The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong

Losing your mother and home then becoming lost at sea and stranded on a desert island may be a bit much for any teen, or any adult even, to handle. That is the situation in which Ben and his two brothers, Gerry and Dylan, find themselves. When their mother dies in a car accident, the boys and their father are unable to bear their grief. Ben's father goes off the deep end and sells their home so they can sail for a year around the Bahamas. Ben is not happy with his father's decision, and this creates a rocky relationship between them. Being stuck on a small sailboat with three others who are not getting along can make for a very long year at sea. It turns out they do not get stuck together for a year on the boat. Instead, the Ben's father disappears off of the boat and is lost at sea, leaving Ben to take care of his brothers and the boat. Then a storm shipwrecks the boys on a desert island. Ben finds himself in the role of father to his brothers. Each brother has his own troubles surviving on the island between accidents and just plain going insane.

The book is a fast read, mainly because it is a page turner. You will be dying to find out if the boys make it off of the island alive. Some parts are predictable, and I became a little tired of the constant reminders of the family's grief over the loss of their mother (yeah, kind of cold- I know). However, the book is definitely worthwhile. I recommend for a pleasurable summer read for guys and girls.

Book; 12+; ISBN 9780670063307; New York : Viking Childrens Books, 2008

Peak by Roland Smith

Have you ever dreamed of being the first to do something? Or to just plain do something that very few people get to do? Peak Marcello finds himself in just that position. Born to famous, rock climbing parents, Peak has inherited their love of rock climbing. However, he and his mother have moved from Wyoming to New York City to live with his step-father, and New York City is not exactly a rock climber's paradise. Peak turns to climbing sky scrapers instead, and, to add some excitement, he leaves secret tags on his conquests. Climbing sky scrapers is illegal, and one day he is caught and thrown in juvenile hall with the possibility of spending years in jail. Lucky for Peak, his long absent father steps in and strikes a deal with the judge: Peak will leave the United States, and the media blitz his actions have caused, to join his father in Thailand. However, when Peak lands in Thailand, he finds that his father has other plans for him. Peak will become the youngest person to ever reach the peak of Mount Everest. Peak jumps at the chance, but soon learns that his father has his own motivations for getting Peak to the top. Furthermore, one of Peak's father's guides has his own plan for getting another young man to the top. Climbing Mount Everest takes a great amount of ambition, and some are more ambitious than others. The preparation for ascending Mt. Everest can be more difficult than the actual push to the top. There are so many obstacles in Peak's way. Will he make it? Will he even survive the treacherous climb in a place that even stepping out of your tent to go to the bathroom can mean your death?

Peak is a page turner with just the right amount of suspense and danger. You don't need to know anything about mountain climbing as Smith describes everything you need to know without going into too much detail. I recommend this book for everybody, not just adventure junkies and/or guys. It is a quick read that will keep you guessing until the end.

Book; 12+; ISBN 9780152024178; Orlando, FL : Harcourt Children's Books, 2007

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Would you like to live in a society where everybody is equal? How about if equality means that everyone gets a special surgery that makes them pretty or handsome? Not too bad huh? That is the world in which Tally Youngblood lives. Turning sixteen means a surgury that will make you beautiful and hot. Once you've turned from an Ugly to a Pretty, you also get to go live in a city where your only responsibility is to party and have fun. Tally is excited to turn sixteen and get to go join her friends who have already become Pretties. It is what she has wanted her entire life. However, in the weeks before her sixteenth birthday, Tally meets Shay, who does not want to become Pretty. The two girls develop a bond, and Shay invites Tally to run away with her to live with others who do not want to become Pretty. Tally cannot imagine not becoming a Pretty and turns Shay down. Just in case, Shay gives Tally cryptic instructions for how to find her should Tally change her mind.

When Shay disappears, Tally is brought in to the authorities and questioned about her friend. They strike Tally a deal: either show them the way to Shay and her friends who chose to stay Ugly or stay Ugly forever herself. To find Shay and the other rebels, and ultimately betray their whereabouts, Tally sets off on a dangerous journey by herself. Her journey will expose her so called perfect society for what it really is and lead her to discover what is truly important in life. If only she will survive it.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is not the fluffy novel I expected. Westerfeld created a story of extreme environmentalism and equality. It takes place in the future but does not feel like a typical sci-fi story. Westerfeld is great at keeping just enough unknown to encourage the reader into each chapter. This would be a great book for a book report as there is lots to think about and respond to, but it is still a fun read. I couldn't put it down. It is the first of a trilogy, and I can't wait to get my hands on the other books.

Book; 14+; ISBN 978-0689865381; New York: Simon Pulse, 2005