The Brothers Torres

The Brothers Torres
By: Coert Vorhees

316p

Hyperion

ISBN-10: 0312428162
ISBN-13: 978-0312428167

Annotation:

Sophomore Frankie finally finds the courage to ask his long-term friend, Julianne, to the Homecoming dance, which ultimately leads to a face-off between a tough senior whose family owns most of their small, New Mexico town, and Frankie's soccer-star older brother and his gang member friends.

Summary:

In one year Frankie Towers is making big changes. After living for years in his brother the soccer star's shadow, Frankie is finally beginning to make a name for himself.

Frankie has just asked the most popular girl in school to the homecoming dance, the only problem is that he just beat the wealthiest and most influential high school senior at their New Mexico high school. In addition, Frankie is far from being considered popular in fact many of the people in school would consider him to be a "nerd".

This novel is the perfect combination of humor and the occasional serious situation. Frankie has to balance the expectations of his family and their ideas of what a true man is, with the man he wants to become. A feeling that many teenagers can relate to.

Students will instanly see the parallels between Frankie and his brother Steve the college bound sibling who spends all of his time with the local cholo gang, and grow to feel for the difficult situation that he is in. Frankie, however never loses his voice and will fight to gain the respect of his family and his friends. Traits that alll teenagers can appreciate.

Hunger Games

Hunger Games
By: Suzanne Collins

384p
Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN-10: 0439023483
ISBN-13: 978-0439023481

Annotation

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Summary
First in a new and exciting series. Hunger Games takes us to a future, in which teens are forced to fight for survival for the enjoyment and amusement of the society. Filled with well developed characters, Collins creates a world easy to fall into.

Katniss is a skilled hunter and much more able to survive the pitfall of the Hunger Game than her sister. She is placed with Peeta, the bakers son as her teammate, a boy who had a crush on her since the age of 5. t will take a lot for her to learn how to rely on other people, but this challenge will teach her more about herself than even she realizes.

Collins novel will keep teens up into the late hours trying to discover what happens next. Not far from the reality show we are already used to, the situations are similar enough to allow the individual to ponder the possiblity of this becoming our future. Teens will appreciate all the action and adventure Katniss and Peeta are faced with. Collins does not shy away from the horror and gore so this is great for teens who prefer their fiction a little on the darker side.

Teens will be chomping at the bit, for the next installment of this sure to be smash hit series.