Hot Pick from TAB - Fracture

Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: T (teen)

Fracture is, on its surface, a somewhat average-looking game. The plot line has the potential to be interesting, since not many games revolve around a civil war in the future brought on by global warming. However, generic characters and a villain whose main motivation seems to be “just because” hinder it. Also, Fracture has the usual assortment of guns, ranging from shotguns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, etc. However, what separates this game from others is the terrain-deformers, which, as it implies, allows one to deform the earth beneath their feet. It’s surprisingly non-gimmicky and makes encounters with enemies feel more varied. Overall a solid game but not in the same league as Gears of War 2 or Call of Duty 4.

reviewed by TAB member Tom R.

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Dishes

By Rich Wallace

(YA F Wall)
145 pages, 2008, Realistic Fiction

Nineteen-year-old Danny jumps at the chance to work over the summer while he tries to sort out college choices. Dishwashing in a gay bar in a Maine tourist town, stumbling into a bumpy romance with a hot waitress, and getting the chance to establish a relationship with his estranged father shake up his self-discovery journey. (Grades 9 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elaine D.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Confessions of a Shopaholic

By Sophie Kinsella

(F Kins)
310 pages, 2001, Chick Lit/Humorous

Most people have heard of Confessions of a Shopaholic due to the successful movie just a few months ago. But, Sophie Kinsella’s novel tells the tale of Rebecca Bloomwood, a British woman who is deep in debt but can’t stop her shopping addiction. Not only does Becky need to get her addiction, her finances, and her job under control, but perhaps a man is lurking around the next bend in her life as well. Kinsella takes the reader on a fun-felt journey through the life of a comical but struggling shopaholic. (Grades 9 & up)

reviewed by TAB member Saniya K.

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Tiger Moon

By Antonia Michaelis

(YA F Mich)
453 pages, 2008, Fantasy/Fairy Tale

Stories are an excellent way to escape, and Raka certainly needs to escape her impending death at the hands of her evil husband. She begins to spin an elaborate fairy tale for Lalit, a servant boy, about Farhad a thief and con man, his sacred white tiger Nitish, and their adventures across India to locate a cursed gemstone and save Krishna’s kidnapped daughter from the demon king Ravana. The language is fluid, poetic, and colorful, which takes the reader on a magical journey through India in the early 1900s during the British occupation that interweaves Hindu religious beliefs seamlessly. (Grades 8 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elizabeth H.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Twilight

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Genre: Fantasy/Thriller
Rated: PG-13

The first book in the Twilight saga has been transformed into a feature film starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart as Edward and Bella. The movie follows Stephenie Meyer’s star-crossed lovers as they discover their indescribable bond and feeling for one another. Their relationship is complicated: Edward is conflicted, torn between his desire for Bella’s love and her blood, while Bella is so “unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him” that she would go so far as to die for him. But Twilight isn’t just another chick flick; the action scenes in this movie are sudden and suspenseful. The only issue I had with Twilight the movie was that it did not follow the book extremely well; some important details were changed or simply left out. However, the chemistry between the characters in undeniable, making this an overall good flick. Check it out if you want to watch a unique love story that is completely different from anything else you might have imagined.

reviewed by TAB member Rachel K.

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Dingo

By Charles de Lint

(YA F De l)
213 pages 2008 Fantasy

When Miguel meets Lainey, his life is turned upside down. How could he have known that she can shape-shift into a dingo? Why is her twin sister so protective and mean? And what should he do now that he has fallen in love with her? Part adventure, part mystery, a bit of romance, and some unforgettable characters make this a fun, offbeat read. (Grades 7 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Liz B.

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The Other Side of the Island

By Allegra Goodman

(YA F Good)
280 pages, 2008, Science Fiction

Destroyed by environmental changes, the world is covered with water and a few small islands remain. Ten-year-old Honor and her family are captured and resettled to the Enclosure on Island 365. Mysterious Earth Mother serves up daily propaganda and rules stifling free thinking and movement. Honor’s parents mysteriously disappear leaving her to figure out what lies outside the controlled compound. (Grades 6 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elaine D.

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