Songs For a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

New school, new friends (if she makes any), new house, and a new husband for her mom. It's nothing new for 14 year old Calle. Since her dad abandoned her and her mom when she was a baby, Calle and her mom have been moving around the country. Her mother, at almost every place they go, falls in love with some Ford-driving man who deserts her and then they move again. Because her mom doesn't keep scrapbooks or a lot of photos, she keeps a song journal. There, she writes down songs that remind her of memories. Calle doesn't expect for her mother and her new husband to stay very long together, so she's prepared to get up and move again. At school she tries to stay hidden, friends are hard to have when you move all the time. Although she soon finds herself in a group of friends and meets a mysterious football player. She later finds out that life is more complicated than she think, especially when lies are involved.

-Page: 240
-Age: 13 and up (inappropriate language, subjects better understood by more mature readers)
-Reader Type: Romance, realistic
-Our Rating: I liked this book, I must say though, it wasn't my favorite. Personally I thought the book was a bit slow. I enjoyed the rest of the book though, excellent summer read, and a great book for music freaks.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Annabel lives every girl's dream. She's a model, has a beautiful house, and is beautiful! Although covers can misleading. She is a model, but she doesn't want to be, she just does it to keep her mother from falling into depression again. She does have a beautiful house, but it's filled with bitter fighting and lying with her sister being anorexic. She is in a commercial, although all her classmates laugh at it. The worst part of her life is a secret from her past, which has turned on her. Just when she thinks all of the world is going to crash in, she meets a boy named Owen who is a music-loving, rather frightening guy. Owen is determined for the truth and pushes Annabel to tell the truth no matter what. The two become close friends and Annabel is forced to shine some light on her forever haunting past.

-Pages: 383
-Age: 15 and up (inappropriate language, mature content)
-Reader Type: romance, realistic
-Our Rating: Who writes better romance books than Sarah Dessen?! The answer: no body! As Zig says, she is the teen romance Shakespeare of the 21st century. This book continues to live up to the well-respected Sarah Dessen name. We loved it! Although, the book is a little bit slow, it keeps you captured the whole time though, but this is not a book for those who want a fast moving romance.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Lucy had it all as a child star pianist, she went to all the major competitions, winning them, had her own concerts, and was known by almost every pianist. But that all came crashing down when her Grandmother passed away while she gone at one of the biggest and best piano competition in the business. While on stage she walked off, before even playing, ending her career. She hadn't played piano since. To add a cherry on top of all this business, her brother's piano teacher just died in their house, in Lucy's arms who tried to save her. Now the family found a young new piano teacher with fresh new ideas on how to teach, a true love for piano, and a determination to get Lucy to play again.

-Pages:  320
- Age: 15 and up (inappropriate language, subjects better understood by mature readers)
-Reader Type: realistic

-Our Rating: We thought this book was good, not the worst, not the best either. One of the things that bothered us about this book was that is was written in third person, making it hard to understand and relate to the main character. Overall it made the story very awkward to read. Besides that though, the book was fine, it was a bit slow but it was a fun read. Yet another good book for musicians.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Piper's life is a mess. First, her best friend moves to another state. Then, her parents raid her college fund (given to her by her dead grandparents) to pay for her baby sister's surgery. Also she is totally invisible and to put a cherry on top she's deaf. Although Piper's life starts to spin when she is asked by a small band from her school to be their manager. The name of the band: Dumb. To help her with Dumb, she asks her chess partner, Ed, to help her. After finding out that the band needed major help, Dumb receives new members, some liked more than others. As Piper leads the band through interviews, recordings, and small performances, tension starts to rise between the members and Piper realizes that not everybody is what they seem.  

-Pages: 338
-Ages: 14 and up (inappropriate language, mature content)
-Reader Type: realistic, romance 
-Our Rating: Loved it! Zag, being a musician herself loved it thought it was awesome. We thought this book was an excellent summer read with the perfect amount of hilarious, a hint of romance, a nice douse of heart-felt-y-ness, and and a teaspoon of awesome! The perfect book to read while your listening to the Rolling Stones or Nirvana.

 

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Isabella (Bella) Swan goes to Forks, Washington to live with her father expecting rain, lots of green stuff, and.... vampires? When quiet Bella first goes to her new school she finds herself fascinated with the god-like, beautiful, pale family: the Cullens. She some becomes obsessed with the "youngest" member of the Cullen family, Edward, her a quiet, handsome, and mysterious lab partner. Her suspicions climb when she notices Edwards uncanny disappearances, his forever changing eye color, and ice cold skin. She and Edward continue to grow closer to each other until she finally discovers the impossible, goes on the adventure of her life, nearly dies (she does that a lot), and falls in love with a monster.

-Pages: 498
-Age: 14 and up (occasional inappropriate language, intense, descriptive scenes, subjects better understood by older readers.) 
-Reader Type:  romance, action, fantasy. 
-Our Rating: Oh. My. Gosh...to the tenth power! We had no idea that dead vampires could be so romantic. We, with great respect, applaud Stephenie Meyer for this excellently planned book. It was amazing! Although we want to make a note: it is NOTHING like the movie. So, if you are looking at this saying: "Really?! I thought you guys had good taste in books! Why are you reading this blood sucking, Bed-Head-Edward, and Shirtless-Jacob stuff?!?!" Well, we were once in your shoes, but now we are hooked... or bitten if you will. So if you've seen the movie and hate it, making you no longer want to read the book, we would like you to know that we too hate the movie, but really the book is so much better!

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

Ransom makes one simple choice on his solo walking voyage to seek stay in a certain home. What he finds there is a distressed mother who's mentally ill son hasn't returned from work. After promising to bring her son home, he heads off the where the young man works for a professor at his home hoping to also find a place to lodge for the night. He finds a struggle at the professor's home and stops a fight with unknown cause between the women's son, the professor Weston, and one of his old school mates that he never liked Devine. After letting the boy go home, Weston and Devine allow Ransom to lodge at their mansion. But when Devine and Ransom sit down for a drink, Ransom loses consciousness after taking a poisoned drink. He wakes up inside of a space ship on his way to a planet called Malacandra where he is to be sacrificed to the natives of the planets. What happens on the planet of Malacandra was the last thing Ransom expected to. After an escape from his captors he sets off on an adventure that leads him to inhabitants of the planets that are rational beings, learns their language, and becomes the only person to know of and understand the hnau (rational species) on Malacandra.

-Pages: 264
-Age: 13 and up (no inappropriate content, some topics better understood by more mature people)
-Reader Type: Science Fiction, Action
-Our Rating: This was an amazing book! It really gave you a different view on how society works and opens your mind to different ideas. It was a very enlightening book. It's one of those books that when you're done it has changed the way you think and leaves you satisfied.

Firestorm by David Klass

Jack is your average teenager, nothing more, nothing less. A football player, has a girlfriend named P.J., and has an average number of friends. His whole life his parents have encouraged him to be normal, be like everyone else, and just fit in. His whole life changes when he breaks the mold and breaks the school record in a football game. He becomes noticed and not just by his town but of a group of people unknown to him whose sole job is to kill him. He learns that his parents aren't his parents, his life has been fabricated to keep him unnoticed, and that even the time he is living in isn't the one he's from. Jack is sent running for his life with only a telepathic, proper canine named Grisco. His job is to save Earth from it's environmental destruction by the mysterious "Firestorm" which no one knows where it is or really what it is. Jack is thrown into a battle between those trying to save the planet and those trying to destroy it with the help of only the shaggy Grisco, a "Ninja Babe", and a father that can only reach him through his dreams.  With only the future's fate on his shoulders, he sets off to save the world's dying oceans.

Pages: 304
Age: 15 and up (suggestive parts, some vulgar language)
Reader Type: action, conservation, romance
Our Rating: We loved this book! Especially the ocean lover Zig. It opens your eyes to how we're hurting the planet and need to protect it for our own survival. It gets on a personal level with what's going on and really gives you a look at what is really happening to our oceans. Plus it's filled with suspense and action to keep the pages turning.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Mareen Johnson

17 year old Ginny gets a letter from her Aunt Peg telling her to go to the Chinese restaurant under her old apartment. The problem: Aunt Peg is dead. She gets a package full of letters from her wild, artistic aunt telling her to go to the locations which she has written down in the letters and that she'll cover all the costs. Aunt Peg writes saying that Ginny can only bring one backpack of things, no electronics, no communication with the U.S., and only open the next envelope when the task in the one before it is completed. Ginny then sets off on her trip that takes her all through Europe bringing adventure to her usually dull life. Her aunt's letters take her places she would've never gone and do things she would've never done.With only a very over packed backpack and her crazy aunt's letters, Ginny is led by the directions in the letters and her aunt's equally unique friends she made while in Europe.

Pages: 336
Reader Type: Romance, Travel
Age: 14 and up (some mature subjects mentioned, mild language)
Our Rating: This is another perfect summer read! We loved the adventure and the romance of it and couldn't put it down!

Hey everyone, Zig and Zag again. Our blog has gotten an updated summer look but never fear, it's still the same old us giving you book reviews so you know what you would like and what you wouldn't no matter what your taste in books are. Enjoy summer!

Keep on Reading,


Zig and Zag

Summer Reads

Hey everyone, this is Zig and Zag. The wonderful time of summer is rolling around the corner which means you have plenty of time to read! We went through our mental list of the books we've read and put together a list of books perfect for reading laying on the beach or for a long car ride to a vacation spot.

Keep on Reading, 
Zig and Zag

• Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

• Afrika by Colleen Craig

• Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz

• The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

• Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock

 

Forgiven by Janet Fox

In this companion novel to Faithful also set in 1906 (location of this review: http://zigtozags.blogspot.com/2012/03/faithful-by-janet-fox.html ), Kula is sent to Montana by her father so she can start her life until he can come after he takes care of some "unfinished business" and join her. Reluctantly, Kula sets out on her own trying to make a name of herself despite being the daughter of an outlaw. Her focus is to marry into a social standing but things change when her father is arrested for a murder he didn't commit for which he will hang for. He tells her to so to San Fransisco and find Ty Wong to get a box before he is taken away. She sets off alone yet again to try to find the box she thinks will save her father's life. There she has to get through this large city with all its barbarians, criminals and keep her focus even when the kind and helpful come around. David, one of these few kind ones and a young Chinese, befriends her and she's finds herself experiencing something Kula Baker had never felt...love.

-Pages: 288
-Age: 13 and up (no inappropriate content but some slavery and abuse that took place in history)
-Reader Type: realistic, romantic, historic
-Our Rating: We loved this book just as much as its companion! Though it was a bit slow for our taste, the end was definitely a page turner with an ending you will never forget and will be on your mind for the next week.

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Brewster is one who keeps to the shadows and always keeps people away from him in any way possible. He's a mystery, known to his classmates as Bruiser. Then, someone is finally able to get through his guard. That someone is Bronte. She is drawn to his mystery and his seeming need for someone to just care for him. When they start to date, strange things start to happen. Cuts heal too fast, wounds that you remember being there, they're gone. Bronte and her twin brother Tennyson, Brewster's only two friends, set out trying to figure out the great mystery that surrounds Brew. What they find, will change their lives forever.

-Pages: 328
-Age: 13 and up (no inappropriate content, some child abuse, older characters)
-Reader Type: realistic, romance
-Our Rating: This book is amazing! Brewster is an amazing character and his love for people goes beyond any thing we can do to show our love for someone. Brew is truly an inspiring character that you cheer for the whole way! You can't put this down, even once you're done you have to go back and read the amazing ending for it over and over again!