#teen review
In our world, our country is run by the president who keeps the government in order. We have laws to protect us from the bad and help us live through tough times. However, not every world has that.
Firebug is an adventurous mystery. Wherever there’s an end, a new beginning/problem starts. Firebug focuses on a young teenage girl, Ava, who has the ability to start a fire just by thinking about it. Though it’s not always a gift. Ava is controlled by the Coterie. A secret agency which is run by a vicious, power hungry vampire, Venus. The Coterie collects all different types of people like Ava. They don’t necessarily have to be fire powered, they can be something else like turning into a creature or communicating with nature. Then they force these people to work for them, and there’s no way out. With the death of her mother being one of her many problems, Ava lives with her closest father friend, Cade, and her two best friends. They also are in the Coterie. Ava always knew the Coterie was bad and has dreamed of an exit, out of their world and into hers, every single night. Though it was not until now, she realized that if she lets the Coterie keep ruling, everyone would be dead. Throughout the book, many people she knows and loves turn out to be someone the opposite of what she expected them to be. And the closer she comes to the truth, the more she realizes that she has to get rid of what was never meant to exist.
Things can start off to be perfectly okay with your life, then all of a sudden it turns upside down. Many books have that aspect, but this one specifically focuses on the fact that you shouldn’t allow someone to control you, because if you do, the more you’ll be hurting yourself to try to live so they’ll accept you without hurting you. That was Ava’s mistake, even thought she couldn’t say no, there was always the slightest chance that she could.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The details were amazing and you could really live in Ava’s world. It had amazing heroines, villains, like any other fantasy. However, the beginning for me was kind of slow and it took me a while to really get into it. Though the more I did, the more things started to happen. Pacing happens the same way in many mysteries I have read. It begins slower because the characters are being introduced and then the action begins. You wouldn’t understand the action if you didn’t know who was making it.
-Lilian R. Age 13
McNally Jackson is honored to be hosting Maggie Lehrman for the launch of her exceptional debut novel, The Cost of All Things. Maggie’s event is Tuesday, May 12th (tomorrow!), at 7 pm. If you’re unable to attend the event, you can order a signed & personalized copy of Maggie’s book here.
Kristen G. on our McNally Jackson Teen Review Board got an early look at The Cost of All Things; the below review is straight from her.
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From average drama to life changing spells, The Cost of All Things is an enchanting novel about four teenagers dealing with the aftermath of their friend Win’s death and of the spells the local hekamist has cast upon them. Everyone has a secret and it is only a matter of time before everything is unveiled in a thrilling and shocking adventure.
The Cost of All Things is consuming. Its four hundred pages are easy to read because of the short chapters and the switches in points of view, which although are sometimes confusing, cause me to read more in order to know how each character feels about the given circumstances. Each character in this book has qualities that make you sympathize with them as well as dislike them. For instance, Kay’s selfishness is unbearable, but one cannot help but pity her loneliness.
One thing that I believe would have enhanced the book is if there were chapters from Diana’s point of view. The storyline between Diana and Markos was my favorite, and I would have liked to see how things were going from Diana’s perspective.
When I started reading The Cost of All Things, I was reminded of Pretty Little Liars in the sense that it tells a story from many points of view. The hint of supernatural in The Cost of All Things equates to the constant state of fear in Pretty Little Liars. In both of these books is a group of friends dealing with the death of another friend and how it affects their lives after the death. When they are not thinking of their old friend, they are dealing with the drama of relationships, friendships, and everyday activities. I think that both books give off the same vibe, so if people like one of them, they would be interested in the other.
The Cost of All Things is an enjoyable read that reminds readers to deal with things as they come and gain strength from experience. Everything has its own consequence, and people have to make sure that they know the risks they take are worth their rewards.
- Kristen G., Age 18
Ted Sanders’ The Keepers: The Box & the Dragonfly is on sale today! Our excellent teen reviewer Lilian took a look at the novel for us:
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The Keepers is an exciting novel written by Ted Sanders, the author of ‘No Animals We Could Name’ and many other well written stories. Starting now is the first book in the series 'The Keepers. The Box and The Dragonfly’. You find yourself living inside a world with evil giants, strange creatures, and magical objects that only you can posses,.
This book follows Horace Andrews, a twelve year old boy who seems to understand the world until he sees something - one thing, his own name written on a single sign. His confusion leads him to an underground place called “The House of Answers”. Anyone who walks into this place has to choose wisely. An object with a special ability that he/she feels the right to own carefully. It could be kept in this person’s hands for years, a few months, or even a few minutes. All these objects are called “Tanu”. Once fallen into the right hands they become this person’s “Tanji”. Horace feels a strange draw to a golden box, and after many experiments realizes it’s power - time travel. He soon possesses the power to look into the future. Danger awaits though, as groups of gigantic ten feet men go after all the Tanji trying to keep the magic to themselves. Horace does whatever he can to protect the box, and soon pairs up with another young Keeper; Chloe, a twelve year old girl who is able to walk through walls, which comes from her Tanji, a necklace with a silver dragonfly attached to it. They form a strange friendship bond walking in and out of danger, almost in the hands of the men who are after their Tanji and even the Keepers themselves.
The Keepers is a book for all ages 10+. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves adventurous mysteries. If you do, you’ll get absorbed by this story after the first two chapters. It’s medium-paced, though there’s always something to look forward to after each chapter. You never know what’s going to happen next. The gripping story also shows that a simple mistake could lead to a total disaster. This is only the beginning to the many adventures of Horace and Chloe. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.
-Lilian R, 13
