhile but, what happens when they are kept in a cellar with no sun? They soon die, can these flowers survive?

Critical Evaluation 

This book was once on an app called Wattpad where everyday people publish their own stories for free. Natasha Preston's online story was soon turned into a book. Not that many stories make it  out of this app but I rate this a 10 out of 10. It takes you on this journey that makes you understand why this psychopath does all these things to the girls. It takes you to flash backs, present day and on rides to new adventures. This book is a must read!

Chameleon by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Katherine Figueroa

Plot Summary

Shawn has two divorced parents.  He likes this girl name Marisol and he tries to find a way to ask her out but he feels like she won’t like him at all.  Shawn has to choose between whether to stay at the high school close to his mom or to his dad and he only has the summer to think about it. Shawn also has to go through some family problems at home, including taking care of his aunt because she’s addicted to alcohol. This book also talks about him and his conflicts with the Crips and Bloods, two different gangs that don’t get along.

Critical Evaluation

I rate this book a 9 out of 10 because it has different types of situations, involving love, fights, and family problems. This book also makes you want to keep reading without stopping. It does not let you stop reading because it makes you feel like you’re going through the problems Shawn goes through. I love this book and I know for a fact you will too.