A new student review of Maybe I Will

VBat posted a new student review of Maybe I Will . See the full review.

Maybe I Will was an interesting, fresh look into a topic that is relevant to many teen readers.  

While it threw me off a little in the beginning, not knowing Sandy's gender gives the reader the freedom to relate to the main character in the way they feel most comfortable. The first-person point of view made this gender-unspecific character possible, and provided for intimate looks into Sandy's thoughts and feelings. 

Sandy was a well developed character. I enjoyed reading about the Peter Pan auditions, and getting a glimpse into Sandy's life before the abuse. Details about Sandy's interactions with friends and family throughout the story gave the story depth and added heart to the story. The way that Sandy was betrayed by his/her friends stirred real anger and a whole range of additonal emotions. 

I would have liked for Cassie and Troy to make a few more appearances in the middle of the story, and perhaps add a bit of external conflict to keep the story moving at a faster pace. 

All in all, Maybe I Will is a fantastic story that stirs reader emotions and shares a meaningful story. I would reccommend it to teenagers who enjoy realistic fiction and books like Speak.

A new student review of Charm & Strange

MIZZIQ posted a new student review of Charm & Strange . See the full review.

I was enthralled with this book and sometimes just simple phrases that were just in the right spot. The author uses suspense to their incredible advantage. To me Charm & Strange spoke about healing. But the coolest thing for me was what it showed through the characters: that it's okay to be broken when you're hurt. And you don't have to be totally healed to move on with your life. The character was in a sense going crazy, but the author didn't critisize that or make it seem wrong...even before you knew the cause. It makes me think that she felt very deeply about the subject and her characters. That is very cool. I loved how the characters were developed and how I could change my opinion about someone so suddenly. The book was a little journey.

 

There were things about it that bothered me of course :). Namely some language used. Because of this and a few ways some things were described it did rub me the wrong way. It didn't make me dislike the book, but it didn't make me love certain aspects of it. I think it's just a case of taking the good out of it and the story and the wonderful characters and trying to leave the rest. Characters after all can't be perfect. :)

A new student review of Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Taylor by Kassy Tayler

Ravette posted a new student review of Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Taylor by Kassy Tayler. See the full review.

This was a beautifully, and intelligently, written novel. It was definitely an enthralling read. I loved the character development and how the characters changed throughout the story. I also liked the plot and how the suspense never ceased. I also enjoyed reading about a realistic, and very creative, type of world where people are physically restricted. Lastly, I liked the character Wren because she was one of many who thought about the escape from the dome, yet the first to act on it; which made her admirable.

A new student review of Road Trip

Bunnyrabbit posted a new student review of Road Trip . See the full review.

  Gary and Jim Paulson bring the statement, "road trip," to a whole new level. On a route to save a border collie, Ben and his father travel through the west. Bringing along a troubled friend, a mechanic, and a unique waitress. But a strange car following them and a car on fire in the middle of nowhere bring this gang of misfits into a dangerous situation. Adding a new dimension to a father and son road trip offers many life lessons everyone can use. For example, how a family can be brought back together and new friendships made on just one trip. This action packed book will have you hooked and wanting more. 

 

A new student review of All We Know of Love

calicool123 posted a new student review of All We Know of Love . See the full review.

All We Know Of Love was strange, but in the best way possible. I was constantly intrigued and felt exited to turn the page to reveal more perfectly constructed text. The writing was very well put together and flowed very easily. Anyone who is in search of a great, easy read would enjoy this book. Natalie is a character that almost anyone could relate to, and I think we all have a little peice of Natalie's personality in us. Throughout the book I felt like I was taking the journey myself. 

A new student review of Whispers at Moonrise

Bookreader587 posted a new student review of Whispers at Moonrise . See the full review.

In my personal opinion of this book, the plot line was great, a little slow to start, but got moving pretty quickly. I do think that this book could have been written better for a teen novel. The vocabulary wasn't what you would expect, and it seemed like every character talked in the same way. For example, every character said the word "frigging' no matter their age, and it seems like an adult would not talk like that. Regardless, I got a great picture of every character and their personalities. I would also like to point out the relationships between characters. It seems that, as a reader, the entire book revolves around Kylie and how she solves all the problems for every character. There are other character issues, but if the issue is not solved by Kylie, or had advice from Kylie on the situation, the problem would not be resolved. It also seems like Kylie is too timid in some parts, and too aggresive in others, with little or no transistions between the two. Althought this book was overall pretty good, I found the writing immature for a young adult novel, but am excited to read the next book in the series.

A new student review of The Spare Room by Jenny Land

sschu5 posted a new student review of The Spare Room by Jenny Land. See the full review.

 

This was a great book! It was a book about a family that has problems during the civil war. I also liked how it is in the form of a diary; I think that was a cool idea. Background knowledge in this story really fit it together for a great story. I like how the story folded together throughout the book. I would recommend this book to others because of the excitement, the great plot, and the way it is also like a regular family today.

A new student review of A Girl's Guide To Fitting in Fitness

avolzer posted a new student review of A Girl's Guide To Fitting in Fitness . See the full review.

 

Overall it was pretty good but wasn’t what I expected. It said it would make exercise fun, but there was hardly anything that looked fun. I did like the part about dancing. The yoga poses and weight lifting were cool too. It said it wasn’t hard to get up early if you choose an exercise you enjoy. The ones they suggested were things like push ups and lunges. Those aren’t going to motivate me to get up. It had useful information about setting and keeping goals. The writing was easy to read and conversational. The purpose was to explain the benefits and reasons to exercise and share practical ways to begin being more healthy. The authors achieved their purpose. The part about setting and reaching goals was great. It was a motivational and practical book. It is good for beginners just getting started or for people who are already pretty fit looking for a challenge. It’s best for high school girls.

 

A new student review of Darkwater by Catherine Fisher

Feeder24 posted a new student review of Darkwater by Catherine Fisher. See the full review.

I thought that this book was interesting, but that it was rather confusing. There were mentions of magic, but the author did not elaborate on them and left the reader in the dark. I also didn't like the ending to the book. Throughout the whole story, the author made Azrael out to be an evil warlock who would do whatever he had to to get what he wanted, but then at the end, she portrayed him as a good person who did only what he promised and nothing else. I just thought that it was a little random and disorganized. However, it was well-written and kept me interested in the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and mystery type books, but it will take some brain power to understand what is happening.

A new student review of Death, Doom, and Detention

R. Mae posted a new student review of Death, Doom, and Detention . See the full review.

 

Darynda Jones, who is an expert YA writer, happens to have a thing for cliff hangers. I was absolutely thrilled by Darynda's sequel to Death and the Girl Next Door. Of all the possible ways to antagonize me, she ended with a cliff hanger! Of course, I do really love a cliff hanger...

Lorelei proved to be an excellent MC once again, her epic humor and choice in friends was perfect. Brooke is still my favorite character, although I feel Glitch is just as oblivious as ever. The characters in Death, Doom and Detention really add to the story, fighting invincible monsters could get boring without some fun. I was impressed by the plot in Death and the Girl Next Door, but the plot in this one practically threw me off my feet. I love action.  I don't think you can ever have enough action in a book, but silliness really makes up for it where it is lacked. I think Lorelei could get into a couple more scrapes in the next book *crosses fingers*, but I will survive if she doesn't.

To sum it up, I continue to love Darynda Jones' beautiful writing, and I think I always will!