J.H. Soder’s Element 238: The Search for Truth was written atop a strong dystopian foundation and born from a solid blueprint. However, the construction itself could use a bit of touching up; the first half of the short novel felt heavy with the repetition of an overplayed practical joke and was slow in picking up. The interest level began to gain speed with the second half, in which Thomas Harding took the spotlight and began to heat the plot up with a futuristic Bunsen burner. With his character’s development, readers began to really understand the impact of Mensam and its actions on the world as we know it, plus the action became more relevant to the overall plot. Also, there were a few structural mishaps as there was an abundance of exclamation points and a paucity of contractions, especially in dialogue. That being said, Soder’s Element 238 was an interesting read that would be a potential read for science fiction fans in middle school or above.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
A new student review of Element 238 - The Search for Truth - Episode One by Jon Soeder
Friday, September 26, 2014
A new student review of The Watcher by Joan Hiatt Harlow
The Watcher is an exciting book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the beginning! The author makes it seem like you’re in the book, experiencing Wendy’s adventures with her. The book is historical fiction, even though the characters seem life-like. The plot is slightly complex; an in-depth story that requires undistracted reading. Therefore it should be rated for 10-14 year olds. I highly recommend you read The Watcher, not only is it jam packed with adventure, it also has mystery and suspense thrown in with it!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
A new student review of Don't Turn the Page by Rachelle Burk
My little sisters loved this book! This book is very fun book for young kids. It holds their interest and it gets their imagination going at the same time. It grasps their attention while it teaches them basic preparation for bedtime such as brushing their teeth, putting on pajamas, etc. I recommend this book for parents who have children who don’t like bedtime, as well as preschool teachers who like getting a variety of books for their class. The age group that will be most interested in this book is 2-6.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
A new student review of The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Series #1) by Rebecca P. McCray
I really liked The Miyran Heir: The Journey of the Marked as it was very adventurous, thrilling, and action-packed. The author, Rebecca P. McCray, did a really good job with developing each and every character and gave them some very fitting personality traits. For example, Tip, the Liput, was a comedian who liked to crack jokes. The author also did a good job making the characters, and even the world they live on, seem convincing. One of the only flaws that I saw with the book, though, was that a lot of the time it kept flipping between three through five stories. This, at times, made it difficult to follow the story line. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, mystery, or excitement, but can also handle some death and blood. I am anxiously awaiting book two and hope it comes out soon.
A new student review of Kissing Atticus Primble by Stephanie Hoina
I didn’t like this book at first. The characters didn’t seem to make sense to me and some things were out of order. After I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. I think the beginning of a book is harder for authors to write because they have all these ideas floating around inside their heads waiting to come out. Once they finish the first chapter or so, they tend to realize that not everything they planned will fit with the particular story. The more the author writes, the easier it is to swim through the ideas straight to the ones that will work. I think the story was fine and the plot was interesting. I also think the author did a great job with this book. I can’t wait to read more from her. I recommend this book for people 12+.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
A new student review of Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Let's Get Lost was a very interesting book to read. It was written in 5 parts, each told from a different chracter's perspective- Hudson, Bree, Elliot, Sonia, and Leila- and the characters were believable. Many of the events in the book could possibly happen. My favorite part of Let's get Lost is that throughout the book, the author is very descriptive, and in each part, the author reveals a little more information about why Leila is going on this trip. Overall this book was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to people age 12 and up.
A new student review of Resurgence by Virginia Vayna
This book is boring to me; the book never picks up the pace. Sure at one or two points you get a bit of suspense or intrigue. But even then it only lasted a page or two. The tone is completely monotone, and I wanted to skip parts. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone who likes action or fast paced books. I must say my least favorite thing was that I had a hard time figuring out whose point of view it was; though that is only me. When reading the point of view was constantly changing, and it was hard to keep track of who was talking or thinking. So its tricky trying to keep track of the story.
A new student review of Kissing Atticus Primble by Stephanie Hoina
Kissing Atticus Primble decidedly belongs on the “basic teenage girl conflict” bookshelf. The protagonist, Kathleen, thinks only about Atticus and Bobby and seems to have no other interests in life. The predictable cast of characters is relatively small, so the reader can easily keep up with the plot. The storyline is basic: one girl plus two boys equals one love triangle. Atticus’s handicap, a wheelchair, is a refreshing aspect; however, I felt that Hoina could have taken that variable a lot further. I would have liked to see a more deeply psychological impact of the wheelchair on Atticus and his friends. Also, ATTICUS Primble and Bobby O’HARA are two name choices that I believe could have been different. As soon as I saw them, my mind jumped to Harper Lee’s beloved Atticus Finch and Margaret Mitchell’s unforgettable Scarlett O’Hara. The boys in Kissing share some of the traits (Atticus is gentle and kind, Bobby is popular and fun-loving) but the weight that those names carry is too much for many an author to tackle. Frankly, I would only recommend this to a thirteen-year-old dreaming of her first love.
Monday, September 22, 2014
A new student review of 77 Things You Absolutely Have to Do Before You Finish College by Halley Bondy
77 Things You Absolutely Have to do Before You Finish College is a really cool book, I'm currently in high school and I'm going to try to do some of those things. Some of the things that they had in the book are already stuff that I already did. It gave me some good ideas on to trying some new and cool things. I decided that when I'm going to college, one of my goals for college will be to try all 77 of the things that are in the book.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
A new student review of Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Space Case is an excellent book that comes alive with detailed descriptions. Stuart Gibbs made an extremely intense book that made me feel like I was with Dash the entire way. I also loved the depth of this thriller. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing. This book won't fail to entertain you. I would recommend this book for ages 9 and up.