The Challenge (Steel Trapp #1) by Ridley Pearson

In this riveting thriller, 14-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, DC. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory--just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious, international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents (first seen in Pearson's adult thriller, "Cut and Run") track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention--and with the help of Cairo--Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late.

This is a fantastic book (came really close to my top 5) It is full of cool (yeah, I know, ‘cool’ is not a very good adjective) twists and turns. You discover some secret identities. You even learn something totally unexpected about......nothing *hint hint, wink wink * (that was one of my favorite parts!) This is a very action packed book. In fact, it is kind of like a cross between James Bond and the Hardy Boys.

The Second one was even better than the first! Although, it has a very different layout.

(7/2010)

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.
On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, a lot can go wrong. I almost decided to leave this book behind at the bookstore, but then saw the publisher –- Disney Hyperion. I had never read a bad book published by Disney Hyperion, until now, that is. This book was a major disappointment. I was really looking forward to a good haunting. Even though there were some scary moments, there was tons of cussing and suggestive moments. It could have been a lot better, and the ending was not fulfilling at all. I wouldn’t recommend this book. It was just felt kind of awkward and incomplete. I would not recommend this book.

Heist Society (Heist Society #1) by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

The book synopsis is perfect, so I didn't write my own. I loved the characters and the plot (no spoilers!) It took a classic motive and made it new again. I also love the characters, they are realistic in the sense that…..well..…let me explain it better. How many books have you read where the main female role is crazy about some guy, and he’'s too dense to see it? Let me guess: more than you can count.

This one breaks that long lived mold. Most female authors take to heart that men are not as emotional as women. But, some authors take it too much to heart. Most (most being the key word) guys are not feeling-less neanderthals. Men may not show emotion as much, but their prides can be bruised just as much (if not, more) than girls. For once we have a male character (Hale) who actually feels emotion, without going overboard, or underboard, as the case may be. For once, Kat, the female lead is quite clueless (or at least as much as the boys usually are) about his more than friendship feelings. It shows the truth of things. Half the time, girls are just as clueless as boys. As an example, a boy once flirted with me over the entirety of summer camp, and I had no idea until I told my sister of our adventures. In which case, I blushed and thought that the poor boy never got any gratitude from me! He invested so much, and I just interacted like a dope. It felt good to read about a female character in my shoes. I loved Heist Society and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great refreshing novel.