Pie in the Sky is a slower book so, if you like slower books or love horses, this is the book for you! If not however, I would advise you to avoid reading this book. My overall opinion about ‘Pie in the Sky’ is that frankly, it was boring. I found myself thinking about other books I’ve previously read and I daydreamed some as well. Jane Smiley made the characters seem almost real, but not real enough that I could imagine them walking through my front door, when some other books do. It takes a long time for the plot to develop. By the time you’re into the exciting stuff the reader is already three fourths through the book! Jane Smiley’s voice is hard to explain, it doesn’t really fit into a category. The author might have reached her goal if I knew what it was; the purpose of Pie in the Sky was never made clear. My overall rating is 2 and a half, but I had to do a 3 star rating. I really did not learn anything from the book. I would recommend a 12 and higher reading age since the main character deals with going into high school.
Monday, August 12, 2013
A new student review of Pie in the Sky by Jane Smiley
A new student review of Ruby by Amanda Burke
Ruby is a great book that i read in one sitting. I loved the setting it just seemed so real. I would recommend this book to all my friends. If you love magic you will love this book. It is a great book for 10-12 year olds.
A new student review of The Vampire Gene (The Iron Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]
I found this book amazing. At first it starts off slow, but it captures your attention. I found myself unwilling to put the book down from how much the storyline and action along with the plot expanded and played out. This book left me guessing the whole time, I never knew what was going to happen next. This is a must read!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
A new student review of The Sound of Your Voice...Only Really Far Away
Having enjoyed quite a few of Francis O’Roark Dowell’s works in the past, it was an honor to have the choice to pick her newest book to review. A few years back I read the first two books in “The Secret Language Of Girls” trilogy, highly enjoying them! Since then I have moved on to other books by this author that fit my interest. Therefore, I started this read with high expectations and was somewhat disappointed. I find the first half of the book dull and unable to capture my attention. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was a slow read, on the contrary it went by considerably fast, but I was rather bored by it. Not thoroughly entertaining. On the other hand, I don’t believe these points should stop anyone from giving it a try. The lack of interest was my fault on some level. This is one of those books that you have to be in the mood for and ready to delve into, and I was not ready in the slightest. I don’t find this to be a bad thing, but just a fair warning. On a positive note, I became aware of myself warming up to the story and the characters later on in the book, after realizing that I can easily relate to both main characters and their insecurities, frustrations, and general teen angst. This realization changed my opinion of the story line. If I had been entertained at the beginning, I may have regarded this book differently. On the whole, I liked “The Sound Of Your Voice, Only Really Far Away” a little. It was a satisfactory, but not exceptionally spectacular read.
A new student review of Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco
I think this is a great book! It really tells Bee’s story well, and I could feel what she felt in the story. It made me sad in some parts but encouraged me in others. I would give this book four and a half stars. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy loving and caring books.
Thursday, August 08, 2013
A new student review of Pawn by Aimee Carter by Aimée Carter
This is now one of my favorite books. When I first met the main character, Kitty, I thought her to be the weak III she was portrayed as. But when she turned into a VII, everything changed. She was brave and willing to risk her life for her loved ones. I was also never bored while reading this book; it was fast-paced and I finished it within two days. I applaud Ms. Carter’s way of portraying Kitty’s character pretending to be Lila. Kitty was being called Lila so many times that I even began calling her Lila instead of Kitty! I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Carter’s writing and will be eagerly awaiting the sequel to PAWN.
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
A new student review of The Thing About Luck
I like this book because of the set up. The plot was fascinating. It had a lot of twists and turns, but during the story, the excitement in the book stayed in a believable form. The author made the book seem like the reader is experiencing the things the main character was going through. The main character, Summer, was very lovable. She was trying to please her elders, but she remained sweet and kind the whole time. I recommend this book for anyone 9+.
A new student review of Girl Z: My life as a teenage zombie
I found this book to be very interesting and well written. It kept my interest until the very last page. There were many nights that I fell asleep reading this book because I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed how it showed what Becca was feeling and thinking. You could really tell how she was feeling about being a zombie and how it was changing her on the inside and outside.
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
A new student review of Maid for Me, Too
There are lots of imagery used through mataphors and similes. Some of the similes are strange such as when describing the relationship between Mina and Danni, they were described as "bonded like two oppositely charged ions ready to take on the world together." Do ionic compounds take on the world? However I liked the idea of two people who are complete opposites in appearance and personality, "attracted" to each other and who become close friends, that is conveyed in this simile. I thought that all the figurative language used was quite unique, interesting, contemporary and humorous.
The writing has gotten more mature since the last book, because the main characters, Mina and Jaden, have graduated from high school, and it shows in the character development of Mina and Jaden. So there is also slightly mature content in this book, such as references to alcohol.
'Maid For Me, Too' is a great book, and I recommend everyone to read it.
Monday, August 05, 2013
A new student review of The Twelve-Fingered Boy (The Twelve-Fingered Boy Trilogy) [
I think this was a good book. There is a lot of adventure, but Jacobs writes a lot of character development into the story. It's well written and easy to follow and there is a conclusion that makes you feel like the book is finished, but it also makes you want to read more.