A new student review of Strands of Bronze and Gold

seaotter77 posted a new student review of Strands of Bronze and Gold . See the full review.

I superbly enjoyed reading Strands of Bronze and Gold, and even more so because I had never heard of the Bluebeard fairy tale before I picked up this novel. Sophia's character is so richly developed that I could not help but shiver when she finds out what happened to the many wives of her godfather or gasp in awe when the door to her bedroom is opened. The author uses adjectives like threads and spins them into a descriptive web, which will create a painting in the reader's mind that could rival the Mona Lisa. M. de Cressac will set off alarms in the reader and will make them worry for Sophie and be curious to figure out what will happen next. There is some mature content, so I would only recommend this book to kids ages 12 and up.

A new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1)

R. Mae posted a new student review of Awakening (Hope Trilogy #1) . See the full review.

Awakening was a bold, amazing story about breaking out of your shell.

The Plot:

Oh, fantastic! The plot was bloody brilliant, literally! There was so much action and gore that I couldn't stop turning pages. The only thing that bothered me was a slight flaw in the writing style. There were a few things like this, 'Seeing that I needed time to think, Kiana took Sarah and left the room. Alone I sat quietly, thinking about it for a moment. Everything seemed surreal to me...' I think that would have been smoother like this, 'Seeing that I needed some time to think, Kiana took Sarah and left the room. Alone,  I sat quietly. Everything seemed surreal...' I totally adored Lauren's word choice! It was so descriptive and gave a clear image. It was practically poetry!

The Characters:

Emma's character arch rang true with me. It was about freeing yourself from shyness and self doubt. Personally, I think that is a major issue with teens my age all over the world. Emma ends up beating that fear, becoming a role model for us all. Her character was intriguing and unique. Especially in the way of her intense love. Emma doesn't love half way. Sarah was a true friend, encouraging and brave. Her own story was of selflessness and innocence. I loved her! I was delighted that no matter how much I tried, I couldn't figure out Griffin. He was constantly changing. There were places when I was led to believe he was evil, and then wondered if there was a budding romance. Something like in Kelley Armstrong's The Darkest Powers Trilogy.

The Setting:

Awakening takes place in a modern time period, which is well portrayed in this book. The characters fit perfectly.

The Standout:

The thing that stood out to me most was the action. Maybe because it was that IN YOUR FACE kind of action. Lots of writers are afraid to write that kind of stuff. It's really daunting. Lauren managed to write it beautifully in a sickening way. There was so much blood and guts! I was envisioning the whole thing as a movie and am now positive it would be rated R. Anyways, I admire how Lauren was able to write such realistic action into her supernatural story!

The Moral:

I personally believe this book's moral was about breaking out of your shell, and standing up for yourself and others. I didn't like how it seemed to sweep forgiveness to the sidelines. Thankfully, the good hearted characters made up for that. There were some intense kissing scenes, but nothing terrible. A few worthy curses, well placed without being overdone. All in all, I loved the book!

A new student review of The Paganini Curse

aschoenfeldt posted a new student review of The Paganini Curse . See the full review.

The first in the Aurora Lewis series, The Paganini Curse, proved to be a disappointing start. Despite the promising setting and opening mystery, the novel lacked significant plot points and was often predictable. I liked the idea of a teenage, female protagonist, but Aurora never measured up to my expectations. The mystery itself did not capture my attention, and the killer could be easily spotted early on in the novel. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling page turner, but the historic and musical references do make it appropriate for lovers of historical fiction. 

 

A new student review of The Scroll of Years

Endless Summer posted a new student review of The Scroll of Years . See the full review.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. High fantasy with Eastern influence, threads of Chinese culture, a magical scroll, a poet and a thief as the main characters, the names Gaunt and Bone; It sounds like it could be something astounding, something breathtakingly fantastical.

The author’s writing style…Ahhh this tears me apart. On one hand, it’s very gorgeous, scattered with stunning figurative language and a distinct Eastern cultural influence. But, after reading a few pages, I felt like it was stilted in many places. It was not fitting. The author either rambled off into details/thought processes or did too much “telling.”

I could not lose myself in the world of this book; the writing style, alternative plotline and voice just weren’t for me. They kept distracting me. And, main point: the characters. I never got to know the true personalities of the characters. Their stories, especially that of Next-One-A-Girl (the name drew me in, nice touch), could have been heartbreakingly emotional. But they weren’t. They were all kind of flat.

The premise of the book seemed very intriguing. But I never got into the actually story. So much of it felt unbalanced. And it’s not because it’s for a younger age group. It’s marketed to “Mature Young Adult” on Litpick. I don’t know how other readers will find this book.  Remember, this is just my opinion.

***eBook provided by Litpick.com in exchange for my honest review

A new student review of Lighthouse Nights by Jake Vander Ark

CarissaH posted a new student review of Lighthouse Nights by Jake Vander Ark. See the full review.

Jake Vander Ark's Lighthouse Nights takes a very interesting look into the lives of people who you probably dont know anyone quite like, yet seem so familiar after the initial feeling of alienness wears off. It provides behavior, backround, and catch-22s, just in-depth enough to draw you in and answer your biggest questions, but still ambiguous enough to not destract from the plot. All topics are handled with blunt care, perfectly reflecting its most prominent characters while still maintaining a poignant poetry. It's a brilliant cautionary tale in many ways, while also providing some guilty indulgence akin to that of Bonnie and Clyde's story. The characters, even at their most depraved and disturbed, are very relatable, and as you get to know them better, you understand their plight. You feel righteous indignation where appropriate, yet you keep suporting your antihero protagonist. The reason I don't describe the more naive character is because he, by nature, is pretty standard for the most part, and providing much more informatin than that could get into spoiler territory. Suffice is to say, his characterization and arc are wonderfully done.
There are several scenes which could be considered the climax, all nail-bitingly engaging and unpredictable. There are quiet moments as well, which hold your attention with the same powerful grasp as the more active ones. Sexuality and romance in the book are both palpable and intriguing, yet not at all something you'd like to immitate. The people, places, and situations explored feel very true-to-life. The only reason I can think of to not finish the book is out of how much it upsets you. This novel is exciting, curiosity-inducing, heart-wrenching, sometimes sickening, but most of all, it is thought-provoking. If that sounds like the sort of thing you'd like to try out, I strongly recommend you read Lighthouse Nights.

A new student review of Glimpse (The Dean Curse Chronicles)

McTower posted a new student review of Glimpse (The Dean Curse Chronicles) . See the full review.

Glimpse is definitely the kind of book that you would want to read over and over. It is definitely full of adventure, but as you look at the cover you think that the person on the cover is traveling in time. It’s not really that way because the story doesn’t go back in time.  Glimpse is filled with adventure, like a balloon filled with so much air that anymore would make it pop. Glimpse is really a very good book. It makes you feel like you are right there, and it has many details.

A new student review of Scrooge and Marley

engineerphilip18 posted a new student review of Scrooge and Marley . See the full review.

I thought that this was an overall good book. It really captured what Scrooge would have done after the ending of A Christmas Carol. The book was a bit hard to get into, but the imagery was nice and the details made me feel like I was right there. There were some very confusing parts, especially about the shadows and how Marley planned to get out of them. I didn't really get how Marley came into the baby Fred and Kathleen were having. The ending was kind of funny, as it left you knowing something most of the characters didn’t know. The epilogue summed things up nicely. I would also try to “hook” the reader a little more in the beginning. Scrooge's daily life was boring at first. A flashback might have helped hook the reader. I think this book could have been better, but it was still well-written.

A new student review of A Monster Calls

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

As much as this tale may initially sound like a simple scary story about monsters and demons, it’s not. Conor’s monster is much more real--a larger-than-life manifestation of his real life problems. This book turns out not to be a horror story, but a touching, heart wrenching tale about accepting loss and letting go.  It manages to be realistic and fantastical all at once, with an imaginative creature alongside very real characters. All in all, this is a well-written and poignant story that will leave you with a very different view of the monster in your closet.

                        

A new student review of Pulled by Danielle Bannister

kten19 posted a new student review of Pulled by Danielle Bannister. See the full review.

I read Pulled in about one day and very much enjoyed it. I found that the book was well written. It was detailed, but not to the point where it was boring. I felt like I was in the book listening to real people talk; the conversations never seemed forced or fake. All the characters were unique and complex in different ways, one person was not like the other. This book will not be the next big thing, but it's a great book to read for fun and I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a love story.

A new student review of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

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

Surely you remember reading your favorite book for the very first time.  Earth Girl is packed with thrilling and dangerous surprises, which is probably why your favorite book is your favorite book.  Earth Girl might not be your new favorite book, but being filled with some fun surprises, it will definitely be on the list of your “runner-ups”.  After all, it is on mine.