Genesis Alpha
by Rune Michaels

Have you ever judged a book by its cover? Well, I hate to say it, but I have. Or rather by thickness of the book. "Genesis Alpha" is very thin, from a first time author and claims to be a "thriller." Keeping those things in mind, I shoved it to the back of my reading pile. However, I quickly discovered that "Genesis Alpha" isn't half bad. Yes, it starts off strange, Josh, a 12 year old (ish) is playing an RPG (role playing game) called Genesis Alpha with his totally cool older brother. Except he suddenly leaves. A phone call later, Josh learns his brother, Max, has been arrested for murder! What follows is twisty and a bit unpredictable. Where it goes is into a bit of simple science fiction and chilling characters. The characters are very complex and realistic given the situation and the length of this novel. The best part, however, is that it'll make you think. "Genesis Alpha" isn't afraid to bring up tough topics. At points this novel is slow, which is sad considering it isn't even 200 pages. But when the big secret is revealed, it takes off like a rocket. However the resolution leaves a lot to be desired. The ending, however brings the story full circle. If you have a short attention span and have a strong consitution you should read "Genesis Alpha."
~ submitted by Rhiannon

An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green

Have you ever been in a relationship that was a complete waste of time? What if you could predict how long it would last and who would dump who? That\'s what Collin Singelton sets out to do in \"An Abundance of Katherines.\" The story starts off with Collin getting dumped for the ninteenth time by a girl named Katherine. Every girlfriend he\'s ever had has been named Katherine and each time he\'s dumped by said Katerine. Being a prodigy, Collin can do a lot of things including rattling off useless facts, speaking several languages and doing anagrams. But he can\'t seem to date anyone who isn\'t named Katherine. What\'s a guy to do? Enter Hassan, his overweight, snarky, Judge Judy-loving, Arabic sidekick who proposes they go on a road trip. And of course they do. They wind up in Gutshot, Tenn. where they meet a girl named Lindsey and go to work for her mom. It\'s weird and totally unlikely, but you go with it. Anyway all sorts of whacky mayhem happens in Gutshot. But Collin does figure out a formula for relationships and it\'s pretty involved, although I wish the appendix described it in more detail. Oh well. This book is very readable and fast paced. I liked that all the characters grow and the funky facts and words you\'ll learn. I\'ll never think of the word \"dingleberries\" quite the same way. It\'s a fun read, but probably not a \"summer\" book because of all the math and the funky facts. Then again, reading this could help keep your brain sharp during the lazy summer days. Either way, it\'s an enjoyable read.
~ submitted by Rhiannon

Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wow...this book is powerful. I wish there was a rating that just said "powerful" instead of awesome or good. There's not a lot I can say about it (ironic given the title and subject matter of the story.) "Speak" follows Melinda Sordino, a girl who is mostly silent throughout the day. She's cynical and strangely amused at the same time. Melinda is very likable and her narrative sucks you in. It's a very visual and realistic story. For awhile there's a suspense as to why Melinda doesn\'t have any friends and why she's silent. There is an explaination later on. Usually I hate the "drama" stories. Most of the time I find them pretensious and boring, but this one is ultimately, for lack of a better word "powerful." It may make some readers uncomfortable, but Anderson does these parts stylishly and beautifully. This is a story for anyone who's ever been through high school and lives in reality.
~ submitted by Rhiannon

I LOVED SPEAK! I thought it was amazing! It is about a teenage girl Melinda who isn't starting her freshman year off so great. Because of something that happened to her at a party that summer she hasn't been talking to anybody and is realy very suicidal. In the end Melinda tells people about the what happened and faces her biggest fear-IT. I would highly recommend this boook.
~ submitted by Lauren

This book was ok but the message the author was trying to make i did not understand so i would not read this book again.
~ submitted by Domonique

the best part was all the hints and details of IT and that night Melinda Sordino will never forget
~ submitted by Monica