This was an excellent, quick, enthralling read. The main character, Connor, was pragmatic, skilled, charming and likable. You could definitely tell the intricate research the author brought into the book. The side characters were all multifaceted and my feelings shifted for them over time. I read the book over a few hours, unable to put it down. I loved reading about the inside world of the White House and the antics of the first daughter. It was impossible to be bored while reading this book. In conclusion, this made an fantastic beginning to what is sure to be a fascinating series.

Bloody Jack was a totally unique and thrilling story of an orphan girl abandoned on London's streets to fend for herself. Her name was always "Jack". It used to be Mary. But that was before her mother and sister died and she was cast out onto the streets and found and sheltered by Charlie's Roosters. Then she became "Little Mary". When Charlie is brutally murdered, Mary runs away. She's always dreamed of a life at sea. But girls aren't exactly allowed on His Majesty's royal Navy, so Mary becomes Jacky and so begins The Deception. I absolutely adored reading every coarse and breathtaking adventure Jacky experiences and I highly reccomend this book to teens who love a good journey at sea.

Horizon was...omoshiroi. That means "interesting" in Japanese. The word "omoshiroi" is used a lot in Horizon, because of the two Japanese sisters, Kira and Akiko, who are two of the eight survivors of the mysterious plane crash. The other six passengers are Molly, an optimistic engineer, Javi, a member of Team Killbot, Anna, a twelve year old who sometimes doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut, Yoshi, a thief, Oliver, a guy whose mother had to be persuaded to let him come, and Caleb, a headstrong teen. After anticipating reading Horizon for WEEKS, I was really disappointed. The writing feels bland in most chapters, and the characters feel more like empty, soulless robots. There isn't any raw emotion expressed in the writing; it feels like I just opened a flat soda. There are a few rare chapters spread out in the book that genuinely caught my interest, but most were just "meh". The concept itself is pretty omoshiroi, but the execution really fell short in character development. I'll check out the second book, Deadzone, when it's published, but for now, 3 stars.

There's no particularly good reason that I have as to why I should win. I just like to read books and write reviews. Yep.

Savage Sam: You've probably never even heard of this sequel to Old Yeller, right? "Well...no. But it can't possibly by heart-warming, heart-breaking, and pulse-pounding enough to beat its classical predecessor! Otherwise, I'd have heard of if before!" That's where you'd be wrong. Despite being unfortunately less well-known, Savage Sam packs a huge wallop of adventure—a bigger wallop than Old Yeller did. I definitely loved Savage Sam better than Old Yeller. "Why? What's so interesting?" Savage Sam, Old Yeller and Blue's pup, quickly goes from clumsy to a top-notch hound dog and becomes six year old Little Arliss' best friend, helping create mischief wherever they go. Travis, meanwhile, is stuck laboring in the field with his Pa. Until Old Man Searcy gallops full-speed to the Coates family's home. He tells them a tale that everyone dismisses as his usual big talk: INDIANS ARE BACK AND STEALING HORSES! But Travis and Lisbeth are sent to retrieve Little Arliss, despite everyone's skepticism. Too late, they realize there was a whole lot of truth in Old Man Searcy's words. They are taken captive by Apache Indians, and suffer through terrible pain, hunger and thirst, barely clinging to the hope that someone might rescue them. Savage Sam was a clear, easy, and well-paced read. Fred Gipson didn't waste any time scrutinizing every sentence he wrote or being at loss for words. Every line feels straight and raw from the heart. I recommend to ages 12+ for some of the brutality.

Savage Sam: You've probably never even heard of this sequel to Old Yeller, right? "Well...no. But it can't possibly by heart-warming, heart-breaking, and pulse-pounding enough to beat its classical predecessor! Otherwise, I'd have heard of if before!" That's where you'd be wrong. Despite being unfortunately less well-known, Savage Sam packs a huge wallop of adventure—a bigger wallop than Old Yeller did. I definitely loved Savage Sam better than Old Yeller. "Why? What's so interesting?" Savage Sam, Old Yeller and Blue's pup, quickly goes from clumsy to a top-notch hound dog and becomes six year old Little Arliss' best friend, helping create mischief wherever they go. Travis, meanwhile, is stuck laboring in the field with his Pa. Until Old Man Searcy gallops full-speed to the Coates family's home. He tells them a tale that everyone dismisses as his usual big talk: INDIANS ARE BACK AND STEALING HORSES! But Travis and Lisbeth are sent to retrieve Little Arliss, despite everyone's skepticism. Too late, they realize there was a whole lot of truth in Old Man Searcy's words. They are taken captive by Apache Indians, and suffer through terrible pain, hunger and thirst, barely clinging to the hope that someone might rescue them. Savage Sam was a clear, easy, and well-paced read. Fred Gipson didn't waste any time scrutinizing every sentence he wrote or being at loss for words. Every line feels straight and raw from the heart. I recommend to ages 12+ for some of the brutality.