A new student review of Hanging In The Stars by Pat Gallagher Sassone

cassidyyyrayneee posted a new student review of Hanging In The Stars by Pat Gallagher Sassone. See the full review.

A new student review of Hanging In The Stars by Pat Gallagher Sassone

sharon posted a new student review of Hanging In The Stars by Pat Gallagher Sassone. See the full review.

I was intrigued by the author's ability to create a realistic, but enjoyable, picture of the high school setting and characters. However, I found myself often struggling with the romantic aspect of the book. I found the young lovers naïve and their blind attraction superficial. The way the book parallels the romance in William Shakespeare’s most renowned play, “Romeo and Juliet,” made the book more predictable. I felt the plot could stand alone, without any literary allusions. Regardless, I praise the author for highlighting controversial issues in her first novel, including the perils illegal immigrants face and child abuse. The author did a fantastic job in bringing out raw, attention-grabbing emotion, while shedding the light on issues concerning people with disadvantaged backgrounds. Not many YA books I have encountered have brought sufficient awareness to such a pressing issue as well as Pat Sassone managed to do in this novel. Overall, I found the book suitable for anyone who enjoys a high school romance, paired with real-life tension and action.

A new student review of Turkey Trouble on the National Mall by Ronald Roy

moseso posted a new student review of Turkey Trouble on the National Mall by Ronald Roy. See the full review.

My overall opinion about Turkey Trouble on the National Mall is that it was an engaging page turner!  The main characters, KC and Marshal, seemed to be real to me; I could put myself in their places.  Ron Roy, the author, made me believe the characters in this book to be real, and I could easily imagine this story to be true because of the pictures.  Ron Roy’s voice was adventurous.  I really didn’t learn anything from the book, because it was fictional.  The vocabulary is age appropriate. I would encourage slower readers to get this book and not advanced readers, as a fast reader I went through this book in one night!  This book is so good I want to read it again.

A new student review of A Matter of Days

crabby posted a new student review of A Matter of Days . See the full review.

This is your classic apocalyptic story with a modern edge. Nadia’s narrative is believable, as is her situation. The pace of the story is perfect, mixing suspense and excitement with occasional lulls used to develop the characters even further. I fell in love with Nadia and Rabbit and felt like I knew them both personally by the end of the story. You’ll find yourself rooting for them to find their way home as they struggle to find where, exactly, that is. It’s a quick read, partly because it’s impossible to stop! Overall an excellent book. 

A new student review of Finnikin of the Rock

sumrsilentmusic posted a new student review of Finnikin of the Rock . See the full review.

Finnikin of the Rock is marketed as fantasy, but unlike other novels in its genre, it’s not overwhelmed by obnoxious magical details or insane action moments. It’s overflowing with good characters, nuanced world-building, and fantastic relationships.

            This novel doesn’t just have a strong female character—it has a strong, manipulative female character that is neither demonized nor worshipped. Many times when an author creates a strong female character, she’s valiant and noble. While Evanjalin is courageous, she’s also cunning. She’s not afraid to withhold information and sneak around in order to get things done. Like a normal human being, she has her flaws and her redeeming points. Even though Finnikin is the title character, Evanjalin manages to steal the spotlight every time.

            The cast of supporting characters is also just as unique. One thing that’s not very prevalent in young adult literature is the influence of adults. However, that’s not the case in this book. Refreshingly, adults have a significant role in this novel. Additionally, each character feels like a person that could potentially exist in real life because the characters are well-rounded, and each has his or her own flaws and strengths.   

            Furthermore, the plot is intricate and intriguing. While many novels make the mistake plot as a backdrop for world-building and magical powers, the plot of Finnikin was actually compelling. In fact, the plot was very applicable to real-life. Instead of being about defeating dragons, it was about the politics of ruling a country. And although it includes princesses and kings, it doesn’t glorify the job of a ruler. Part of what make Finnikin of the Rock such a remarkable novel is because it explores areas that are often neglected by the other books of the same genre. However, the world-building could be hard to take in all at once. There are several countries with bizarre names to keep track of, but that’s one of the things that make this novel amazing.

            The one downfall of this book is that it’s extremely difficult to get into. It’s one of the books where nothing gets explained in the beginning. All these names, situations, and characters are thrown at you, and you have to drown and grapple for a while until your head’s finally above the water.

            This book is absolutely wonderful, and I wish Melina Marchetta would be able to have more mainstream success with her novels. I recommend it for people who love fantasy, or for those who enjoyed Kristin Cashore’s Graceling or Tamora Pierce’s books or for people who love reading in general.    

A new student review of The Hunt for the Well Hidden Treasure

Tenaya posted a new student review of The Hunt for the Well Hidden Treasure . See the full review.

The book was very interesting. It's fun to solve the problems with the group of kids. Although the beginning of the book was a bit slow, by the 3rd chapter it was hard to put down! Although the book is about a group of 7th graders, I think that this book would be most enjoyed by 3rd-5th graders.

A new student review of The Lazarus Machine

scifiguy posted a new student review of The Lazarus Machine . See the full review.

This book was very exciting. I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to nearly everyone.

A new student review of Alice Parker's Metamorphosis - Book 1 of the new adventure series for children

bamelon posted a new student review of Alice Parker's Metamorphosis - Book 1 of the new adventure series for children . See the full review.

            The story is written by a British woman and there are a lot of British slang and terms that I didn’t understand.  There’s also a lot of characters to keep track of and it can get confusing at times.  There’s not much explanation in the story.  In fact, sometimes I wondered if I had skipped pages.

            There were no characters I was particularly fond of.  Alice rarely feels any joy about anything.  She seems somewhat disassociated, but there’s no reason given for her melancholy.  It’s as if the readers are expected to just take it for granted that because she’s a teenager, she’s unhappy.

            This is a short, easy read, an okay story but nothing special or compelling.  I won’t continue reading the series.  However, I think younger kids, maybe 10-13 years old will enjoy the book.  Younger readers might not get bored with it like I did.

A new student review of Firecracker

avance posted a new student review of Firecracker . See the full review.

The problem for me with this book is that the character was not very agreeable. I didn’t really understand her motivations or actions. She has a bitter view on the world and she treats everyone poorly. Even though she does try to become a better person, and she makes strides towards it, I do not feel she changed enough for the story. The plot of the book was interesting, and the minor character were enjoyable though. Sadly this book was just not the page turner I had expected

A new student review of The Social Code

VBat posted a new student review of The Social Code . See the full review.

This geeky drama is fun and original. The plot is ripe with backstabbing fun, and leaves the reader constantly second-guessing every character. No one's loyalties are clear, and the constant surprises keep the story engaging.  

Amelia is a lovable character, and her passion for coding brings her personality to life. Her sweetness is contrasted by the extreme greed and betrayal that surrounds her, but this only serves to highlight her strong moral compass. 

Adam, while not quite as lovable as Amelia, is relatable and realistic. His aspirations are not inherently greedy, and his romantic relationship with Lisa adds a bit of romance to the thrills of Silicon Valley. It is obvious that he and his sister care about one another, and this dynamic adds depth to the story. 

The Social Code is a modern, techy take on the typical teen novel. Whereas most novels focused on college kids are all drama, this one is drama with a high pressure career environment and thrilling Silicon Valley twists. Hayes leaves just enough loose ends for her readers to anxiously await the second book in "The Start-Up" series. 

*note*  Before reading this novel, I would recommend brushing up on Silicon Valley culture. I was fortunate enough to have read a book involving incubators and investors in San Francisco recently, and my understanding of The Social Code was greatly enhanced by the background knowledge I acquired.