A new student review of Sex & Violence

verybookly posted a new student review of Sex & Violence . See the full review.

I absolutely loved Sex & Violence. It's a book that isn't plot centered but instead character driven and the characterization is done extremely well, making it my favorite aspect of the story. That said, the characters in this book are older teens and it does deal with mature content so I would recommend this book to teenagers ages 16 and up.

Sex & Violence follows Evan Carter after an unfortunate incident in his school’s bathroom. After being brutally assaulted for having a sexual relationship with another student, Evan’s father moves him to his home town. For Evan, moving isn’t anything new but the residents of the town are. Evan’s gone to a number of schools over the past few years and is used to being the guy no one is ever friends with. During his summer in Minnesota, however, things changed. Through no aspirations of his own, Evan ended up befriending the locals in his new town and, probably, had the best summer of his life.

The characterization in Sex & Violence is done beautifully. Although many of the characters say things that are offensive, it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel forced or ridiculous. Throughout the entire novel, the characters felt real. They were characterized consistently and even when they said offensive things, it didn’t feel as though the characters were saying offensive things just to say them. They were convincing.

Sex & Violence follows Evan’s character arc instead of a line of action or plot. Evan’s summer in Minnesota changed his life in more ways than one. Not only did he learn to actually deal with his dad, he made friends (through no real effort of his own), he learned to get along with his dad, bonded with his uncle, and made a lot of changes for the better for himself. 

A new student review of The Journey of the Marked by Rebecca P. McCray

cshattan posted a new student review of The Journey of the Marked by Rebecca P. McCray. See the full review.

I loved reading this book.  McCray pulled me into the world she created, and I was lost in the adventure.  I had trouble trying to put this book down.  When I wasn’t reading, I was wondering what would happen to Eros or Prizene.  I liked how McCray placed old men in the forest, whose purpose was to help the marked reach their destination.  There are people out there who will help those in need, no matter the personal consequence.  This book shows the importance of having friends whom you can trust, who will not only protect themselves, but also watch your back. It also shows how even after you finish the most exciting endeavor, there is always another adventure.

A new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli

Donatello posted a new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli. See the full review.

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A new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli

Donatello posted a new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli. See the full review.

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A new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli

Donatello posted a new student review of The Wizard Test by Hillary Belli. See the full review.

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A new student review of The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

swimmer1430 posted a new student review of The Infects by Sean Beaudoin. See the full review.

Zombie books are all the rage right now, so I was looking forward to reading The Infected. According to the book jacket, The Infected is supposed to be a witty and satirical look at current horror genre trends. I could tell the author wanted his book to be commentary on society, but I had no idea what point he was trying to make. The characters had little to no development and were merely engines to move the plot along. I did like the Rules of the Zombie Apocalypse that were scattered throughout the novel and think that was a nice touch. It's true that every book or movie in this genre follows a similar formula, which is part of The Infected's message.  All in all, I think some people will really enjoy The Infected - the writing by itself is pretty good and there are some twists and turns in the plot - but I am just not one of them.

A new student review of Boy on the Edge

ja2014 posted a new student review of Boy on the Edge . See the full review.

The author has a wonderful story plot that shows a troubled boy trying to find a place that accepts him. Fridirik's writing was effective; it made me feel like I was in the book. This book moved me; it showed that people would discriminate against people that look or talk different. I would recommend this book to anybody that likes intriguing books about mistreated children.  Readers are sure to be considerate of people after reading Henry’s story.

A new student review of My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book Two) by Tellulah Darling

LISH0985 posted a new student review of My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book Two) by Tellulah Darling. See the full review.

The book was amazing, with new additions to the Sophie crew making life even more interesting and funny for Sophie. And the major twists the author throws in kept me reading even after I was ready to go to bed. However there were some key points that I thought needed work. The ending of the book seemed rushed. Sophie finds out Fiona is really Demeter; Demeter, who was known to adore her daughter and ended up killing her. I wish there had been more time for that to sink in for Sophie and the reader before moving on to the next big shocker. And when Kai decides to leave her, that came out of the blue. Within the space of a couple chapters, he professes his love, says he knows the difference between Sophie and Persephone, and then proceeds to dump her when he learns that Persephone had betrayed him, meanwhile lumping Sophie in the same boat as Persephone. That didn't sit right. And the big change in Bethany at the end was confusing. I'm sure that it hadn't been two days, and the way Bethany is described sounds like something that would happen with more time. Overall I was greatly pleased with the book.

A new student review of Risking Exposure by Jeanne Moran

mikeym01 posted a new student review of Risking Exposure by Jeanne Moran. See the full review.

I personally loved the book, but some things about it scared me. An example is you have no freedom of speech. If any of Sophia’s letters had been incriminating, she would have been detained like the rest of her family. I could never imagine living in that fear; the fact that if the party wanted you gone you would be gone makes me question how Sophia felt? The book made my heart race from beginning to end; there was never a dull moment. Sometimes I felt such sorrow for the characters I wanted to stop reading, and wish I could come back to a happier story. If you are looking for a meaningful and realistic story (by that I mean not overly happy), then this is a book for you!     

A new student review of Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know About 50 Famous Phobias by Latta Sara

mjanes19@agcharter.net posted a new student review of Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know About 50 Famous Phobias by Latta Sara. See the full review.

Though it includes all this, this book has its down sides. In some parts of the book it did not provide enough detail. For example, the section on dolls did not have a way to overcome the fear. This dissapionted me. Also, some parts were not explained. There were some parts that just didn't make sense. Honestly, I thought this book was really boring. The author could have done a better job grabing the reader's attention, and I found the art to be a little sloppy.