All Those Broken Angels by Peter Adam Salomon

When Richard was six years old, his friend Melanie disappeared during a game of hide-and-seek. That night he was visited by a strange shadow that became his new best friend. For years, this shadow, that Richard was convinced belonged to his best friend, kept him company. Ten years later, a new girl shows up claiming to be the very Melanie that disappeared. His shadow, however, isn't too happy with Melanie's appearance. When the truth about Melanie and her disappearance comes to light, Richard realizes there an even deeper mystery involving this shadow, a mystery that he's determined to solve.

This is a weirdly interesting novel. The shadow is creepy as it engulfs Richard and controls him and at time seduces him, which is a bit odd. It's not creepy scary - as in it will give you nightmares - just creepy out-of-the-ordinary. There's definitely intrigue in finding out what's really going on with the shadow and its connection to Melanie. I felt that the revelation was a bit predictable given that there were only so many players in the novel, although there was one twist that I found interesting. Even though it was a bit obvious, it was still an enjoyable ride and a quick read.
MMK

The Night She Disappeared By: April Henry

Kayla is a High School student, who works at a Pizza Shop called Pete's part-time. One night she works for her friend Gabie. That night Pete's receives an order to be delivered, where a man orders a pizza giving the fake address for the delivery. He is hoping for Gabie, but Kayla drives her car and goes ahead looking to find the address in the dark. She wants to make a delivery of the pizza. Near a river in a deserted area Kayla meets someone she must have recognized there. She got out of the car to meet him. The man knocks her unconscious , and throws her into his vehicle. He takes her to his house. Locks her in a room of his house. He brings her food, and water but not often. He demands that Kayla call him Master. She plays along. It takes fourteen days to find where Kayla is located. Drew and Gabie were snooping around, and decide to call the Police to help them out. They find Kayla in poor condition in a room of the house. Dirty, and thin was Kayla when she was found by Drew, and Gabie. The Police arrived late at the scene. So Gabie, and Drew had to get some weapons to use that were in their cars to help Kayla out of her situation, and to give her some help. Gabie arrives in Miguel's car and reports to the police, and thinks she has located where Kayla is. The good thing is the man Miguel does not have a real gun, it is only a BB Gun. Kayla made some weapons from different things she had in her room. She whacks the kidnapper when he unlocks her door to the locked door in the face, and blood was drawn. She tries to hit him with a tire iron,but Kayla misses, but Miguel, puts screwdriver into Kayla's neck .All of a sudden sirens are heard, and police are coming. The police get to the house, and call ambulance for the injured. Even though the teens were injured. Drew, Gabie and Kayla were rescued and taken to the Hospital. The novel was very good, and a thriller to read.

LRD 5/3/12




Kayla, Drew and Gabie work for Pete's Pizza. Kayla and Gabie have cars so they do the deliveries. On one fateful night, Gabie asks Kayla to switch nights with her. That night a man calls in an order for three meat monsters pizza delivered at what turns out to be a fake address. Drew is taking the order and finds the voice familiar but cannot connect it to a face. The voice asks for Gabie, but its Kayla delivering. That night Kayla does not come back. Drew calls 911. Her car is later found by the river along with a bloody rock. It looks like she knew the person she met there. There was a white truck seen in the area, perhaps the kidnapper. The story is told in alternating voices. Gabie and Drew are left behind to speculate. Drew wishing he could remember something about the call that would help the investigation. Gabie feeling guilt, it should have been her, after all. She's the one that the caller asked for. Both dealing with all the publicity, all the scary stuff like strangers coming to Pete's Pizza, like is Kayla dead? Will Gabie be next? They meet with the psychic investigator and Kayla's parents as well. When a possible suspect commits suicide there is an assumption that he did indeed kidnap Kayla and that she is dead. There is even a funeral. Kayla awakens, from being knocked unconscious, in a small locked, windowless room with a TV and a row of water bottles. A man she recognizes as a regular at Pete's occasionally brings her food. He demands that she call him MASTER. She is not the one he wanted. His frightening voice is heard only twice here's what he is thinking: Will Kayla work for his purposes anyway? How should he dispose of her? Should he try for Gabie again? Kayla's fear and her strength can be felt. And, she plans, making weapons from a broken plate and the slats of the futon she sleeps on. Then Drew hears the voice again, sees the owner, follows him to a near tragic action packed finale. Its the feelings of Kayla, Drew and Gabie, so real, so intense that make this story riveting.  Its Gabie's absolute beliefe that Kayla is still alive that  makes a reader want to race to the end. A fast, easy missing persons story, well worth the trip. JDW 5/8/12

Reality Check By: Peter Abrahams

One of the main characters is Cody. He becomes a drop-out in High School. Cody was an active football player, because of an injury he can no longer play. He has been dating Clea, the richest and prettiest girl in school. Her father disapproves so when she gets a B grade on her report card she is sent to Hong Kong for the summer, then to an elite boarding school in Vermont. Meanwhile,, without football he cannot get into school so quits to work in the lumber yard where he had worked over the summer. When Clea disappears while horseback riding, Cody wants to search for her too. Cody traveled in his car with his duffel bag with his belongings to Vermont. Cody arrived at Clea's Dover Academy a few days later. The search for Clea had started and their was Sargent Orton involved, who seemed to be genuinely concerned. The search for Clea was called off after a snowfall. Cody is working as the Sargent's assistant when finds Clea's cellphone in the warming hut in the forest near the school. Cody crosses paths with Agent Brand after he happens on a bar and sees students from the school there. Bran, like Orton and at first likes Cody. Brand offers Cody $500.00 to go back Little Bend, Colorado at once as Brand believes Cody to be in danger. A very wonderful stable caretaker has shown Cody a ledger with various transactions in it. Cody, and Sargent Orton go back to the barn, where the ledger is now missing. Now the Sargent and Cody explored the cider house, where Cody believed Clea was hostage. Cody got locked in a closet, and duct tape was placed over his mouth when he got too close to the truth of what happened to Clea and to some of the horses. I liked the novel, and had no idea what would happen. The novel is a good read.
LD 3/5/12

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

They say that every small town has it's secrets, and Cryer's Cross, Montana, is no exception. Toward the end of the school year Tiffany Quinn disappears. Most of the town helps in searching for her, and after five days they stop searching not finding her. The new school year begins with two new kids from Arizona joining the school. Kendall tries to make friends with Jacian, but he's being a difficult person to become friends with. Marlena on the other hand is very friendly, and makes friends with Kendall easily. A few weeks later her best friend since birth, Nico, goes missing. The police question Kendall implying she had something to do with his disappearance. They search for him, but do not find any trace of him besides his abandoned car. As the weeks go by Kendall keeps hearing Nico's voice coming from his old desk. Kendall thinks she's going crazy, but she thinks that if she listens to the voice she might find Nico.

Overall, I was disappointed with the book, and I don't say that often. The book had a good premise, and as I was reading everything seemed to drift farther away from the plot. After Nico went missing the author had Kendall yearning for his safe return for most of the novel. It was only toward the end that something actually happened. The story wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be.

T.B. 5/22/11