A new student review of Extracted (The Lost Imperials Book One) by Sherry Ficklin

jotaf posted a new student review of Extracted (The Lost Imperials Book One) by Sherry Ficklin. See the full review.

I really liked Extracted.  It was very interesting and exciting.  One thing I liked is how well the author developed the characters. One thing I didn’t like about it, though, was that every chapter swapped from Lex to Ember and Ember to Lex, which made it very confusing for me.  This book was sometimes predictable, but most times I couldn’t guess what would happen next.  Good descriptions were used.  I feel there were some editing problems on the editor’s part because some of the words that weren’t in quotations looked like they should have been.  I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up, because the content was a little on the mature side.

A new student review of Cranwood by Jenni Bryer

Kaitlin101 posted a new student review of Cranwood by Jenni Bryer. See the full review.

I thought Cranwood was really good. If you like romance and not knowing what's going to happen next in characters' relationships, then you'll love this book. It also is great for those who like mystery, because you never know what will happen next. The author did a good job; I thought it was beautifully written. She kept my interest throughout the entire book. So overall, it was the type of book where you start reading and you just want to get lost in the book.

A new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin

puggles88 posted a new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin. See the full review.

I really enjoyed the book "Get Psyched." The book was so descriptive I felt like I was part of it. I felt like the book had so much going on it; never got boring or dull. At certain times throughout the book I felt like I could relate to the characters' emotions. I think most people would enjoy this book because it is a mix of genres like mystery, action, and romance. I would recommend this book to anyone!

A new student review of Finnikin of the Rock

vbobrocks posted a new student review of Finnikin of the Rock . See the full review.

Melina Marchetta’s Finnikin of the Rock will take the reader on a fast-paced adventure through a beautifully created fantasy world.  Finnikin and the rest of the unique cast of characters are believable and keep the novel moving and advancing, while adding depth to the story line through their mixed emotions and constant action.  Not only are the characters excellent, but the writing is also well-done.  The style complements the plot and is a perfect difficulty level for seventh to ninth graders.  Although the very beginning is a little slow, it improves quickly.  Anyone who enjoys fantasy won’t be able to put Finnikin down until they’ve read it all.

A new student review of Undead Heart

tlang posted a new student review of Undead Heart . See the full review.

The story line is amazing, but the details are lacking. I could not picture the characters at all. I do not know what hair color Larry has or even his brother; furthermore, I don't have a clue about their height.  I feel that well developed characters make a story come alive.   With that, I gave it a 3. However, the story line is just great. This is the first book in a series as well. 

A new student review of Will in Scarlet

nictaf posted a new student review of Will in Scarlet . See the full review.

I really liked Will In Scarlet, although I didn’t like the few bad words it had.  It was exciting, scary, and hopeful all in one.  The author used interesting words to entice you to read this book.  Will was a believable character for this genre, as were all the other characters.  I would recommend this book to ages 12 and up.

A new student review of Jade Dreams (Sacred Stones) by Wakefield Mahon

tkh2002 posted a new student review of Jade Dreams (Sacred Stones) by Wakefield Mahon. See the full review.

I liked the story of the book, but I feel like the character develpment was weak. Raven, the main antagonist, came out of nowhere. Her backstory was never explained and I think if her character was better developed the book would be much less confusing. I also wish the relationship between Becca and her parents was played out more. Last but not least, I think the ending was rushed. I had so many questions going through my mind and only a few of them were answered by the last few chapters and the epilogue. Despite the issues I mentioned, I do believe this book could be really good. The idea behind the storyline was great and I got a pretty good understanding of the main characters, but not enough to fall in love with the novel. I would really like to see these changes made and get another chance to read it because I do think it could be great.

A new student review of S'nat Wars by Linda Palmer

peterc posted a new student review of S'nat Wars by Linda Palmer. See the full review.

To me this book was good, but it was a little boring at times. At some times the writer just goes off into another world just to explain little things so thoroughly. But I liked how the bodyguard turned out to love the girl and turn it into something different. Just to think about being in a world with supernatural beings would be awesome and to be born with a heredity from your parents with a supernatural talents would be even cooler.

A new student review of A Really Awesome Mess

taterb26 posted a new student review of A Really Awesome Mess . See the full review.

 A Really Awesome Mess dealt with some pretty deep topics. Themes such as anorexia, bulimia, sexual activity, and depression were often brought up. The authors did an okay job with these sometimes difficult to navigate subjects; however, they could've done much better. For this reason, I'd advise people with triggers to tread lightly into this book. At times, the sheer frankness of one of the main characters (Emmy) made me cringe. Towards the end of the book, this problem ceased. But allow me to restate this; tread lightly into this book with the knowledge that the main character's have some potentially hurtful opinions.

 Teenage love seemed as if it were supposed to be a big part of the book, but it didn't really come up all that much, and when it did, I became increasingly frustrated. This may be attributed to the fact that teenage love is an irritating topic in general to me, but it just seemed much more so in this book than any other. I knew that the authors wanted to get at a touching tale of two love-stricken, mentally screwed teens, but I feel that it should have been a bigger aspect to really accomplish that feat. This wasn't so. The opportunity seemed missed in my eyes---the main part of their 'love' that I noticed was how rushed it was.

 Another angle of this book I did not like was the dialogue; it was sloppy and unrealistic. There seemed to be nothing normal said. Real people say mindless things and rant and talk about random things. Everything said by this book's characters was for the sole purpose of progressing the plot. Now, this is a personal opinion, just as every other part of this review is, so other people may not have a problem with this. It was just something I noticed and wanted to point out.

  My last issue with this book was how unrealistic and cliche it was. The officials at Heartland were irresponsible and wishy-washy and completely unlike how it would be in real life. So many things slipped them by and many actions went without consequence. I was a bit shocked at how blatantly played down some things were.

 Overall, this book was a miss for me. I was excited to read about these two teens and become attached to them as I normally do with characters, but it was near impossible for me to like this duo. I couldn't support them and hope for good for them---I tried and tried, I did. Basically, there were so many aspects of this book that could've been turned into something utterly phenomenal, but sadly, they were overlooked.

 Ugh, this book is just oozing with potential.

A new student review of Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

ClarissaAdeleMorgenstern posted a new student review of Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham. See the full review.

This book was okay.  Like its predecessor, Formerly Shark Girl was told in poems and letters.   There wasn't much conflict or plot, and many of Jane's actions were predictable.  I felt that Formerly Shark Girl was written just to tie up loose ends from Shark Girl.  Having read Shark Girl, I did want to find out what happened to Jane and other characters, so this book felt a lot like an extended ending.  However, I don't think that this book was as emotionally compelling as Shark Girl.   I understand why Jane was so torn between art and nursing.  I also really liked that the reader got to see some of the letters written to Jane to understand the pressure she felt.  I don't think this book was as emotional as Shark Girl.  This is a relatively quick read, and I would recommend it to realistic fiction fans in sixth grade and up. 

A new student review of The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

zkraus posted a new student review of The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina. See the full review.

Out of all the dystopian genre books I've read, I like this idea best. However, I struggled to get through it. When I started reading it, pushing through the first 20 pages was a challenge. I got confused with who was talking and when. The book begins with Ashala being detained. It was difficult for me to connect all the dots. I was completely lost for a majority of the book. Again, I like the idea and plot but I think it could have been written in a clearer way. However, the detail and descriptions really painted a picture in my head. The author also did a good job of describing emotion, which caused me to understand and almost feel the same emotion that the character was feeling. 

A new student review of Every Day After by Laura Golden

SarahLou posted a new student review of Every Day After by Laura Golden. See the full review.

If you feel down you should read this book. It is a very good book and it was a very good inspiration to me. There are a lot of tough situations in this book so it took a while to read and understand what Lizzie was going through. I loved how Lizzie found hope again and fixed her problems by facing her fears, even though this is the opposite of what her dad told her. I am glad I read this book and learned that there are different ways to trust people. This is a good book for ages 10 and up.

A new student review of Quests of Shadowind: Sky Shifter by LA Miller

sharmer posted a new student review of Quests of Shadowind: Sky Shifter by LA Miller. See the full review.

In my opinon, it is a slow moving book at the beinging but gets better as you read on. But overall it is a good book. There is some mystery to it. I think it would be good for 5th and 6th graders and even some 7th graders.

 

A new student review of The Chance You Won't Return

Peace8747 posted a new student review of The Chance You Won't Return . See the full review.

I thought that The Chance You Won't Return was a really good book! There was a few swear words.

A new student review of Seeking the Storyteller by Jessica Walsh

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Seeking the Storyteller by Jessica Walsh. See the full review.

Seeking the Storyteller was definitely an intriguing story. It’s plot was great, subplots interesting, and mechanics good.  However this book lacked one key element that caused the book to fail. The key was organization.

Unfortunately the book, which had so much potential with a fantastic plot, interesting characters, and captivating subplots forming, did not have proper order.  I understand that perhaps the authors might have done this on purpose to reflect how, in life, things are hardly clear. But, this is a fictional book. The writing style, also, could use some work but it wasn’t terrible.

My biggest beef with the book was the revelation of Alix’s past.  Alix’s past is a huge part of the book, and personally, I thought that the authors' choice in explaining it left much to be desired. However, that is my opinion.

On the bright side, the ragtag team Walsh and Lawrence created of demons, humans, hunters and victims was fascinating. I kept on wanting more and more of it. One thing this book didn’t fail in (with the exception of Alix’s story) was subplot. Each subplot was great, and it made me wonder about those characters and their stories.

Overall for writing and style I give this book one star—it leaves much to be desired.

For creativity and originality I give this book four stars out of five. 

I recommend this book for fantasy lovers who don't mind a few rushed explanations. 

A new student review of Knowing Jack by Julie Elizabeth Powell

nate329 posted a new student review of Knowing Jack by Julie Elizabeth Powell. See the full review.

I love Knowing Jack so much, and I was hooked right away in the first chapter.  I thought that this book was written perfectly. This is a great  adventure book to read for fun.  But this book has some really big words in it, so if you're going to read it, I suggest that you are at least 13-15 years old.  It also had some violence in it, so be aware.  If I had the chance to go into the world of Jack I would definitely go. 

A new student review of Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done

Roho posted a new student review of Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done . See the full review.

I like this book because it’s similar to one of my favorite series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It’s funny, cool, and awesome. There are jokes in it that I thought were funny. Timmy is a detective, which is what I want to be, and I like mysteries like this one. I picked this book to read because I read the first one and because I wanted to start reading a new book series. People who like the Wimpy Kid and Big Nate books would like this series. They are all diaries that contain humor and adventure.

A new student review of Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson

JUDGE posted a new student review of Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson. See the full review.

Some books are just good but I think this as a great Book. This book seeking Dr. Magic is one of my favorite books and I am in 7th grade. It has suspense, a little action, and is overall a great story. This book’s genre is Fantasy. When I was reading this book I often lost track of time. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend and have already done so.

A new student review of Willow

biddlet7346 posted a new student review of Willow . See the full review.

 

 

My opinion about the book is it was boring at first but soon got better. I recommend it be read by older kids or advanced readers. The book is very good and I recommend it to anyone who likes action.  This book should be read  because it is based on facts and shows how people lived long ago.

A new student review of Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse by Jolene Stockman

VBat posted a new student review of Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse by Jolene Stockman. See the full review.

Jawbreaker: A Guide to the (U)niverse was a fun, confidence-boosting pep talk.  Extended metaphors, anecdotes and the use of 2nd person made the book easy to read and understand. I enjoyed trying out the "muscle testing," and the bold, confidence-boosting language definitely brightened my mood.

My favorite part about the book is it's light, entertaining tone. The book throws around words like "razamatazically" and "niggles," and includes anecdotes about fish, stealing, and bad job experiences. These elements, along with the confidence-boosting language, make the book perfectly suited for pre-teen and teen girls looking for inspiration in their quest for happiness and self-assurance. 

Despite this light and happy tone, I found some statements in the book to be very off-putting. These bold claims are meant to be empowering, but felt awkward and misplaced.  At one point, the author claims that "You are the center of everything. The world revolves around you." The book continues with the idea that the reader is the most important thing in the world, and even suggests that individuals can "decide exactly what [they] want, order it, and completely relax until it arrives." While I can certainly see the confidence-building potential of these statements, I feel as though they are not particularly relevant in today's society. This line of thinking could easily encourage self-centeredness, and blind trust in "the universe" to deliver our dreams on a silver platter is ridiculous in this economy. 

All in all, I would have preferred to see more practical ways for the reader to achieve their goals included in the book. However, I would definitely recommend this book to pre-teen and teen girls who need a confidence boost, feel stuck in their situation, or want to take some time to get to know themselves.

A new student review of Lunch Lady adn the Schoolwide Scuffle

cowboys1 posted a new student review of Lunch Lady adn the Schoolwide Scuffle . See the full review.

I really enjoy graphic novels, especially funny ones.  This book has a unique storyline.  I like that it made the leaders of the school evil because sometimes I feel my real teacher and principal are mean!  It would be nice to have a super hero like Lunch Lady to come in and rescue me!

A new student review of Brian, His Granddad and the Cup of Ages by P.J. Taylor

sschu5 posted a new student review of Brian, His Granddad and the Cup of Ages by P.J. Taylor. See the full review.

This book was a great book for young readers like me. It had a lot of suspense,I kept wanting to read it even when I knew I couldn't. It was exciting but slightly easy. The hardest part of reading it was that it had funky words. I really think you'll like it.

A new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin

katherine posted a new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin. See the full review.

I think this book was an overall winner. I enjoyed this book a lot because you could fall right off your chair from laughing so hard. This book is filled with suspense about the main character and her best friend. I think it is good for teenagers, and they will love the things inside.  

A new student review of Storm

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Storm . See the full review.

Exciting, scary, and wonderful all describe this book.  It is one of those books that once you pick it up you don't ever want to put it down. Once Sebah was on board there was not as much action but I knew if she was discovered things would not go well for her.  This kept me reading to find out what happened. My favorite part is when Sebah is living in a tree because you could not imagine how she could stay alive and when her next meal would come.  I think the author did a great job of making this story seem as if it was really happening.  I know all of these things did not happen to Noah and his family but it did make me think I was living on the Ark with them.

A new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen. See the full review.

Honestly, this book was disappointing. The character development was certainly not up to par.  The few supporting characters were distressingly weak, and MIKE--Mike is the typical teenage stereotype.  I mean, I know he lost his dad, but that gives the author no reason to totally demolish the character and his personality in a quick succession of fits of anger and moodiness.  It seemed so rushed.  Half the book seemed to be a quick sprint toward the subject that the author REALLY wanted to write about--a courtroom melodrama that everyone saw coming.  And the ending—tied up in sloppy bows, tons of plot lines left unresolved, and a predictable “The End”. Sure, it was a solid book technically speaking--good vocab, descriptive writing, sound structure—but it just didn’t work that way I felt it should have.  Potential abounds—but I felt that Justesen could have done better for herself and the characters she wrote about in this book.

                “I watch the white car pull away from the mortuary, signal, and merge onto the main road….....Maggie softly cries.  I am completely numb.”

                I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, as it only has mild expletives and one sexual situation.  Everything else stays in check pretty well.

                Alone and afraid, will Mike to be able to fight for his right to stay where he believes he belongs—or will his mother finally get her way and rip him from everything he’s ever known?  The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justeten is the only way to find out!