Just Another Judgment Day by Simon R. Green is novel about the city of Nightside, which is the sinful parallel of London in another universe. Every kind of sin is practiced here. God sends the Walking Man to destroy all Evil doers. The only problem is that in Nightside, everyone is connected with sin in one way or another. The Walking Man was destroying all of Nightside. A private investigator named John Taylor and a holy Sikh monster hunter named Chandra Singh are sent by the Authorities in Nightside to stop the Walking Man. The only question that remains is: how does one stop the wrath of God?
I would give Just Another Judgment Day a 7. As a disclaimer, I have not read any other Novels of the Nightside series. The novel is interesting, but lacks depth and the book has a lot of set-pieces of random violence. The novel could be made into a nice physical action movie if the screen writers added more depth to the story. It raises the question, whether good can be evil. It also raises the question can villains have a good side? Is an amoral person evil? I found the psychological questions raised in this book interesting.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States of America
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park
The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park by Paul Millen is a book about Cory and his love for baseball. In the beginning of the book Cory, a sixth grader, is trying out for C-Ball. Cory's dream is to hit a home run in the Great American Ball Park. Along the way Cory is both encouraged and criticized by his dad. The book shows how Cory's relationship with his perfectionist father grows. Cory learns to believe in himself.
I was hoping for a book full of baseball adventures. This book did not give me that. It was a rather dull book with very little adventure. This book was more about relationships and learning to believe in yourself. Some people will really like the book but I would have liked a lot more action.
Age:12 Leopold, Missouri USA
I was hoping for a book full of baseball adventures. This book did not give me that. It was a rather dull book with very little adventure. This book was more about relationships and learning to believe in yourself. Some people will really like the book but I would have liked a lot more action.
Age:12 Leopold, Missouri USA
Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
After receiving a mysterious tattoo two years ago, Bailey Morgan's life has changed. Not only does she have to deal with the social pressures of high school, but now she has to weave the web of life in the Otherworld for every being on earth. She does this because she is the third Fate, the mystical being who controls the fate of the world. But why then is it so hard for her to see her own future after high school? Caught between two worlds, Bailey faces tough decisions as she tries to balance her life as a graduating senior in high school and and mystical being at night.
I really enjoyed this novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I absolutely love contemporary fantasy novels, so this was right up my alley. Having read the first book in the series, Tattoo, I was very comfortable with the characters that appeared in the sequel, Fate. But I was pleasantly surprised to meet some new characters who made up the mysterious and frightening "Sidhe". Barnes does a wonderful job describing her characters' personalities and allowing the reader to get into the head of her main character, Bailey. The plot was fun and gripping and the climax was really exciting. Ultimately, I enjoyed this novel, and I hope Barnes keeps writing this series!
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenix, MD United States
I really enjoyed this novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I absolutely love contemporary fantasy novels, so this was right up my alley. Having read the first book in the series, Tattoo, I was very comfortable with the characters that appeared in the sequel, Fate. But I was pleasantly surprised to meet some new characters who made up the mysterious and frightening "Sidhe". Barnes does a wonderful job describing her characters' personalities and allowing the reader to get into the head of her main character, Bailey. The plot was fun and gripping and the climax was really exciting. Ultimately, I enjoyed this novel, and I hope Barnes keeps writing this series!
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenix, MD United States
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Twenty Boy Summer follows the characters of Anna and her best friend Frankie during their summer adventures with Frankie's family in Zanzibar Bay, California. That would be normal, were it not for the fact that a year earlier, Frankie's older brother died tragically in a car accident. Also, Frankie didn't know that Anna liked him due to a promise that she, Anna, made to him, which she planned on keeping until the day that she died. Their A.B.S.E (Absolute Best Summer Ever) plan to get twenty boys in approximately twenty days comes to an end when they fall for Jake and Sam. For the first time since Frankie's brother Matt died, Anna feels as if she can care about someone the way she did with Matt, and Frankie appears attracted to Jake. Unfortunately, secrets are revealed in the worst possible way, and it appears that Frankie and Anna's friendship is destroyed when Anna's journal is discovered.
This book was decent, but not amazing. The characters seemed realistic in their actions, as did the fact that Anna got through her grief by writing letters in her journal to the deceased and beloved Matt. Twenty Boy Summer wasn't anything special and didn't really "grab" me. The language wasn't awful but neither was it mesmerizing. This is an ok book for a quick read when one is rather bored but not if one's looking for a worthwhile book. It does have good aspects such as the plot, but overall is severely lacking in character and originality and is pretty mediocre.
There were aspects involving the social lives of Frankie and Anna that would not be suitable for readers below high school.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC US
This book was decent, but not amazing. The characters seemed realistic in their actions, as did the fact that Anna got through her grief by writing letters in her journal to the deceased and beloved Matt. Twenty Boy Summer wasn't anything special and didn't really "grab" me. The language wasn't awful but neither was it mesmerizing. This is an ok book for a quick read when one is rather bored but not if one's looking for a worthwhile book. It does have good aspects such as the plot, but overall is severely lacking in character and originality and is pretty mediocre.
There were aspects involving the social lives of Frankie and Anna that would not be suitable for readers below high school.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC US
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Penalty, by Mal Peet
In the second Paul Faustino novel by Mal Peet we are once again drawn into a world of mystery surrounding a famous soccer star. After superstar El Brujito simply disappears, Faustino is thrown into the deepest, darkest parts of South America to find him. The story is intertwined with vast African American history and culture, including flashbacks to the life of a slave boy almost 100 years ago when practicing magic and selling people was the norm. Faustino is forced to follow around crooks and off shore criminals while taken captive, to write the story that was never his. He learns to reserve trust and experiences things that a reporter never expects to face.
After the first Mal Peet novel, Keeper, I was expecting further information on El Gato's story. But that was not to be. After immersing myself in the new situations created surrounding El Brujito's disappearance, and the spiritual flashbacks I was intrigued. The differences and correlations Peet shows between the two story lines really made you feel like you were there.He made it easy to sympathize and celebrate with the main characters. This book included less football technicalities which was good for the not so fanatical, but I found myself a little lost during some of the major spiritual scenes and action scenes. The Penalty was definitely a worthwhile read, filled with excitement, deception and passion.
Some scary and violent scenes are described.
Age:14
Melbourne , Victoria Australia
After the first Mal Peet novel, Keeper, I was expecting further information on El Gato's story. But that was not to be. After immersing myself in the new situations created surrounding El Brujito's disappearance, and the spiritual flashbacks I was intrigued. The differences and correlations Peet shows between the two story lines really made you feel like you were there.He made it easy to sympathize and celebrate with the main characters. This book included less football technicalities which was good for the not so fanatical, but I found myself a little lost during some of the major spiritual scenes and action scenes. The Penalty was definitely a worthwhile read, filled with excitement, deception and passion.
Some scary and violent scenes are described.
Age:14
Melbourne , Victoria Australia
Regenesis by C.J.Cherryh
Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh is the sequel to the book Cyteen. Ariane Emory is the main character in both books, Regenesis and Cyteen. Ari is one of the greatest clones. She is intelligent and does not have the human flaws that the original Ariane Emory possessed. Throughout the book, Ari is trying to discover who killed her original human. Ari finds information hidden for her by the original Ari to help her solve the mystery.
If you have not read Cyteen you will be confused and lost. It is not the type of book you can start midway into. I would highly recommend you start with the first book. I thought the book started out a little slow. The book has a lot of details and sometimes I felt that I got a little lost. You really have to pay attention when reading this book. I would suggest this book only for advanced readers. Overall, the book was interesting to read. I was disappointed in the ending though. At the end of the book not everything was concluded. I hope there is another book to help tie up the loose ends.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA Kings
If you have not read Cyteen you will be confused and lost. It is not the type of book you can start midway into. I would highly recommend you start with the first book. I thought the book started out a little slow. The book has a lot of details and sometimes I felt that I got a little lost. You really have to pay attention when reading this book. I would suggest this book only for advanced readers. Overall, the book was interesting to read. I was disappointed in the ending though. At the end of the book not everything was concluded. I hope there is another book to help tie up the loose ends.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA Kings
Lost Childhood by Annelex Hofstra Layson
Lost Childhood is a memoir of Annelex Layson, a young girl who lived in a Japanese internment camp on the island of Java (now part of Indonesia). Annelex was born into a wealthy Dutch family on the island. When she was four years old, the Japanese invaded Java, and her family was sent to an internment camp for Dutch inhabitants of Java. Annelex lived for three years in the camp. She had to live in horrible living conditions, suffering from lack of food, frequent bouts of malaria, and constant fear of her Japanese captures. Lost Childhood is her story of her life in the camp, and how she managed, as a young child, to survive this ordeal.
The amount of literature available to read about life in internment camps is enormous, but each books seems to have a slightly different perspective. I have read numerous books about other interment camps during World War II, but this was the first memoir I had seen about the Dutch internment camps on Java. This book is certainly a quick read, but it is a powerful book nonetheless. Annelex was a very young girl when she when she lived in the internment camp on Java, and her memories are very much those of a younger child. This perspective made the book all the more moving, since life in the camps clashed with her childlike innocence. Her memories of seeing dead bodies, or women being beaten, were strikingly sad since they had been seen through the eyes of a four-year-old. The book, however, is not very graphic, and is approachable for a reader of any age. Annelex's story was poignant, but it was also hopeful. In the end, she managed, along with members of her family, to survive the ordeal and live a happy life. I enjoyed reading her story. This was one book where the writing style, while not perfect, was not very important since the content was what truly mattered. I found Lost Childhood to be a moving book about a part of history that should most certainly never be forgotten. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Il USA
The amount of literature available to read about life in internment camps is enormous, but each books seems to have a slightly different perspective. I have read numerous books about other interment camps during World War II, but this was the first memoir I had seen about the Dutch internment camps on Java. This book is certainly a quick read, but it is a powerful book nonetheless. Annelex was a very young girl when she when she lived in the internment camp on Java, and her memories are very much those of a younger child. This perspective made the book all the more moving, since life in the camps clashed with her childlike innocence. Her memories of seeing dead bodies, or women being beaten, were strikingly sad since they had been seen through the eyes of a four-year-old. The book, however, is not very graphic, and is approachable for a reader of any age. Annelex's story was poignant, but it was also hopeful. In the end, she managed, along with members of her family, to survive the ordeal and live a happy life. I enjoyed reading her story. This was one book where the writing style, while not perfect, was not very important since the content was what truly mattered. I found Lost Childhood to be a moving book about a part of history that should most certainly never be forgotten. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Il USA
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Circle of Friends: Book 1 by L. Diane Wofle
This is story is about a high school couple, Jason and Lori. They are both seniors in high school. Lori has big dreams of going to the Olympics and winning a gold medal in swimming. Jason is a very talented football player who dreams of someday playing in the NFL. They have to find a way to keep their relationship working even though they are going to attend different colleges. Will they be able to make their relationship last?
This is a great book about two people working hard to achieve goals, but still finding time to spend with the people they love, most of all each other. Reading about them achieving their goals encourages you to follow your dreams. Even though at times they seem impossible to achieve. It's a book you won't be able to put down. You have to find out what will enter their lives next.
The content isn't really inappropriate, but it seems to be written for older readers.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Grove, IN U.S.
This is a great book about two people working hard to achieve goals, but still finding time to spend with the people they love, most of all each other. Reading about them achieving their goals encourages you to follow your dreams. Even though at times they seem impossible to achieve. It's a book you won't be able to put down. You have to find out what will enter their lives next.
The content isn't really inappropriate, but it seems to be written for older readers.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Grove, IN U.S.
The Mousehunter by Alex Milway
Emiline is a well-known mousekeeper who has always wanted to go to sea. She gets the opportunity almost by accident while visiting the docks. She volunteers to capture a Sharpclaw Mouse onboard privateer Devlin Drewshank's ship, and he asks her to stay on as his own mousehunter. On their quest to capture the pirate Mousebeard, they encounter fearsome storms, giants, an eccentric forgetful inventor, one near hanging, and all manner of mice. Will Emiline ever be normal again?
Though Mousebeard was a bit of a clich and I found the ending too abrupt to be satisfying, my overall response to the book was very positive. The writing was effective. I could easily see the setting if I closed my eyes and the vocabulary was not difficult. Hopefully the author will write continuing adventures of these interesting characters.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lusby, Maryland USA
Though Mousebeard was a bit of a clich and I found the ending too abrupt to be satisfying, my overall response to the book was very positive. The writing was effective. I could easily see the setting if I closed my eyes and the vocabulary was not difficult. Hopefully the author will write continuing adventures of these interesting characters.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lusby, Maryland USA
Wild At Heart by Michael Morpurgo
This book contains twenty-one animal stories, most being excerpts, written by the likes of Jack London, Oscar Wilde, and E.B. White. From a spider that saves a pig, to Noah and his ark, this book provides some well-known excerpts from "Charlotte's Web", "Noah's Ark", and "The Call of the Wild", to lesser known stories and authors. It also contains a non-fiction excerpt from Darwin's "The Voyage of the Beagle". There is also one poem at the beginning of the book, called "The Birds Began to Sing" by Janet Frame. All of the stories contain similar themes: animals.
This book bored me to death. Since all the stories were so short, none of the characters developed. To be honest, I never finished the book, since I was far enough into it that I realized that only a person forced to read this book would read it all the way through. I had trouble writing the above summary. I can't really blame it on the author, Michael Morpurgo, since all of the stories were written by other people but edited into one book by him, but the stories were very dull. I will mention that "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico was an improvement from the rest of the book. Rhayader and Frith both grow as characters in their own ways. The topic was interesting and relatively original. Compared to the rest of the stories, it's a masterpiece. It's so great I plan on one day getting the full story, since it was just an excerpt. Even the excerpt from Charlotte's Web can't save this book from dullness, though I praise the author for trying.
This book bored me to death. Since all the stories were so short, none of the characters developed. To be honest, I never finished the book, since I was far enough into it that I realized that only a person forced to read this book would read it all the way through. I had trouble writing the above summary. I can't really blame it on the author, Michael Morpurgo, since all of the stories were written by other people but edited into one book by him, but the stories were very dull. I will mention that "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico was an improvement from the rest of the book. Rhayader and Frith both grow as characters in their own ways. The topic was interesting and relatively original. Compared to the rest of the stories, it's a masterpiece. It's so great I plan on one day getting the full story, since it was just an excerpt. Even the excerpt from Charlotte's Web can't save this book from dullness, though I praise the author for trying.
I wouldn't really suggest this book to anyone unless they were SERIOUSLY in love with animals, even though I am as well and I didn't enjoy it. Since most of the stories are mostly classics (such as Call of the Wild and Charlotte's Web ), I guess a person interested in literature classics would be interested in the book as well.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denton, Texas United States
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)