Ghosts in the Fog by Samantha Seiple

I honestly didn't know anything about the Japanese invading the Aleutian Islands during World War II, so I was intrigued by the subject matter. I found the retelling of personal recollections of events made the story flow well, almost like fiction. What I didn't like was how the author jumped from event to event and I had to double check dates to see how it compared to other events. It seemed rather choppy.

Ghosts in the Fog should be given to those that read everything about World War II they can find. I'm not sure how much the casual reader will stick with it, though. This is an interesting story, and one I didn't know about, but the presentation was only average. C rating.

Astronaut Academy : Zero Gravity by Dave Roman

Hakata Soy is the mysterious new boy at Astronaut Academy. He arrived about a month into the semester and isn't willing to share much about himself. Hakata finds himself amidst an eclectic group of students, including a spoiled rich girl with a crush on him, a roommate only interested in sports, a girl with an affinity for always showing up at the right time, and a robot out to destroy him.

The story starts off extremely entertaining and somewhat humorous, but about 100 pages into it, I started to get bored. The constant introduction (or reintroduction) of the characters became tedious, and I just wanted the story to continue. The black and white illustrations are fabulous and add character to the story. They're probably the best thing about it.

This is for fans of graphic novels, especially if you like action/adventure/superhero ones. It had a great deal of potential, but didn't quite live up to what was a fantastic start. I give it a 'C'.

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #3)

The third in the Gallagher Girl series finds Cammie helping to save her friend Macey from an apparent kidnapping attempt while at Macey's father's political convention. (He's the vice presidential candidate.) Enter Cammie's elusive Aunt Abby (a Gallagher Girl herself) who's been pegged to be Macey's Secret Service protection while back at school. Little does Cammie know that there's much more to the kidnapping attempt than first meets the eye. And why does Zach seem to show up at just the right moment again and again?

For those that enjoyed the first two in the series, this is a must-read. Little is shown of the girls' junior year classes, for much of the story takes place outside of Gallagher Academy. With the introduction of Aunt Abby, the reader catches a glimpse of what Cammie's dad was like and a fresh look at Mr. Solomon and even a bit more of her mom. There are many loose ends at the end of the story, which will make the reader beg for the 4th book immediately. But, overall, a fun adventure with plenty of action and suspense to keep you turning the page. A solid read -- 'B' rating.