Galley Review: Other by Karen Kincy

Gwen Williams is like any other modern teenager with one exception: She's a shapeshifter and she's struggling with the wild, wonderful magic inside of her alone and in secret. While society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in Klikamuks, Washington, who don't care for her kind. Now there's a new werewolf pack in town, and Others are getting killed. Can Gwen find the courage to embrace her true self and find the killer--before she becomes the next victim.

What SL teens are saying about this book...

"I wish the book had been more subtle. I was disappointed by the fact that I was able to figure out who the killer was from the moment he was introduced."--Jenny L.

"This book was lots of fun. It was an easy read, and the characters' voices were each distinct and believable. Another thing that made this book interesting is that it's not using vampires and werewolves, which are obvious choices. Instead it focuses on relatively obscure magical creatures, like the Pooka."--Claudia N.

Galley Review: Beat the Band by Don Calame

In this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly the boys are back for their sophomore year in a story told from Coop's perspective. In their health class students must work in pairs on a semester-long projects. Matt and Sean get partnered up (the jerks!) and Coop gets paired with the infamous "Hot Dog" Helen for a presentation on safe sex. Everybody's laughing, except for Coop, who's convinced that the only way to escape this social death sentence is to win "The Battle of the Bands" with their group. There's just one problem; none of the guys actually plays an instrument.

What SL teens are saying about the book...

"It was absolutely hilarious, just like Swim the Fly. Keep writing these books! I gave it a 5 out of 5 and nominated it for Teens Top Ten."--Eric H.

"This book is funny. Once you start reading you're hooked. Though I thought Swim the Fly was funnier. I gave it a 4 out of 5."--Christopher L.