Son of the Mob
By Gordon Korman

Vince Luca is your basic seventeen year old high school student. His best friend Alex is constantly vicariously trying to score through him with “This is my love life we’re talking about” every time Vince is about to go out on a date. His older brother is a pain. His father has a successful vending machine business. Well, that was the cover up his mother told him when he was little to explain his father’s different working hours from the other fathers in the neighborhood, telling him “you never know when a vending machine is going to break.” It isn’t until Vince is older when he learns his father’s true occupation and what brings in the money that provide a roof over his head, the clothes on his back, and the food in his stomach – Vince’s father is a Mob boss, which explains why Vince has listed sixty plus “uncles” during his youth without knowing exactly how they were related as his father was an only child. Vince wants nothing to do with his father’s “vending machine” business, but, as one could expect, being the son of a Mob boss can put a serious crimp in his dating life; particularly when he begins dating Kendra, who father is the FBI agent who wants more than anything to put Vince’s father in jail. Vince’s voice as he tells the story is full of his wonderfully dry, sarcastic sense of humor which this reader found immensely entertaining and appropriate to the story being told. The pace of the story is quick with something always going on or a new twist about to be discovered. However, the ending, at least to this reader, felt a bit rushed though it did tie together the subplots.

My Most Excellent Year
By Steve Kluger

What does Fenway Park, finding first love, and Mary Poppins have in common? The most excellent year for freshmen students T.C. Keller, Augie Hwong, and Alejandra Perez. There are three loves in T.C.’s life; his dad, his best friend and unofficial brother Augie who he met shortly after his mother died when he was six, and the Red Sox. But during freshmen year he begins falling in love with Alejandra. Though Alejandra plays hard to get, she also begins falling in love with T.C.’s Boston accent while pursuing her interest in singing and dancing (which gets her a part in the school’s play of Kiss Me, Kate) under her political parents’ noses. Due to his love of musicals and old school screen sirens, and his preference to perform the songs traditionally sung by women, everyone close to Augie seems to know he is gay, except for Augie. That is until he begins falling in love with Andy, who may or may not have the same feelings for Augie. The majority of the story is told through a diary assignment as T.C., Augie, and Alejandra study The Diary of Anne Frank in their freshmen English class. Similar to how Frank named her diary Kitty, T.C. addresses his entries to his dead mother, Alejandra to her role model Jacqueline Kennedy, and Augie writes to several “Divas of the Week” including Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, and Judy Garland among others. Incorporated throughout the entries are IM messages between T.C., Augie, Alejandra, and Andy, e-mails from and between characters, transcripts of T.C.’s meeting with his school advisor, notes passed during study hall, and Augie’s mother’s theatre review column from the Boston Globe. This charming, funny story will be enjoyed by its target audience as well as an adult audience.

Eleventh Grade Burns
By Heather Brewer
Series: Fourth in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Warning: Review may contain spoilers to Eighth Grade Bites, Ninth Grade Slays, and Tenth Grade Bleeds

Depressed following his break up with Meredith and convinced he is the Pravus but unsure about how the ruling over vampirekind and enslaving the human race side of the prophecy will play out, Vladimir Tod begins his junior year. But it’s going to be a dark year for Vlad. His Uncle Otis is awaiting trial for crimes against vampirekind which is likely to end only in his being sentenced to death. D’Ablo has somehow secured a seat on the Council of Elders and continues his desire to perform the ritual that will transfer Vlad’s Pravus powers to himself. A new vampire, Dorian, comes to help Vlad but has a palate for uncommon blood, and since Vlad is the only half-vampire, half-human in existence, he has the rarest type of blood. Plus Joss, Vlad’s ex-friend vampire slayer, is back with nothing to stop him from eliminating Vlad. This penultimate volume of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is full of twists and surprises that will keep Vlad fans turning the pages. But nothing can prepare Vlad or the reader for what is waiting at the end.

Tenth Grade Bleeds
By Heather Brewer
Series: Third in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Warning: Review may contain spoilers for Eighth Grade Bites and Ninth Grade Slays

It appears that sophomore year is going to be the best for Vladimir Tod; the bullies that had beaten him up over the years seem to have moved on to other targets and the girl of his dreams is now his girlfriend. However, the year still sucks; Henry, Vlad’s best friend, is becoming distant and Vlad fears it could lead to the end of their friendship, his thirst for blood is at an all time high and he fears he might harm those close to him, a classmate is on the verge of exposing his secret, he has vivid nightmares of being tortured, and he is unable to communicate telepathically with his Uncle for extended periods. Add to that the possibility that Vlad could be the Pravus of vampire legend and that an evil vampire from Vlad’s past is searching for a ritual that could steal Vlad’s powers or kill him in the process, sophomore year looks to be as sucky as the rest. The plot begins to darken with this installment with an ending that shows changes are going to be made in the last two installments of the series.

Ninth Grade Slays
By Heather Brewer
Series: Second in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Warning: Review may contain minor spoilers for Eighth Grade Bites

Although starting his first year of high school, Vladimir’s freshmen year still sucks. Bullies continue to use him as a punching bag, he feels the girl of his dreams was unsatisfied with the way their date at last year’s Freedom Fest ended, and a classmate is on the verge of exposing his half-vampire secret. If that was not enough, Vlad’s best friend Henry’s popularity soars due to his position on the student council, leaving Vlad to hang with Henry’s newly arrived cousin Joss. Plus, Vlad hears that there is a vampire slayer stalking him. But with a surprise winter break trip to Siberia with Uncle Otis, Vlad begins to develop his mind-control and telepathy skills and learns a little about his vampire heritage that might be connected to his own destiny. Readers who enjoyed Eight Grade Bites will devour this second book. Brewer reveals more of Vlad’s vampire world and what it might mean to Vlad’s future. Several plot twists keep the reader turning the pages and eager for the next installment to the series when they reach the end.

Eighth Grade Bites
By Heather Brewer
Series: First in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Eighth grade is tough for Vladimir Tod. He is picked on by bullies, the girl he likes seems to prefer his best, and only, friend, and his parents have both died three years ago which he is still trying to deal with. Oh, yeah, and Vlad also has a secret; while his mother was mortal, his father was a vampire. So, along with his school life, half-vampire Vlad has to additionally deal with his enlarged fangs, his blood cravings (luckily his guardian is a nurse who “steals” about the be spoiled blood from the hospital and “prepares” the blood in various ways), learning the extent of his abilities, and no one to teach him. When Vlad’s favorite teacher turns up missing the substitute is more interested with Vlad then the other students. When Vlad feels his cover on his secret life is about to be blown, he discovers there is a vampire hunter after him. What is an eighth grade vampire to do? Brewer’s debut novel is a real treat for any vampire fan. The simple writing style should appeal to a junior high / middle school audience though may turn away older teens and adults who still enjoy reading young adult novels unless these older readers enjoy vampire stories, in which case it is a quick, enjoyable read. In a way, the first book of the series feels more like a prologue for what is to come, which wets the readers’ appetite for Vladimir’s ninth grade year.

The Lightning Thief
By Rick Riordan
Media Tie-In Cover
Series: First in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Percy Jackson finds himself in a heap of trouble when he is expelled from boarding school… again. Not only are Greek gods and creatures coming out of his mythology textbook and into his life, but he seems to have angered some of them. Percy soon learns that Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen and he is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends have ten days to find the true thief and return Zeus’s stolen property before war breaks out between the gods and Percy must come to terms with the father who abandoned him and is now coming back into his life in a big way. While this reader found the beginning a bit slow to get into, he kept with it and was completely hooked into the story and characters by the second/third chapter. While some of the chapter titles can spoil or give too much away about what happens in the chapter, the reader will enjoy the surprises of who, or what, the next mythological creature or god will be the characters meet or run into. Many of the storylines are concluded by the end of the story though the author does introduce some twists at the end that will leave the reader ready for the next book in the series. Fans of Greek mythology should enjoy seeing favorite mythological gods and creatures in a contemporary setting.