Pastworld by Ian Beck

Eve has grown up in Pastworld; it’s a Victorian era London. The people inside know nothing about the outside world.
Caleb’s father was one of the original imagineeers for Pastworld theme park and now they get to go to Pastworld as guests. It is the world’s most authentic amusement park, but the last thing they expected was murder.
The Phantom is the murderer, the mass murderer. He has every one where he wants them, fearing his name. His favorite signature? Cutting his victim’s hearts out.

This was the most disturbing book I have ever read (and not in the delightful way.) The gore wasn't bad, but I would just really like to get a psych evaluation on the author. Eve (throughout the book) wants to be strangled. So whenever she meets a new person (with one exception) , she puts their hands on her throat and tells them to strangle her. She takes pleasure in it. Its just mentally disturbing. Don’t read this, it was pointless. I cannot stress enough how disturbing this book was. I will never recommend this book to anyone.

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)