Jolted: Newton Starker's rules for survival by Arthur Slade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I abandoned this and then picked it up again later - and ended up liking this one better than I expected to. I finished reading it on a day when I really needed something that wasn't quite as heavy as more serious fare. And, thinking about it, the voice of the main character, Newton, was actually pretty spot on middle school.
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Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, read by Sascha Icks

Rubinrot - Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten by Kerstin Gier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this book on audio, in what I assume is the original German. I am a native English speaker, but my understanding of German is fairly good. I like the premise of the book and the whole set up is intriguing, but right now, like another reviewer, I am a bit annoyed at my reaction to the book. I got to the end of the 4th CD that the book came on and I couldn't believe it was the end. I had to check to make sure there wasn't perchance another CD that I missed. Nothing is tied up; nothing is solved; nothing is clear - except, I suppose that Gwyn and Gideon will somehow get together (that is a prediction, not a spoiler). Sigh.

I suppose it is a tribute to the book that I now feel as though I really DO have to buy the other two books. Oh, well, it is good practice to keep up my German.
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The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book and read the whole thing in just under two days, but somehow I feel it is a bit incomplete. I would like to have seen a bit more development of each of the three major characters. The computer in the end reminds me of the computer in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books.

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