A new student review of Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich Stories

alphatauri posted a new student review of Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich Stories . See the full review.

We open the collection with Cassandra Clare's "Some Fortunate Future Day". Exploring the theme of time in a lonely world, this story is about a girl named Rose who meets an alluring stranger. It's a great choice as the opener with its solid writing and classic steampunk robots and clockwork. It's short, simple and leaves its ending up to the reader.   

The second story is Libba Bray's "The Last Ride of the Glory Girls". This explores the theme of time as well, but delves in much further. There's a distinctive Wild West feel to it, and I enjoyed the writing but disliked the ending. 

Next is "Clockwork Fagin" by Cory Doctorow. Though its setting isn't especially imaginative,  this is still easily one of the best stories in the collection, as its plot is simply stellar. It has a great ending and the two main characters are fantastic. 

After that we get the first comic strip, "Seven Days Beset by Demons" by Shawn Cheng. His comic explores the Seven Deadly Sins through a simple and clever love story that carries traces of steampunk. 

Ysabeau S. Wilce's "Hand in Glove" follows that. This was another standout in the collection, with its unique writing style. There's a foreign flair to the setting that you can't exactly place, and the characters are believable--especially the main character, who you can't help but cheer for. 

"The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor" by Delia Sherman was a pretty typical ghost story with a romance, and some hints of steampunk. The writing style was typical, and though it's an okay story, since it followed "Hand in Glove", I found myself disappointed.

I didn't enjoy "Gethsemane" by Elizabeth Knox very much either. Though its first line is intriguing and introduces us to a unique setting, things quickly get downhill from there. The story is paced awkwardly, and there doesn't seem to be much steampunk in it. 

"The Summer People" by Kelly Link was easily my least favourite entry in the collection. It is utterly forgettable--in fact, while writing this review, I had to look back to my book just to remind myself of the point of that story. The writing style, characters, and setting are all boring. Quite honestly, this story almost caused me to stop reading the collection.

Thankfully, Garth Nix's "Peace in Our Time" stopped me from doing that. This story explores the theme of just how much power should be given to one person--all in one scene. It's one of the shortest stories in the collection, but incredibly imaginative and thought-provoking.

"Nowhere Fast" by Christopher Rowe was a fairly decent story. Nothing special, just a simple steampunk setting with romance and an ending that seems like a beginning. 

After that is "Finishing School" by Kathleen Jennings, the second comic strip in the anthology. I found the art refreshing and the story fun to read, even though I'm not a big fans of comics and was a bit confused as to the plot.

"Steam Girl" by Dylan Horrocks is the longest story in the collection, clocking in at 45 pages, and I would argue that it's too long, even though the chemistry between the two main characters is irresistible. The length of the story makes the ending slightly disappointing, but the story seems to carry a meaning that is quite thought-provoking.

The penultimate story of the collection, "Everything Amiable and Obliging", is by Holly Black, and it explores love in a world of steampunk--specifically, loves that should not be. The characters and setting aren't special, but the plot is.

And, finally, the last story in the collection. I have only one word for you: WOW. "The Oracle Engine" by M.T. Anderon was easily, easily the best story of the collection and one of the best stories I have ever read. It's so outrageously unique, and the writing style make your jaw drop, thinking: "How does he do that?!" I won't even describe the plot here--you have to read it and experience it for yourself.

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories is easily worth your time, and there is quite literally a story for everyone in here. Whether you've never heard of the word steampunk, or you spend your days arguing whether Jules Verne invented the genre, this anthology comes highly recommended.

A new student review of Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

bookgirl1289 posted a new student review of Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross. See the full review.

This beautifully written novel about 19th century Parisian society is a marvelous read. Inspired by Emile Zola’s short story, “Les Repoussoirs,” Ross has created a masterpiece. The characters are likeable and show interesting development, and the story is compelling. One thing I think is interesting is that most authors of historical fiction create female characters who are rebellious and who do not want to get married or pursue lady-like accomplishments. Isabelle fits this description. I think that most women of the time would have accepted and relished the opportunities that a rich woman like Isabelle would have had. However, I do believe that Isabelle’s rebellion does make the story more interesting and helps Maude to realize that she truly is friends with Isabelle. Ross’s debut novel is full of intricate details that reveal the true meaning of beauty and friendship. I highly recommend this book for girls 13 and up who like to read historical fiction. This book not only teaches you about the past, but also teaches life lessons that are as true today as they were then. I hope to read more books by Elizabeth Ross in the future!
 

A new student review of Age of Heroes: The Witch Hunter's Gauntlet

Zmbarrickman posted a new student review of Age of Heroes: The Witch Hunter's Gauntlet . See the full review.

I thought it was a great book because it contained a good balance of humor, suspense, unpredictability, and a little bit of romance.  I liked the dialogue between Samantha and her friends. I especially liked the comical character Natch, who added humor along the adventure.  The battle with the magic people provided the plot for adventure and suspense. Overall, it was a page turner that ended differently than how I expected it would-- that was cool.

A new student review of Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell

leonardo posted a new student review of Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell. See the full review.

Midnight City is an amazing book. In the beginning, you don't really know how Earth was captured, but you know enough to be able to read and enjoy the book and learn more as the book goes on. The author reveals the right amount of information throughout the book, otherwise there would be a whole history section that wasn't needed. The book is fast-paced and never boring. Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down. The characters were original and intriguing because each had their own mysteries and backgrounds that you had to read to find out about. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action/sci-fi books with a little romance thrown in. Reviewer Age:17 Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

A new student review of Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell

leonardo posted a new student review of Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell. See the full review.

Midnight City is an amazing book. In the beginning, you don't really know how Earth was captured, but you know enough to be able to read and enjoy the book and learn more as the book goes on. The author reveals the right amount of information throughout the book, otherwise there would be a whole history section that wasn't needed. The book is fast-paced and never boring. Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down. The characters were original and intriguing because each had their own mysteries and backgrounds that you had to read to find out about. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action/sci-fi books with a little romance thrown in. Reviewer Age:17 Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

A new student review of Reunited

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

The first thing that struck me about Reunited was how easy it was to relate to at least one of the three main characters. Alice is smart and motivated. She plans on attending a prestigious college, and is always on top of things. Summer is into boys, writing poetry and hanging out with her friends. Tiernan is rebellious and hurt by her parents' divorce. With this range of personalities, it was easy to identify with the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This made it easier to care about the girls and their journey. 

The obstacles placed in the girls' way kept the road trip interesting and exciting to read about. The three girls ran over a squirrel, tore kudzu off of a shed, and performed a synchronized dance routine onstage- all while getting to know each other again. Exciting twists and turns prevented the plot from feeling cliche. 

The girls' hesitant friendship, which develops throughout the story, is completely believable and well described. From their arguments to their silences, every interaction between the girls feels real, justified, and meaningful. 

Overall, Reunited is a  funny, lighthearted and entertaining road trip book that will delight fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I would recommend it to preteen and teenage girls who enjoy realistic fiction and humor. 

A new student review of Crown of Midnight

DJ_RESH_RESH posted a new student review of Crown of Midnight . See the full review.

Honestly, this was one of the best books I have ever read. The author Sarah J. Maas  did a good job at creating specific character personalities and then using those character personalities to influence their decisions. For example, the author portrayed the King as heartless and most of the decisions the King made only helped him gain power at the cost of others lives and well-being. The author also depicted the setting well. Every time she described how cold it was, it made me shiver and she made you feel like you were in an old castle. She used the perfect vocabulary to describe each scene. I could not find anything wrong with this book. It had everything in a book I was looking for and the ending was genius. It was a cliffhanger that left me begging for more.

A new student review of Gingersnap

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

As another in a long line of young adult novels by Patricia Reilly Giff, Gingersnap never fails to charm, but often feels familiar. The characters, including Jayna and her brother Rob, are likeable, despite having little depth. The plot, too, was fairly predictable, and Jayna's quest to find her family at times felt pointless. Certain details, such as the lucky rock and Jayna's mysterious friend, were interesting touches but not fully explained. I would recommend  this book to historical fiction enthusiasts, although I would warn any lovers of Patricia Reilly Giff not to expect anything of her usual caliber. 

A new student review of The Black Stone Prophecy (Volume 1) by Alex Baj

yasomatinandana posted a new student review of The Black Stone Prophecy (Volume 1) by Alex Baj. See the full review.

 

It’s a pretty good story for a debut novel with plenty of plot complexity and likable characters. I would recommend it to anybody who wants a bit of light reading filled with out-of-this-world, sci-fi fantasy awsomeness but also something with a subtle undertone of a serious topic (ie. how we are slowly wrecking our world). Subtle undertones aside I think this is a fun, short reas that I think will appeal to all ages!

A new student review of The Cydonian Pyramid

nowhereman posted a new student review of The Cydonian Pyramid . See the full review.

I thought that this book was ok compared to the first one. The first one set a level  of action and adventure that you think the second one would at least reach, or prehaps even go over it, The second didn't.It was a disapointing read. i thiought this one would be an exelent follow up to the first one, but it just got confusing with all thgat was going on. I think the author could have presented it a less confusing way, or at least include a list of names and descptions, because they are a lot of chacters in the book seris to keep up with. Overall i realy would't recomend this book to people but just to read what happens(if they liked the first one) online, simple and to the point.