Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir by Mary Higgins Clark

Kitchen Privileges is a memoir describing Mary Higgins Clark's life story and the factors that influenced her love of writing. From her poor beginnings with interesting tenants in her house to being an flight attendant, she always knew she wanted to write. But it wasn't until after she became a widow with five children to care for that she truly decided to follow her dreams.

I became anxious to read this book after learning of her passing on January 31. However I ended up being very disappointed. I am reluctant to criticize a dead person, but I must be honest- Kitchen Privileges felt rather boring and lacking in multiple areas, including figurative language and plot structure.

Clark has struggled in her life and gone through tremendous tragedy, however there was not an inspirational tone, but almost rather from a bragging standpoint of what she was able to overcome. Kitchen Privileges felt like a textbook, made of chronological facts. I cannot compare this to her other writing styles, however I can say that the story, if one can call it that, was very flat with a strong premise that ended up underdeveloped in a plain tone with a large lacking of figurative language. There was no "it" factor, nothing dramatic or suspenseful that Clark is known for.

I do not recommend this book. If you wish to learn Clark's story, just go to wikipedia- because that's what the book felt like.

Title: Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 208
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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A Step Towards Falling by Cammie McGovern

A Step Towards Falling is a YA realistic fiction book about two teens who fall in love while struggling to make up for their mistakes. Emily and Lucas froze that night at the football game. They both saw Belinda, a fellow classmate with disabilities, being attacked by the football players. They both froze and did not interfere. Sick with guilt, they try to find a way to help her while volunteering at a community center for people with disabilities.

I found this book tough to get into and somewhat confusing. For one thing, half of Belinda's POV was in the past and half was in the present with no indication of which time it was. The plot was also very simple and felt dragged out. I feel like there were scenes that could have been cut and the pacing could have been quicker. The plot also felt very predictable. Lucas and Emily's romance was very sweet and I adore them being together- however it did feel slightly circumstantial.

I also wished the book explored the psychological side of why they froze. The book also definitely stereotyped people with disabilities. And while the point may have been to prove them wrong, how many of the characters were described is somewhat offensive. A Step Towards Falling wasn't bad, it just wasn't great and I wouldn't be enthusiastic to read it again. I did appreciate how Lucas and Emily took to helping Belinda and saw how she deserves to have the same opportunities as others.

Read this book if you want to, just know that you may be disappointed.

Title: A Step Towards Falling
Author: Cammie McGovern
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 361
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 is the first book in a YA dystopian trilogy. One day in 2024, a volcano erupts, which triggers a massive tsunami, which triggers an earthquake. In this specific town, the earthquake breaches a chemical plant, which creates a gas leak, making the air toxic. Under these circumstances, a school bus of kids becomes stranded in a superstore.

One of my pet peeves with this book is the fact that it is set in 2024. There is nothing futuristic, nothing that signifies anything out of the normal. We see toxic chemical poisoning and natural disasters all the time. The plot was also very anticlimactic. There was no escalation or surprise. Yes, there were lots of very good ideas but they weren't extreme enough for my liking. 

It seemed too easy to survive. Just live in a huge store with food and water for about a year and babysit. I was waiting and waiting for something to happen but nothing did. Needless to say, this book was boring, except for the occasional violence, romance, and drugs that are conveniently siting in the pharmacy, which was useless. I think many borderline "mature" scenes were just added for fun and there was no use or purpose whatsoever for most of the content of the book to begin with.

In general there wasn't really anything all that special or different. Apart from the concept itself, the characters were quite bland. Dean is just an average boy, and really isn't very good at anything. Yes, there was a wide range in personality of all the characters, but there was nothing solid or emotional to grow attached to. I didn't care for the characters, and therefore, the story. 

I might continue reading the series just to find out what happens, but I do not recommend this book. 

Title: Monument 14

Author: Emily Laybourne

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 352
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 3

Rating: 2 Stars

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Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Everybody Sees the Ants is a YA magical realism book about a boy who goes to another world in his dreams. Lucky Linderman is bullied and tortured by a fellow classmate, whose abuse goes too far. After his grandfather never comes home from the Vietnam war, his father is a ghost, and his mother barely knows him. While reality falls apart all around him, in his dreams he can escape to a prison camp in Vietnam and speak to his grandfather, who teaches him how to stand up for himself and take back control of his life.

The author also wrote Reality Boy, which I enjoyed very much. Sadly, I was very disappointed by this book and failed to understand and appreciate the story. Multiple things about this book irked me. Everybody Sees the Ants also switched chapters between the past school year and the present summer. I felt confused as to the setting and timeline of the story.

He also references a lot seeing ants jumping up and down, cheering, and speaking to him. I am still not sure if he is schizophrenic or just has a very detailed imagination. I also was not interested in the magical dreaming part since it was not explained very well. His dreams were referred to as dreams, not reality, but when he wakes up he is wet or covered in mud. It was not clear if he was actually traveling/teleporting there, sleepwalking, or dealing with a mental coping mechanism.

The book overall was quite boring for me. It did not feel like the story went anywhere or accomplished anything. I just didn't get the point. Similarly to how Lucky is lost in his jungle world, the book was lost, as well.

I don't recommend this book.

Title: Everybody Sees the Ants
Author: A.S. King
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 279
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters is a YA realistic fiction book about a girl's unfortunate, hilarious freshman year. Kelsey Finkelstein is starting freshman year at high school. She is dedicated to making a mark at her new school, but that doesn't go as planned. She navigates through being goalie on the soccer team with a captain who hates her and getting cast as a fat male butcher in the school play, Fiddler on the Roof. Combined with embarrassing pictures in the school paper and boy problems, she'll need a lot of optimism and self-esteem to get through freshman year.

Kelsey is a stereotypical popular girl. She is very concerned with boys, drinking, clothes, and parties. She is a whiny brat at times and constantly demands attention from her friends, and she is very rude to her parents and sister. Kelsey is very concerned with her appearance and appears shallow in quite a few instances. One thing that's very ironic is that Kelsey and her friends are very immature but the book tackles mature concepts like sex, drinking, and gay awareness.

This book was just okay. It felt cliché and boring at times. There were some funny moments, but some of the ideas were just very far-fetched, like the play. My school actually put on Fiddler on the Roof, so I am familiar with the story. Yes, it was very funny, but I just can't wrap my head around how the "disaster" could have happened for real, like some of the other phenomena. This book is not a good example of freshman year of high school at all, and while it is quite funny, this should no way be compared to the real thing.

I didn't hate Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, I just didn't like it very much. This is a fine book for a leisure read if you want something lighthearted and funny, but don't take it seriously and don't get your hopes up.

Title: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Publisher: Speak

Pages: 288
Series: No

Rating: 2 Stars

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Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa

Children of Eden is a YA dystopian book about the aftermath of a global disaster. When Earth's global warming reached a breaking point, scientists figured out a way to make the atmosphere cooler. The problem was when the artificial atmosphere clashed with the sun's radiation, it released a cascade effect that wiped out almost all plants and animals. Luckily, Aaron Al-Baz designed EcoPanopticon, a computer program that hacked all technology and redirected it to healing Earth. The rest of humanity has to wait thousands of years in Eden before the robots can fix everything.

With limited resources, families are only allowed to have one child. Rowan is an illegal second child; her mother had twins. For sixteen years, she has been hidden away. She is more desperate than ever to see more of Eden, and recklessly escapes, resulting in a tragedy that puts her on the run.

I found the book tough to get into, mostly due to the lack of imagery and development. Instead of show and tell, Children of Eden was almost all tell and no show. Reading the book, I was hit with a ton of information at once. Reading in-between the lines was a lost cause, and all the holes in the plot did not help. The society is so complicated that a majority of the book is just explaining, which made it feel less eventful. I feel like the book was going in a lot of different directions. I think that the author tried to cram in too many ideas at once to wrap my head around. For this book to really be developed with all of his ideas, Children of Eden would have to be way longer.

The characters' development felt forced. They were whatever they needed to be in the moment. Instead of letting Rowan grow, she was molded into something different almost every chapter, which makes her feel dull and unrealistic to the readers. It also really bugged me that they made up new curse words, such as "bik." No other words changed, so it feels strange.

While there were some nice twists here and there, there is nothing super special or unique about this book. I really wanted to love it, but it was the nitty-gritty details that really jumped out. Because I looked at this from a reviewing standpoint, I found more things wrong than other people might.

However, I enjoyed the ending! I think the ending was the best part. Overall, Children of Eden got better the more I read it. Even though I had a lot of problems with Children of Eden, I did not hate it. I do want to know what happens next, so I will read the second book, Elites of Eden, which came out on October 3, 2017. (Besides, I believe in second chances.)

I do not recommend this book.

Title: Children of Eden
Author: Joey Graceffa
Publisher: Atria/Keywords Press
Pages: 278
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 2
Rating: 2 Stars
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Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody is a YA science fiction book about literally being nobody. A lot of people feel like they are nobody, or complain that nobody ever listens to them, but what if you actually were? Seventeen-year-old Nix is a Nobody. He has so little energy in his body that people don't notice him or remember him. Harnessing his lack of energy, he can also become transparent and fly. The Institute managed to find him when he was little, and with great difficulty, raised him to do their dirty work. Essentially, he is assassinating "bad" people. Nix goes along with what they say, until they tell him to get rid of Claire.

Nix always thought he was the only Nobody, until he meets Claire. Nix finds himself falling head over heals for Claire, and teaching her how to use her powers. Along the way, Nix realizes the real reason he was told to get rid of her. One Nobody is powerful enough, but when Claire and Nix put their powers together, they are unstoppable. As Nix discovers the truth about what the Institute's motives really are (basically world domination), the only way to survive is to take them down together.  

I would have liked Nobody more if there was less romance and more action. 80% of the book is all about them in love, which took away from the other storyline about the evil Institute. I feel like the love is situational love, not real. There is literally nobody else in the world who would look at them, so they kind of have to be together. Despite the situation of the fact that they are Nobodies, this is a prime example of instalove. (Instalove is a more extreme version of love at first sight.) This is made worse when the two characters act and talk like 10-year-olds instead of 17. The amount of romantic thoughts and dialogue threw me off track and lost my interest. However, this is also personal taste. All those Romeo and Juliet fans would probably like this more than me.

The Institute, the corruption, and their powers were underdeveloped. If I could change this book, it would be to cut half the lovey dovey. I would replace it with more about the Nobody's abilities and their mission to take down the Institute. All the information about Nulls and energy amounts are fascinating, and I think that the author focused too much on the wrong thing.

Other than all the romance, I did enjoy the book. The plot was so imaginative and thought out! I loved the immense detail and creativity. The suspense and drama was compelling, and I was anxious to untangle the mystery of The Institute and their world. The development of the setting and its imagery was well done. A lot of people can relate to the feelings these characters experience with not being noticed. I am very conflicted about Nobody.

While I enjoyed reading some of Nobody, I can't say that I like it or would read it again because of my personal taste in books. If you are a person who enjoys a lot of romance, I recommend this for you. Although I was not a huge fan of this particular book, I do want to read another book of the author's, The Naturals.

Title: Nobody
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 393 Pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Trapped by Michael Northrop

Trapped is a realistic fiction YA book about being stuck at a high school during a blizzard. When it started snowing, nobody could guess that it would keep snowing for a week. Scotty, Pete, and Jason are supposed to be getting picked up from Jason's dad. Four other kids are also waiting for rides. Eventual they realize nobody is coming for them. Spending the night at school does not sound so bad. That is, until the power goes out, the pipes freeze, and the roof collapses. As the days go on, the seven kids realize that they have no options left.

The writing is very simple and there is a lack of sensory details. The narrator (Scotty) speaks like a teenager. Yes, I get the point, the kids are teenagers. However, readers cannot go a couple sentences without reading the words "seriously", and "kind of" and things like that. The book was narrated toward the audience, but there were too many hypothetical questions, and if I did not know any better, I would think it is a diary. They were pretty lifeless characters. There was no character development and the characters are pretty standard- the regular guys, the troublemaker, the strange kid, and the girls. There was nothing really special about them. They also missed all types of foreshadowing. I could easily guess what was going to happen way before the characters did. 

The plot was not bad, it was just slow. The events were all necessary and important. A lot of what happened I might not have thought to include, in a good way and a bad way. Some events I was impressed with, but others just were very obvious. I liked the idea of the story, but the little things tore it down. The ending was not what I wanted it to be. The general conclusion was easily guessable, but it ended too suddenly, like someone just yanked the book out of the author's hand while he was still writing it. 

I do not recommend that you read this book. 

Title: Trapped

Author: Michael Northrop

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 232 Pages

Series: No

Rating: 2 Stars

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Anywhere but Here by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Anywhere but Here is a realistic fiction YA book that deals with adjusting to change and the death of a parent. Cole lost his mom to cancer, and he misses her. He often pretends that he is talking to her and that she is right beside him. His dad has moved on and has a new girlfriend now, and that angers Cole. Cole also broke up with Lauren because she didn't understand him anymore. Unfortunately, she does not have a good response, especially when he starts dating Hannah. All the more reason to leave the town of Webster, but soon he discovers a secret that changes his perspective.

Anywhere but Here had a lot of conflicts. Every character had some sort of issue, and it was sometimes confusing what was happening in each. I felt like the characters did not really learn much from what happened, and I would have liked more of "I'm sorry."  Also, the breakup between Cole and Lauren was not as clear as I would of liked it to be. Cole was very self-centered, and I would have liked him to be nicer.

The plot was kind of twisted due to the variety, and so it lacked focus on a specific thing. I did like Cole's documentary, and it really summed up the book quite well. I also liked that the book brought up a lot of issues, but I feel there were just too many.

I do not regret reading this book, but I do not recommend it.

Title: Anywhere but Here
Author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave Book 2) by Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea is the second book in the YA dystopian trilogy The 5th Wave, also a movie that hits theaters on January 22, 2016. Cassie Sullivan and her friends survived the first four waves, but the fifth is still in progress, and they are wanted dead. Meanwhile, Evan is recovering from his injuries with Grace, desperately trying to get away and back to Cassie. At the same time, Ringer is taken by Vosch, who reveals a huge secret to her.

While I loved the first book, the second book was a huge disappointment! It was appealing that we got to hear from Ringer's side of things, and the analogies about chess were very interesting. I liked the new characters, Grace and Razor. The relationship between Grace and Evan was fun to watch.

I thought the pace of the book was very confusing. The unimportant parts were so drawn out and long, and then all of a sudden the important part happens and it goes by in a page! It's like, "What just happened?"

I will not give any spoilers to the people who have not read this yet, but I have to say how confused I am at the secret that is revealed. I think it was supposed to clear misconceptions, but it left me wondering and filled with countless questions. In my opinion, the series would be way better off if it stuck to its original story.

I recommend that you read the series, and I will definitely read the final book, The Last Star, when it comes out on May 24, 2016!

Read my review of the first book in the series, The 5th Wave.

Title: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave Book 2)
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 300 pages
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 2 Stars
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Lost Boy by Tim Green

Lost Boy is a middle grade realistic fiction book with a touch of mystery. On Ryder’s way home from baseball practice, he and his mom are arguing about visiting a friend. After Ryder accidentally pushes his mom into the street, she is hit by a truck and has only weeks to live. In order for Ryder's mom to survive, they would need $200,000 to give her an important heart surgery. With the help of his neighbor Mr. Starr and a firefighter, he goes on a quest to find his father, the only hope for finding the money to pay for the surgery. The problem is that Ryder knows nothing about his father whatsoever, and only has a baseball and a letter.

There was not enough of a plot or action for me to get into it. I also did not like how dramatic the events were, and also how undramatic Ryder was. He blamed himself for the accident, but as a character he was isolated, and didn't really connect with me. He just struck me as another character in another book, nothing really special. For me, being able to connect with a character is important when a character is injured or has an internal conflict.

Another thing is that it was really predictable. I easily guessed who the father was and what was going to happen. I did like, however, that at the end there was an epilogue that was a couple months later.

I do not recommend that you read this book.

Title: Lost Boy
Author: Tim Green
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 304 pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is the first book in its young adult science fiction fantasy series. Daniel has the power to create. He can create anything he wants, and can become anything he wants. He is the protector of Earth, the Alien Hunter. When he was three years old, his parents died from one of the aliens on The List. Now, he is carrying out his father's wishes, and starts defeating the aliens on the list, one by one.

One thing I didn't like about the book was that it was really hard to understand. A lot of times it was hard to tell whether something was real or created. It also felt like there were a lot of things going on at once. I disliked the fact that I could not connect to Daniel at all. He was just another character, but I could not feel anything special about him, just his powers. I was drawn into the super powers, but there was not really much excitement with them.

On the bright side, The Dangerous Days of Daniel X got better as the book continued. I liked that it was very suspenseful, and some of the ways he chose to use his powers were very funny! The story is creative, but the writing needs improvement.

There are six books in this series. To be fair, I am going to try reading the next book to see if the writing and character development improves.


Title: The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (Daniel X #1)
Author: James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Pages: 238 pages
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 2 Stars
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Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Liar is a mix of realistic fiction and fantasy that teen readers will find unique. Micah is a liar. She admits it- and that is probably the one honest thing she has ever said. She attends a progressive school, and is an outcast. Partly because of her looks, on her first day of freshman year, she is mistaken for a boy, and she goes along with it. After she is found out, she becomes a major outcast, and she knows it. By herself, she runs after school at Central Park. Micah is the fastest runner in the world. That is how she meets Zach. Then, Zach is found dead, and she is one of the suspects.

Micah has lied so many times, that she has trouble even remembering what is true and what is not. She will say anything to convince herself she is done lying, but she is lying to herself. To her, lying is just as easy as breathing. But all her lies get tangled up, and she is forced to try and find the truth that leads to her biggest secret, the one all her lies cover up, the "family illness."

My biggest dislike about this book was the fact that it was so confusing. What was especially annoying was that every chapter or so, Micah would say something like, "oh, yeah, the last few pages didn't really happen. Here is how it really happened." It was really hard to keep track of what was true and what was not. Her big secret is where the fantasy comes in. I will not say what it is, but I am saying I do not believe a word Micah said in the book. I tried to like it. I had high expectations, and it fell short.

Unfortunately, I could not bring myself to like this book, but it was interesting. I might read a different book from this author, but I do not recommend this book.


Title: Liar
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 376 pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 stars
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Fear (Gone Book 5) by Michael Grant

Fear is the fifth book in the young adult dystopian series, Gone. A year ago, everyone 15 and older disappeared, leaving all the kids trapped in a barrier called the FAYZ, with no way out. Now, the barrier is turning black, threatening to get rid of light, and engulf the world with darkness. With everything that has already happened, this does not sound like a huge threat, since Sam can create light for them to use, but you know the saying, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

I was definitely disappointed. Given the others in the series, I was expecting better, especially since this is the second to last book in the series. It went very slow, and I was kind of like "hurry up, already!" I know that is harsh, but I really did feel that way.

Another thing was that it was like running in a circle. You would finish one thing, but it would come back again, basically the same thing over and over. The ending was very confusing. Even after reading it over and over, it is hard to understand how it happened.

There were some parts that were good, but not really enough for me. The next book in the series is the last, Light. I really hope it is better than this was!

Read my reviews of the other books in the series:

• Gone by Michael Grant
• Hunger (Gone Book 2) By Michael Grant
• Lies (Gone Book 3) by Michael Grant
• Plague (Gone Book 4) by Michael Grant

Title: Fear (Gone #5)
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 509 pages
Series: Yes, Book 5
Rating: 2 Stars
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Backward Glass by David Lomax

While at the public library looking for another book, I stumbled across this teen science fiction book. In 1977, Kenny Maxwell and his parents have just moved into this old Victorian house, and have started to renovate when Kenny discovers a secret behind the walls of the home. He discovers a dead baby wrapped in newspaper with a note: "Help me make it not happen, Kenny. Help me stop him. Clive is dead all over again."

Soon after, he meets Luka, a girl from the future, who shows him the Backward Glass, a mirror that allows certain people to travel in time. There is a legend of "Prince Harming," a man who kidnaps and kills kids for no reason, who is also out to get the "mirror kids." Once he traps Kenny in the past, Kenny must save the baby he found dead, and find the courage to face what happens to him in the future.

Backward Glass was not as good as I had hoped. The book started out as really great, but halfway through the book, it was like a different author wrote the second half. The mood and plot changed, especially the ending. Suddenly it would feel like the story was all wrapped up and at the end, but then it changed, and there was more. That happened over and over, and made me really just want to get it over with already. The real ending was not clear, and I wish it were different.

The first half of the book was amazing, and it is such a shame that it went so downhill. I don't recommend this book.



Title: Backward Glass
Author: David Lomax
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 315 pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Owning It by Donald R. Gallo

If you like short stories, this may be a book for you. This is a collection of 10 short stories by 10 different authors about fictional teens with "disabilities," and them facing everyday life.

I have to say, I really did not like this book. One of my many issues with this book is the lack of similarity. Some stories are super easy, while some are pretty hard. It is hard to categorize a reading level for this because they are all different. Some stories involve things like curse words, drugs and alcohol, while others are complete opposites. All the authors took it in their own way, and I think that there should have been some guidelines.

I also do not like the title. I think using "disabilities" could be offensive to certain people. It is so negative, and I don't think that should be in the title. I think a better word could be challenges, or something more vague and less intense.

Some of the stories I don't think should be short stories. Some of them I think could have said more than they did, and I think a couple of them felt too limited, while others were too long! Overall, there was just too much variety, and it was like random pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that don't go.

I really do not think you should waste your time with this fictional book. However, I do recommend that someone write a book like this about true stories of kids overcoming health challenges.



Title: Owning It: Stories About Teens with Disabilities

Author: Donald R. Gallo
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 224 pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Bot Wars by J.V. Kade

Ever since Trout St. Kroix's dad disappeared two years ago while fighting in the Bot Wars, Trout has been looking for him. The Bot Wars began after robots became so human-like that they revolted and demanded more rights, causing the government to ban them from the Districts. Trout always believed the government. That is, until a video he posts to help find his dad goes viral, and the government abducts his brother, Po. Everything he thought he knew is now wrong, and the only way out of this puzzle is to find his dad, and that means throwing away everything he knew.

I liked the topic of the book, and robots taking over the world seemed very funny, and I thought it would be great! Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. I began this book not loving it, but was planning to finish it, until I had to put it down. For about a week, I forgot to pick it back up. I happened to stumble upon it yesterday, and all I remembered was that I was not a big fan. Looking back, I should have never picked it back up. 

The concept is very twisted, and the plot is sometimes hard to follow. In general, the amount of detail is hard to understand. In some parts, there is a lot of it, but on a part that doesn't matter that much, and not enough detail in the parts that do! Sometimes there would be a key piece of information that I feel is missing, so it gets challenging to keep up with. I think there should have been more in it about the humans, and not so focused on the robots and technical details. I feel that the book is shoving more things in it than is comprehensible.

The author (J.V. Kade) categorized it as a middle grade reading level, but I think that it should be Young Adult High School. I don't recommend this book, even for an advanced middle grade reader.



Title: Bot Wars
Author: J.V. Kade
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368 pages
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 2 Stars
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