Candor by Pam Bachorz

Candor is set in the model community of Candor, Florida, where every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks, the son of the town's founder. Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.

But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant, and perfect through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. Oscar's built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before the change happens. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?

Then Oscar meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever, but by keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

The first few chapters passed by quite slowly and the story never really picked up until about halfway through. Then it got really good. The ending is my favorite part, because it was completely unexpected. I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen, but it certainly wasn't what actually happened. It left me with my mouth hanging open.

Candor is a good book if you enjoy books set in a world similar to ours but also different.

Louis

(Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library TAB Member)

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Can you figure it out?

Liar is a gripping fantasy novel that takes you on an insanely confusing, while enjoyable, ride. Meet Micah, an intelligent girl who will tell you straight up that she is a compulsive liar. Walk with her as she tells you the story of her life, taking you on a wild and bumpy road complete with plenty of twists. As each new piece of information is introduced, contradicting the last, you won't be able to resist the urge to sort lie from truth in Micah's words.

Determination sets the tone of this novel as Micah struggles to tell us the truth and figure out who, what, and why she is in life. In this fun and fascinating story, you can't help but think deeper and examine the different aspects of Micah's alleged life, as well as your own. Everybody lies. This is often said, and you will most definitely hear it in Liar.  In reading this novel, Micah may have you questioning yourself. Do you always tell the truth?

All in all, this is a very interesting read that is highly entertaining. Liar will have you tearing through the pages. Two thumbs up to Justine Larbalestier.

Briana

(Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library TAB Member)

The Last Book In The Universe

The Last Book in the Universe
By Rodman Philbrick

The second I stared to read ‘The Last Book in the Universe’ by Rodman Philbrick, it put pressure on my brain by forcing me to remember the different terms the author uses for daily things. I really enjoyed the action and adventure that keep you going on through the book until the end. If I were to rate this novel then I would give it four stars because it is interesting, but the author could have shown a little more effort by bringing out the action parts of the novel. The best part about this book is that you always have something to keep you interested, to keep you turning the pages; the small, not entirely fascinating quests that Spaz Boy faces as he tries to find a cure for the bone disease his sister has. Spaz and Ryter go through three treacherous latches, Billy Bizmo’s, the Vandal Queen’s, and the Monkey Boy’s, to just find Spaz’s sister, Bean. Latches are like little cities that a person and his or her gang, such as Billy Bizmo, rules. After they find Bean (his sister), they had to try to sneak into Eden, a ‘perfect’ place, and try to get a Proov, a ‘perfect’ person, into helping them find a cure. When you are in the one chapter when Spaz and Ryter are traveling through the Pipe you have to just keep on reading to see all of the new conflicts that jump out at you. As the book begins to end, Spaz still has one unanswered question, but the thing that is irritating him the most is that everyone seems to have figured out the answer except for him. Why has Billy Bizmo and Lotti Getts, the Vandal Queen, been treating Spaz so specially? What is so particular about a Spaz? Read this page-turner to find out!

Priya

(New Tampa Regional Library TAB Member)

I loved this book the moment I started to read it!

The Face on the Milk Carton
By Caroline B. Cooney

‘The Face on the Milk Carton’ is the first book in a suspenseful mystery novel series. I loved this book the moment I started to read it! I really enjoyed the emotion and the romantic scenes. The best thing about this novel is that it’s so interesting that it makes you keep going until the climax. “Why are Janie’s parents always so anxious? Why are they not letting her see her birth certificate? Was Janie kidnapped?” After all that you just cannot put the book down! You keep turning the pages and moving to the edge of your seat, as Janie goes on the adventure of her life to find her true identity. The clues don’t go together and get more complicated as new puzzle pieces come into play; I felt as if I was a part of the story and had to finish the act. When everything finally goes right I thought that the book had finished, however, it was only half done. There was still a missing piece to what I thought was the complete puzzle. Yet, as the book begins to end, all of your questions will not be answered. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the squeal, “Whatever Happened to Janie?” and hope that this book will be just as mysterious and full of complexity.

Priya

(New Tampa Regional Library TAB member)