about the tween book blog

This is the place to be for reviews of Tween and YA books! And, best of all, it is written by a 13-year-old who knows the perspective of tweens and teens!

Sunday 31 January 2016

Urban Outlaws Lockdown

Urban Outlaws Lockdown by Peter Jay Black

The Urban outlaws have been betrayed by Hector. He has stolen the most destructive computer virus in the world. The Urban Outlaws need to get it back.

lets start by saying that this is the third in the urban outlaws series. The entire series is really good and this defiantly was not an exception. It was really well written and quite modernised, but in a good way. I liked the way that they have really cool gadgets.

It think that this book is worthy of an 8/10
and an age rating of 9+
























Also, watch out for the next in the series, Urban Outlaws Counterstrike, Coming out 7th of April 2016.

Refugee Boy

Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah

Alem comes from Ethiopia. He also comes from Eritrea. Unfortunately, there is a war going on between them. Alem and his father flee, but Alem thinks it's only a holiday, until his father leaves him in England...

This is my book club book, recommended to me by my form tutor. I thought that it was very well written and I really liked the story line. I also thought it was very good for a current affair, the migrant crisis. It was really well written and I don't think that it could have been any better.

I think that this is book that is worth a 11/10 but as that is not possible, I have to give it a 10
I think that the age rating is 10+


Thursday 28 January 2016

Skink No Surrend

Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Malley has run off with some guy on the internet. But Malley is scared, and Richard, her cousin, and Skink, the former governor of Florida, have made it there mission to track her down.

I think this book was really, really good and, also, some would say, it teaches us a lesson. Don't trust the internet. It was very well written with a good story line. I personally really, really, really liked it.


I think it very worthy of a 10/10
and an age rating of 10+


Sunday 24 January 2016

500 Words

Anyone who loves writing should really give this competition a go. You can use up to 500 words to create a small story. The link to the competition page is here.

The Bunker Diary

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks

Linus has been kidnapped. He is now in a cold, tired and alone in a strange, underground bunker. But soon, more people start arriving. Together they try to escape. And if they fail, anything could happen.


My librarian told me that it was an amazing book, and it lived up to expectations. I liked the way it was done in diary form as that really gave it a personal touch. I think that 3rd person wouldn't have worked so well. The ending, though I'm not going to spoil it, left me crying for more, although I knew none would come.


All in all, a really good book, worthy of a 9/10
and an age rating of 12+


Saturday 23 January 2016

The Fault in our Stars

The Fault in our Stars by John Green


Hazel doesn't like going to her cancer support group. She thinks its a waist of time. That is until she meets Augustus. Soon they're in love and Augustus will do anything for  Hazel. Even use his dying wish on her.

I really, really, really liked this book. I thought that it was better than your average love story because they were both dying. It made it seem more realistic and in the here and now. I think that John Green is an absolute Genius.

I am going to give this book 10/10
and an age rating of 11+



Wednesday 20 January 2016

Looking for Alaska

Looking For Alaska by John Green


Miles Halter is very smart but not very good at making friends. He sometimes jokes that his only friends are his teachers. That is until he moves school and meets The Colonel, Alaska, Takumi and Lara. Finally he is feeling a bit better about things. Until one day, Alaska gets horribly drunk and something terrible happens.

I thought that this was probably one of the best books i have ever read. It was thrilling and had you puzzling out the pieces until right at the end. I think that it was a fun story line all the way through and it wasn't too hard to follow


I am going to give it 10/10
and a rating of 12+ due to slight inappropriate content.


iBoy

iBoy
by Kevin Brooks


iBoy is a book about a normal 16 year old boy, but his life is about to change dramaticly...
Tom is just a normal boy but his life changes suddenly when in a gang fight an iPhone 3s gets thrown from an apartment building. 3 days later he wakes up, but the iPhone has melded with his brain, allowing him to create electric shocks and to surf the web, everything that an iPhone can do... and more. But is this a blessing or a curse? When I read this book, I was stuck. When the librarian at my school recommended this book. She said that it was good but a bit silly! I agree with her completely. I read the book in about 1 hour and 15 minuets. I couldn't put it down!
I would rate this book a 8/10, and for 12+ a there are some swear words in it!

Sunday 17 January 2016

Boys Don't Cry

Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

Dante is having a good day. He's a bit nervous, as his exam results are coming, but apart from that he's fine. That is until his ex turns up on his doorstep with a baby, his baby.
Adam is Dante's brother. He's gay and openly shows it. Most people support him, but not all. His finding it hard to find a boyfriend. And when he finds one it's not the type he was hoping for.

Another amazing book from the former children's laureate. I think the way it was written really gave it a sense of life as the two brothers saw it. I liked the story line. I liked the way it all turned out (I'm NOT going to spoil it for you) and I thought in general that it turned out to be a really good book.

I am going to give it 9.5/10
and an age rating of 12+




Terror Kid

Terror Kid by Benjamin Zephaniah

Rico is a 15 year old boy who is extraordinary at computing and hacking. One day he meets Speech, a friend of his colleague at the computer shop. Speech wants Rico to make a website, then hack the traffic association, and more. So when Speech asks Rico to get the site of the nearby police HQ down he thinks nothing of it. Until a bomb goes of at the head quarters at the same time as Rico has programmed the site to go down.


What i really liked about 'terror boy' was the fact that Benjamin Zephaniah made you feel sympathetic for Rico all the way through the story. Rico was really realistic and probably in the same situation as many 15 year old boys.

I am going to give it 8/10
and an age rating of 10+



Wednesday 13 January 2016

Love That Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Love that dog is a book in verse, this means its a poem all the way through. It's about a boy called Jack. His teacher wants him to write some poems, but Jack thinks that poems are for girls. Soon, however, Jack discovers that maybe poems are fun to read and write, and not just a bore.

A really good book will stick with you forever, and this one certainly will. I thought the way it was written, as a sort of diary, was great, as you got to feel what he felt and think what he thought.

I am going to give this book a 9/10
and an age rating of 8+ but thoroughly enjoyable by everyone. 

Monday 11 January 2016

Hi. My name is Ben. I will be working with Nat to review books.

Sunday 10 January 2016

The person controller

The person controller by David baddiel
Ellie and Fred are good at video games. Really good. Unfortunately, they're not much good at anything social. At all. They spend all there time in the play room at home or in the computer room at school. When the mystery man turns up on the computer at school, offering them a free controller, they think there luck is in.  But what they don't know is that it's a magic controller and it will change there life.
I'm going to start this bit with the fact that this book is meant for kids much younger than most of the books on this blog. That doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by everyone. I thought it was really funny. David Baddiel had already written one book, the parent agency, and I wasn't expecting this book to be as good, but it sure was.
My brother thinks that it's a 10/10 and I agree.
I also think that it is 6+ but good for pretty much any age up to 13.
I really advise you go to you're local library and get it out straight away.

Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 by  Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag is a fireman but his job isn't to stop fires, it's to start them. In a world where books aren't allowed, his job is to hunt them out and burn. But one day Guy brings a book home with him and realises that they're not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. There's one problem though, one of montages  colleagues knows he has them.
This book is a bit like a roller coaster, really exciting but over in seconds. It was really interesting and I didn't want to put it down. At the end I was left wanting more.
I think it is very worthy of a 9/10
I think that you shouldn't read it until you are 11.

Thursday 7 January 2016

Unwind

Unwind  by Neal Shusterman.


The story follows three teens who run away from being unwound. Unwinding is a way in which a child is terminated and at the same time kept alive. There's Conner, who's been in so many fights his parents cant handle him, Risa, Who is a ward of the state and is being unwound due to budget cuts, and Lev, a tithe born to a rich family who believes that they should give a tenth of all there stuff to the church and, as lev is the 10th child, he's on his way to the harvest camp. Connor manages to over power the driver 9of the van taking him to the harvest camp but as soon as he gets out he is venerable. Using lev as a shield he gets a way. While all this is happening Risa, who's journey has been disturbed by the awol unwinds, Manages to escape and run after the two boys. They think they are safe but there is so much more to come.

i think this book was really well. All the details were there so you couldn't really get lost and not sure, unlike other books of the same sort. i personally really liked it but some people might find it a bit gruesome.

i think that it is a definite 9/10
and an age rating of 11+ due to the slightly disturbing concept of unwinding.

Sunday 3 January 2016

See if you can work these out

Each different colour is a different book title
comment the answers
















Find more at https://caboodle.nationalbooktokens.com/hiddenbooks/#.VokP12SLQUE

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy from America. He is Dyslexic and ADHD. His life is pretty normal until a school trip to museum turns his life upside down. His maths teacher turns into a Furie and tries to kill him. When he gets home percy and percy's mum go on holiday but percy's friend, grover, follow him to warn them both of danger. Percy's mum knows something that percy does not, Percy is a demigod, there is only one place safe for them and that is where they're headed. On the way to this place, called camp half blood, they are chased by a minotaur, a mythological half man, half bull creature from Greece, follows them and kills Percy's mum. Percy and Grover make it to the camp, but only just. At the camp they are sent on a quest to recover Zeus's stolen lightning bolt. This is where it all begins.


I really, really liked this book and thought that it was written really well. The fact that it also teaches you greek mythology at the same time is an added bonus. if you read this book and really enjoy it you're in luck as there are four more books in the series, plus another series that involves all the main characters from the first, another series, called the Cane Chronicles, that doesn't include Percy but is just as good, and on top of all that there is a three book mini series with percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series and Carter and Sadie from the Cane Chronicles.

I am giving this book a 9.5/10
and an age rating of 9+


Enders Game

Enders Game by orson Scott Card


Ender is a young boy living in the future. He is an intelligent boy but is crushed by his mean older brother, peter. Another thing that could ruin his future is the fact that he is a third child in a world where you are only aloud two children. Fortunately he gets spotted by the army and goes up to battle school. When I say up I mean literally up as it is in space. The teachers at battle school soon spot his abilities to be one of the greatest leaders of all time. This story is about his journey to get there.



When I was looking through the reviews I had done i was shocked to see that I had missed out my favourite book of all time. i think that that this book is brilliant for sci fi fans as well a people just looking for an amazing read. There is a bit of strong language but not too much. Sadly, although the prequels to this book are great, the sequels fail to live up to the standard of Enders Game.


I am going to give this book a 10/10
and an age rating of about 9-14.


  

Down With Skool

Down With School by Geoffrey Willans


Join Molesworth As He gives you a round up of his school, St Custards. Includes lessons and how to avoid them, all about masters, all about headmasters, all about parents and the like.


This was in my stocking for christmas and when i tore off the wrapping i wasn't that excited. BUT DON'T LET THE COVER FOOL YOU. It's a hilarious book and it's really good for something written over 60 years ago.
I am going to give it an 8/10.
I think the age rating should be 10-13 as the language he uses is not inappropriate but still very hard to understand.

All in all i think it was a really funny book.

























If anyone knows what chiz means please comment as i have absolutely no idea!