A new student review of Jack and the Wild Life by Lisa Doan

kbarberscott posted a new student review of Jack and the Wild Life by Lisa Doan. See the full review.

Jack and the Wild Life was an OK book. It started way too late, and wasn't all that interesting when it got to the action part. I wanted to put the book away. I would have put the action closer to the start, not diving in but taking out the useless information and overly drawn out character development.

A new student review of Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian. See the full review.

I could not finish this book. Even though I was interested in Sean’s development as a character, there was too much crass behavior for me to stand.

Much of the mature content and crass language were unnecessary to the plot. Because of the major focus on the mature content of Sean’s relationships, I was not able to continue this book. I was sorely disappointed; I expected much more. 

A new student review of How to Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis

tbrayton posted a new student review of How to Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis. See the full review.

How To Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis is a harsh and realistic testimony of being a teenager.  It presents the peer pressure that leads to drugs and alcohol, and also, in part, the human thirst for wealth.  Accompanying this is the haunting reality of how fragile friendships can be.  In the beginning, we see four friends with an unbreakable bond, but by the time we close the book, we’ve witnessed the shattering of that friendship, that now resembles puzzle pieces that will never fit together.  All in all, this book is an eye opener worth a read.  It has the ability to bring the reader down to earth and make them think about what they would do if it was them in such a tricky situation.  It causes the reader to really ponder about what they would do if it were they who were enabled to do anything they wanted. And if they had that power, would they abuse it and live with the consequences, or respect it.

A new student review of Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke

sschu5 posted a new student review of Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke. See the full review.

  Blood Oath is about a very adventurous girl who spends the first several years of her life not knowing who she is truly is or where her future is going to lead her. There is a lot of foreshadowing in the book. The story may lead you down one path then change your mind a few paragraphs later. I think it is such a good book because of how T.L. Clarke writes. The book is just an amazing read, and I would recommend this to anyone.

A new student review of Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects by Sophie Maletsky

hg2008 posted a new student review of Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects by Sophie Maletsky. See the full review.

I really like this book! I thought it was fun and creative with lots of cool ideas! The directions were well written and easy to understand. I am going to try many of theses ideas, there aren't any which I really disliked. I also liked how they gave you tips and told you what you would need. I also liked the fact that the had a few full sized patterens in the back that is always great for any crafter!

I would recommend this book for any beginning Duct Tape crafter or even more experienced because I think they would both equally enjoy and benefit from this book!

A new student review of A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

dancechicka posted a new student review of A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. See the full review.

Against all my reservations at first, I really enjoyed this book.  It was unique and edgy, in theory, with twists and turns that kept you on pins and needles.  Maud was the perfect main character—though she was a younger protagonist, I identified with her almost immediately.  Her fiery will and good heart really set her character development off and running.  I had so much fun watching her grow! The sister’s, on the other hand, were the perfect example of things not being always what they seem.  You never knew what was coming next.  The exposition was tight, the sentence structure flowing and slightly foreboding, adding to the suspense in the book.  I definitely feel like Schlitz has the makings and potential of a wonderful author!  Spiritualism can sometimes be a tricky topic, but Schlitz seemed to attack the topic and navigate it well.  Sometimes, though, it seemed like the plot ran a little weak—some seemingly unrelated events were occurred that I couldn’t quite figure out if they were related or just fillers.  The prose and the simple idea of the book certainly made up for it, though.  In the end, a five-star read that I would definitely recommend!

                “She trusts me,” Hyacinth said……. ”She’s almost ready….”   She brushed her palm against Maud’s cheek.  “You see, Maudy? Do you see why we need you so badly?”  Maud nodded, grave-faced.  She saw.”

                I would recommend this book for all ages, as there is no cursing or impropriety in the book.  However, if the mention of spiritualism bothers you, you may need to look into another avenue.

                Will Maud go along with the Hawthornes charade in her endless quest to find love—or will she let her desire for the truth set her free?  Read A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz to find out!

A new student review of Mountains Beyond Mountains

AKFeldman posted a new student review of Mountains Beyond Mountains . See the full review.

In Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder manages to portray Dr. Paul Farmer in an astonishing, yet truthful, manner. While Farmer at times seemed almost impossibly kind and generous, I never once doubted his sincerity or legitimacy. Tracy Kidder effectively hooked me into the amazing life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a difficult feat to accomplish. I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading non-fiction, medicine, social justice, or biographies. You will be positively affected by this inspiring tale. 

A new student review of How to Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis

Gwendolyn posted a new student review of How to Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis. See the full review.

How To Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis was an interesting read. The beginning immediately captured my attention and the story isn’t like anything that I have ever read before. It was well written and featured a perspective that I’m still not sure if I like, but was definitely unique. How To Lose Everything felt muddy and blurred, filled with stressful drug and alcohol ridden events. Based on a true-to-life experience that the author had as a teen, Mattheis’ writing appears blunt, truthful, and shockingly realistic. The events in this novel follow the four teenagers as they each separately react to their newly acquired fortune. I think that what strikes me the most about their story is not necessarily the characters, or even their plot line, but watching how each one individually was impacted once they stole the money. None of these boys have a strong sense of ethical behaviour from the start of the book, and the newly discovered fortune seems to add to their steep downhill slide. Each boy was affected differently, some more tragically than others. The characters weren’t meant to be likeable and that made the book realistic though not necessarily attractive. It was definitely interesting story. The book ended somewhat abruptly. I felt that there was no main conclusion to many of the happenings. However, the main protagonist, Jonathan, seemed to achieve a fresh start from these eerie events and found a new sense of purpose. It was an intriguing read but not one that I feel a need to experience more than once. How To Lose Everything by Philipp Mattheis is a curious, virulent, and ominous book.

A new student review of Magical Mix-ups #3: Grasshopper Magic by Lynne Jonell

cowboys1 posted a new student review of Magical Mix-ups #3: Grasshopper Magic by Lynne Jonell. See the full review.

Abner Willow finds out he has to give a big speech in front of the whole town!  He is worried he will mess up.  His siblings decided he needs to practice being brave. One of the things he needs to do is eat some grasshoppers.  These grasshoppers are born from eggs underneath their house.  The soil in the town contains magic, so the grasshoppers have absorbed some of this magic!  When Abner and his sister eat the grasshoppers something magical begins to happen!

A new student review of Life II by Scott Spotson

AudreyCFarrell posted a new student review of Life II by Scott Spotson. See the full review.

This book got me really excited, as I love thinking about time travel and the theories of time, paradoxes, etc. It is a fantastical concept to write a book about. This alone drove me to read all 650 pages of Life II. And the plot is good, it really is. Sadly, this story was approached in a way that didn't really suit the themes that accompany such an emotionally and physically complex plot line. The dialogue felt very wooden, and inhuman. Ironically, some of the most organic dialogue came from the aliens, rather than the human beings.

Character development is always going to be difficult to write when a plot involves time travel, and reliving past experiences, and reading Life II gave me the distinct suspicion that the author was not entirely prepared to write about the main character, Max Thorning. Any emotional reactions that Max had in the book felt wooden, as if they had been copied and pasted directly from a speculative psychology textbook, and not from the author's understanding of their character. 

It is my personal belief that the writer should always know their character as they would a spouse, or close friend. In order to write of the emotional experiences, thoughts, and actions of a real person, you have to understand that person's emotional experiences, thoughts, and actions. The same goes for fictional characters. Life II's description of Max Thorning felt very disconnected, and quite fictional. It was difficult to connect with the character, or even think of him as anything more than a character in a book.

That being said, I respect the author for approaching a story on such a massive scale. Over 26 years pass from the beginning of the novel to the end. Relationships form and are broken, choices are made, consequences are dealt with. It is enormously difficult to compress that much of a life (of multiple lives, in the context of the book) into written form, though, with the concise writing style used throughout Life II, I am surprised that it took 650 pages to do so. The result was a very readable book. Long, but readable. I do disagree with labling this book "science fiction," as the science fiction is only the set up for what is essentially a life, relived.