A new student review of Controlled by Patrick Jones

LaRayne posted a new student review of Controlled by Patrick Jones. See the full review.

This is one of the best books I have read. I thought that I got a good feel of the story but wish it was longer. Controlled is a great book for teens 12 and up. Patrick Jones does an amazing job of talking about touchy topics. This is also definitely an awesome car book. Jones succeeded in making you feel like the characters are real. I would recommend it to my friends. Controlled makes you want to read her other books and I hope in the future Jones will write longer books so the readers will get the whole story not just the overlay. 

A new student review of Penny Hike by Bobby S. Richardson

nictaf posted a new student review of Penny Hike by Bobby S. Richardson. See the full review.

Penny Hike was a sad story with funny parts mixed in. One thing I liked was how the author described the characters, making them feel very real to the reader. One thing I did not like was the spelling of words like "doctah" for doctor and "yahd" for yard, but it was understandable.  Bobby S. Richardson fashioned a sad, but exciting story. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up because of the nature of the story, with violence and bad words included.  

A new student review of The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond

tbrayton posted a new student review of The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond. See the full review.

This book can only be titled as a work of pure genius.  Although its phonetically spelled words and horrific grammar might be enough to drive some away, the rewards of reading it entirely are vastly nourishing.  Not only is David Almond a master storyteller, but a true craftsman of fiction.  Only he could write something that at face value looks completely illogical but actually chronicles the immense growth and progression in a child’s life.  It is ingenious that with every passing chapter the spelling and grammar improve.  It shows how Billy Dean grows and learns as a human being, while still reminding us of the completely flawed world in which he lives.  We see him change and grow stronger through his writing, which as the story progresses improves.  Another noteworthy part of this book is the point of view.  Since a child narrates the book, we read it and imagine it as a child would.  But what is so amazing about this is the way we are able to see so many evil and traumatic events unravel in this boy’s life.  We, as more developed people, expect the same point of view that we would have if it were we living through these happenings.  It’s as if we forget it’s a child narrating the story.  But we are constantly reminded by David Almond’s brilliant writing of the natural innocence and trust that children have.  And it is this trust and innocence that in some ways distorts what our point of view might have been in any of these situations.  The book is a truly entertaining tale that can be simultaneously horrifying, mind-boggling, and tearful.  Hats off to David Almond for this wonderful book.

A new student review of The Garden of Darkness by Gillian Murray Kendall

Star360 posted a new student review of The Garden of Darkness by Gillian Murray Kendall. See the full review.

Simply put, The Garden of Darkness is the best book that I have read in a long time. It takes a familiar idea--what if there was a huge, deadly pandemic?--and takes it down a fascinating route. Most of the book is about Clare and Jem’s group, but every few chapters are devoted to Master, which I thought was very clever. It helped the plot move along faster, and also gives a deliciously nasty sense of foreboding to the story. The plot is relatively straightforward--get to Master and don’t die along the way. However, a series of unexpected occurrences and new members to the pack make sure that they reader never becomes bored. The characters are incredibly realistic, not clichéd; for example, Clare loves to read. I almost wished that I was on the journey with them! While there was a romance, it did not overwhelm the really important parts of the story; rather, it served as a foil to all of the horrors around them. A post-apocalyptic novel with dramatic twists and intriguing ideas, The Garden of Darkness is bound to be popular among those who wonder about the borders between life, death, and insanity.

A new student review of Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look

cowboys1 posted a new student review of Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look. See the full review.

This book is perfect for anyone who has read the other Alvin Ho books but even a first time reader would enjoy it.  The story is really funny and I love Alvin's character!  I think reluctant readers and boys would really like this book.

A new student review of Knock Out Games by G. Neri

Dsun_ posted a new student review of Knock Out Games by G. Neri. See the full review.

I was immediately interested in this book the second I started reading it. The characters were described incredibly well. I could picture each character and their personalities. The setting was accurately described as well. I had a fun time learning about the Knockout Game and overall a fantastic book.

A new student review of The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton

Shay-Ainahs posted a new student review of The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton. See the full review.

Skimmed the book, read the poetry, smashed it into the wall a few times after Ned died (though you get that vague suspicion that he'll miraciously survive again, 'cause books defy reality--sometimes.). It's a pretty good book, though. I really enjoyed it. Perhaps I'll read something by the same author in the future.

A new student review of Roman Diary by Richard Platt

ALex1x1 posted a new student review of Roman Diary by Richard Platt. See the full review.

Roman Diary is a great adventure story that tells about the ancient Romans and their culture. I love how the book has a glossary and goes into detail about event, gladiators and battles. I also enjoyed the pictures. The only negative things about it that I could think of was that it didn't tell the definitions of some of the words right way. It wasn't until the end of the book do you find out. I would highly recommend this book to people who like historical fiction books and who are interested in how the Romans slaves lived.

A new student review of The Revelation of Gabriel Adam

nowhereman posted a new student review of The Revelation of Gabriel Adam . See the full review.

I really enjoyed reading The Revelation of Gabriel Adam by S.L. Duncan. I really liked the idea of The End of the World being stopped from Archangels. Its straight from The Bible it seems which is pretty cool. Most end of the world stories has to do with zombies or government disaster, and for the most part are pretty similar, This one stood out for sure. Duncan weaves the end of the world thriller with The Bible perfectly, like no one else has done before. I recommend this for teenagers and up.

A new student review of The Tale of Cloran Hastings by Brandon M. Dennis

jotaf posted a new student review of The Tale of Cloran Hastings by Brandon M. Dennis. See the full review.

I really enjoyed The Tale of Cloran Hastings because it was adventurous, exciting, sad, and surprising.  One part I really liked that made it exciting was when Cloran and his crew were attacked by man-wraiths and had to fight their way out of their predicament.  One thing I didn’t enjoy so much was that, even though this was book one, it felt like there was more to the story before this; it just kind of jumped right into the story.  Also, at the end, it left me hanging.  I would be really sad if the author didn’t make a sequel.  Overall though, this book was a real page-turner; I just couldn’t put it down.  I would recommend this book for ages 11 and up because there was some death, blood, and other mature content.