A new student review of Exposure by Kathy Reichs Brendan Reichs

Shay-Ainahs posted a new student review of Exposure by Kathy Reichs Brendan Reichs. See the full review.

A good book, though Reich's quick, clipped sentences are extremely noticeable, even more so at climaxes and deeply emotional parts. Sorta raw, but leaving plenty of hints and possibilities. Really good, though!

A new student review of The Beautiful and the Damned by Jessica Verday

Soul2580 posted a new student review of The Beautiful and the Damned by Jessica Verday. See the full review.

I would suggest this book to a lot of my friends and family. It was fun to read, the author did a great job on making the book feel like this type of thing could acually happen in real life.

A new student review of The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

Samamarz posted a new student review of The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel. See the full review.

The Break Up Artist is a quick and easy read; it relies heavily on female 2 dimensional stereotypes and has a very thin plot, making it easy to just pick up and read. The narration can get annoying, and often I wished any of the characters—especially the girls—had substance. All the girls talked about was relationships, and this book does not pass the Bechdal Test. The Bechdal Test tests whether a book/movie/whatever has fair representation of women. There are only 2 qualifications to pass: 1) there are 2 or more female characters 2) they talk to each other at some point about something other than a man. The lack of complexity in the female characters was insulting because all of the girls could have been stand ins for the other girls. Also, another concerning thing was that it was always the girl’s fault when a relationship went bad, and they were all so desperate to be in a relationship that the guys in the school could be obnoxious and still have girls fighting over them. Overall, I thought the idea was clever and original, but the execution was terrible.

A new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman

burkekat97 posted a new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book, though when I first started reading the book it was hard to connect and I almost thought of it as boring.  I am very happy that I chose to continue reading on. If I hadn't, I would have missed a very eventful story. Throughout this story there where a few points that made you want to keep reading so you could find out what would happen next. Greg Weisman did a good job at packing this story full of cliffhangers. I did find it very strange that the narrator was a dog.

A new student review of The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel. See the full review.

I thoroughly enjoyed “The Break-Up Artist." A sweet yet spicy chick story, it satisfied my desire to read a flirty yet interesting book. The first selling point for me was that Siegel kept consistency in nearly everything. This allowed me to enjoy the story and eagerly watch Siegel’s characters develop. Becca, Siegel’s main character, held my attention through her development and growth in both her character and choices. Humor danced upon Siegel’s story, making me chuckle every few pages or so. It was so refreshing to see the character grow from a frightened person to a strong one. Siegel’s characters all learnt something and, through his smooth storytelling style, the reader did too.

A great summer read for all, “The Break-Up Artist” is on my list of top beach books. I give this 5 out of 5 stars for applause worthy character development, fantastic plot and overall job well done.

Recommended for ages 13+

A new student review of Cold Calls by Charles Benoit

druryj posted a new student review of Cold Calls by Charles Benoit. See the full review.

This so far is the best book i've read in a really long time.  i suggest this book to young teens. I would say kids under 10 sholdn't read this book.  I say that because of all the swear words in it.  i think it is really cool how at the end they leave you with a cliffhanger!  the whole "I know your secret" thing I didn't get when I first started reading it, but when I was about half way through the book I finally started to get the gist.  It is a great book and I hope other people think so too!                              ~ Julia ~

                                                                                                     

A new student review of Cold Calls by Charles Benoit

druryj posted a new student review of Cold Calls by Charles Benoit. See the full review.

This so far is the best book i've read in a really long time.  i suggest this book to young teens. I would say kids under 10 sholdn't read this book.  I say that because of all the swear words in it.  i think it is really cool how at the end they leave you with a cliffhanger!  the whole "I know your secret" thing I didn't get when I first started reading it, but when I was about half way through the book I finally started to get the gist.  It is a great book and I hope other people think so too!                              ~ Julia ~

                                                                                                     

A new student review of Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child. See the full review.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next book.  The mystery had several little parts that made it into a big mystery.  I thought it was fun to try to solve the mysteries before Ruby but I never could get it quite right.  I liked that Ruby asked a lot of questions and I could tell that all her questions irritated the grownups a bit.  When Hitch made up a story to explain why he arrived earlier than expected I thought it was humorous.  I liked how the author made me feel like I was part of the book instead of just reading it. 

A new student review of The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan. See the full review.

When I first started this series, I felt as if I had taken a chance—the plot a little unconventional, borderline atypical, the type of plot that could easily be dismissed as odd, angsty, gothic nonsense within the first few chapters if not written correctly.  However, I am happy to say I am glad I let myself take that chance.  This book was very solid, and, unlike some other sequels, a good follow-up from its predecessor, The Beautiful and the Cursed.  The characters’ developed well-- Gabby, who I (at first) judged as shallow and factious, developed into a strong, independent warrior with an iron will and a fiery heart.  Grayson, the tortured and guilt-ridden brother, also added a different complex to the plot. However, our Lady Ingrid seemed too wishy-washy and immature--she couldn’t make up her mind! It was almost as if she and Gabby switched roles.  Before reading this novel, I would definitely recommend reading The Beautiful and the Cursed (the first installment of the Dispossessed series), as it helps make this sequel more enjoyable and easier to understand.  The plot ended with a good cliffhanger that definitely set up the third book well to keep the reader interested and entertained.  With deception, drama, dysfunction, and Morgan’s unique, flowing prose that is rarely paralleled, I look forward to continuing to read and enjoy her works.

“If anyone knew what he’d done in London….they would realize he shouldn’t be hunting anything.  They would realize they should be hunting him.”

I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, for minor expletives, slightly morbid themes, violence, and mentions of intimacy.

Will Ingrid, Gabby, Grayson, Luc, and the Alliance all come out unscathed and get what they most desire in the end?  Read Page Morgan’s The Lovely and the Lost to find out!

A new student review of Swim That Rock by Jay Primiano John Rocco

bringtheawesome posted a new student review of Swim That Rock by Jay Primiano John Rocco. See the full review.

Personaly  I liked this book. It's about passion, dedication, and tragedy. They also had a little love, and action scenes in there as well.

A new student review of Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Keaton by Matt Phelan

cowboys1 posted a new student review of Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Keaton by Matt Phelan. See the full review.

I like graphic novels, so I enjoyed the book. However, it would have been just as good of a story if it was written like a regular novel.  This way though, it may attract more reluctant readers.  My favorite parts were the tricks that they played on people.  I was surprised that although this story was mostly very funny, it had a sort of serious ending.  I liked that I found out the decisions that Henry made when he was older and how Buster still influenced his life.

A new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1) by Lauren Ashley

EmilyFredricks posted a new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1) by Lauren Ashley. See the full review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had a good mixture of fighting, love, and intensity.  The plot was well written and it kept me interested. There were no boring parts that I had to push myself through. All of the characters had a point in the story and none of them were there for no reason. This book left me waiting for the next one to come out. It was overall a fast-paced book which I really enjoy. There was at least one fight scene in every other chapter. Awakening was a bold, amazing story about breaking out of your shell.

A new student review of Masks by E. C. Blake

kanati posted a new student review of Masks by E. C. Blake. See the full review.

Masks by E.C. Blake is the first book in his fantasy series Masks of Aygrima and is set in what at first glance seems to a utopian society but as we dive farther in we find a war brewing behind closed doors. At first I thought that the main character seemed a little too sheltered for my tastes, but a few chapters into the book she is thrown into what many people in her hometown would consider a living nightmare and seems to come to terms with what the world really is like. Each of Blake's characters have surprisingly unique personalities, usually with stricking backstories to match, but somehow he manages to weave them into a perfectly cohesive storyline. Overall I beleive this is a good opener to the series and can't wait to see how the author manages to develope this story further. I would recomend this book to any teens or young adults looking for a different type of series than most everything that is currently out there.

A new student review of Lost Children of the Far Islands by Emily Raabe

aeehrhardt posted a new student review of Lost Children of the Far Islands by Emily Raabe. See the full review.

I loved LOST CHILDREN OF THE FAR ISLANDS. It was spellbinding! The many cliffhangers all lead to unexpected outcomes. Emily Raabe had me guessing what would happen next, and then I found out that I was completely and utterly wrong. The characters were mysterious and outgoing. I definitely hope that there will be a sequel to LOST CHILDREN OF THE FAR ISLANDS, maybe even another three or four books. My favorite character was Gus because she is so much like my best friend, she has the same interests and the same goals. I also liked the Bedell because he was trustworthy in the end.

A new student review of The School for Good and Evil #2: A World without Princes by Soman Chainani

tlang posted a new student review of The School for Good and Evil #2: A World without Princes by Soman Chainani. See the full review.

This series is so amazing from the beginning to the last page. I could not put it down-- I immediately fell in love with the School for Good and Evil, A World Without Princes, like I did with the first book. It's funny, sad, adventurous, and has good ol' friendship.  

A new student review of Blind Curve by Elizabeth Karre

sisto8 posted a new student review of Blind Curve by Elizabeth Karre. See the full review.

This book was okay.  It was kind of disappointing because it was short.  Reading a short book is kind of boring because the reader can’t really get into the book and its characters before it is over.  The characters weren’t very strong.  They weren’t people that somebody would want to care too much about.  The story wasn’t written in a good way.  It seemed very predictable by appearing like step 1, step 2, etc.  The writing was very good, just not the story.  I don’t recommend this book for anyone under 13.

A new student review of CINDERELLA: The Classic Version of the Popular Fairy Tale by Michael Jason McElroy

Nixie Wind posted a new student review of CINDERELLA: The Classic Version of the Popular Fairy Tale by Michael Jason McElroy. See the full review.

I liked this book because it described the plot very well. It was written in a creative, rhyming, poetic fashion that I enjoyed. I don’t think it was quite good enough for five stars because the beginning was not as “attention-grabbing.” I would recommend this book to other people because they would like this variation of the way the book was originally written.

A new student review of Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner

featherwhisker posted a new student review of Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner. See the full review.

I couldn't make it through this entire book without forcing myself to read it. If you look at most narratives, they follow Aristole's plot triangle, which begins with backround information. This book gives you basically no backround information. I can see what the author was going for, which was where the characters develop throughout the story, but it's not done right. It's like starting a movie halfway through, you have no idea what's going on or who anyone is. 

It's also very hard to understand what the main character is like. She'll be brave and strong one chapter, and the next be afraid to do anything. This makes it hard to like her, and having likeable characters is an important part of a good book. 

The story also moves very slowly, but speeds through the exciting parts. She spends a few chapters talking about walking through some woods, a city, and talking to some people, but only a short amount of time talking about being attacked.

A new student review of The Land of Dragor: The Gift of Charms (Book One) by Julia Suzuki

mr.mikle posted a new student review of The Land of Dragor: The Gift of Charms (Book One) by Julia Suzuki. See the full review.

What I love about this story is how it brings you into the world of Dragor. The author just creates a beautiful image in your head, when you read this fabulous tale. As you read along, you could imagine these giant and colorful dragons flying around their homeland. It's almost like you're there in a land full of dragons, and each dragon has their own personality. In general, I think this story is wonderful.

                As much as I love this story, there are things that I don’t like about it. Most characters here are bland, and one dimensional. Not only that, the story introduces random characters. Then a couple pages later, we don’t see them again for the rest of the story. We barely see the friends that Yoshiko hangs out with. In fact if this story was focused on Yoshiko and his friends, then it would be a little bit more interesting. There are some things that are still unexplained, which is very confusing. For example, why exactly does Yoshiko change color? Overall this story has its flaws, but it is still an enjoyable reading experience

A new student review of Rapture (Rapture Trilogy) by Phillip W. Simpson

alivyah posted a new student review of Rapture (Rapture Trilogy) by Phillip W. Simpson. See the full review.

Rapture is a very intense book. What I didn't like about the book is that there were a few typos (Ebook copy). There also wasn't enough romance. Another thing is that the book didn't captivate me enough in the beginning.

What I did like about Rapture is that it told about the past as well as the present.

This book is a great read because it has: action, adventure, surprises, and a touch of romance. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars and would recommend this book to ages 12 and up. Have a great time reading!!!

A new student review of Magic in the Park by Ruth Chew

Boomer123 posted a new student review of Magic in the Park by Ruth Chew. See the full review.

I really liked Jennifer because she was nice and generous to everyone in the book.  Mike is Jennifer’s best friend who goes on adventures with her. The book has slow adventures that you can enjoy for many pages. This book is not scary.   

I would give this book five stars because I liked the adventures the characters went on.     

 

 

A new student review of Short Circus by Stephen V. Masse

nictaf posted a new student review of Short Circus by Stephen V. Masse. See the full review.

I loved this book and hope there will be a book two.  This is a funny, thrilling, imaginative book.  It caught my attention immediately when Jem broke his arm and kept my attention until the very last page.  My favorite characters are Jem, who is there for everyone and willing to help others; Jesse, who is very kind-hearted and funny; and Chris, who is friendly and good at stunts with his dirt bike.  I would recommend this book to kids ages 9 and up because there is some strong language and a little violence.  Stephen V. Masse did an excellent job on this book.  I hope kids find this book as appealing as I did.

A new student review of Happily Never After by Missy Fleming

jenny3940 posted a new student review of Happily Never After by Missy Fleming. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book because I was entertained and kept in suspense from beginning to end. The characters were all great in keeping character and I never knew what would happen next to any of them. Missy Fleming did a great job in keeping the story intresting by adding new twists and turns throughout the book. I loved that I was able to follow along and learn about the southern history with the characters in first-person form.  I highly recommend this book for supernatural romance/mystery book addicts!

A new student review of Elegy by Amanda Hocking

Eowyn7 posted a new student review of Elegy by Amanda Hocking. See the full review.

I am sorry to say that this was a truly disappointing book. While Amanda Hocking has created an amazing world, her characters fall a bit short. At the beginning of the series, her characters were great. However, they never changed throughout the series, and by the time you hit the fourth book, you're completely bored with them. For example, when you first meet Penn, she seems like a control freak who uses people to get what she wants. For an introduction to an antagonist, that's fine. At the end of the series she is still like that. She never really gets much deeper. The only reason the readers get for her actions is that she's a spoiled brat. Well, we knew that from book one. It isn't just Penn. None of the characters really grow. The plot was amazing, but it took up the entire book. There was no room for things like character development. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, honestly.

A new student review of Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse

sschu5 posted a new student review of Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse. See the full review.

I love this book because of the way the author writes. He creates some amazing events and some crazy people to keep the story interesting. I really like the beginning when Orion’s life totally changes. I think the whole idea that his life changes in a snap is just amazing; it is also cool that it keeps you wanting more. So if you like adventures that are a little dangerous, you will love this book.

A new student review of Magpie & Dilly by Rhonna M. Wilburn

sschu5 posted a new student review of Magpie & Dilly by Rhonna M. Wilburn. See the full review.

I liked the beginning and end, but it took me a while to read the middle because it slowed down, so I lost interest. It is a good story nonetheless because it keeps you guessing as the plot changes through the chapters. It makes you think differently as the story evolves. Although the story was mildly entertaining, this was not my favorite book. 

A new student review of The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook

tweety16 posted a new student review of The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook. See the full review.

I like this book because at the beginning it makes you think you know what's going to happen, but twists are thrown in. It has a little mystery and romance that add to the book. Also this book makes you want to keep reading it to the end.

A new student review of The Trouble With Magic

LegoLover posted a new student review of The Trouble With Magic . See the full review.

This was the first book written by Ruth Chew that I have read.  The story line and adventurous plot kept me interested, and the characters were so realistic they were jumping off the pages at me.  It was also excellently illustrated really bringing out the story with each page turn.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in anything magical.

A new student review of Fates

blossom3878 posted a new student review of Fates . See the full review.

The novel Fates, is an amazing book. If you like science fiction, romance novels, or both, this is your book.  It is great if you want a cliff-hanger, too. If you're like me, then you will cry at the end. Thats how well this book was written. Fates is a definite favorite of all the books I've read. I highly recommend this book.

A new student review of When the World Ends... by J. J. Marshall

Dylan V. posted a new student review of When the World Ends... by J. J. Marshall. See the full review.

I would give this book a 4/5 because of the slow start to the book. It is very slow and uninteresting early on, but gets better. It turns out to be a very entertaining and action packed book with a good plot.

If you like Sci-Fi and medium action books, this is a great read!

A new student review of Change of Heart

sisto8 posted a new student review of Change of Heart . See the full review.

I like this book because of the excitement.  Robbie was always going up trails, sometimes turning back to the main trail until she found the correct answer.  I couldn’t stop reading the book after the first page.  The entire book was realistic.  The characters were very real.  The fights always sounded like what fights are.  The characters appeared to be like normal people.  Robbie was like a real detective, but she didn’t go past the boundaries of being a teen.  This book is good for anyone 12+.  I recommend it to anyone who loves mystery mixed with adventure.

A new student review of Knee Deep by Jolene Perry

Don'tBlink posted a new student review of Knee Deep by Jolene Perry. See the full review.

I loved the book. The way Knee Deep was written made everything so real. I felt like I knew Ronnie and how bad her situation was made me feel bad. Everything that happened made it seem so real, like I was actually living inside the story. Every twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. The story made this bad situation real; it felt like I was living Ronnie's life.

A new student review of In Too Deep

alliepaige13 posted a new student review of In Too Deep . See the full review.

This book is really good in some parts, then in others it seems really boring, but it always has a twist to pull you back in. The twists are mostly about the home for boys because a lot of things happen there. Overall, it's an okay book.

A new student review of The Arrow Catcher by Jim Mather

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of The Arrow Catcher by Jim Mather. See the full review.

This book was okay. It wasn't excellent, and it wasn't terrible. It was a good story, but some portions of it seemed very disconnected from the parts that had just come before, and this made it confusing and more difficult to figure ot exactly what was going on. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was brought up in the beginning, and I thought that it would be important to the rest of the story. It wasn't, just in the beginning as a reason for Jonathan's parents to die. The rest of the conflict throughout the book is the tension between the Japanese and the Americans. I think that the beginning could have been tied a bit more into what the rest of the book would be about. There were also a lot of different characters to keep track of, and this further confused me when I was reading it. There were a lot of Japanese characters with similar names and different roles in the story. They would appear and disappear for a few chapters then come back later. It was just difficult to keep track of without writing out a list.

Overall, this book was mildly entertaining. Some elements of the story were creative and good, but others seemed to come out of nowhere and have little to do with anything else. Because of this, I'm only going to give this book three stars. Not terrible, but could have been better.

A new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1) by Lauren Ashley

mail4chase@yahoo.com posted a new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1) by Lauren Ashley. See the full review.

Awakening was a phenomenal book. It had a very good mixture of fighting, love, and intensity. The storyline was well written and kept me interested and there were no boring parts that I struggled to get through. Lauren did a great job of explaining each character and how they fit into the story, each character had a mission and a point, and none of them were there for no reason. I am very excited for the next book to come out, for while this story ended well, it left room for a lot more. I am sure Lauren will pull through and come out with another amazing book that will create just as much suspense and intensity as the last one, if not more. I am looking forward to read the next one and I plan on rereading this one. Anyone who enjoys magic, fiction, love, fighting, or just a good book should definitely look into reading Awakening.

A new student review of Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron

tkh2002 posted a new student review of Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron . See the full review.

This was a fantastic book. I absolutely loved learning about the wild boy and his experiences. One critique that I have is that I wish there was a little more sensory details. While I know that a lot about the wild boy's life is a mystery, I believe there were a few moments in the book where the author could've added a good description. But overall, this book was extremely enjoyable to read and I think the author deserves a round of applause. Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron is a book you should definitely read.

A new student review of Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse

dancechicka posted a new student review of Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse. See the full review.

I would describe this book as inconsistent. In some parts, it was airtight, truly incredible writing. In others, it was all in pieces. There was explosive dialogue with a wonderful addend of dialect, but, then, there were too many inside phrases, too many I thinks and I did’s…..they never spoke aloud! Sometimes the sentences were too long and too awkward, with redundant descriptions that sat on the borderline of mind-numbing. The setting also changed too much—it seemed like the explorers were in a new place every couple of pages. I also felt that the author, at the end of the book, went the easy way out on some of the major plot holes that the book had, covering them with shoddily executed one-liners that didn’t really relate. One thing that this book was consistent AND exceptional in was the characterization.  Summerhouse’s character development and personalities made them almost irresistible—you loved some, you hated some, you connected with some. It was flawless. Altogether, though, I felt it was a slightly bogus book that could have been executed better.

“I was falling through a shadow of snow.  The next something solid came flying up out of nowhere and –SMACK!—everything went black.”

I would recommend this book for all ages, as there is no profanity and sexual situations. There is a little bit of violence and death, so if that bothers you, you may want to skip over this book.

Will Orion Poe be able to solve the mystery of the Lost Explorer AND find a way to get home unscathed and alive?  Read Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse to find out!

A new student review of Julius Caesar Brown and the Green Gas Mystery by Ace Hansen

baseballal posted a new student review of Julius Caesar Brown and the Green Gas Mystery by Ace Hansen. See the full review.

I think that this would be a great book for kids 8-12 who like gross stuff and humorous books. I bet you would like reading this book if you are a fan of Captain Underpants.  The humor is very similar and super silly.

A new student review of A Force of Will A Shakespearean Fantasy Adventure by D.J. Wallace

awalker10 posted a new student review of A Force of Will A Shakespearean Fantasy Adventure by D.J. Wallace. See the full review.

I did not particularly enjoy this book, because although I can untangle most decorative language, this story was written in such an ornamental manner that it was nearly undecipherable. The addition of fictional terms and names for futuristic objects made this book extrememly hard to follow. Unnecessary word use further entangled the plot, and gross exaggerations and childish plot lines made it hard to enjoy. The combination of vocabulary that would confound a high-level scholar and a plot line that would bore an elementary student made it hard to gauge who the intended audience was. Confusing descriptions made for difficult transitioning between settings and people, so it was hard to tell what was happening during the conflict. It would make much more sense if the author made it so it was targeted at a specific audience, because the simplistic and unoriginal plot is that of a children's book, while the vocabulary is extremely high level, and in some places completely invented- such as that of the futuristic objects and ceremonies in the book. Because of this, I could not rate the book very highly. 

A new student review of Seasons of Raina by Milissa Nelson

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Seasons of Raina by Milissa Nelson. See the full review.

If there were a book that never ended this would be the book  I would choose.  I really liked Raina and her relationship to her cousins.  Some of them were younger and some of the cousins were older. Since I am the oldest of six children, I liked that Raina was in the middle and could relate to the older and younger cousins.  When Raina discovers she is good at track I was very excited for her and I was eager to see if she would win each of her races. The author did a great job of making me want to see what happened with Raina.  

A new student review of Fat Angie

hg2008 posted a new student review of Fat Angie . See the full review.

When I read the back of this book I was so excited; this book sounded so different and so fresh, and I thought it would be a book I loved. However, I was extremely dissapointed. My frist disappointment was the character of Angie. She even called herself Fat Angie and was so sad throughout the whole book that I got tired of her self-pity.

One thing that made her sad was that she was bullied by the kids at school. Yes, I know bullying happens and people can be very mean to others, but the things that they did to her I kind of didn't buy. The things they did to her reminded me of the bullying seen in the book, Carrie and that made this book seem not so fresh or creative anymore. At the end of the book, we find out why the head mean girl bullies Angie, and the reason just doesn't make sense, and there could have been a much better ending with that story.

I also really didn't like the other characters. They all got annoying as the book progressed. I was so disappointed with K.C.. I thought I would love her as her character. She has many of the same interest as me, but the author takes this fun creative character and makes her depressing and sad.

Another thing that disappointed me about this boook was that it was supposed to be an Anti Romance, but it turned into a romance.

Also the ending was kind of just left open. There really was no ending, and I think several of the situations could of been resolved in better ways.

Overall, I sadly cannot reccomend this book. It's very depressing and disappointing.

A new student review of The Summer of Shambles (Ondine Book #1) by Ebony McKenna

MIZZIQ posted a new student review of The Summer of Shambles (Ondine Book #1) by Ebony McKenna. See the full review.

The main reasons I didn’t choose to finish the book was how the author chose to draw me into the story, and the tone of the part of the book I read. To me personally, the plot itself was not enough to push the story forward. I didn’t feel connected to the characters or what they were doing. A book can have a fine plot, and be executed poorly, and that’s what I believe happened here. It was a mix of humor with serious characters that didn’t make me laugh. The real cool thing that I was intrigued by was the commentary-type format that the book was in; numbers by certain comments to describe the country, a magical background, etc. This was a very neat aspect, especially in the introduction. However, as much I liked it though, I believe this also lent itself to the strange humor of the book. It wasn’t so much as the story involving funny characters (which I probably would have enjoyed more) , but the author seemed to be making light of the story itself, which in turn made me consider the characters as boring or flat. So the overall tone of the book may very well be perfectly suited to someone else’s humor, which I definitely can appreciate. If you’ve read books like this before then you will most likely enjoy the adorable characters (especially the ferret) and magical world. I, however, could not enjoy the book as much because the tone wasn’t suited for me. The introduction was something that I needed to draw me in as well, which did not happen. I didn’t feel as though the characters were either introduced properly, or were possibly just not interesting enough, for me to care very much about them. Most of these things though, I realize, are very subjective, and I really appreciated the creativity that went into this book, the commentary, and the fun world that was drawn up. I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

A new student review of The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

verybookly posted a new student review of The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa. See the full review.

The third and final installment to the Blood of Edem trilogy certainly didn't disappoint. The story starts with Allie Sekemoto bent on revenge for the murder of her love and that was that aspect I loved to see play out the most. A number of characters avoid revenge and take the higher ground but Allie wouldn't. She wanted to avenge which I think a number of any people would do in her shoes.

Although the story begins with revenge, it's about more than that. Sarren, the vampire who murdered who Allie's love, is determined to release a virus that will destroy all living things. While that lends itself to be a line of tension in the novel, I feel that The Forever Song certainly went beyond expectations with conflict. For me, the first two books felt more action-packed and while the third book contained great action scenes, it felt like the conflicts in this story stemmed more from emotional turmoil and emotional manipulation. 

The Forever Song maintained its dark mood that has been evident from the first novel. Allie Sekemoto's voice is clear and strong, as it has been from the beginning, and immediately pulled me back into the story after having been away from the second book for awhile. It was also great to see the development of Allie and Jackal's relationship; a relationship I think the story couldn't function without.

The Forever Song was a great ending to an already wonderful trilogy.

A new student review of Close by Erika Raskin

zkraus posted a new student review of Close by Erika Raskin. See the full review.

Close by Erika Raskin was a very well written book. I really enjoyed it. I breezed through it! The characters were so complex, and the way they were written made what was going through their head so easy to understand. The humor intertwined throughout this book was beautifully executed, and realistic. It was kind of a tear-jerker! This book isn't just for adolescents, adults would enjoy it just as much. It gives you an insightful look on the inside of a divorced family- and shows you the similarities between every family that you may think no one may ever understand. I can't wait to read more by this author!

 

A new student review of Mirror of Stone by Corie Weaver

mrthebeast posted a new student review of Mirror of Stone by Corie Weaver. See the full review.

Starting with what I like in the book, the most apparent thing that you could see from page one was the description, even from the beginning I was able to completely visualize the setting of the book. The characters were also very realistic, they had their flaws, and the line between good and bad, like in real life, was not perfectly clear (which is definitely a good thing). One last thing that I found amazing was the suspense at the end of every chapter or before the setting changed.

On the flip side I did feel the author’s descriptive language started to die out as the story progressed, which did detract a little from the quality of the book at the end.  I also did not like how easily some of the characters were willing to change their views throughout the book.

In the end, this was a great story and the flaws that I pointed out did not take away that much from the book as a whole. I would easily give this book 5/5 stars, and would recommend this book to kids ages 13 and up, of both genders. While there was not much bad language used throughout the book, the plot was intricate and I do feel that some younger readers would not comprehend and enjoy the book fully.

A new student review of Grace and Dignity by Laura Grody

sisto8 posted a new student review of Grace and Dignity by Laura Grody. See the full review.

I love this book! The characters were interesting; Princess Grace is my favorite. The characters were humorous, but they stayed in the character block of what characters are supposed to be. They were sad and gloomy when they needed to be, but they cheered up about everything that was good…except Prince Denial. The adventure was so perfectly amazing to read. I read the whole book like ten times. I really enjoyed the ending. When I finished the book, the ending made the entire book worth reading again. I think every story should have a strong ending for the reader to look forward to like this one. I recommend this book for everyone 12+. 

A new student review of The Templeton Twins Have An Idea by Ellis Weiner

admin posted a new student review of The Templeton Twins Have An Idea by Ellis Weiner. See the full review.

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A new student review of Noggin

chinchilla97 posted a new student review of Noggin . See the full review.

Noggin by John Corey Whaley is the most bizzare book I have ever read, and I loved it. I had never heard of a kid getting his cut off and reattached to another body, and honestly, Whaley did an amazing job of making that crazy idea into a realistic story. The characters are lovable, maybe a bit strange in the best way, and very relatable; they know what true friendship means. Written in the first person, you really live the whole experience with Travis. For example, when Travis would do something stupid and embarrassing, I would have to close the book and breathe for a second because I could feel his embarrassment. It made me laugh and cry in a good way, and left me wanting more. The writing style was hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time, though the amount of swearing was distracting and unnecessary to the story. Overall, I thought it a very unique and fun book, and would recommend it to others.

A new student review of Tour of the Merrimack

farmerboy posted a new student review of Tour of the Merrimack . See the full review.

 

After reading the description on the back, I was certain that I would like this book.  As I began to read, I wanted to like this book.  As I continued reading, I worked at liking this book.  But in the end, I didn’t like this book.  What kept me from liking it?  

 

  Writing-style

 

It definitely wasn’t the unusual writing-style.  Though I thought it needed to be refined a bit, I could appreciate its uniqueness, and could easily see others enjoying it as is.  The heavy use of implied subjects constituted an interesting and engaging technique.  Although short sentences were necessary for this, they were overused elsewhere, which made for an undue choppiness that detracted from the skillful use of implied subjects.

 

Plot-line

 

It wasn’t even the plot-line.  That was okay, except that it was like a bulldozer, stuck in quicksand, moving in first gear.  It was dramatic, potentially gripping and exciting, but so painfully, agonizingly S L O W . . .  and D R A W N    O U T . . .

 

Character Development

 

Some of it was the character development, or the lack thereof.  To that end there were descriptive paragraphs when each character was introduced, along with occasional factual passages sprinkled throughout the book to fill in the blanks.  Without these I would have been completely lost.  

 

Dialogue

 

Some of it was the dialogue.  That was almost funny when the author had the otherwise two-dimensional characters crack some “witty” yet cliché-ish and unreasonably terse banter.  Unfortunately, banter seemed to be the only purpose of dialogue in this book, since it contributed nothing towards developing the characters.  In addition, the lines struck me as being of the one-size-fits-all variety; it seemed as though they were factory-made and applied to each character at random.  Instead of using dialogue to help move the plot along, the author employed...

 

DRAMATIC ACTION SCENES!!!!!!!!!!

 

These appeared ad nauseum, and were the only reason the story went anywhere.  They kept my attention for about the first chapter, after which they became a melodramatic distraction from an otherwise tedious plot.  I would have been able to enjoy them if they had been used a little more sparingly and less like duct tape.  As it was, it seemed as though any time the author hit a snag in the plot, out would pop a “DRAMATIC ACTION SCENE!!!!!” to distract you from it.

 

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, I found the book to be choppy and draggy overall with certain points over-sensationalized.  The characters were flat and undeveloped to the point of being almost indistinguishable from one another.  Dialogue was poorly used.  I did, however, find the writing-style interesting.

A new student review of Happily Never After by Missy Fleming

jenny3940 posted a new student review of Happily Never After by Missy Fleming. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book because I was entertained and kept in suspense from beginning to end. The characters were all great in keeping character and I never knew what would happen next to ether one of them. I highly recommend this book for supernatural romance/mystery book addicts!

A new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer

sisto8 posted a new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer. See the full review.

This book was very interesting.  I read the first book and I liked it a lot.  I suggest reading the first book before reading this book so everything makes sense.  The author did an awesome job with the characters.  The characters seemed familiar and their personalities stayed the same as the first book.  The setting was very realistic, it wasn’t a made up fantasyland.  The author gave a clear picture of what the setting was like around the characters.  The book did seem a little foggy on some of the story details.  I left the book asking myself questions about what happened and how it happened.  I recommend this book for anyone who read the first book and enjoyed it.

A new student review of Lupus Rex

spickle posted a new student review of Lupus Rex . See the full review.

The book was well-written and intriguing from the very start, with just enough mystery and romance to keep it versatile and interesting. I chose a favorite character almost immediately because of the sufficient information given. The character development is fabulous. I think, though, I could do with a little less descriptiveness during some action/battle scenes. Not all of them are too violent, and a diverse array of words is used throughout. Overall, this is definitely a book I want to read over and over.            

A new student review of Tramp: A Detective's Story by Bill Kennedy

blackbeauty posted a new student review of Tramp: A Detective's Story by Bill Kennedy. See the full review.

This book was very interesting; I loved it. When I was reading it I could not put it down. It gets more interesting as the book goes on. The book has some sad parts, but most of it is happy. It even has some funny parts. One of the funny parts of the book was when and how Tramp gets a family.

A new student review of The Break-Up Artist

XxtidaxX posted a new student review of The Break-Up Artist . See the full review.

I waited quite a while to read this book, but let me tell you, it was well worth the wait! I got so sucked into The Break-Up Artist that I couldn't put it down for a whole weekend. I couldn't wait to see what happened next and to find out how everything would pan out. I would recommend this book to anyone! Truly an amazing book!

A new student review of The Golden Day

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Golden Day . See the full review.

I felt that this book was definitely on the more sinister/morbid side, but found it pretty disappointing for a couple of reasons.  Almost from the very beginning foreshadowing the happenstance of bad things to come, the tone meant to create a scene that kept you on pins and needles.  However, I felt that this creepiness was slightly overdone.   The author just seemed to try too hard to make sure you realized something bad was going to happen.  The characters were hard to relate to—the purpose was to make the reader pity or sympathize with the girls, but I just found them annoying and juvenile.  I also felt that many things mentioned in the novel were unrelated to the plot, with extravagant distribution of characters and other plot lines that led to nowhere.  Two girls were the only characters that were explored in-depth, and even then, the writing was vague.    Though the author had a wonderful vocabulary and prose to make the book sound refined and polished, I still felt that the book could have been better to make a more enjoyable read.

                “That’s what they were waiting for….Miss Baskerville would speak, and they would know what had really happened.  Any moment now.”

                I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, because, though there is no profanity or other indecency, there is that undertone of horridness and fear the could disturb younger readers.

                The eleven girl’s lives changed the one day in the cave by the sea.  Will The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky change yours, too?

A new student review of The Zombie Rule Book: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide by Tony Newton

scifiguy posted a new student review of The Zombie Rule Book: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide by Tony Newton. See the full review.

I enjoyed The Zombie Rule Book because it was comical while being serious. The tips and rules would most likely be useful in the event of a zombie apocalypse. It was hard to put down the book once I started to read.

A new student review of Say It Ain't So

Dsun_ posted a new student review of Say It Ain't So . See the full review.

I felt that this story immediately captivated me from the start. Josh Berk has an incredibly good natural tone, as if he was Lenny talking to the reader. I lent Say It Ain't So to a friend during an extremely long testing period because he was bored and after reading for a while, he said it was really good and asked to read it later. After quickly reading it, he told me he really enjoyed the book and would love to read any other books by Josh Berk. I introduced him to the other book called Strike Three, You’re Dead.  Although Say It Ain't So was an incredible book, I believe the mystery part was a bit too rushed and that there was too much commentary for the games. Overall, a great book!

A new student review of The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen by Nicholas Christopher

nowhereman posted a new student review of The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen by Nicholas Christopher. See the full review.

I normally don't enjoy historical novel, but this was an exception that I really enjoyed. This novel is rich in the European history of the 1700s. Nicholas Christopher did an amazing job describing the setting of the story. He wrote with skill that made you seem that you were next to Nicolo in the streets of Venice listening to him play the clarinet. Mr. Christopher also described the characters making it feels like Nicolo and Adriana are real people. I also don't normally enjoy romance novels, but the book had enough action and mystery that it made reading it worthwhile. The only bad part of the book was that it started out fast-paced, but slowed down near the middle.

A new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis

thudson36 posted a new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis. See the full review.

I think Kaleidoscope Me was a pretty good book. It kept me interested while reading, and went really in depth with what Jayden felt and thought. I thought it could get a little confusing when it was jumping around from month to month. It had very good character development in it and was very easy to relate to. I would recommend this book, especially if you are going through a loss of a family member or friend.

A new student review of The Klaatu Terminus

nowhereman posted a new student review of The Klaatu Terminus . See the full review.

This book was simply amazing. Having read the trilogy, I can say that this is the best one in it by far. The author does a stellar job finishing up the story and weaving all the time streams together into one thrilling conclusion. All of your questions will be answered, and many of those questions will have suprising answers. Hautman does an amazing job of making Tucker, Lahlia, and Kosh feel like real people. Hautman also does a good job of making this time travel story feel not so far fetched that it could never happen in real life. I recommend this book to any teenagers that likes Sci-Fi, mystery, or action books.

A new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer

NathanPechacek10 posted a new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer. See the full review.

This is a great book for WWII history buffs like me.  The story is very exciting and is intense at times.  It was a little difficult to get into, but once I forced my way through the first four chapters, I couldn’t put it down.  This is the second book in the series.

In my opinion, this is an interesting book.  I would recommend starting by reading the first book.  I had a difficult time understanding the characters’ personalities and knowing them at first.  Though some adult language is used, I would recommend this book for ages 12-16.  I can’t wait to read the third book and find out what happens next.

A new student review of Burn Out by Kristi Helvig

cmason178 posted a new student review of Burn Out by Kristi Helvig. See the full review.

I feel that Helvig needs to appeal to a younger audience.  Burn Out is highly predictable, and the topic is overwritten.  While I did enjoy reading this book, I will not be one to purchase the second book.

A new student review of The Severed Tower: A Conquered Earth Novel

JesusFreak posted a new student review of The Severed Tower: A Conquered Earth Novel . See the full review.

When I requested this book, I had already read the first book in the Conquered Earth series, Midnight City, and enjoyed it quite a bit.  I was hoping that the second novel, The Severed Tower, would live up to my expectations.  I’m happy to say that it went beyond my expectations.

The Severed Tower is a book full of adventure and edge-of-your-seat suspense.  It gripped me from the beginning and it was easy for me to feel connected with the characters, especially Mira.  The description of the setting and of the aliens was one of the things that amazed me the most.  While the author, didn’t use so much description as to bore me, he used just enough to keep my attention while still successfully creating the image of the world in my mind.

 With beautiful cover art and an amazing plot, The Severed Tower is sure to amaze you.

A new student review of Counting to D by Kate Scott

taterb26 posted a new student review of Counting to D by Kate Scott. See the full review.

 Counting to D was a good book, though it's very cliched, and I'm not big on cliches unless I actually want to read them. In this case, I didn't. It's pretty boy-meets-girl and boy-and-girl-tension-just-kiss-already. This was apparent on every page.

 The book was sort of slow-moving. Getting past the first 30 pages was tedious. I did finally stop on the 90th page when I felt I had an accurate feel of the book. It just didn't grasp my attention. There would be moments when I really liked it and would be turning pages, but it didn't last long. This is probably what killed it for me.

 There were many good things about the book as well, though. Sam was an admirable main character. Her ways of coping with stress were quirky and I kept thinking that she would be so cool to know in real life. Nate was also a good character, very cute. I liked their friendship, but I feel a relationship was predictable.

 My favorite thing about this book was how it was written. Kate Scott's got a talent. The writing was personal and readable. Scott had good voice throughout the length of the book.

 This was a good book. If I would've gone into this wanting to read something cute, my opinion on this book would've been better, because this book really is good. It's just not my good. 

A new student review of The Portal's Choice by KD Pryor

jj24 posted a new student review of The Portal's Choice by KD Pryor. See the full review.

The book was wonderful from the beginning through the middle, but the end seemed rushed and the plot seemed to go in different directions.  I liked that the book was both a romance and mystery and had supernatural elements. I think they blended well together. I didn't like how the book jumped to different settings because I had a hard time keeping track of things. The book was written in so many places that it was hard to keep up with the characters and hard to figure out how they got there.

 

A new student review of Penny's War by Anne Dearle

LaRayne posted a new student review of Penny's War by Anne Dearle. See the full review.

 

This is an amazing book that I devoured in one sitting. I recommend Penny’s War to ages 10-12. Although it is a very short book I feel as though there is still wonderful character development. When I read it I found myself completely attached to Penny and Peter. I always felt like I was in the book, not just observing from the outside. Many times I found myself scared when Penny is in great danger and joyful when she meets new kind people. This is a wonderful book that at times was so suspenseful I had trouble finishing the page I was on because I was so excited for whatever would come next.

 

A new student review of The Tragedy Paper

alikat7 posted a new student review of The Tragedy Paper . See the full review.

“The Tragedy Paper” by Elizabeth Laban was a powerful duel narrative story making you think deeper about the powers of love, friendship, and of course tragedy. The story begins with Duncan who seems utterly bound to listen to Tim’s recordings that are left to him. Which initially doesn’t make sense; a teenage boy wanting to listen to an outcast’s recordings instead of doing more productive things? It later begins to make sense towards the end because Duncan blamed himself for the tragedy and felt he owed Tim to listen to them. Making Tim the outsider in the book an albino was thought provoking in the way he would deal with things and what he wouldn’t do because of it. In conclusion this book pulls at your heart strings and urges you to uncover the truth.

 

A new student review of The Dark World

tlang posted a new student review of The Dark World . See the full review.

I love this book so much! I laughed out loud on almost every page. Paige is so funny with her internal comments. Each character is well-developed, and the author did a remarkable job writing this story. 

A new student review of Talonridge by Heimdall Thunderhammer

jotaf posted a new student review of Talonridge by Heimdall Thunderhammer. See the full review.

Out of the two books, I liked Magefable better than Talonridge.  This book didn't catch my attention as well as Magefable.  Talonridge was full of action, yet only grabbed my attention in half of the book instead of all; it was a little confusing at times.  It was still a very good book, though, with lots of other good parts.  I liked how well the author made the new characters fit in with the old characters.  I also liked how well he developed the new characters and added finishing touches to the old ones.  My favorite character is still Durbin the mouse because he is doing his best to follow in the footsteps of his father to protect anyone in need.  I would recommend this book to ages 10 through 14 because there is fighting, killing, and a few tough words.  Readers over the age of 14, however, might get bored.

A new student review of Pieces of Me

sumrsilentmusic posted a new student review of Pieces of Me . See the full review.

This novel had such a unique idea, but it was really poorly executed. Throughout the entire novel, I kept hoping that it would live up to its potential. I kept hoping that it would get better.

            I guess this novel and I got started on the wrong foot. I felt like the beginning was completely unnecessary, and it was probably violating all sorts of human rights. The cheerleaders (or Skirts, as Jessica calls them, but they’re the clichéd mean girls of the story) actually, physically, cut Jessica’s hair from her head while Jess is at her locker. First of all, why didn’t she report this to a teacher instead of covering up by saying she donated her hair to charity? Second, how did the cheerleaders manage to shear the entirety of Jessica’s hair in one snip?

            The beginning is just an indicator of the lack-of-subtlety and believability that’s prevalent in the rest novel. All the relationships between the characters in this novel lacked a certain sense of reality. The love storylines rang false. When I finished the novel, I had no idea why each person had such a “deep connection” with his or her respective love interest. It fell into the dangerous “insta-love” trend that is so prevalent in young adult fiction (except this novel had no excuse—it was supposed to be realistic fiction).

            Additionally, the author portrays the teenagers’ relationships with their parents in a horrible light. The novel follows five teenagers’ families and lives, and in every plotline, the parents were oppressive, had a lot of miscommunication issues with their children, and written in a way that wasn’t positive. I felt that this novel would have been a lot stronger if the author could have at least shown a range of different relationships, since she does have so many main characters. I understand that she was trying to capture the teenage angst of feeling misunderstood, but really, it wasn’t done with much tack or subtly.

            I also felt that the author didn’t really have a good understanding of her characters. Firstly, Jessica’s voice did not remain constant throughout the novel. Secondly, the author’s other characters only had one thing that defined them. For example, whenever the reader was in Vivian’s point of view, the only thing that characterized her voice and made her distinctive is that she kept using the Pantone palette to “color her world,” which was refreshing at first but got really annoying after a while.

            The author had a really hard time figuring out what point of view to tell her story from. It was supposed to rotate points of view between the five characters, but when the author tried to describe something from another character’s point of view, Jessica’s thoughts and her feelings would bleed into that point of view and vice-versa. Furthermore, I don’t think that Amber Kizer had a good grasp on how her world worked. I was really confused how Jessica was able to switch between her organ recipients (and why there were only four of them), how she could essentially read their minds, and why she could sometimes interact with the physical world.

            Overall, I felt as if I was reading the first draft, not something that was printed and bound and meant for the general public. 

A new student review of The Circle Book One of the Sidhe by Cindy Cipriano

aeehrhardt posted a new student review of The Circle Book One of the Sidhe by Cindy Cipriano. See the full review.

I loved The Circle. Cindy Cipriano created a different world that is so unlike, “The realm of man.” I like how the circle draws you in by giving you so many questions, and you’re just waiting for them to be answered. My favorite character in the circle was Laurel, because she was about my age, she was friendly, and she liked to read, just like me. Cindy Cipriano painted a picture in my head, and that’s what I like most about the circle. She made the book come to life. I found myself asking in real life, “Is that a faerie circle?”

 

A new student review of North of Nowhere

druryj posted a new student review of North of Nowhere . See the full review.

 Liz Kessler must have put a lot of time and effort into writing this book.  I think this because it took me 4 days to finish it, I liked it that much!  I recommend that anybody 10 and up should read this book.  I let my mom read it and she liked it a ton!  I hope Liz Kessler makes a second "North of Nowhere" or a book like it!

                                                                                               

A new student review of Squish: Game On (#5)

druryj posted a new student review of Squish: Game On (#5) . See the full review.

Squish is the kind of book that you could read in a day, it is fast and easy.  I think at least  they should make one book like 3 of them put together.  I would recommend this book to kids 10 and under, kids higher might not like it as much. They might enjoy it but not love it.  I like it because it is a graghic novel.