A new student review of Julian Rigby and the Keepers of Time (Volume 1) by John Grammatico

moseso posted a new student review of Julian Rigby and the Keepers of Time (Volume 1) by John Grammatico. See the full review.

This book was extremely gripping, and it held my attention the whole way through. The author immediately jumped into the action, yet still left enough time to introduce the plot.

 

As a United States citizen, I’m not sure how police act across the pond. In my opinion, the police in the novel came across as hostile and not helpful. This book was also more mature and male oriented than I imagined it would be; the action was too gory for my taste.

 

On the other hand, this book was written in an amazingly realistic manner and incorporated believable time travel. I felt the main character, Julian, was developed as a side note, with the action-packed plot being the main focus of the book. The action was like a curtain hanging in front of the development of the main character, which left me confused when Julian suddenly became more mature and wise. All things considered, Julian Rigby and the Keepers of Time is a captivating tale demanding your attention.

 

 

 

 

A new student review of Warrior Kids: A Tale of New Camelot by Michael Bowler

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Warrior Kids: A Tale of New Camelot by Michael Bowler. See the full review.

When I first read the description of this book, I thought it was going to be a fast-paced mystery/thriller that would keep me on the edge of my seat. However, the majority of this book was simply the characters discussing the environment. With this constant dialogue regarding climate change, the book's message to the reader that they should care about the environment came across too strongly for me.

Additionally, I wasn’t a fan of the characters. I had difficulty connecting with them and finding them likable. I’m not sure if it was the author’s goal or not, but they seemed almost too old for their age at times.

One thing I enjoyed about this book was that the author frequently stated that kids matter. I feel that adults often think that kids' opinions are worthless, or they don't take them seriously. This book stated that kids’ opinions do matter, and that they can make a difference.

Overall, this book didn't live up to my expectations. I would have found this book a more entertaining read if the author further developed the characters or brought more action into the plot. 

 

 

A new student review of Amber's Summer by Cameron Glenn

Gwendolyn posted a new student review of Amber's Summer by Cameron Glenn. See the full review.

Amber's Summer

A new student review of Winter Falls (Twin Willows Trilogy) by Nicole Maggi

thomasst posted a new student review of Winter Falls (Twin Willows Trilogy) by Nicole Maggi. See the full review.

In my opinion, this book was definitely a page turner.  So much so in fact that I read it faster than I think I would read another book with its same length.  The thing that really pulled me in was that Nicole Maggi describes the setting of the book so well that I felt like I was in the setting instead of reading about it.  Also, the main and sub characters of the book were very cleverly and well introduced in the sense that I felt that I had a decent hand on what the characters were like.  In terms of the plot line of the book, I love the twists and turns this book lead the reader into.  Next, I'd like to comment on how I loved how she kept it a secret until the end of the book who one of the Malandanti were (no spoilers ;P).  Finally, there was a lot of foreshadowing in the book which was very well blended in, but not too much to overload the book.

 

The only reasons I didn't put five stars on this include two main reasons.  While the writing itself is exceptional, I would like to say that I think the main characters should have been introduced better, sooner.  What I mean by that is that in the beginning of the book, the characters were not very well described, so for a bit, I was confused about some aspects of some characters.  Also, but this is a more personal preference, I don't like those kinds of extreme romances like the one portrayed in this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend or anyone who is okay with a little swearing and is ready for a good read.

A new student review of Divided by Elsie Chapman

ongsai posted a new student review of Divided by Elsie Chapman. See the full review.

In my opinion, this book is an interesting and engaging story. One of the things I liked about this book is that you never really know when the action stops. There is a part when West is about to fulfill one of her contracts but then she does something that made me think "Oh, she's in trouble." Then there was another part where her contracts are fulfilled and you think that she can get some time to relax, and then another problem barges its way into her life, just like that. Then the book moves into her fixing the problem and that's another scene in itself. The continuous action twists you around and pushes you down different paths of the story you never would've thought about.

Also, I liked the concept of twins that Elsie Chapman uses. There are plenty of twin based stories out there, or books that have twin characters in them, and they are all similar in some ways. The twins were separated at birth, then reunited; the twins were separated at birth, then try to kill each other; the twins are competing for power, the twins are magically connected somehow and are super powerful together, etc, etc. But this is a twist on the typical twins story, making it a situation of survival of the fittest, which is an interesting concept when you think about it. 

However, with all the twists and turns of the story, many of the details, weren't really detailed enough. Kersh is a new place , kind of like a modern day city, but I just couldn't get the feel for it. The setting, the fights, and the characters were all described in some kind of a vague fashion, which made it hard for me to connect to the story.

All in all, if you like futuristic books, then you just might like this one. It has the action to keep you on your toes, the romance that is not a lot, but enough to keep you satisfied that "they are a couple", however, personally, I'm glad the author did not focus on the boy-girl relationship. This book has a great  inner conflict, and the fight against the government that will make you think as you read.

A new student review of Warriors From Beyond by W.F. Blusheire

jotaf posted a new student review of Warriors From Beyond by W.F. Blusheire. See the full review.

Warriors From Beyond: Rise of the Empire wasn’t as good a book as I had hoped it would be.  There were a lot of things that confused me.  For example, one of the characters supposedly dies in the book, and not long after is up and about again.  I wasn’t exactly sure what to think about that.  Was she resurrected?  Was she not really dead?  I couldn’t figure out what the author was trying to convey.  In addition, a prophecy was told multiple times in which it was said that five warriors will save Beyond.  However, throughout most of the book, there are six warriors.  I think there was a really good idea behind the book, and the descriptions were fairly vivid, but I feel that it could have turned out better than it did. 

I did like that there was lots of action which spiced the book up considerably.  I just wish that the parts of the book that didn’t have as much action lived up to that.  I would recommend this book to ages 13 and up.

A new student review of The Hounds of Set by Troy A. Carrington

Jonah Ross posted a new student review of The Hounds of Set by Troy A. Carrington. See the full review.

Overall I thought that this was an excellent book.The book is full of action and is quite intriquing. The plot is very well done. I like how the author throws in just the right amount of twists and turns in the plot to make it interesting, but not so many that it has no cohesive storyline. The book is rather grabbing and hard to put down. I did find that there were some parts that were slightly too fast paced, but overall I really liked the book.  I would recommend this book to people who like historical fiction especially about Ancient Egypt.  I would also recommend it to people who like action stories.

A new student review of The Choosing Time by Donna Tesiero

thudson36 posted a new student review of The Choosing Time by Donna Tesiero. See the full review.

I thought The Choosing Time by Donna Tesiero was an interesting novel that provided a great balance of romance and history. The story moved along at a nice, quick pace, and I never found myself bored. I liked watching the relationship between Giselle and Jean develop, and I couldn’t help but root for them. Even though Giselle lived in the 16th century, I could still easily relate to her and her problems.

This novel was well thought out. It is obvious the author thoroughly researched the time period and how its society functioned. However, sometimes the facts and information were overabundant. In the back of the book is a glossary that explains words and phrases used that were unique to the setting. This was a great idea, and it helped me have a stronger understanding of the novel. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others.

A new student review of Busy Dizzy (Inspirational bedtime story for kids ages 4-8) by Dr. Orly Katz

BG posted a new student review of Busy Dizzy (Inspirational bedtime story for kids ages 4-8) by Dr. Orly Katz. See the full review.

Busy Dizzy wouldn’t be my first choice of a children’s book. It does, however, hold some nice and pleasant qualities. The nice pictures and simple, good rhymes would be enjoyable for children. The teacher, Miss Young, suggests a cute way in which they learn to handle their problems. This story would be good for children who can relate with the characters.

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

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

I enjoyed this book a lot, though at first I was slightly bored with it. After reading on, this book had a good mixture of fighting, love, and intensity.  The plot was well written and it kept me interested for the most part. All of characters were involved, leaving no character in the margins. This was a fairly fast-paced book. There was at least one fight scene in every other chapter, which in my opinion kind of didn't allow for much fluctuation in suspense levels. But overall, Awakening was a bold, amazing story about breaking out of your shell.

A new student review of RedEye: Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin

TrickyCrow posted a new student review of RedEye: Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin. See the full review.

The format of this ficitonal book is separated by headings that contain a place, date and time.  The details of this book are heavy in military terminology and history.  Frequent footnotes explain many of the terms that I would not have known otherwise. As useful as the footnotes were, they distracted me from the main text. Also, it felt like the beginning of the book was broken up and did not have great flow or transitions. It did eventually smooth out and become more fluid, yet not quickly enough for me.

This book did not engage me as a reader. The book felt more like a nonfiction narrarative, than a work of fiction.  Although this book describes the military path well, and with great accuracy, it was difficult for me to connect with the main character of the story.  However this might be an interesting read for someone who had been in the military or someone interested in going into it. 

A new student review of Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco by Judith Robbins Rose

lovereading posted a new student review of Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco by Judith Robbins Rose. See the full review.

Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco gives readers an inside view of Jacinta’s life. The book definitely shows the hardships, but one of the best parts of the book is seeing Jacinta make her dreams come true. This encourages readers to be curious and explore new opportunities. I enjoyed reading about the friendship that developed between Jacinta and Miss. This book will certainly give readers a different perspective and a glimpse of what another person’s world is really like.

 

A new student review of Death, and the Girl He Loves by Darynda Jones

schosgej posted a new student review of Death, and the Girl He Loves by Darynda Jones. See the full review.

Jones delivers yet another stunning read. While this is written as part of a series, Jones weaves the backstory in with an expert hand, allowing it to be read as either a standalone or as part of the Darklight series. This book employs superb character and plot development, to keep the readers on the edge of their seats. This book is almost impossible to put down and will keep you tuning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance books and look forward to re-reading this soon. I loved this book as I have with every Darynda Jones book I have ever read. Even if you don't normally like paranormal romance books, this is still a great book worth trying out. 

A new student review of A 52-Hertz Whale by Natalie Haney Tilghman Bill Sommer

westml posted a new student review of A 52-Hertz Whale by Natalie Haney Tilghman Bill Sommer. See the full review.

This book was pretty darn good, not amazing, but definitely worth the read. The thing that really made this book stand out to me was the e-mail format. Everything that you read is presented as the different characters writing to each other across the web. I found that this really helped define and humanize characters; socially awkward James writes his e-mails like formal letters for the majority of the book, while Darren tends to use more slang, and Sara (the juvenile arthritic), writes almost exclusively in shorthand. But even though the e-mail format was something that I liked about the book, it also got in the way from time to time because the only information you get is from characters talking to each other, instead of from a narrator addressing the reader. Characters will mention certain events that the reader doesn’t know about, and even though everything is eventually expained, you’re still left with that moment of “Hang on, did I miss something?” The author also tends to start writing from viewpoints of random minor characters that you don’t really care about. Sometimes these are fun to read, but I honestly don’t need or want to know anything else about that one barista that Darren kind-of-flirted with when he was in charge of picking up coffee for his boss.

The things that bothered me about this book were pretty minor compared to all the pros, so I’m giving it 4/5 stars. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, fun read with an upbeat message and unique characters. 

A new student review of Even When You Lie To Me by Jessica Alcott

CassieTaylor1203 posted a new student review of Even When You Lie To Me by Jessica Alcott. See the full review.

Overall I think this was a fairly decent novel. Probably closer to a 3.5 than just a 3. I liked the characterization of all of the people within the story, even if it seemed like some of them had no reason to be there other than for additional conflict (like Mike and Austin). My favorite thing the author did was to portray Mr. Drummond as an ordinary guy. There is an entire section dedicated to describing how normal he was, and how he was not really all that handsome or unique in any one way. But Charlie liked him because he showed her special attention. She viewed him as this super amazing person, and was appalled when he showed any signs of just being ordinary because it did not fit the view she had of him. I felt the author executed this extremely well. Many of the metaphors were well written, but didn't really flow with the story. Addionally, it was hard sometimes to tell exactly what the point of some scenes were. The relationship between Charlie and Lila was great because it was realistic, and it showed that while they were best friends, they did still fight sometimes, like all best friends do.

Most girls can relate to having a crush of some sort on a teacher, and this novel shows what the consequences can be if you are not careful about it and let it go too far. In general, I did enjoy this novel, and would recommend it to friends if I knew they would enjoy it.

A new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni

alonzon posted a new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni. See the full review.

Alex is a strong and personable main character and makes a good backbone for the story. She quickly makes loyal friends who are extremely likable and help her assimilate into her new life. The reader is kept in the dark about many things that are slowly revealed throughout the book, and some things are still cryptic at the end, leaving the reader wondering what happens next. The characters are all very realistic and three-dimensional, with only a few exceptions. While the plot follows the generic “Chosen One” structure, it has its own unique aspects that help it stand out, like how everything magical is actually extremely advanced technology, and how the Library could be seen as a living entity and is crucial to the story. The end brings resolution, but also new things to be discovered in later books, which keeps the book’s audience hooked and wanting more. Despite its typical baseline, this novel is a refreshingly new take on fantasy and was an enjoyable read for me. I recommend it for those reluctant to read fantasy or anyone who wants a fun, easy read. Akarnae is the first book in the Medoran Chronicles.

A new student review of Arrows Over Agincourt by D. Lawrence- Young

BG posted a new student review of Arrows Over Agincourt by D. Lawrence- Young. See the full review.

Arrows over Agincourt is a historical fiction told in first person. You see the story through the eyes of Davy, an archer in King Henry’s Army. I enjoyed the closeness of the events in the story and the details of what the soldiers went through. I love how much history is told during the story, in each battle and fight with the French, and also all the great information on the people and times in which they take place.

Davy and his friend Tom are both faced with the reality of war. Davy is not sure if he is strong or brave enough until he actually has to be during the heat of the battle. They both come through the war and in my eyes they are heroes. 

The battle of Agincourt is portrayed wonderfully.  It is definitely the climax of the book.  

If you enjoy history, you will enjoy this book.  

A new student review of A Song For Ella Grey by David Almond

Inferna101 posted a new student review of A Song For Ella Grey by David Almond. See the full review.

I liked this book. I've always wanted to read a book where the narrator wasn't the subject of all the strange happenings, but a friend of said subject. I think this author did a great job with that narration. We got a narrator who we could relate to whose opinion and reactions to Ella and Orpheus' love we agree with and sympathize with, because if we were put in the same situation, we would probably react in similar ways. It was a little too explicit for my taste but besides that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

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A new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni

jfhxc posted a new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni. See the full review.

I really liked Akarnae because it wasn't predictable or unrealistic, and the characters never fought with each other. It wasn't predictable because it had lots of unexpected twists. One example is when Aven defeated Sir Camden. I really wasn’t expecting that! I liked this because the story didn't get boring. The story wasn't unrealistic, even though everyone had a gift. Their gifts weren’t crazy, like having magical abilities or being able to shape-shift. I appreciated that the characters never fought with each other because I don’t like it when people argue, and that made the story go smoother. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure.

A new student review of Switch by Ingrid Law

nictaf posted a new student review of Switch by Ingrid Law. See the full review.

Ingrid Law wrote a magical book filled with fantasy and wild fun! The book was very well described, like: “At the the front of the store, a small bag held what was left of holiday clearance: mesh bags of crushed chocolate Hanukkah coins; flattened marshmallow Santas; a torn package of silver confetti; a few scraggly, wilted poinsettias.” The characters were well developed; I could tell what they were feeling and thinking. I was very impressed with the theme of the book, “Family comes first.” Even though this is the third book in the Savvy series, Switch can be a stand-alone. It would help to read book one and two first, but it isn’t needed. I would recommend this book for ages 8 and up.

A new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane Timothy Decker

S.Ehlers posted a new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane Timothy Decker. See the full review.

Lies in the Dust is an incredibly interesting book. Once a person becomes very mature I believe that they should read this book because it is good to be well-rounded and hear about everything in the world, even if it is horrifying and cruel. This book was also very interesting because it was a graphic novel. I enjoy reading graphic novels, but this one stands out because it is not cheerful and bubbly. Lies in the Dust is dark and wicked. To conclude, Lies in the Dust is a very unique book and I recommend it to any mature audience. 

A new student review of The Blue Woods by Nicole Maggi

khoef241 posted a new student review of The Blue Woods by Nicole Maggi. See the full review.

I couldn't put this book down! It was very well written. While usually I detest the use of more than one character narrating a story, I loved the parallel view on the same issues going on. Overall this was a great read and is entertaining for all age groups above twelve or thirteen years of age. If you enjoy this reading selection make sure to check out other books in the fantasy genre such as Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, Shape Shifter's Secret by Heather Ostler, and Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houch.