The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
I read the Da Vinci Code earlier this year and I really liked it. I've been waiting to read the Lost Symbol since it came out, and I was really excited when my mom got it for me from the library.

The Lost Symbol is another race-to-the-finish book, just like it's predecessor. Robert Langdon is back, this time in Washington, D.C. After being invited to speak at a very important conference at the capitol building by a close friend of his - Peter Solomon, a prominent Mason -, Robert rushes to the Rotunda room of the building only to find that it's a setup. There is no conference - someone has taken Peter captive in order to find out all the Masons' secrets. In order to save Peter's life, Robert must team up with Peter's sister Katharine to find the secret of a mysterious pyramid said to contain knowledge that will give man the power to become enlightened, a god.

I definitely enjoyed this book. The enemy in it is like one I've never seen. He's almost super human from his extensive use of steroids and intense training. He's also clever and cunning, and is closely connected to Peter Soloman in a way that's hard to imagine.

It's so interesting to see Robert Langdon crack every code, explain conspiracies and secret organizations, and otherwise blow your mind. That's what I love about these two books: they make me think, and I learn about things that I would otherwise never know. Dan Brown is a magnificent author, and all his books are definitely worth reading.

You'll have to read the book to find out if Peter Solomon's life is saved and if Robert and Katherine can stop the kidnapper from finding out a secret so powerful that it could reveal knowledge that America has never seen before.

The book emphasizes how much knowledge we've lost. It tells us to read back in history - the ancient civilizations were much closer to our technology and ideas than we think.

Katie

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

In the glamorous city of Los Angeles, seventeen year old Charlotte Emerson leads a rich, charmed life filled with the most expensive clothing and food. She has traveled the world many times over. How has she accomplished such a task at such a young age? Charlotte only appears seventeen, but is actually a near century old vampire. When her best and only friend Emily dies from what appears to be suicide, Charlotte is beside herself with grief. Through mourning the loss of her friend, falling in love with Emily's boyfriend, and having to deal with the vampire who made her coming back into her life, her vampirism seems to be fading...
Francesca Lia Block has been one of my favorite authors for awhile now, and I absolutely loved this book. Compared to her other works, I would call this her most mainstream to date. I recommend it to lovers of the vampire genre, fans of Block, or anyone who enjoys a good romantic horror story.

-Sam.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

In the fourth book of the Blue Bloods series, Schuyler Van Alen, along with her best friend and conduit, Oliver, are on the run after Schuyler is accused of murdering her uncle. Meanwhile, back in New York City, Bliss has spent the last year as a prisoner of her own body while her father, Lucifer, has begun taking complete control. All the while, Mimi is on a quest in South America hunting Silver Bloods (the enemy of the Blue Bloods). The latest installment in this series has cemented these books as some of my favorite YA vampire novels. It is a fast paced journey that leads to the stunning revelation of the Van Alen legacy and what it means for young Schuyler. I'd recommend this series to anyone and cannot wait for the next installment!

-Sam

After by Amy Efaw

Fifteen year old straight-A student Deven Davenport didn't know she was pregnant when she gave birth one early morning. Still in denial, she did the only thing she could think to do at the time; get rid of "It" before people found out. Soon after, the body of her baby is discovered (weak, but alive) in a nearby dumpster. Now, locked up in juvenile detention awaiting the trial in which will be decided if she should be tried as a minor or an adult for attempted murder, Devon must come to grips with what she did, and most importantly... why she can't remember it. While reading After I was torn between various emotions; part disgust for the act Devon committed, and part sympathy for this poor girl who didn't see any other way out. It's a story that will grab your attention and tug on your heartstrings, and I recommend it to everyone.

-Sam

Nightlight by the Harvard Lampoon
In this hilarious Twilight parody, ultra-clumsy seventeen year old Belle Goose moves to Switchblade, Oregon and falls in love with awkward computer geek Edwart Mullen. However, Belle believes that Edwart is a vampire out for her blood. From start to finish Nightlight had me laughing out loud. I would recommend it to any teen and Twi-Hard alike.

-Sam.