A new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth

ykhalfi posted a new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth . See the full review.

 

 

I found this book really good to read. It seems unfinished and that there should be a sequel..

It's so good it is destined to become a best-seller.

A new student review of Through the Skylight

sisto8 posted a new student review of Through the Skylight . See the full review.

I liked the book Through the Skylight because of the characters.  Each character got to narrate his/her own parts of the story.  Since there were six kids, one could get confused with all the different perspectives. The conflict was very interesting.  The story didn't turn out just the way I expected. The clues twisted and turned until the very end of the book. The language stayed on the age level;  there were very few bad words.  I recommend this book for people 10+. 

A new student review of Beneath the Heavens by Christine O'Neill

sabol posted a new student review of Beneath the Heavens by Christine O'Neill. See the full review.

Beneath the Heavens, written by Christine O’Neil, is a suspense-filled adventure story that kept me hooked down to the final line. When I first began to read I thought I would get lost in the multitude of characters but each was skillfully crafted so that I was able to follow the plot even between changes in perspective. In fact as the novel progressed I found myself getting deeply attached to each character and their idiosyncrasies. The clichéd yet heartwarming relationships that ensue among the characters and comical wordplay used, is just the frosting on the cake. O’Neil’s engrossing novel captures the very essence of a good story and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a juicy mystery to sink their teeth into.

A new student review of Diverse Energies by Malinda Lo Ursula K. Le Guin Paolo Bacigalupi

alphatauri posted a new student review of Diverse Energies by Malinda Lo Ursula K. Le Guin Paolo Bacigalupi. See the full review.

There were a few stories I really enjoyed, while others I'd hesitate to recommend to anyone anytime soon. "The Last Day," by Ellen Oh, opens the collection and was a standout as well. It's filled with action, and has got a fascinating world, a likeable protagonist, and an ending that you won't forget anytime soon. Meanwhile, the story that follows it, "Freshee's Frogurt," by Daniel H. Wilson, didn't really do it for me. Generally, I dislike it when novels are excerpted as short stories, and this one was no exception. The other few stories I really liked were "Uncertainty Principle", by K. Tempest Bradford, "Good Girl", by Malinda Lo, and "A Pocket Full of Dharma" by one of the best known writers in the collection, Paolo Bacigalupi. Overall, Diverse Energies is indeed, a diverse collection of stories with quite a lot of lesser known authors that readers will enjoy discovering! 

A new student review of Tempest: A Novel (Tempest Trilogy) by Julie Cross

Hickey posted a new student review of Tempest: A Novel (Tempest Trilogy) by Julie Cross. See the full review.

I thought this was a wonderfully written book. The second I picked it up and started reading it I was hooked. I thought the author did an amazing job with the plot development, but could have done a better job with having more vivid descriptions of some of the scenes. Everything included, I highly recommend this book to the average teenager who likes fantasy. 

A new student review of William and the Lost Spirit

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of William and the Lost Spirit . See the full review.

 

Set in Medieval times in a feudal society, “William and the Lost Spirit” by Bonneval and Bonhomme takes the reader into a land of magic, science and folklore. This magical tale takes you to far off lands that reach the depths of young William’s imagination.  Although the art for this graphic novel was really great for the subject, and I give gratitude and respect to the artist for having the patience to draw every single board, the plot was disappointing. I was expecting a ‘coming of age’ story or a thrilling mystery from what I read in the summary. Unfortunately I didn’t get that. There were some ‘coming of age’ aspects in the story but it wasn't the main story.  The book was also a bit too strange for my taste. In my opinion, William’s ‘adventures’ or dreams were quite odd—even for a young boy of his background. Also another problem I had with this book is the main character. William doesn't seem to care about anything.  In the beginning, he doesn’t seem to care about his father’s death—he had a ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ persona almost—and at the end he doesn’t seem to want to hold his father’s killer accountable.

Needless to say, I had many problems with this book because in my opinion, a book—whatever type it may be—must have a good, some-what logical plot with developed or developing characters, and this particular book did not seem to have it.  Perhaps I am too harsh on this book and my ability to get into this book was just too weak—the fantasy didn’t take hold; but that still is a problem. Why couldn’t this book catch me and keep me in?

You may decide for yourselves, but for myself, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.

A new student review of Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green

TaurielOfMirkwood posted a new student review of Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green . See the full review.

This book was awesome! I loved it! It had mystery, adventure, and a little romance. It also had some Spanish, and I thought that was pretty cool. The author did a great job describing the scenes, and I could see them in my mind. Overall, this is a great book!

A new student review of Birdie by Tony Rosa

MIZZIQ posted a new student review of Birdie by Tony Rosa. See the full review.

For the most part this was a very boring story. I'd suggest taking your time with it even though it's small. There are meanings that you can take from it--whether the author intended them or not. I think that most people can identify with some parts of all the characters. The old man and Mark have a true friendship which is heartwarming. The story doesn't really leave you anywhere. It's more of a story of a kid learning to move on even though he makes mistakes. There's a few flashbacks which were interesting. I wouldn't particurly reccomend this book. It's a lot like the books I usually read so trying to beat some of my favorites are hard---all that to say I wouldn't NOT read it...I just think it was more of a debut book. (Not sure if it was or not.) So the story had meaning and some parts I throughly enjoyed. The ending was almost worth it....however I was glad it was so short.

A new student review of Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

LegoLover posted a new student review of Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. See the full review.

Krosorzka brings us another heroic tale from the school cafeteria, of the Lunch Lady and her sidekick Betty.  As always, “Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril” is full of nutritious lingo that will make you laugh and your tummy growl.  Once you start this adventure, you'll find yourself unable to put it down.  I liked how creatively the Breakfast Bunch came up with a plan.  What I really loved about this book is how Krosorzka not only writes lots of details but draws them into the background of nearly every scene.

A new student review of The Crimson Shard by Ravette

Ravette posted a new student review of The Crimson Shard by . See the full review.

It was a wonderful and very enthralling read. I enjoyed the details the author used to describe eighteenth-century London; it made it much clearer and easier to visualize. I also liked how  Sunni and Blaise enjoy drawing and art, because I felt that I could relate. I also really liked the characterization, because every character had a very distinct and different personality from one another.