In this sequel to 'Fablehaven', Kendra and Seth are faced with more magical dilemmas. A goblin appears in Kendra's class, Seth gets bitten by some sort of demon, and they can't get a hold of their grandfather. Soon they are whisked back to Fablehaven - but are they any safer there? Not only do they have enemies wishing to penetrate the preserve, but soon they realize that there is an enemy from within, too.
I was not quite as enchanted by this book as I was by its precursor. I did like the imaginative creatures and situations introduced in it, as well as appearances by some familiar things from the first book. The characters did not seem as fleshed out as in the first, which was disappointing. However, it was still a fun, fresh adventure and I will definitely pick up the third book. A good read, but not great. If you liked the first, you will probably like this one as well.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn
Jack Morgan is a fourteen year old orphan with Draycos a K'da poet warrior dragon on his back. If you read any of the previous books there is no need to try to explain that last sentence and if you didn't this probably isn't the review you should be reading first. In the latest Dragonback series book Jack Morgan is trying to find out the mystery of how his parents died. While his friend,that is a girl, Alison Kayna is trying to get away from the group of people that is trying to kill Draycos' people.
Nearing the inevitable end of the Dragonback series, Timothy Zahn uses his new book Dragon and Judge to answer a few ,not so burning, questions and to add some suspense pending the final book(s). If you've been following the series from the beginning you would probably want to read this book but you could do without. This book in my opinion is not the best book in the series, so if you're looking for new Timothy Zahn phenomenal you're not going to find it in Dragon and Judge. As I said before this book is more of a transition book that add a few new characters ,that I assume will be important in the upcoming book(s), and foreshadows a bit but nothing really deeply advancing the series. I have followed the Dragonback series from the beginning and as a long time Timothy Zahn fan I can definitely tell you that the final Dragonback book(s), if they are on par with the other Timothy Zahn book I read, will at worst be very good. I just hope that Timothy Zahn doesn't prove me wrong. Overall I would pass this book and just wait for the upcoming book(s) of the Timothy Zahn Dragonback series.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, Mississippi United States Of America
Nearing the inevitable end of the Dragonback series, Timothy Zahn uses his new book Dragon and Judge to answer a few ,not so burning, questions and to add some suspense pending the final book(s). If you've been following the series from the beginning you would probably want to read this book but you could do without. This book in my opinion is not the best book in the series, so if you're looking for new Timothy Zahn phenomenal you're not going to find it in Dragon and Judge. As I said before this book is more of a transition book that add a few new characters ,that I assume will be important in the upcoming book(s), and foreshadows a bit but nothing really deeply advancing the series. I have followed the Dragonback series from the beginning and as a long time Timothy Zahn fan I can definitely tell you that the final Dragonback book(s), if they are on par with the other Timothy Zahn book I read, will at worst be very good. I just hope that Timothy Zahn doesn't prove me wrong. Overall I would pass this book and just wait for the upcoming book(s) of the Timothy Zahn Dragonback series.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, Mississippi United States Of America
Defect by Will Weaver
David isn't like everyone else: he has bug eyes and he can fly. After pulling a prank on some of the mean kids in his school, he is sent to a school for gifted people... people like him. There, he meets a girl named Cheetah, who has epilepsy. Next, he meets a doctor who can make David look like a normal kid and offers his services. While thinking about his decision to go through with the surgery, David meets a boy named Brandon. Brandon has cancer and is going to die soon, so he tells David that he's a participant of the Make a Wish foundation. Brandon's wish is for someone to prove God is really there. David decides to make his wish come true.
I thought the author portrayed the characters as real-life people, but I had a hard time getting into the book. My favorite character would have to be Cheetah because she enjoys life and lives it to its fullest though she has epilepsy. I liked the ending, but I think it could have been better if the author had made the ending less sad. The book showed me that even if you are different, you still have to power to change someone's life, like David had changed Brandon's. I think the author could have written more of the book and answered the ultimate question in ever reader's mind: Does David get the surgery or not?
Content: The book mentioned God and there was some death in the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Pottstown, PA United States
I thought the author portrayed the characters as real-life people, but I had a hard time getting into the book. My favorite character would have to be Cheetah because she enjoys life and lives it to its fullest though she has epilepsy. I liked the ending, but I think it could have been better if the author had made the ending less sad. The book showed me that even if you are different, you still have to power to change someone's life, like David had changed Brandon's. I think the author could have written more of the book and answered the ultimate question in ever reader's mind: Does David get the surgery or not?
Content: The book mentioned God and there was some death in the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Pottstown, PA United States
Birth of the Pack by Petru Popescu
Birth of the Pack is about four sixteen-year-old girls who start a girls' soccer club at their school since it doesn't have an official team for girls. They've been playing together since they were little, and Lily's father christianed them the Weregirls. Of course, that name meant more than they thought. What starts out as a book about soccer has a supernatural twist to it! Soon they're involved in a major battle between good and evil.
Birth of the Pack is, overall, a pretty interesting book. It does drag a little, and the characters can be a little flat, but fans of the supernatural should enjoy it well enough. A little more action and a faster pace would be good, but there are certainly worse books out there! I also enjoyed the soccer, being a soccer fan. Birth of the Pack is a decent book but by no means outstanding.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
Birth of the Pack is, overall, a pretty interesting book. It does drag a little, and the characters can be a little flat, but fans of the supernatural should enjoy it well enough. A little more action and a faster pace would be good, but there are certainly worse books out there! I also enjoyed the soccer, being a soccer fan. Birth of the Pack is a decent book but by no means outstanding.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot
Everything I Needed To Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume is an interesting collection of essays by talented authors about how Judy Blume affected their lives. Even now, years after these amazing writers read Judy Blume, she's still popular. This is something that generations of girls can relate to! Judy Blume, through her writing, teaches about all sorts of things, including friendship, relationships, and, well, life. Everybody who reads her work is affected, and they all take different things away from reading about these universal experiences.
These essays are well worth reading and very interesting. I could definitely relate to these stories--I read Judy Blume's books, too. She taught so many people about life, and reading their personal experiences with her books was great! This is something any fan of Judy Blume's should definitely read. And if you're unfamiliar with Judy Blume, what are you waiting for? Get to the library and check out some of her books, relevant even so many years after they were first written!
Content: As some of the content in Judy Blume's books is for mature readers, so is this book, where things relating to those books are talked about.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
These essays are well worth reading and very interesting. I could definitely relate to these stories--I read Judy Blume's books, too. She taught so many people about life, and reading their personal experiences with her books was great! This is something any fan of Judy Blume's should definitely read. And if you're unfamiliar with Judy Blume, what are you waiting for? Get to the library and check out some of her books, relevant even so many years after they were first written!
Content: As some of the content in Judy Blume's books is for mature readers, so is this book, where things relating to those books are talked about.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Sorrel: In the Shadow of the Bear by David Randall
This book is a story about a young girl named Clovermead. It is the second book of a series and I recommend reading the first book, otherwise certain things are a bit confusing. Clovermead has many struggles throughout the book. She has to decide what is most important to her, what is most important to her lands, and what is most important for the world. Her decisions can change everything, as can her powers. Because not only does she have the power to help her nation, she has the power to transform into bear shape, and she alone can free the bear-slaves of the evil dictator, Lord Ursus. She must also face her inner feelings, as she struggles with her friendship with Sorrel, her longtime friend, and what is right and wrong.
I chose this book looking for a good fantasy read, and although I did get that, I felt that it reminded me of other currently popular fantasy books. In this tale, you find a strong, courageous girl who finds love in a sea of turmoil. Amidst war, political expeditions, self-indecision, and family loyalty she manages to conquer evil. But to conquer evil she has to discover her own power and look to friends for help. Many stories contain several of these plot aspects, and the addition of the usual mysterious yet beautiful animals, makes this book seem familiar. But, thankfully this book has a couple of twists, giving it a little bit of excitement. I enjoyed reading this book even though it felt somewhat familiar and although I would have liked to see a bit more of Sorrel himself (the book is named after him after all), I liked what I did see. There is a plentiful helping of character development and many of the settings put pictures in my mind. This book is not my favorite, but it is certainly worth reading.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: South Pasadena, CA U.S.A
I chose this book looking for a good fantasy read, and although I did get that, I felt that it reminded me of other currently popular fantasy books. In this tale, you find a strong, courageous girl who finds love in a sea of turmoil. Amidst war, political expeditions, self-indecision, and family loyalty she manages to conquer evil. But to conquer evil she has to discover her own power and look to friends for help. Many stories contain several of these plot aspects, and the addition of the usual mysterious yet beautiful animals, makes this book seem familiar. But, thankfully this book has a couple of twists, giving it a little bit of excitement. I enjoyed reading this book even though it felt somewhat familiar and although I would have liked to see a bit more of Sorrel himself (the book is named after him after all), I liked what I did see. There is a plentiful helping of character development and many of the settings put pictures in my mind. This book is not my favorite, but it is certainly worth reading.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: South Pasadena, CA U.S.A
The 25 Pains of Kennedy Baines by Dede Crane
This book is about a fifteen years old girl Kennedy Baines. Throughout a summer, Kennedy lists twenty-five things that pain her. Her life is a series of strange events. She is waiting for her boyfriend to finally kiss her and mean it. She wants her best friend to open up to her and tell her what is going on. She is being stalked by a creepy online pervert. And she thinks her mother may have had an affair in the past. When mom brings home an old college friend Judith and her eighteen year old son, Colin, from England, things begin to get interesting. Kennedy experiences a lot of firsts with Colin. But in the end she just wishes life was more like her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.
I thought that this book was an "okay" book. The book was not challenging for the age group. However, it is a good book for leisure or pleasure reading. The plot moves well and fairly quickly. And, it was a novel that I related to and many other girls could relate to as well. This book talks about a lot of things that teenage girls go through all the time. Dede Crane was creative and interesting in an easy to read novel.
Content: There is socially inappropriate language as well as underage drug and alcohol use and some sexual content.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
I thought that this book was an "okay" book. The book was not challenging for the age group. However, it is a good book for leisure or pleasure reading. The plot moves well and fairly quickly. And, it was a novel that I related to and many other girls could relate to as well. This book talks about a lot of things that teenage girls go through all the time. Dede Crane was creative and interesting in an easy to read novel.
Content: There is socially inappropriate language as well as underage drug and alcohol use and some sexual content.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Leaving Simplicity by Claire Carmichael
Everyone knows the world is covered in advertisements today—from seeing them on cars, to ones in the mall, and even in the back of books. They’re everywhere, but can you imagine if the advertisements controlled your emotions, and made you want to run out and buy the product right away? In the world that Taylor lives in, New York City set in the future, this is her life. She is so accustomed to the advertisements, and they are normal to her now. But her cousin Barrett has lived in an area where farmers have always lived, and has never grown used to technology today. So when Barrett is forced to live with his Aunt and Cousin, he finds this new world strange and wrong. His aunt takes advantage of his naiveté, which angers Barrett. Together, Barrett and Taylor team up to fight against advertisements and what they stand for.
Claire Carmichael does a superb job creating the world that is Barrett and Taylor’s. Even though it is supposedly set in the future, it seems very real and even scary. It makes you think…. Will this happen? Or something like it? What can we do to prevent it? Leaving Simplicity is an excellent book, which I have already recommended to my friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA United States
Claire Carmichael does a superb job creating the world that is Barrett and Taylor’s. Even though it is supposedly set in the future, it seems very real and even scary. It makes you think…. Will this happen? Or something like it? What can we do to prevent it? Leaving Simplicity is an excellent book, which I have already recommended to my friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA United States
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead
Dawn and Dusk, by Alice Mead, is an emotional story about a young boy, Azad, whose life is torn by war. His parents are divorced but he doesn't know why and everyone thinks he's too young to know. His town, Sardasht, is located in the Islamic Republic of Iran which has been at war with Iraq for a very long time. One day, Saddam bombs Sardasht with chemical bombs taht destroys Azad's life forever. His mom wants to run away to another town or even country but his dad, who has connections to the secret police, wants to stay. What should Azad do, stay or flee? This is a book about growing up and learning the truth.
I thought that the book was very well written and an easy, short read. Mead did a fantastic job of keeping the reader hooked on to the book. The book made me realize how much one incident can change a person's life forever. Even though I enjoyed the book a lot I felt that it could be more elaborated. In some places, like why Azad's parents divorced, Mead could have provided more details. But overall it was a wonderful book that is very exciting and intense.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, IL USA
I thought that the book was very well written and an easy, short read. Mead did a fantastic job of keeping the reader hooked on to the book. The book made me realize how much one incident can change a person's life forever. Even though I enjoyed the book a lot I felt that it could be more elaborated. In some places, like why Azad's parents divorced, Mead could have provided more details. But overall it was a wonderful book that is very exciting and intense.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, IL USA
The Passion Flower Massacre by Nicola Morgan
This was a book with twists and turns. The author gave you little pieces of the puzzle, and then I had to figure the rest out. There were four different main charcters, two in one year and the other two in another. In the end you figured out why they were all in the story.
The title made me want to immidately read it and figure out what it was about about. It made me curious to read the book and figure it out. I loved the ending, it was shocking and you didn't suspect one bit, plus the author made you want more. The twists and turns. I could never read one chapter and not stop. I had to read the next so I could go to bed. The author's style. It was surprise after surprise. The author never gave them away one after one, its like she understood what readers liked ina mystery. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. Since there were four different people,and two different years. I wondered why they had two different years and why not just one, but in the end I answered my own questions. I loved how the author made me have NO questions in the end. I had TONS of questions throughout the book, but not in the end.
Content: There are cusswords and other inapproite words for children, inless they are a teen and are allowed to read books with cussing in it and they've asked their parents.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fort Wanye, Indiana U.S.A
The title made me want to immidately read it and figure out what it was about about. It made me curious to read the book and figure it out. I loved the ending, it was shocking and you didn't suspect one bit, plus the author made you want more. The twists and turns. I could never read one chapter and not stop. I had to read the next so I could go to bed. The author's style. It was surprise after surprise. The author never gave them away one after one, its like she understood what readers liked ina mystery. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. Since there were four different people,and two different years. I wondered why they had two different years and why not just one, but in the end I answered my own questions. I loved how the author made me have NO questions in the end. I had TONS of questions throughout the book, but not in the end.
Content: There are cusswords and other inapproite words for children, inless they are a teen and are allowed to read books with cussing in it and they've asked their parents.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fort Wanye, Indiana U.S.A
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)