A new student review of Three Bird Summer by Sara St. Antoine

lexyroberts posted a new student review of Three Bird Summer by Sara St. Antoine. See the full review.

I loved this book! It was not too challenging. It is a great mystery book. I would recommend this book to friends. In the beginning it was a little boring to me but during the end it was great. I loved everything about this book.

A new student review of Soonchild by Russell Hoban

AudreyCFarrell posted a new student review of Soonchild by Russell Hoban. See the full review.

This book is pretty. I honestly don't know how else to describe it. Filled with gorgeous charcoal illustrations and impressive writing, Soonchild is an amazing thing to behold, less as a story, and more as a work of art. It's one of those books that makes so little sense that it can't help but make sense to you, and is written in a way that does little more than assert what it tells as fact. It's written in a very direct way that makes the nonsensicality of it both entertaining and endearing. I will most likely reread Soonchild several times in the future, as it is one of those books that you feel like you cannot completely understand it until you are thoroughly familiar with it. Fascinating and beautiful, I will be recommending Soonchild to many of my friends and fellow readers.

A new student review of The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky

crabby posted a new student review of The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky. See the full review.

The Golden Day a is quirky and skillfully crafted tale, its rich descriptions complimenting realistic dialogue. The unusual style of writing is engrossing enough to keep a reader’s interest, with vivid images and a pleasing cadence throughout. There is an intriguing exploration of bonds forged in tragedy, and the element of mystery carries the plot smoothly. However, more development is needed in some of the characters, many of which are just real enough to become invested in, but have potential that isn’t quite fulfilled by the time of the story’s conclusion. Overall, though, this is a fascinating and worthwhile read that will leave you wondering what really happened in the past we’ve learned to trust.

 

A new student review of Golden Blood: Time Spirit Trilogy (Volume 1) by Melissa Pearl

tzahairagunn posted a new student review of Golden Blood: Time Spirit Trilogy (Volume 1) by Melissa Pearl. See the full review.

This was an average book. It had an interesting concept and was well writen. The author did a good job leading the book on to a series, but I think the author could do more to develop the two characters' affections for each other. I would not call this book a page turner, but it is not a boring book.

 

A new student review of The Secrets of Tree Taylor

thudson36 posted a new student review of The Secrets of Tree Taylor . See the full review.

The book, The Secrets of Tree Taylor, was an overall great book. I enjoyed how the main character, Tree, was focused and determined on her writing, and I think anybody that loves to write would relate to her as well. The plot of the story was constantly being driven by a new factor or obstacle in Tree’s way to uncover the truth about the shooting. I think Tree’s character was fully developed, you felt as if you knew her. I did think some parts of this book could be slow and boring, but it quickly picked up again. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others.

A new student review of The Secrets of Tree Taylor

thudson36 posted a new student review of The Secrets of Tree Taylor . See the full review.

The book, The Secrets of Tree Taylor, was an overall great book. I enjoyed how the main character, Tree, was focused and determined on her writing, and I think anybody that loves to write would relate to her as well. The plot of the story was constantly being driven by a new factor or obstacle in Tree’s way to uncover the truth about the shooting. I think Tree’s character was fully developed, you felt as if you knew her. I did think some parts of this book could be slow and boring, but it quickly picked up again. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others.

A new student review of Virginia White by H.L. Cricket

awalker10 posted a new student review of Virginia White by H.L. Cricket. See the full review.

While the book was intriguing in the concept, the execution was somewhat lacking. The story dragged on, and while mysterious, was not particularly engaging. I was not emotionally attached to any of the characters, and Virginia seemed rather flat and two dimmensional. I think the story would have moved along better if it had been shortened a bit; as it was, it was rather tedious to read. I liked the idea of the story, but it became monotonous and tiring after a while, especially as nothing ever seemed to actually happen. Altogether, it was an interesting idea, but needed some work.

A new student review of SCAN by Walter Jury

jotaf posted a new student review of SCAN by Walter Jury. See the full review.

I thought SCAN was an excellent book.  It was very adventurous with descriptive wording.  I thought it was clever the way the authors made it seem so real.  I also really liked that they left it open for a second book.  The one thing I disliked about it is that it had a ton of bad words.  My favorite character was Tate because he is so smart about almost everything and he tries his best at everything he does.  I am going to give this book five out of five stars, but hopefully with the next book there won’t be so many bad words.  I would recommend this book to ages twelve and up because there are lots of bad words, some death, and other mature content.

A new student review of Incinerator

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Incinerator . See the full review.

I must give this book my applause. Incinerator, by Niall Leonard, was good. With its enticing plot, teasing mystery and splendid characters, it makes the reader hold his or her breath. Leonard did a admirable job spinning the plot together, but particularly with leaving hints and clues throughout the story to reveal the true villain. A wonderful read to keep your brain active, Incinerator flies.                                        Unfortunately I cannot say that it flies smoothly or with flying colors. While I commend Leonard for his work, I can still say it needs work. I have primarily issues with the book: structure.                                      

First off, the format of the book was difficult to read. Throughout the whole book it was only a block of text—no indents or paragraph indicators. I found it irritating and distracting from the story.   A minor detail, but bothersome none-the-less.                                                                                                                    

Second off, the book started extremely slow and dull.  Perhaps this could be attributed to it being a second book in a series, but it was. Even though it was extremely taxing in actions, explanations  and in word choice, the book picked up in the middle.    It had a slow start, which hinders your enjoyment of the book. It was almost confusing for me, the beginning was so different from the rest of the book.                                                                                                                                                                                    

Thirdly, as I previously mentioned, the explanations were frustating.  This may be due to that fact that this book is a sequel. There is lot information not provided for the reader who has not read the first book.  As I read it, I really only knew that Finn’s father died, he got in trouble with a criminal, and now has a load of money.  Until almost the end of the book, that was all I knew.  It was frustrating and confusing for me as a reader.                                                                                                                      

Still, this book was entirely enticing. I enjoyed the plot and Finn’s character immensely. I could see many books or short stories about him. With Leonard’s brilliant plot, his structural, frustrations may be forgiven.  I do strongly suggest that if you read this book you read the prequel, “Crusher”.

A new student review of Guiamo(Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo)Book1 by Marshall Best

alison_S posted a new student review of Guiamo(Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo)Book1 by Marshall Best. See the full review.

Although Guiamo paints a fairly vivid portrait of its protagonist's adolescence, Best's prose relies too heavily on summarizing, or "telling, and lacks the description necessary to truly immerse the reader in the novel's plot. Furthermore, this lack of detail impedes the reader's ability to identify with Guiamo. In spite of this, however, readers can't help but root for Best's hardworking, fiercely optimistic protagonist. While Guiamo's plot starts off slow (the novel's first few chapters lack conflict), it accelerates considerably as the book progresses. Best conveys ancient Rome with a stunning level of historical accuracy, and his knowledge of the time period imbues the novel with rare sense of authenticity. Although I can't endorse Guiamo as a fast read, I do, however, recommend it as a satisfying one.