A new student review of Surfacing

VBat posted a new student review of Surfacing . See the full review.

The ideas behind Surfacing have great potential. The mix of viewpoints from Leah and Maggie provided hints of what had really happened the day Leah drowned, and I enjoyed hearing the perspective of the older sister. Maggie's twin brothers were great opportunities for comic relief in an otherwise gloomy novel, and many characters, including Nathan and Julie, were very relatable.

Unfortunately, the story never really came together.

In the beginning of the book it seems that Maggie's ability to draw secrets out of people will play a major role in the story. As it turns out, the strange power dissapears halfway through the book, and never really affects the plot. This was dissapointing, because I expected the power to return for some sort of twist at the end. 

Maggie is also an unlikeable character. While it is possible to craft a likeable character who makes mistakes, Maggie's incessant need to be wanted by Matthew just makes the reader angry at her. Maggie never gives a good enough justification, emotional or logical, for her boy-juggling behaviors. It would have been easier to be sympathetic if the book would have focused more on emotional turmoil she was going through and gave more plausible explanations as to why she felt the need to be loved by Matthew.

Despite the books shortcomings, I would recommend this book to pre-teen and teen girls who enjoy stories about relationships, and who have an afternoon to spare. Surfacing is a quick read that will at least provide a few hours of entertainment, perfect for lazy summer beach days or an afternoon in the hammock.

 

A new student review of Spellbound by Monique N. Peterson

detectiveginger posted a new student review of Spellbound by Monique N. Peterson. See the full review.

The book Spellbound by Monique N. Peterson, was an enjoyable, intriguing and refreshing read. It had good characterization and a gripping plot that made you wonder what was going to happen (however it finished with far too many questions unanswered – so hopefully it will be picked up and answered in a sequel, especially after the cliff-hanger ending and too many unsolved mysteries (Who are Bea’s parents? What are their roles? The disappearance of Queen Rosalind and Kerry. Who tried to poison the Queen? Also, the importance of the Bishop baby to the rebel boss, to name a few).

The setting was interesting – I was surprised and confused at first, as I was expecting a historical setting, but instead it was quite a different world. The people acted with modern day mannerisms, however, the traditions of the country were kind of olden dayish (absolute monarchy vs. democracy) with the monarchs and monarchy having to have arranged marriages. Yet it was futuristic in terms of the technology as it seemed more advanced and different to what we have today, such as cars with invisibility functions, plants that grow with a push of a button etc.

Spellbound was a terrific book, with an interesting setting and spellbinding mysteries; I look forward to reading a sequel.

A new student review of The Obsidian Blade

avance posted a new student review of The Obsidian Blade . See the full review.

This book was a real page turner. I had a lot of trouble putting it down and ended up staying up until late at night to finish it.  I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to start to get into the science fiction drama, as it contains many futuristic themes and plot aspects. The story held my attention from beginning to end; my only complaint would be that the plot was hard to keep up with towards the end of the story. I was really surprised by how much I liked this novel; I am typically not a fan of science fiction. What made this story different from all the rest is that I could easy follow and understand. I cannot wait for the sequel.

A new student review of The Hounds Set by Troy A. Carrington

sschu5 posted a new student review of The Hounds Set by Troy A. Carrington. See the full review.

 

This was a great book! It was a book about a kid that gets bullied so much by a kid named Jackson. I also like how it transitions when he goes to Egypt. Background knowledge on the Egyptian gods kind of helped in this story. I like how the story gave a mystery throughout the book, on if he will ever get home. I would recommend this book to others because of the excitement, the great plot, and the way he is always referring to his textbooks and how they were wrong.

A new student review of The Kissing Booth

MickeyBeth posted a new student review of The Kissing Booth . See the full review.

This book was so good!

Sure, it has its issues like any book does. There were a few mistakes here and there with grammar, and some British slang was used, but the content made up for any of that. Personally, I like my books with a perfectly happy ending all wrapped up with a nice little bow on top. But Beth Reekles' The Kissing Booth definitely made its way onto my list of favorite books.

Noah Flynn is by far the best book character I've read about in years. Most romance books have "the guy," the guy who is so perfect it's just unrealistic. Thankfully, Beth Reekles did not give us "the guy." She gave us Noah. He is over-protective, way too jealous, a violence junkie, and a major jerk sometimes; but that is what made him perfect. <3

I was also quite happy that the author didn't make The Kissing Booth into your typical clishe romance. She kept it original. It had flirting, teasing, the BEST of friends, great characters, and it was just an all around great read. 

In a sense, it was perfect. <3

I'm definitely looking forward to many more books by Beth Reekles.

A new student review of Gingersnap

sisto8 posted a new student review of Gingersnap . See the full review.

I like this book because I found the plot full of unexpected surprises.  It appeared to be clear and interesting at the same time.  I liked reading about the characters because they seemed very realistic.  Jayna had a strong-willed nature, which gave her a fun personality.  The ghost made the book exciting to read because I couldn’t tell when it would come back.  The turtle was a cute character to add in.  She was an exotic choice.  I enjoyed it tons, and I hope whoever reads it likes it too.  I recommend it for anyone 9+.

A new student review of Surfacing

LaRayne posted a new student review of Surfacing . See the full review.

Maggie can make anyone tell the truth so everyone is afraid of her. So she starts throwing herself at any boy. This is a great book. This book is a story of how truth can scare people away and with a teenage girl it is not hard to go too far to just be noticed. I would recommend it to mature upper teen girls. I honestly think that i should have waited to read this book till im older.

A new student review of Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath

TaurielOfMirkwood posted a new student review of Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath . See the full review.

It was a totally awesome book! It kept me on the edge of my seat. The storyline is great, but it was kind of a repeat from the last book. It had some hilarious lines in it, along with some interesting facts that I had no idea about. Also, there are some pages in the back explaining some codes used in the book, which I thought was cool.

A new student review of Chosen at Nightfall

RavenWing posted a new student review of Chosen at Nightfall . See the full review.

This is a spectacular ending in a five book series. Let me stress series. Even though you could just pick this book up and start reading it, I advise against it. There is a lot of history and relationships the whole series has created. Starting from the first book will benefit you, and if I do say so myself, I think the first book is the best.

For those who have been following this series all along, wow. This is a must read to end the series, though it is sad. I can see why you’d hesitate, Kylie finally picks someone! You spend the whole book going back and forth between the guys, but if you know Kylie, you’ll figure out who she’ll pick in the end pretty quickly. Though, I must admit the choices are not very good. One cheated on her, while the other got married to someone else behind her back. Basically, both cheated on her.

Anyways, this is a great read. The ups and downs that come along with C.C. Hunter keep you thoroughly entertained and unable to put it down. Now, for this review, it sounds like a paranormal romance, right? Wrong. This book has comedy, action, adventure, fantasy, and, of course, a dash of romance. Really, it’s a good book for anyone to read, but I encourage you start from the first book in the series, Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter.

A new student review of Dead Things

kanati posted a new student review of Dead Things . See the full review.

Stephen Blackmoore's Dead Things is a paranormal thriller that keeps you hanging on every word.  Set in the dark world of vengeful spirits and horrifing power, Dead Things is nearly impossible to put down, and it keeps you guessing until the last word. Eric Carter is your classic anti-hero, bad boy with a heart off gold who makes all the wrong choices for all the right reasons. Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore is a great read with lots off action and suspense topped with ghostly magic that ties it all together. I would suggest this book to anyone 16 and up looking for an exciting read.