A new student review of Life: An Exploded Diagram

VBat posted a new student review of Life: An Exploded Diagram . See the full review.

In Life: An Exploded Diagram, Mal Peet masterfully knits storylines from different times and places into one seamless plot. The character development reminded me of Khalid Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, in that the story followed the characters for their entire lives, not just focusing in on the 
"important" part of their existence. This allows for the reader to relate to each of the characters, especially Clem and Frankie, and for the reader to pick up on the clever ways in which the past, present and future intertwine over the course of the story. 

The mix of storytelling and narration of political events worked in a unique, interesting way. The important political happenings that affected the story were narrated by an older Clem. His interpretations of key political figures are though provoking, and spark an interest in the Cold War era.  

I would recommend Life: An Exploded Diagram to teens and young adults who enjoy romance, history, and realistic fiction. Fans of Peet's Tamar or works by Khalid Hosseini will enjoy this book immensely. 

A new student review of A Monster Calls

JesusFreak posted a new student review of A Monster Calls . See the full review.

When I first got this book, my first thought was, this book is really small. And it was really short.  I finished it within three days. But, excluding the shortness, it was a very good book! I loved how it really got deep into your thought process and made you think. The only other things I didn’t like about it was that they never fully explained the whole concept of the Monster. Was the Monster just a figment of the main character’s imagination, or was it real? The other thing that I didn’t like about it was that the ending didn’t really feel like an ending. It just sort of stopped suddenly without further explanation. Other than that, a pretty good book.

A new student review of Butterfly

nlsings posted a new student review of Butterfly . See the full review.

I liked this book.  The writing was pleasant and poetic.  The story was decent.  It was a pretty typical tale of an awkward kid growing up, and learning to appreciate who she really is.  It has a good message, but it is one that often surfaces in teen literature.  Some of the parts about her friends and boys were cliche and overdone, but it was a sweet and nostolgic read overall.  If you have a soft spot for adorable and well written books about teenage girls growing up, then this is for you.  Especially if you have read and enjoyed the book Scarlet by Cathy Cassidy, then I would highly recommend this to you.  

A new student review of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

dancerASJ posted a new student review of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards. See the full review.

This book is a good read. Not too long.Not too short.Great storyline with developing characters , secrets , and friendship. All in all this is any enjoyable book.

A new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson

mattstudent_101 posted a new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson. See the full review.

quick summary

A new student review of Touch of the Demon

kanati posted a new student review of Touch of the Demon . See the full review.

l personally enjoyed this book for the action and constant plot twists keeping me on my toes. Diana Rowland shows her mastery of the element of suspense and the urban fantasy genre by use of her captivating characters and engaging plot line. This is truly a great page turner that contains a little something for everyone. I recommend this to any teen looking for a great series that will never grow old. I know I will be keeping my eyes out for the next book in the series.

A new student review of The Moon Coin (The Moon Realm Series, Book 1) by Richard Due

PrincessLeiaAayla posted a new student review of The Moon Coin (The Moon Realm Series, Book 1) by Richard Due. See the full review.

The Moon Coin by Richard Due was an average book.  I liked the fact that it included:

• Some pictures, so you have a better image of what the characters look like
• Some descriptions, but they are very confusing

Here is what I didn't like:

• The story and the way it unfolded was VERY confusing
• Lily is always lying throughout the story and never learns from her lying, which is frustrating.
• The spelling is weird, as if it's from another country. It makes the book difficult to read.

A new student review of Garden Princess by Kristin Kladstrup

TaurielOfMirkwood posted a new student review of Garden Princess by Kristin Kladstrup. See the full review.

It was a pretty good book. Not the best, but not the worst. It wasn't really that exciting, and it was actually kind of boring at times. The ending was good, though. That was the part in the book that really made me want to know what happens. So, overall, it was a good book. Not a great book, not a terrible book, but a good book.

A new student review of Plague in the Mirror

swimmer1430 posted a new student review of Plague in the Mirror . See the full review.

The subject of doppelgangers is very interesting and hasn't been written about as much as it should. I thought the premise of Plague in the Mirror sounded very original: evil twins, time travel, romance, and travel all rolled into one. However, I think the author had too many storylines and themes in her novel. Neither modern day Italy or Medieval Florence were as fleshed out as they could have been. I would have preferred if the author picked one setting and stayed with it - rather than have May constantly travel between the two. There were things that I enjoyed in this novel. I loved the setting of Florence. I want to travel to Italy so I was jealous of May's opportunity to live there for the summer. I also enjoyed May's relationship and romance with Liam although I do wish they spent more time together in the book. Overall I think the author of Plague in the Mirror had too many ideas for one book, but it was still an enjoyable read.

A new student review of The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter

sthom506 posted a new student review of The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter. See the full review.

Kate Winters has such a human feel for a supposed Goddess, which allowed for a wonderful connection to the character. Her tale is believable while still being fantastical and adventurous. There is a balance of romance and action, not to mention familial love and tight-knit friendships. The character relationships developed the most in this latest book, and it is easy to be drawn in from the first sentence. As the characters go through pain, joy, and amusement, so will each and every individual reader, feeling as though they are apart of this brilliantly painted mastery of a story. Well written and much enjoyed by this reader, The Goddess Inheritance is a perfect addition to any fantasy or mythology loving reader's collection.