Student Saturday: Among the Betrayed - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Student Reviewer Katherine

Imagine you live in a world that allowed you to only have two children per pair. And if you were the third or fourth child you would have to get killed. Well in the book I read, Among the Betrayed, Elodie is betrayed. She is an illegal third child. Jason betrayed her. Since Elodie is illegal she has to get a face I.D. with a fake name. Now her name in Nina. But, she told the boy she loved the truth and then one day the Population Police came in her school looking for her. They arrested her and they let her have a choice. Either she betrays three kids or they kill her. This was a really entertaining book. It was filled with action and it was that type of book that I couldn't put down. I couldn't imagine being in Nina's situation. I would hate betraying someone or someone killing. But, did Nina really betray them?

Student Saturday: Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark - Ridley Pearson

Student Reviewer Kevin F.

The Kingdom Keepers is about five kids who have holograms of themselves programmed to serve as Disney World tour guides during the day. At night, they unexpectedly turn into holograms of themselves in the magic Kingdom wearing whatever they wore to bed at night. Finn is the leader of the Disney Hologram Interactive teens or DHI with Willa, Maybuck, Philby and Clarence. During the day, Finn meets a girl named Amanda who has a secret and is willing to help the DHI. They also met an elderly Imagineer named Wayne who tells them about the Overtakers, evil characters brought to life by night, such as Maleficent, the evil witch in Sleeping Beauty, or Blackbeard the robot pirate. The Overtakers want the Stone cutter's Quill, Walt Disney's first pen. The DHI must quest to find the Quill before the Overtakers do.

I can relate this to both Star Wars and Harry Potter. I would recommend this to someone who likes science fiction and fantasy, I chose science fiction because it has holograms and characters that are robots who come alive, and fantasy because it has magic pens, characters in general coming to life, and Maleficent trying to do something very bad.

Over all, on a scale of one-to-ten I would give it a ten because it exceeded all expectations.

The End of the Line - Jim Power

Publisher: Sweet Cravings Publishing (part of Secret Cravings Publishing)
Pages:  294
Genre: Literary/Romance/Interracial
Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Blurb:
Latesha Thomas is a beautiful, young African-American woman who lives with her handicapped father. She is in her final year of university and they are having a hard time making ends meet. She decides to start a matchmaking service to make a little extra money, though she has no experience and it turns out to be a disaster. She does, however, meet a client, a handsome white man named Peter Elsworth. The sparks fly immediately, but there’s a huge problem. Her father, and his mother, are vehemently opposed to an interracial4 relationship. This leads to tremendous conflict, but their love will not be denied. They grow closer, yet the closer they become, the more the tension rises. In time a secret connection between their two worlds become clear and this adds another dimension of conflict and complexity. But love is color blind and they are irresistibly drawn to one another.

My Thoughts:
When I am asked to review a romance book I usually hesitate.  I will try to find some reviews and read the synopsis to see if it is something I can tolerate.  Yes I did say tolerate.  Too often I get started on the book and suddenly there is so much mushy, gushy stuff going on that I am turned off.  I don't want to read sex scenes. I don't want to feel like I'm peeking in on someone's bedroom.  I was extremely surprised and pleased to find that there was none of that in this book.  We get a look at racism on both sides.  I loved the way that you had people who were willing to work together instead of separating because of color.  I believe this is a book they should be read by everyone.  Too often I hear African Americans talk about racism, yet they may be just as racist in their thoughts.  I loved the slow way Letesha and Peter's relationship developed.  I knew where Latesha's father was coming from when he made it clear that "she should date her own kind". However, I was just as put off by Peter's mother who thought he should only date within their own "class".  The author took on a subject many would not have handled as well, that is if they touched on it at all. He pulled no punches.  He laid it out there for all to see.  It was a real life as it gets.  Did I enjoy it?  You bet I did. Would I recommend it? Most definitely. 

About the Author:
Jim Power (1957- ) has been published internationally by 60 magazines and newspapers, including by the Smithsonian Institution, and by many of the top outdoors magazines in North America. He has a long history of publishing fiction, from dozens of short stories in New York magazines to seven novels in 2013/2014. He studied Honors English at Saint Mary's University and majored in Russian Literature at Dalhousie University before becoming a writer.

Ordering Information:
The paperback is coming shortly and the ebook can be purchased through:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.ca/The-End-Line-Jim-Power-ebook/dp/B00G9H4LGC

Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-end-of-the-line-jim-power/1117257480?ean=2940148597582

Bookstrand:
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-end-of-the-line

All Romance Ebooks:
 http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Sweet Cravings Publishing:
http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.phpmain_page=book_info&cPath=12&products_id=196

Sample Chapter Link (Amazon):
http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Line-Jim-Power-ebook/dp/B00G9H4LGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386946880&sr=8-1&keywords=the+end+of+the+line+by+jim+power#reader_B00G9H4LGC