Raye Archer hates being known as the scholarship student at the prestigious private school she attends. She also wants to be noticed more by the other girls. So when queen bee Ella Parker starts paying attention to her, Raye will do anything to gain popularity. Even if it means pranking Ella's ex, the handsome and crush-worthy Julian Kilgarry. But when Raye starts falling for Julian, the consequences could be extreme, especially when you have mastermind Ella planning the revenge.
For the most part I enjoyed The Julian Game. The plot sounds pretty standard: girl pranks boy, girl falls for boy, boy eventually discovers the truth. Rinse and repeat. But The Julian Game took a different approach, which I liked. Raye actually does what I want every character to do in this situation: she tells Julian the truth. And that act has very desirable consequences. I liked Raye a lot because she was tough, smart and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. Even at the end, when some of the other characters weren't treating her very nicely, Raye was still able to stand up for herself and preserve her dignity. It was nice to see a confident character, and this is the reason why I enjoyed The Julian Game so much. The plot was also interesting, the dialogue was witty and this book ended up being a very good read.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States
Friday, September 03, 2010
The Cowgirl Way by Holly George-Warren
"The Cowgirl Way" by Holly George-Warren is a fun book. It goes from the nineteenth century to the modern day in revealing cowgirls. Stories of rebels, rodeos, bounty hunters, trick riders, explorers, and more are given. Quotes from cowgirls themselves are included. This is really a nonfiction book but reads like a fiction book due to its excitement and excellent storytelling.
With striking images and colorful pages, this book will get young ones' attention. While it is aimed at girls, boy may pick it up. The women profiled--for the most part--are feminine with a wild streak. Costumes and horses are shown for history and equestrian buffs. References to older movies or people may not be recognized by young readers, but they are explained enough not to leave younger generations confused.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
With striking images and colorful pages, this book will get young ones' attention. While it is aimed at girls, boy may pick it up. The women profiled--for the most part--are feminine with a wild streak. Costumes and horses are shown for history and equestrian buffs. References to older movies or people may not be recognized by young readers, but they are explained enough not to leave younger generations confused.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
Life Blossoms Like a Rose in Thorns by Raghavan Jayaprakash
Two reviews:
Review 1: This book was a very great and inspirational read. Smitha
is the main character and she is a rebel. She cannot stand
the way that the women of her Indian culture are treated.
She speaks to her mom about her opinions on the matter and
her mother just says there is nothing they can do about
it, our culture has always been this way. Smithas father
dies and her mother leans on her son in law for support.
He treats her unfairly, due to the way women were treated
as inferiors to men at the time. Smitha gets very upset
about the sittuation and goes out and speaks of how men
and women are equals. Smitha ends up getting married and
settles down. She has one son in the book and she is not
treated as an inferior by her husband. I really liked this
book and found it inspirational to women of every
background and culture.
This book was very inspirational with the way Smitha stood up for what she believed in. This book can be inspirational to women everywhere. It
realates to many womens problems. Smitha is like an average teenage girl who rebels and so teenage girls can relate to this book as well. Teenage girls can learn independence from Smitha's story. This book was a great
read and very inspirational.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Keiser , Arkansas America
Review 2: Thoroughly thought provoking and truthful, this is the story of a young Hindu woman named Smitha, following her through her teenage years, and then onto her adult life. She does not agree with her religion's (Hindu's) view on arranged marriages, and watching as her sisters marriage falls and crumbles, she wishes to have a choice in whom she marries, and so sets out on a quest to become someone in the world.
Written in four sections, each follows a different part of her life, it switches in part three to following her son Bhaskar's storey. Set in the late 1940's and onward, it is a storey that fully reminds the you, the reader, of the free life we have ; women treated with equal status and rights not just a possession of their husband. Like books such as '(un)arranged marriage' by Bali Rai, as a reader you come to understand a little more of what it would be like to have you're life planned for you. As in the books mentioned above, Smitha is determined not to be shaped and moulded by her parents and influential figures around her, and this is what she sets out to do. The 'voice' in which it is written, is not amusing or soft, but quite the opposite ; it tell it like it is.
Personally, I found it hard to relate too, due to the fact it is written so bluntly, but it does get to the point quickly. The ending comes together well, with only one question left un-answered but then the question in it's self is a little confusing! Even though the pace of the storey is rather fast, it's a light read and short too, at approx 160 pages. I would recommend this book for you if you enjoy religious books about other culture or storeys about women's rights and it would be a great study tool in Religious Education!
I would only recommend this book to mature readers, due to the sexual content that it contains.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Swindon, Wiltshire England
Review 1: This book was a very great and inspirational read. Smitha
is the main character and she is a rebel. She cannot stand
the way that the women of her Indian culture are treated.
She speaks to her mom about her opinions on the matter and
her mother just says there is nothing they can do about
it, our culture has always been this way. Smithas father
dies and her mother leans on her son in law for support.
He treats her unfairly, due to the way women were treated
as inferiors to men at the time. Smitha gets very upset
about the sittuation and goes out and speaks of how men
and women are equals. Smitha ends up getting married and
settles down. She has one son in the book and she is not
treated as an inferior by her husband. I really liked this
book and found it inspirational to women of every
background and culture.
This book was very inspirational with the way Smitha stood up for what she believed in. This book can be inspirational to women everywhere. It
realates to many womens problems. Smitha is like an average teenage girl who rebels and so teenage girls can relate to this book as well. Teenage girls can learn independence from Smitha's story. This book was a great
read and very inspirational.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Keiser , Arkansas America
Review 2: Thoroughly thought provoking and truthful, this is the story of a young Hindu woman named Smitha, following her through her teenage years, and then onto her adult life. She does not agree with her religion's (Hindu's) view on arranged marriages, and watching as her sisters marriage falls and crumbles, she wishes to have a choice in whom she marries, and so sets out on a quest to become someone in the world.
Written in four sections, each follows a different part of her life, it switches in part three to following her son Bhaskar's storey. Set in the late 1940's and onward, it is a storey that fully reminds the you, the reader, of the free life we have ; women treated with equal status and rights not just a possession of their husband. Like books such as '(un)arranged marriage' by Bali Rai, as a reader you come to understand a little more of what it would be like to have you're life planned for you. As in the books mentioned above, Smitha is determined not to be shaped and moulded by her parents and influential figures around her, and this is what she sets out to do. The 'voice' in which it is written, is not amusing or soft, but quite the opposite ; it tell it like it is.
Personally, I found it hard to relate too, due to the fact it is written so bluntly, but it does get to the point quickly. The ending comes together well, with only one question left un-answered but then the question in it's self is a little confusing! Even though the pace of the storey is rather fast, it's a light read and short too, at approx 160 pages. I would recommend this book for you if you enjoy religious books about other culture or storeys about women's rights and it would be a great study tool in Religious Education!
I would only recommend this book to mature readers, due to the sexual content that it contains.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Swindon, Wiltshire England
The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston
Loa Lindgren's life was ALWAYS centered around her little
sister, Asta. That's how life was, that's how the days
went. Asta suffered from a disorder that kept her a
baby...forever. But, with Asta dead, Loa is struggling.
Her best friend has also died. How can 16-year old Loa
carry out a normal life? The answer is, she can't. She is
suffering with flashbacks and bad dreams. Chaos, hardship,
and death best describe Loa's life. No wonder she is a
freak observer.
sister, Asta. That's how life was, that's how the days
went. Asta suffered from a disorder that kept her a
baby...forever. But, with Asta dead, Loa is struggling.
Her best friend has also died. How can 16-year old Loa
carry out a normal life? The answer is, she can't. She is
suffering with flashbacks and bad dreams. Chaos, hardship,
and death best describe Loa's life. No wonder she is a
freak observer.
Two Hundred One pages of astounding literature. The book was a page turner, a new tableau at every paragraph. From the moment I was two words into the book, I could hear myself saying Instant Classic. This
horrific and stunning novel is perfect for the mysterious teenager! I grew up with Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown as my best friends. I've always been drawn to dark, depressing, mysterious things. That is probably why the book was such a hit with me. Although this is an amazing book, I recommend ages 12 and up, because it is creepy and spine tingling!
For the creepiness, deaths, and sadness.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States
Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep
Gin Blanco ( A.K.A The Spider) is one of the most
deadliest assassins in the world. She owns a restaurant
called the Pork Pit, which was given to her when her
beloved mentor Fletcher was killed. In giving her the
porkpit Fletcher also left behind a file. The file
contained information on Gin before her assassin days. In
finding more about the file and agreeing to help out
Violet Fox, Gin finds herself caught up once again in the
trouble she used to encounter. With the help of her
friends, Sophia, Finn, and Donovan Caine, Gin sets out to
kill a very famous dwarf.
deadliest assassins in the world. She owns a restaurant
called the Pork Pit, which was given to her when her
beloved mentor Fletcher was killed. In giving her the
porkpit Fletcher also left behind a file. The file
contained information on Gin before her assassin days. In
finding more about the file and agreeing to help out
Violet Fox, Gin finds herself caught up once again in the
trouble she used to encounter. With the help of her
friends, Sophia, Finn, and Donovan Caine, Gin sets out to
kill a very famous dwarf.
This is the second book in the Elemental Assassin series. It was a page turner and had me up late each night, and early each morning reading
the words that drew me in. I was like a bug, and my book a light. Everywhere I went my nose was hidden between the two covers and they stayed there through out the day. I didn't want to put it down and miss the excitement of whatever trouble Gin got into. Each page had me attached
and I kept finding myself telling my mother time after time, not yet I am at the good part, or Five more minutes please! You can bet that when the third book Venom comes out I will be the first in line to buy it.
It had a lot of mature content and killing
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States
Thursday, September 02, 2010
The Limit by Kristen Landon
The Limit. It's a simple system, really. All you and your family have to do is not exceed your limit. Don't spend more than you limit, don't spend more than you make. For Matt Dunston, it seems as if his family has all the money in the world. They don't even have to worry about exceeding their limit, right? Wrong. When Matt's family suddenly and unexpectedly goes over their limit, something has to be done to get them out of their debt. In this case, the Dunston's oldest child, who happens to be Matt, gets taken away to a workhouse. He never knew anyone who was taken away and doesn't know what to expect. When he arrives at the workplace everything seems perfect! But Matt has his suspicions. Is it all too good to be true?
The Limit by Kristen Landon was a good book! The eeriness of the world Matt lives in keeps you interested and hooked through every chapter. What was happening in this alternate world was enough to keep me captivated and turning page after page. This book was filled with surprises and deception. It kept me wondering who was wrong and who was right. It also made me question whose actions were wrong and whose were right. The Limit by Kristen Landon was a great read!
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA
The Limit by Kristen Landon was a good book! The eeriness of the world Matt lives in keeps you interested and hooked through every chapter. What was happening in this alternate world was enough to keep me captivated and turning page after page. This book was filled with surprises and deception. It kept me wondering who was wrong and who was right. It also made me question whose actions were wrong and whose were right. The Limit by Kristen Landon was a great read!
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA
November Blues by Sharon M. Draper
When teen November Nelson finds out she is pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby, everything she knows changes. Her mother is disappointed,her college dream crushed,her schoolmates judging her. In the struggle she discovers what it's like to have real friends, supporters through hardships. And what is like to be sad and scared. In this story of ups and downs, Sharon Draper shows how things can change in a blink of an eye.
November Blues explores the truth of becoming a pregnant teen or even pregnant at all. Before I read this book I thought pregnancy looked a lot easier than it seemed in movies or books. But this book didn't cover up all the negatives of being pregnant, it showed what it was like to struggle with money, with peers, with eating the right food, and deciding on what to do with your future. Overall I think this book gives a truth and reality to becoming pregnant, losing what could have been, but finding something golden in the end.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, VA USA
November Blues explores the truth of becoming a pregnant teen or even pregnant at all. Before I read this book I thought pregnancy looked a lot easier than it seemed in movies or books. But this book didn't cover up all the negatives of being pregnant, it showed what it was like to struggle with money, with peers, with eating the right food, and deciding on what to do with your future. Overall I think this book gives a truth and reality to becoming pregnant, losing what could have been, but finding something golden in the end.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, VA USA
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Bet Smith is just a girl who grew up with tragedy and just wants one thing in her life, an education. Unlike her foster brother Will, who will do anything but go back to school. When Bet comes up with the intriguing idea to switch places with Will, Will thinks she is insane and could never do it. As Bet starts to convince Will that she can do everything that he does, he starts looking at this as his way out to the military, where he really wants to be. Will and Bet make an interesting meaning to switching places as there lives switch because they fool everyone. Bet finally got her way to what she really wants but maybe at the cost of losing her foster father and brother.
This book wasn't really one of my favorites. It was well written however, very predictable and not an original idea. While reading it, it will seem as you have already read this story before.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, CT United States
This book wasn't really one of my favorites. It was well written however, very predictable and not an original idea. While reading it, it will seem as you have already read this story before.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, CT United States
Draw the Dark by Lisa J. Bick
Christian Cage is a very...different 17 year-old. He has lived with his uncle ever since his parents disappeared when he was a baby. When Christian grew older he realized he hears voices from a place he calls the sideways place where he believes his mother and father are trapped. Christian obsessively draws his mothers eyes hoping he can somehow get to where they are and save them. While Christian is trying to figure out what to do he stumbles upon a mystery in the small town he lives in, Winter, Wisconsin. A dead baby is found in a house that has been abandoned for years and know one knows how it got there. Christian also starts seeing visions of a boy from the same town only from years ago in the past. As he learns more about the secret past of Winter and the little boy, Christian knows that these events are connected somehow and that by figuring out about the buried secrets of the small town of Winter things will be unearthed and shaken that some people have kept secret since WWII.
The way the author wrote this book makes it very confusing until all the pieces are revealed. This book is a very dark book which is good for some parts but sometimes just makes the book eerie and creepy. Good parts about this book are that the author is very descriptive and places you right in the setting of the book. Also that the plot is very thought out and every bit of information you get is placed there for a reason. I think this book would have to be one of those books that you have to read at least another time to fully understand all the parts that you didn't pick up on the first time around. Over all it was an okay book, better than some books I've picked up on Flamingnet and one of the better written ones I've read on this site but not the best book I've ever read.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinios United States
The way the author wrote this book makes it very confusing until all the pieces are revealed. This book is a very dark book which is good for some parts but sometimes just makes the book eerie and creepy. Good parts about this book are that the author is very descriptive and places you right in the setting of the book. Also that the plot is very thought out and every bit of information you get is placed there for a reason. I think this book would have to be one of those books that you have to read at least another time to fully understand all the parts that you didn't pick up on the first time around. Over all it was an okay book, better than some books I've picked up on Flamingnet and one of the better written ones I've read on this site but not the best book I've ever read.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinios United States
Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery
"Kakapo Rescue" by Sy Montgomery boasts of its saving the world's strangest parrot. Terribly endangered, the bird is flightless and burrows holes in the ground at night. Okay--pretty strange. The science behind the bird is given in some biological detail that is not too hard for younger readers to grasp. Biographies and anecdotes of volunteers are given. Processes like finding / tracking the birds, as well as feeding and nursing from birth are expounded upon.
This book is great for any animal lover. While the main focus is on the kakapo, other creatures in New Zealand are gone over. The pictures are amazing in their clarity. They show both the animals and the science behind the volunteer methods. Suitable for all ages, this book will definitely teach readers something new about a parrot they probably didn't even know existed.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
This book is great for any animal lover. While the main focus is on the kakapo, other creatures in New Zealand are gone over. The pictures are amazing in their clarity. They show both the animals and the science behind the volunteer methods. Suitable for all ages, this book will definitely teach readers something new about a parrot they probably didn't even know existed.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
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