A new student review of 77 Things You Absolutely Have to Do Before You Finish College by Halley Bondy

Dsun_ posted a new student review of 77 Things You Absolutely Have to Do Before You Finish College by Halley Bondy. See the full review.

Although this book is listed as nonfiction, I feel that it has comedy in it. The witty remarks make me feel like the author is actually talking to me instead of telling me what to do. Some of the things to do were very silly and some of them were something that someone could actually consider doing. Overall the book was just a fun read for me.

A new student review of Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber

dancechicka posted a new student review of Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber. See the full review.

Despite my reservations when I began reading, I really did enjoy this book.  Lily, even with her unique story and inner struggle, is a very relatable main character.  Her inner monologue shows us a girl that is strong and vulnerable, shy and outspoken.  She has a fiery streak that I really enjoyed seeing develop throughout the book.  Stuber did a very good job portraying the discrimination and intolerance that Asian-Americans faced at that time—being blamed for things that were happening thousands of miles away.   I also felt that Lily’s relationship with her parents and those around her was also very well-written.  It showed how the strain of the Korean War adversely affected almost everyone, even in their own homes and family circles.  The supporting characters were also of importance in this book—with Ralph, an ex-nun, and the janitor/Chinese cook Mr. Howard, the personality in this book abounded, even when things got serious.  The only thing that I could find fault with was Lily’s frequent pity-party sessions, which could get a little tiresome—but that may just be called being a teenager.  All in all, a wonderful read for anyone looking to brush up on their historical fiction and have a little fun along the way!

                “I hold my breath and flip the first picture over. It’s blurry, but I can see it’s a hand.  A pale, drooping hand, chopped above the wrist, with long, stiff fingers and a handcuff exactly the way Ralph described.”

                I would recommend this book for ages eight and up.  The vocabulary and plot is pretty simple to understand for younger readers, and the content is, for the most part, squeaky clean.

                Will Lily be able to uncover the secrets of her past AND take on the consequences?  Or will Lily find that she may have gotten in over her head?  Read Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber to find out!

A new student review of Caminar by Skila Brown

muffin posted a new student review of Caminar by Skila Brown. See the full review.

This book is written in verse (poetry).  It made the book very confusing and hard to understand.  The tone is serious often somber.  With war comes death and destruction and the author captures that feeling her poetry.  

The author uses short verses, which can seem be difficult to read.  It’s hard to get a sense of the characters and setting and connect on a deeper level.  I did like when the book talked about the soldiers playing soccer and doing other things with the citizens of Chopan. Overall, I did not really like Caminar by Skila Brown.

 

A new student review of Earth Star by Janet Edwards

erogers9911 posted a new student review of Earth Star by Janet Edwards. See the full review.

What a great book- one I will recommend to others! I really enjoyed how it took place in the future and how the technology was better than ours. I also liked the futuristic language the author created. This book is a sequel to Eath Girl, so make sure to read that one first.

A new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej

lunarwolf posted a new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej. See the full review.

I had a hard getting into the book at the begining. The reason is because the prologue really doesn't do much for the story, at least in my opinion. However, after reading the next few chapters; I was hooked on the the book. Some things weren't explained, but overall it was a great read. I would reccomend Vampire Kisses to anyone who likes paranormal romance. I found the use of mythology to be great, and a useful way to get people to learn things without doing boring research. Great writing, and amazing location detailsmake you feel like you're actually there.

A new student review of 31 Ways to Change the World by We Are What We Do

Queen_Ri posted a new student review of 31 Ways to Change the World by We Are What We Do. See the full review.

"31 ways to change the world" taught me so many new things. I always thought that to make a change you need to be big or have a group. "31 way to change the world" showed me it doesn't matter how small the action is, little things make a big difference. I loved this book. My favorite part was learning some sign language. I also loved action #4 and action #31. I believe that "31 ways to change the world" is a excellent book for any age category. 

A new student review of The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes

thudson36 posted a new student review of The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes. See the full review.

The Princesses of Iowa was a fantastic novel. From the very beginning I was hooked, and I found myself so engaged in Paige’s story. The word choice, figurative language and descriptive writing the author uses pulls you into Paige’s setting, feeling loss, pain and happiness when she does. The plot was well spread out, I never found myself getting bored with the content. The sentences seemed to flow together perfectly, causing me to never want to stop reading. The only negative comment I have after reading this novel is some parts could get a bit cliché and describes the stereotypical “popular girl”.  This is definitely a contemporary novel. Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

A new student review of Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I don't usually like paranormal stories which involve romance.  I feel that this book did it very well.  I do have two minor complaints. In one case no reason was given for why a certain type of people would need money, and in the other case something was way too convenient for the character's story arch. 

The pacing of the story was good, I love the characters, and the concepts of how the author imagines these creatures are very interesting to me.  It entertained me the whole way through and there was nothing blatantly wrong with the story.  I highly recommend to older fans of supernatural stories.

A new student review of The Rule of Lorques: Lorque Exposure by Benjamin Stones

LegoLover posted a new student review of The Rule of Lorques: Lorque Exposure by Benjamin Stones. See the full review.

The first few pages are back story and not as interesting as the rest of the book.  By the middle of the first chapter, however, the excitement begins.  The author’s writing style is very compelling; once you start reading, it’s hard to put it down.  The plot is adventurous and dangerous at times.  As book 1 of a trilogy, it leaves you eager for the next books in the series.  I would recommend The Rule of Lorques: Lorque Exposure to those who are interested in books about alien invasions and the heroes that fight back against them.

A new student review of Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

chinchilla97 posted a new student review of Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid. See the full review.

Let’s Get Lost was a very confusing read for me. Half the time, I really liked it, and then the other half, I really didn’t! The story involves a couple of teenagers doing the typical stupid things that teenagers do. However, most of them learn from the mistakes that they make, and they also learn what love really means, which is a valuable lesson. Overall, I think the idea is a neat one, but it could have been written in a different way.