Teen Comments 2004 page 15
Should be on the list. It's self explanatory. It
tells of distant imagination and of how diabetics may resemble their life. It
also tells of friendship and love in a sort of spectacular way. --Savannah, 17, 4
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Great Book! A look into the high school gothics, teen pressures, and the stigmas with diseases
(in this case Diabetes). Definitely a best book. --Hilary, 16
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Should not be on the list. It only teaches you a lot
from diabetics. --Adrian, 17, rate 2
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Should be on the list because it's very good. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes realistic stories. It's a very ineresting look at life and the world around us. --Stephen, 16, rate 4
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Should be on list because I love vampires, as well as anything to do with vampires. This book just possessed me once I started to read it. Excellent book. --Ofelio, 17, rate 5
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Should be on the list because it is very well written.--Maura, 12, rates book
a 4
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Should not be on the list. I just couldn't get into it. --Mario, 17, 1
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First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 17
Book Title: Sweetblood
Author: Peter Hautman
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes
Because: After hearing Di's synopsis of Sweetblood, I knew that I would be
highly interested in reading this book. It's about Lucy, a teenage diabetic who
is convinced that the symptoms of untreated diabetes provide the origins of the
vampire legends. I am a teenage diabetic myself, who has thought about writing
a book about what it's like living with diabetes, but after reading Sweetblood
I have nothing really original left to say about it. There are diabetes-related
things that Lucy says and thinks that I thought only I had believed or
pondered. Hautman does a remarkable job of painting the "life with
diabetes" picture, but he does more too. Like all great books, he doesn't
focus on what separates one individual's experiences from everyone else. He
shows that even diabetics, who have a lot on their plates, are the same
fundamentally as everyone else. Lucy has the same confusion growing up as most
if not all people feel. Hautman managed to mix both her universally human
problems with something that only she and a few other "lucky" people
get to experience first hand.
He wrote it well, true to at least what this diabetic feels. Definitely a best
book.
Quality Rating:5 - One of the best books I ever read
Popularity Rating:3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: If you end up with a copy of this that
you don't want, I would like to have it if that's okay.
This book is a best book. It really shows a look at
life I couldn't imagine. It paints a picture of a love sick vampire &
his quest to reunite with his long lost love. The story is cute with how
these 2 twin sisters discover their powers, & it has a great twist at the
end. --Katherine, 14
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This was a really good book and is majorly a best. It's about a couple of girls that are counselors at Camp Blue Moon that get turned into vampires by the "cute guy of the camp." Some parts were corny but otherwise this was a really captivating book. -- Karlie,13
This book was so good. It should majorly be a best book. A gilr moves into her Uncle's house and notices that weird things are happening. She goes down to the basement and sees a little Kewpie doll. It keeps moving and shifting. When she goes upstairs it's in her room. This book has major twists in it and was totally better than I thought it was going to be. -- Karlie,13
Koss, Amy G. Gossip Times Three
First name or initials: Kim
Age: 13
Book Title: Gossip Times Three
Author: Amy G. Koss
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: This book might've been good, but it's WAY to hard to understand
anything that's going on because it's written how a stereotypical teen/pre-teen girl might talk.
(that was ONE thing I didn't like.) It was also hard to understand because she
(the author) kept repeating herself and going off the main subject and
UGH!!!!!!
Quality Rating:1 - Yecch! Force read only.
Popularity Rating:2 - Only people who are looking for this type will read it
de Lint, Charles. Waifs and Strays
A book of incredible and very touching, though strange short stories, perfect for teens. This collection was wonderful to read. Definatly, a best book. Rated 10 --Marceli age 12
BBYA: No
Rate: 7
Review: Literary short stories dont seem to fit my genre interests unless you
like stories about vampires and rabbits who play the fiddle. I stopped about
100 pages into the book because the stories got worse and worse. It deserves a
seven because the stories were very creative but he should stick to writing
novels. --Christa, 13.
Hopkins, Cathy. Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras
BBYA: Yes
Rate (1-10): 8
Review: Everyone in life changes and Izzie, Lucys best friend starts hanging
out with the new girl, Nesta. Soon she feels like Izzie doesnt want to hang out
with her. Then there teacher asks them to write a term paper about, What
makes me, me? One of the topics that you
have to include is what you want to do with your life, only problem is Lucy
doesnt have a clue.
This is a good book about a funny fourteen year old girl trying to find
herself. I gave it an 8 because I would have loved it even more if it was
longer. --Christa, 13.
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Lucy is your typical teenage girl, with a best friend, family, and happy
life. But when her best friend Izzie befriends the new girl Nesta, things
start to get ugly. What makes this jumbo even messier is when Lucy
sprouts a crush on a stranger who turns out to be Nesta's brother.
I absolutely loved this book! It kept me laughing the whole way
through, and I would definitely recommend this to all my friends.
Rating: 5/5
Best Book: Yes --Lisa, 14
BBYA: Yes
Rate (1-10): 8
Review: At age seven Malka and her family have to leave their home in Poland
(yr. 1943) since the Germans are invading. So they soon are trying to get over
the Hungarian border and all the way to Budapest. But along the way Malkas
mother is forced to make a hard decision, go with a group to Hungary and leave
Malka or stay where she is. I havent even gotten to describe the main
part of the book yet but if I tell any more Ill give the story away.
Filled with sorrow, undying love, and loyalty this book is bound to make you
cry. Mirjam Pressler did a very good job of writing a historical fiction novel
about the Holocaust. --Christa, 13.
Rating: 2 At first, I thought this story would be a mystery type. Instead, it turned out to be about a new foreign student who's teased in his high school. His few friends fear that there will soon be a school shooting, based on their foreign buddy's supernatural senses. I didn't like this book too much because it seemed to artificial. --Lisa, 14
Sateren, Shelley Swanson. Cat on a Hottie's Tin Roof
Rating: 3
Cat, a middle-school brainic is worried about heading back to school after
her best friend moves away. But right before summer ends, she meets a
fashionable, pop-music lover who lives in her neighborhood. The girls
soon become firends, despite Cat's lack of pop culture.
I thought this book was alright, since it seemed to remind me of some people I
know. However, I doubt a teen
would want to read this. It's more of a book for 9-12 years
old. --Lisa, 14
Whelan, Gloria. The Impossible Journey
BBYA?: Undecided
Rate (1-10): 8
Overall Popularity (1-5): 3
Review:
Marya and Georgis parents are forced out of their home one night by the Soviet
Secret Police. The year is 1934 and Stalin is in power in Russia. All who are
against him are in danger. Marya (13) decides to make a journey with her
brother that is 1000 milesthrough Siberia to find their mother.
"The Impossible Journey," is a story of two children's journey
through the harsh Siberian countryside and how with hope, anything is possible.
--Christa, 13.
I wasn't really expecting this book to be written through a sick boy's head.
I do think it was a best book though because of the actual story behind this
one. A coffee shop gets held up and all the people in it are held
"hostage." The only reason that the boys that are robbing the place
are doing it is to help pay for their mom's chemo. The main character has a
brain problem so sometimes it's hard to read his thoughts and feelings but
otherwise this was a great book. - -Karlie,13
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Rate (1-10): 10
Overall Popularity: 4
Review: Zach is not your average 17 year-old guy because he is schizophrenic,
which means he hears and sees things that arent really there. But he has
medication that can help stop that. One day when he is waiting at the coffee
shop where his mom picks him up (also gives him his meds) robbers come. Since
Zach hasnt had his meds yet he isnt entirely sure that it's really happening.
This book changed my outlook on life and how lucky I am to be the way I am. I
really like Terry Trueman's writing style and his books are very good.
*I'd enjoy owning this book. --Christa, 13.
Harrar, George Not as Crazy as I Seem
Rate (1-10): 9
Overall Popularity (1-5): 4
Review: Devon Brown has these "tendencies" where he eats food in
fours and he hangs his shirts and buttons them all the way up (etc.). He goes
to a shrink who is extremely clever in finding ways to help Devon out. Also he
is starting at a new school where he meets a girl who has a vanilla ice cream
cone every day...
George Harrar wrote a superb story about a very misunderstood kid with
Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder. I gave this book a nine because it made me mad
and happy all at the same time and not many writers can do that to me.
*I'd enjoy owning this book. --Christa, 13.
Godfrey, Rebecca The Torn Skirt
I'm not so sure that this is a best book or not. It was kind of a depressing book, it open my mind up a little more about how some teenagers could be. I think the author could ease off a bit on using the f-word so much. I think I would of enjoyed it more if I could of better relate to Sara ( main character). I don't think many teenagers would enjoyed this novel. --Annie, 16