Teen Fiction Reviews from 9th Grade Students
Written During Past Summer Reading Programs
All ratings are out of 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Lucinda Chapdelaine was orphaned at the age of 5 and has lived penniless under her cruel step-aunt. One day
she meets Beryl, the dreaded Amaranth Witch. But Lucinda finds that Beryl is not what people make her out
to be, and goes on a task to reclaim what is rightfully hers. On the way she encounters Peter, a thief, Gregor, a
prince and possibly the man Lucinda loves, and a traitor. She finds out what really happened in her past, and
what could be in the future.
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Genre: Mythology
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
After causing havoc in a new high school, Percy gets back to Camp Half-Blood to find Grover in trouble. Unless
Grover finds Pan in a week, he will lose his searcher's license. Nico blames Percy for Bianca's disappearance,
and is coming to look for him. Meanwhile, Annabeth has to lead a quest with Tyson, Percy, and Grover to find
and navigate the labyrinth. They have to convince Daedalus not to help Luke navigate the labyrinth. They have
to make sure that Luke can't find a way to get to camp through the labyrinth.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book tells the story of a Jewish boy named Reuven who became friends with a Hasidic Jew named Danny.
This friendship is far from normal because of two reasons. First, the boys bcame friends when Danny
accidently hit a baseball right in Reuven's face (which required him to undergo an eye operation) during a
baseball game. Second, The boys' cultures are very different so they had to struggle through cultural barriers
to keep their friendship alive. It is a very touching story.
The Clique by Lisi Harrison
Rating: 2 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Massie is the queen at her school. And she has three very best friends who help her rule the
school. But when Massie's dad's friend comes and lives in her guest house Massie does not like it. And to top it
off there is a girl coming to live there to... in her grade. At first Massie hates Claire which means her friends
hate her too. But Claire has a few tricks up her sleeve.
The Commoner by John Schwartz
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is a Chinese dynasty book. it is about a young girl who (after much torment) becomes the empress.
When she delivers a baby boy, she is forced to find a suitable wife for him. This book was brilliantly written
and had a really wonderful plot. I recommend this book to people who love ancient Chinese stories.
The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Liz is enjoying her summer job at the pool of the Ridley Hotel. But when she sees a scary shadow coming up
from the pool on a dark lonely night, and it grabs her sneaker, she is severely freaked out. The danger isn't
over yet though. She then finds a man dead in the hotel pool, and its up to Liz to figure out all the clues and
find the answers. Why was he killed? Who killed him? Who can she trust?
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Pfeffer
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is about the same event as Life as We Knew it, but from a different perspective. This time, the
characters live in a city instead of a town, so their experience is different. If you don't like the thought of dead
bodies, do not read this book. Although this book is not violent, a lot of deaths occur just because of the
situation that Alex, Bri, and Julie are in. I strongly recommend this book if you liked Life as we knew it.
The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is an outstanding WW2 story. It is about a small group of fifteen German paratroopers who were
ordered to go to England and kidnap WInston CHurchill. The things were going along as planned until the
paratroopers's cover was blown. After that, everything spun out of control. In the end, the paratroopers all
except for two were killed. It was a very touching story that enabled me to understand how the regular
German soliders feels and thinks.
The Everafter War by Michael Buckley
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Sabrina and Daphne finally free their parents after 2 years. But chaos is still going on in Ferry port Landing, and
Henry Grimm wants to take his family and get away from magic. But they're forced to stay, and decide to help
Prince Charming and his band of rebels in plotting against the Master. But there's a spy in camp, and there
efforts are in vain. Then Sleeping Beauty is killed, and Uncle Jake is ruined and hurt. Through all of this, they
find out that their mom, Veronica Grimm was pregnant before she fell asleep, but now the baby's gone. It had
been stolen and Sabrina desperately tries to find her baby brother, but has no idea where he is. But nobody's
prepared for the last turn of deception. The Master is none other than their beloved friend Mirror.
The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is about two different people. Nora, a young spirited women leaves England to learn
to become a glassblower (in her relatives footstep), and Corradino Manin the best glassblower a live. I loved
this book because it brought an amazing interesting art into a nice book. It was wonderful to learn more about
glassblowing and to also learn about Venice. I reccomend this book to others because it is really a wonderful
book!
The Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is about Elena, a girl destined to be a Cinderella. The problem is that the prince in her kingdom isn't
right for her. The fairy godmother for the kingdom is getting old and needs to find a replacement and she
chooses Elena to be her apprentice. But when her mentor Leaves her alone Elena has to figure out how to be a
good godmother. I thought this was a really good book for anyone who likes Fairy tales.
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is about a girl named Dewey during WWII. Her dad is working on "the gadget" so they move to Los
Almos, New Mexico. A place that technically doesn't exist. When Deweys dad has to leave the hill (los almos)
for work, he leaves Dewey with a family that has a girl her age, Suze. Suze and Dewey slowly learn to like each
other and together, they help each other get through the imprint that "the gadget" has had on their lives. This
was a very good book and I strongly recommend it to anyone.
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Classic
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
When Bilbo is visited in his hobbit hole by homeless dwarves and a wizard, he is not excited at first for an
adventure. But his adventurous side takes over and he has many adventures such as tricking trolls, fighting off
a dragon, fighting off giant spiders and elves. He also find something that is very curious, a ring that makes you
invisible.
The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Matt is the clone of El Patron. Clones are treated no more than animals in Opium. Matt lives alone with Celia,
one of El Patron's cooks. When El Patron learns about Matt, he lets Matt live with him. As Matt grows up, he is
taught survival skills by his bodyguard, Tam Lin. Matt lives a good life in the care of El Patron, who treats him
like any other human. But when El Patron gets sick, Matt finds out the real reason why he why he was a clone.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Genre: Adventure, Survival, Suspense
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is one of my favorite books that I have read all summer. Although it is alittle disturbing, it is really
good. Katniss and her family live in the poorist district of panem, a city in the ruins of north america. The city
of Panem keeps all of their districts in line by forcing them to send one boy and one girl from each district to
basically kill eachother on live T.V. After nobily sacraficing herself for her sister, Katniss heads out to the
Hunger Games to fight untill she wins or dies. I highly recomend this book because there is alot of action and it
is very fast paced.
The Island of Dangerous Dreams by Joan Lowery Nixon
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Andrea is forced to stay with her Aunt Madelyn for a little while over the summer, and has to accompany her
and a few other people to the Bahamas to look at a valuable artifact. But when they arrive there, the boat
leaves, leaving them stranded on the island. The beautiful artifact is from Peru, and Andrea knows that she
must return it to where it belongs. Then things get complicated. Someone gets murdered, and the artifact
disappears. Andrea needs to get ahold of her wits in order to stay alive.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Genre: Mythology
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Percy Jackson never knew his father...until he finds out that he is a half-blood, and his father is Poseidon, God
of the Sea. So Percy goes to Camp Half-Blood where he meets Grover, a satyr, Clarisse, who seems to hate
him, and Annabeth. Meanwhile, Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen. Percy, Grover, and Annabeth are
sent on a quest to find the lightning bold and get it back to Zeus in 10 days, or Zeus will blame Poseidon,
resulting in a huge war. Not only must Percy return the master lightning bolt, but he must also figure out who
stole it. Could there be a traitor?
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book is about a teenage Indian named True Son. True Son's original parents were white skins from
Pennsylvania but when he was a baby, the Indians kidnapped him and raised him as an Indian. This story tells
how True Son had to go back to his original parents because of a certain treaty and how he struggled to
understand the different culture of the white skins. In the end, he ran away and returned to his tribe. But
when he refused to scalp a white kid, he was rejected by the tribe. The story ends with True Son alone and not
knowing where to go.
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule the social society in Manhattan. But they soon find out that their family is in
debt and something must be done. This book is a battle of love between Elizabeth and her backstabbing
friend, Penelope Hayes and the man that two girls love but young Mr. Schoonmaker only has eyes for one. But
in a carriage accident, Elizabeth is declared dead, and Manhattan's gossip columns can only wonder if it was
an accident, or if someone wanted her gone.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire take a series of tests. When
they are done, they meet Mr. Benedict, who makes the children secret agents. The children attend The
Institute, to try and find out who is sending secret messages through television and radio, and to try and stop
them. While at The Institute, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance try to keep up with every-day quizzes,
lessons that don't make sense, and the Executives, who bully them around, all while secretly conveying
information to Mr. Benedict by Morse code.
The Name Of The Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Samantha is excited to finally be able to meet Augustus Trevor, her famous great-uncle. Then she finds out
about a group of celebrities he's blackmailed into participating in a "game". But then Augustus is found
bludgeoned to death, and now there is a desperate search for the manuscript that contains all the secrets
concealed in their pasts. As Samantha joins the game, she solves the clues and as she gets closer and closer to
finding all the answers, someone gets in the way and tries to stop her for good.
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Emily and Chris have known each other since birth. They grew up together. And when they get older they
became boyfriend and girlfriend. Then Emily is found shot in the head and chris said it was a suicide pact. Two
families are now grieving and pulling apart while the real story unfolds in court.
The Postcard by Tony Abbott
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
When Jason's grandmother dies, he has to go down to Florida to help his dad sort out her things. He's not
happy at all about spending the summer away from his best friend, Hector, who's up in Boston. Then he finds
an old, yellowed postcard, and there's this creepy call from a person with a raspy voice, and a crazy magazine
mystery story. He befriends Dia, a girl who knew his grandmother and together they find clues that will help
Jason uncover his family secrets. They follow postcards, and as they find parts to the magazine story, Jason
begins to realize that the magazine is recounting what had happened to his grandmother and grandfather.
With the help of some pretty crazy people, he exposes the truth, and finds his family.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Rating: 1 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
This book was the most evil book AlIVE. It is about how to rule the world as a prince. it is very
boring and is hard to read. I recommend this book to people who are willing to read a book that
is slow but will give you useful government information. I disliked this book but i admit it was good to learn
about government in principality.
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Gratuity "Tip" Tucci is writing an essay on "The True Meaning Of Smekday". It all started when the aliens took
Tip's mom in the middle of the night. Then the Boovs, who were the aliens, led by Captain Smek took over
earth, and named it Smekland. Tip befriends a Boov named J. Lo and together they decide to drive to Florida
with Tip's cat, Pig. Along the way, they learn a lot about each other, and bond. Then they realize that all the
humans have been moved from Florida to Arizona. They arrive at Arizona, and finally find Tip's mom. But their
journey isn't over yet. The Grogs have come, and want Smekland. They have never been beaten by the Boovs,
and they insist on taking and shooting all cats. But Tip realizes something that saves the whole world- the
Grogs are allergic to cats! Together, Tip and J.Lo clone Pig and chase away the Grogs, and in turn all the Boovs
decide to leave Smekland. And with that, all the humans return to "normal" life.
The Weekend Was Murder! By Joan Lowery Nixon
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Liz still works at the health club at the Ridley Hotel, and she has definitely seen enough dead bodies to last her
a lifetime. But when her friend takes her to room 1927 to check some noise that was heard. When they
believe to have heard a ghost, they run screaming out of the room. This leads them to becoming part of a
mystery weekend held by Roberta Kingston Duffy, famous mystery writer. Liz's job is to "discover" a dead
body in suite 1927. Though she's a bit creped about the ghost, she agrees, since the person won't really be
dead. But when the she finds Randolph Hamilton dead on the floor of the suite, she must discover who the
murderer is and why he was murdered, before something else happens.
The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
The wizard of London is a man with a cold heart. Though once happy his mentor has taught him
the dark arts of fire and he now is a master of ice. the ice is slowly freezing his heart and he has become cold
and harsh. this book is about what his coldness causes. I liked this book but thought others were better. I
would still recommend this book for people to read though.
Traitor by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby
Genre: Fiction, Action
Rating: 4 stars
Review Written by Someone in Grade 9
Danny Watts is training to become a soldier, but then he finds out about his grandfather, who he's never met
but has ruined his life. Fergus Watts is a SAS Traitor, and Danny is out to track him down and turn him in. But
Danny's not the only one looking for Fergus Watts. Eddie Moyes, a free-lance reporter is off to make himself,
famous again by writing an article on Fergus Watts. And finally, Fincham, the real traitor is out to eliminate
both Danny and Fergus in order to keep his secret safe. Together, Danny, his best friend Elena, and Fergus
must clear Fergus' name and avoid death.