The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name: Paris D.  Nickname:  Rare Diamond

Grade:  11

Title & Author:  The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Impression: Good

Recommend: Yes

Favorite part: When Nere found out that she was a science experiment gone wrong, I mean she thought that she was a normal gal until one day Nere found out that she has powers and when she found that out it was wicked and totally crazy.

Favorite character:

Nere was my favorite character, she is brave and inspiring. I like that she is so brave and urges others to move on and battle the govt.

Summary:  So the Neptune project is a about Nere a young teen who finds out her DNA was genetically altered by her mother! now she must go into the depths of the ocean to fight alongside other teens who have been the victims of their parents dumb experiments. Eventually they fight the govt. to retain their ocean and save their lives and they must do this all before it's too late.

Additional feedback: Can't wait for part 2 of The Neptune Project

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name: Jake F.

Grade:            10

Title & Author:         The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Impression:        Excellent

Recommend:      Yes

Favorite part: I enjoyed the part when the Neptune kids went to the smugglers' makeshift village in order to obtain more spear darts. This part was exciting and added more depth to the idea of dystopian future.

Favorite Character:     My favorite character was Robry because he was always very upbeat even though he was in a serious situation. Robry had a strong spirit despite being one of the youngest kids.

Summary:      Long into the future with little hope for human survival a group of scientists decide to genetically alter children so that they can one day live deep in the ocean. Nere, and her friends must sink or swim if they want to make it to the underwater colony and stay safe. This is an exhilarating underwater adventure.

Additional Feedback:           I would recommend this book to any person who enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy. The Neptune Project has a similar feel to it and I really enjoyed reading it. I'm sure you will too.

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name:  Hannah C.
Grade: 10
Title & Author: The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Impression: Excellent Recommend: Yes
Favorite Part: I liked Tobin's vain attempt at saving Sara and the ensuing funeral. It showed how reality doesn't always have a happy ending and how human they still were in thought and emotion, despite their need to breathe underwater. Its writing was also realistic, from Tobin's guilt to Penn's grief that "fills the cabin with a psychic pain so sharp it makes my head pound." This realism adds further depth into both the story and the characters themselves.

Favorite Character:  Ooh, I think my favorite character is either Tobin or Thom.

Tobin's the resident medic (I usually hold medics in high regard) and he exhibits great care in keeping everyone healthy. His gentlemanly mannerisms and ability to keep a cool head during emergencies, especially of the medical type, won me over from the beginning.

Thom, meanwhile, is one of those shy teddy bear giants that I'm an absolute sucker for. Despite his apparent shyness, he's more than willing to take on enemies much bigger and nastier than he, if it meant the others would be safe. His courage especially shines in the group's battle with the giant squid.

Summary: Nere Hanson and her teenaged companions are shocked to find out they had been genetically modified to breathe and live underwater. Now, they must journey across the oceans and attempt to find refuge from a dystopian government eager to help them permanently "sleep with the fishes."

Feedback:  While there were a few times that I felt like it was a bit too low of a reading level for me (understandable since this is a middle school level book), the book captured me and wouldn't let me go until I finished the entire thing. The plot was fresh and original, the characters were realistic, and the book went against traditional 'rising-climax-falling' by ebbing and flowing from light events to crucial ones then back to lighthearted ones again. This break from tradition makes the book more grounded, since real life does not follow the storytelling technique of 'rising-climax-falling.'

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name: Kayla Q.
Grade: 9
Title & Author: The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke
Impression: Good
Recommend: Yes

Favorite Part: The journey to find Nere's father.The adventure with the new friends Robry,lena and Nere meet along the way.Surrounded by sharks the dolphins do not allow anything to stop them from moving on.

Favorite Character: My favorite character was Robry ,young,caring but yet adventurous and risking.

Summary: It was great i had a lot of fun reading this book.I am a type of person that only certain books that catch my attention will be read.The Neptune definitely did that.Fighting off those who want to capture them,sharks and other great dangerous creatures in the big ocean.Making their way to there new home.

Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name: Courtney R.
Grade: 9
Title & Author: Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke
Impression: Good
Recommend: Yes

Favorite Part: I truly dont have a favorite part of the book. I like it all it was a good all around read. I truly have no complaints to the book at all.

Favorite Character: I liked Nore. She was the kind of person i am. She truly is amazing.

Summary: It truly was amazing the book. i loved it i would truly recommend it.

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Name: Karishma R.
Grade: 10
Title & Author : The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke
Impression: Excellent
Recommend: Yes

Favorite Part: My favorite part was when Nere finds out she is part of The Neptune Project, because I thought it was interesting to see how you think you can something all your life, and then all of the sudden, you're told that you are something completely different. It is like getting told your whole life is a lie.

Favorite Character: My favorite character was Nere's mom because even though she didn't tell them that they were part of a science experiment, she did all of it because she loved her children.

Summary: Nere is a shy girl, who soon finds out that she is one of the kids who had their DNA genetically altered so she can live her life in the ocean to escape the government trying to move everyone inland. In order to reach the Neptune colony, she must swim across the dangerous ocean and try to get passed the government who is going after them.

Where It Began by Anne Stampler

Name:  Hannah C.
Grade: 10
Title & Author :   Where It Began by Anne Stampler
Impression:  Okay
Recommend: No

Favorite part:  I can't say I have a favorite part because the book just couldn't capture my attention enough for me to want to finish reading it. I only read to maybe a quarter of the way through before it started to bore me.

Favorite character: I don't have a favorite character but I suppose the one I liked the best was Gabby's old friends, especially the guy who liked art and (I think) photography.
Gabby struck me as a stereotypical naive, insecure, rich girl whose only goal in life seems to be getting a boyfriend. Her thoughts were hackneyed and dry, the typical cliche of countless others before her. Her mother simply angered me with her shallow vanities. And though I did not read much about Billy, what little tidbits I got practically screamed that this was yet another manipulative, abusive 'bad boy' who was not to be trusted.

Summary: As far as I can tell, a shallow, spoiled, rich girl named Gabby becomes involved in a car accident which leaves her unable to recall anything about events before the crash. The entire book then revolves around her struggle to overcome this amnesia and, far more importantly, become bad boy Billy's girlfriend again.
Feedback: Though it was intriguing to start the story with a car crash, the book quickly fell into the unfortunate pit fall of the predictability that always comes from spoiled, whiny characters possessing shallow desires. I don't recommend reading it.

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Name:  Naorin H.
Grade:  12
Title & Author : Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Impression: Okay
Recommend: No
Favorite Part:  My favorite part was when Huey finally revealed the pictures from that night to Gabby.
Favorite character:  My favorite character was Huey because he was the first one to lose it on Gabby and show her how stupid she was being.
Summary: Gabby gets into a car accident (from drunk driving) and loses her memory of what happened that night. She is convinced that she doesn't have a drinking problem and doesn't believe she needs help. Her rich and popular boyfriend Billy convinces her to play along and pretend she realizes she does have a drinking problem with the help of doctors to get out of trouble. However, he can not be seen with her due to his probation. Her life has changed for the worse and she tries to do whatever it takes to get things back to the way they used to be, before her face was totaled by the crash.
Feedback: I really didn't like Gabby and not in the way that you don't like a villain but actually love them because the story wouldn't be right without them. That was probably why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I might have.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Name: Naorin H.

Grade : 12
Title & Author: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Impression: Good  Recommend: Yes

Favorite Part: My favorite part was when Anya left the party because she was strong to just leave and not stay to do things she did not want to.

Favorite Character: My favorite character was Anya because she changed for the better over time. At first, she did not respect her culture or her family but as Emily begins to mirror her attitude, Anya becomes a better person.

Summary: Anya is an outcast and hates her Russian heritage for it. One day she falls down a well and finds a skeleton at the bottom. She soon realizes she is not alone down there and that the ghost of the skeleton, Emily, is there with her. When Anya is rescued from the well, a bone accidentally ends up in her bag, allowing Emily to leave with her. Emily helps Anya out at school and they become best friends. However, life does not remain perfect for long....

Feedback: I really liked the twist at the end because I did not expect Emily to turn into the bad guy at all.

Where It Began - Guest Post

Guest Post - Lanora Melillo, Youth Services Librarian

From 10/5/13 - Where It Began 

This week I finished Where it Began by Anne Redische Stampler. For the month of October, my high school/teen book club is reading this book that the media specialist won multiple copies of. I purchased an ebook version of this book to support the author who sent us free copies.

I consider myself a pretty faster reader, but I spent about 4 days reading this book. I wanted to make sure since I will be having a book discussion later on this month that I had the facts straight.

!!! The below written content contains SPOILERS !!!

The novel is about a teen name Gabby who has just woken up from a severe car accident and is trying to puzzle together in her mind what happened despite forgetting the fact that she acute memory loss.

We learn quickly that Gabby is in lust with her boyfriend Billy and is eager to get back to them pleasing each other physically. We learn that Billy is a bad boy who was already on probation and now cannot see Gabby because it would break his probation. Gabby and Billy secretly talk online and on the phone.

Gabby wants to be a good and understanding girlfriend when her boyfriend tells her not to talk to any of her old friends and tells her that they cannot be together or be seen together at school.

Slowly as Gabby starts to come to terms on her new reality when she sees something happen at school that does not add up.  At this point in the story, I found out what really happened and who is responsible.

!!! The above written content contains SPOILERS !!!

My thoughts: This is a realistic fiction book and I felt the author did an excellent job getting into the head of Gabby; however, I felt that she made Gabby much more naive than she needed to be. The story reminded me of a side plot in the movie Mean Girls - except, Gabby.. doesn't remember being a Mean Girl or a Stupid Girl - she just remembers she loves Billy.

I feel teen girls will enjoy this book a little bit more than boys. Since the entire book is focused on Billy, it is difficult for the other characters to have really some substance. I did not feel Gabby develop enough for me to like her.  I give the author a lot of credit in writing a novel about drunk driving, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if Gabby and her peers were not rich and just average kids. It is hard to focus on that when her mother is pushing for her daughter to have a boyfriend, pretty hair and cool friends. In fact at one point while Gabby is still in the hospital, her mother forbids Gabby from talking to childhood friends (they are not cool) and will let her talk to a “newer” friend.

LTM Revised: 10/29/13

Rootless by Chris Howard

Full Nam: Mrs. G
Title & Author: Rootless by Chris Howard
Impression: Good

Recommend: Yes
Favorite part: Great cover. Banyan was the main character, a young hero, fighting to find his father, and the last forest. Every time Banyan came upon a battle and had to fight his way out, I could hear Indiana Jones music playing in the back of my head. Chris Howard was also very kind to skype our book club and he was absolutely wonderful. Bravo Mr. Howard if you can keep teenagers reading you are on top of the trees. Looking forward to book two. Highly recommend this book. Thank you Chris
Favorite character: Banyan: The Banyan tree grows in India and Bangladesh and is held sacred in both places. The tree begins life as an epiphyte on a host tree, gathering its nourishment and water from the air. As it grows, its lateral branches send down supporting roots that become absorbing roots when they reach the ground. Eventually, the host tree is smothered as the banyan continues to send out more branches and roots. The mature Banyan's canopy may cover an area more than 1,000 feet in diameter. The stems below the canopy form a kind of columned room.
Summary: Banyan a young tree builder living in a world with no more trees and the only food source is corn begins a journey to find his father and the last forest. On his journey he meets mysterious people, who are not trustworthy, and fights pirates and locusts along his way. Running out of time, running out of space, running, running, running. Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring trees back.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Name: Naorin H. Grade Level: 11
Title & Author: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Impression: Good
Recommend: Yes
Favorite part: My favorite part was reading the letters from Dante because he changes so much after he goes to Chicago but he never forgets Ari.
Favorite Character:  My favorite character was Dante because he's such a lively character and he firmly supports all his beliefs and acts on them.
Summary:

Ari has always been a loner until one summer when he meets Dante. Dante teaches him how to swim and they become best friends. One day, Dante and Ari get into a car accident. Ari saves Dante's life but nearly dies himself in the process. They're bond is as close as ever and continues to strengthen with every obstacle thrown at them.