The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli

Don Giovanni lost all of his belongings and money in a tsunami. Desperate, he makes a deal with the Devil. He receives a purse that can create any sum of money, but with a catch. He cannot bathe, comb his hair, shave his beard or change his clothes for three years, three months, and three days. If he does, he will lose his soul.

An interesting concept that I think was well executed. Not for the faint of heart, but a good book none the less. I would recommend it.

Reviewed by Colleen.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

Belladonna's parents are dead. But that doesn't stop them from staying with her. Belladonna can see ghosts. But one day, all of the ghosts disappear. Belladonna and her friend Steve set out to find out what is wrong.

An interesting book, and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to people who like fantasy books.

Reviewed by Colleen.
Reviewed from an advanced reader copy.

Children of the Dawnland by Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Twig, a girl living during the Ice Age, starts having a dream showing a green light in the sky that causes havoc for her people. So she sets out with her friend, Greyhawk, and Screech Owl the Shaman to try and discover the meaning of her dream.

I enjoyed this book. The concept was original and it was well executed. I would recommend it. It was a kind of quick read, but it was a good book overall.

Reviewed by Colleen.
Reviewed from an advanced reader copy.

Scumble by Ingrid Law

The book "Scumble" by Ingrid Law is about how Ledger Kale scumbles, or masters, his savvy of mass destruction. A savvy is an inherited power that manifests at age 13. He had hoped he would be able to run faster when he got his savvy. Instead he can disassemble man-made objects without touching them. His savvy starts with being able to destroy small things, then becomes able to destroy entire buildings. A nosy girl happens to be around when he destroys a barn at his cousin's wedding, which makes the disaster worse as savvies are kept secret so that the people who have the savvies will not get used by other people.

This book was well written and almost never boring. It also didn't give you too much information at once, allowing a reader to make their own predictions about what will happen next. It also shows a lesson about holding in your emotions and how it can cause damage to you and those around you. When Ledger held in his savvy forcefully it built up energy and caused all the more damage when it came out. Similar things can occur from holding in your emotions or holding on to them. Some emotions would be anger, frustration, sadness and other powerful emotions.

Reviewed by Thomas.
Reviewed from an advanced reader copy.

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

"Three Quarters Dead" by Richard Peck is not a novel that you come across in your reading normally. The content of this book is different from any other supernatural ghost/zombie story. The main character, Keri, after a couple months of school without her best friend who has moved away, is invited into another group. The four girls become good friends very quickly. When Keri's three new friends die in a car accident, they drain life from Keri to stay alive until Keri decides what she needs to do with these zombies who are so not her friends. Although not many details are included, and it is a little bit hard to follow, the overall story is entrancing and left me thinking about it for weeks afterward.

Reviewed by Kera.
Reviewed from an advanced reader copy.