A new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen. See the full review.

Honestly, this book was disappointing. The character development was certainly not up to par.  The few supporting characters were distressingly weak, and MIKE--Mike is the typical teenage stereotype.  I mean, I know he lost his dad, but that gives the author no reason to totally demolish the character and his personality in a quick succession of fits of anger and moodiness.  It seemed so rushed.  Half the book seemed to be a quick sprint toward the subject that the author REALLY wanted to write about--a courtroom melodrama that everyone saw coming.  And the ending—tied up in sloppy bows, tons of plot lines left unresolved, and a predictable “The End”. Sure, it was a solid book technically speaking--good vocab, descriptive writing, sound structure—but it just didn’t work that way I felt it should have.  Potential abounds—but I felt that Justesen could have done better for herself and the characters she wrote about in this book.

                “I watch the white car pull away from the mortuary, signal, and merge onto the main road….....Maggie softly cries.  I am completely numb.”

                I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, as it only has mild expletives and one sexual situation.  Everything else stays in check pretty well.

                Alone and afraid, will Mike to be able to fight for his right to stay where he believes he belongs—or will his mother finally get her way and rip him from everything he’s ever known?  The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justeten is the only way to find out!

A new student review of Girls Like Us

hg2008 posted a new student review of Girls Like Us . See the full review.

When I saw the summary for this book I was very excited to read this because there are very few books written that have Special Education students as the main characters, but sadly I was very disappointed and actually a little disgusted with this book!

I admit this review may be a little bias because I have had many friends labeled as Special Ed and I have been labeled Special Ed as well, so I guess you can say that I took this book a little to heart.

The characters I felt were not that developed and the author's writting I found to be awful.  Yes I understand she was trying to write like she thinks her characters would talk; in real life, however, I don't see the characters talking this way.  It's just not beleivable to me but also I felt like the author was crossing a line with writting like this because some people will assume that all special ed kids write, talk, and act this way as is protrayed in the book. I know this assumption is not true of everyone but its just frustrating because I know there are people out there who will read it that way.

I don't understand why the author wrote this way, why see wanted to make her characters sound stupid because Special Ed kids aren't stupid! I also was frustrated because her characters had no redeeming qualities.

I think the author should have dealt with a little more care and concern. I not saying she should be pc and sugercoat the truth but she should have made the characters somewhat more intelligible.  I know not all Special Ed kids are the same and some have greater difficulty in certain areas than others, but instead of dwelling on those difficulties she should also have found and shown their talents.  I don't believe that the author did this; her writing was very awkard and unintelligible at times.  By doing this she left us a glaring reminder of these characters' difficulties.

Overall I would have to sadly not recommend it. It is not an acqurate or nice portrayal of how great Special Ed students can be!

A new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

hollywoodundeaed707 posted a new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout. See the full review.

I really LOVED the book. I am hoping I can read the second book. From the description of the characters I can imagine everything happening, and they seemed realistic. The wording is very vivid. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

A new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis

alphatauri posted a new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis. See the full review.

The main story of Kaleidoscope Me takes place over an hour and 33 minutes, but in a burst of narratorial brilliance, Jadyn takes us on a journey through her entire life, flashing back to different points in time, creating a nonlinear narrative. She doesn’t shy away from the emotional events either, and I loved her growth and determination throughout the book. Jadyn is a character that readers can love as well as learn from. Meanwhile, Great-Aunt Nadine is a fantastic foil to Jadyn, and possesses her own strange kind of charm. Her chemistry with Jadyn (or lack thereof!) takes up much of the book, and I relished every moment of it. Strangely, the character I sympathized most with was Jadyn’s father, and I appreciated what felt like his constant presence throughout the novel, creating a feeling of realisticness. Grigonis does a great job of keeping the plot moving and story exciting while developing the characters fully. Kaleidoscope Me is a well-written read that simultaneously explores the courageous theme of growing up and offers inspiration in the form of Jadyn. I highly recommend it to readers looking for a heartwarming and charming book!

A new student review of October Mourning by Leslea Newman

tbrayton posted a new student review of October Mourning by Leslea Newman. See the full review.

October Mourning by Lesléa Newman is a gift to our generation.  Despite it’s small size and dark subject matter, it ingeniously shows us with incredible accuracy the emotions felt by those that witnessed the murder of Matthew Shepard.  It helps us to relive, or to live for the first time, the horrible crime that affected so many people.  This masterful book of poems is filled with lessons for all of us to learn from.  It captures you and makes you really think about the world we live in and how we can try to change it. 

 

A new student review of The Klaatu Terminus

cmason178 posted a new student review of The Klaatu Terminus . See the full review.

I enjoyed this book, but would have enjoyed it more had I read the whole series.  I found that the character development in this story was complete.  It left me satisfied and happy as a series' finale.

 

A new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin

Jared_2318 posted a new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin. See the full review.

This book is a great book. I have nothing bad to say about it, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. I liked this book because it protrayed honesty and integrity. The thing that thing that made this book great was that it was from a teen's point of view instead of an adult's. To see what the teen goes through is pretty facinating. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys mysteries.

A new student review of Remind

Ravette posted a new student review of Remind . See the full review.

A beautifully illustrated, and excellently told visual novel. The character development left nothing to be desired. Victuals, the lizardman-turned-cat, consistantly expresses very real emotions of 'want' but remained true to his morals, which made him seem more like a hero. The King was also a typical villain, seeking power and lusting for immortality all in the name of a diety he made up. Simply put, I loved all the characters, good or bad.

A new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Eve of Infamy by Stephen Dittmer

sisto8 posted a new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Eve of Infamy by Stephen Dittmer. See the full review.

I like this book because of the excitement.  After I picked up the book, I didn’t want to put it down.  The characters appeared to be real, lifelike people in a not-so-real scene.  The author did a great job making the unreal scene appear believable right before the reader’s eyes.  I like how they have problems that seem somewhat impossible to solve that they make through anyway.  I recommend it for anyone 12+.

A new student review of Book of the Sky God by Laura Markowitz

kfrancke posted a new student review of Book of the Sky God by Laura Markowitz. See the full review.

This is a good book for people who like adventure and mythology. I liked the book because it gave me a nice surprise. I thought it was about the Greek sky god, but it was the Mayan sky god instead. One thing I didn't like about the book was the author didn't tell me when she was changing to a different character's prespective. I liked the book because at the end it put me on the edge of my seat with a touch of mystrey. Overall, this is an enjoyable book to read.