A new student review of Palace of Lies

Star360 posted a new student review of Palace of Lies . See the full review.

Put simply, I was not disappointed by Palace of Lies! Haddix’s latest novel builds the story of Princess Desmia, a supporting character in Palace of Mirrors. I enjoyed watching how she grew from being constantly skeptical to learning to accept friendship. There is a lively cast of characters that expands gradually to encompass nearly all social classes of the royal kingdoms. Major characters from the series, like Ella, Jed, and Cecilia, make appearances. Of course, so do the villains – evil Lord Throckmorton and crafty Madame Bissel can’t seem to stop grabbing for power. However, a brief recap at the beginning of the book ensures that readers don’t have to start the series in sequential order to understand the plot. The story flows well from those books, but each read is an exciting new adventure with a different princess in the spotlight. The imagery used for the multiple settings and the varied clothing described really helps the reader sink into this royal tale. Many pages of verbal battling plus a dash of phyical fighting adds drama. Palace of Lies is a wonderful read for girls ten and up who love princesses, palace intrigue, and adventure!

A new student review of Eden West

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Eden West . See the full review.

                 When I requested this book for review, I was both intrigued and a bit wary.  Good cult-based books are hard to find, especially when they’re from the cult’s perspective.  I thought that Pete Hautman did an excellent job at portraying a cult.  Throughout the entire book, I was intrigued to learn about the cult and what they thought was the truth.  The main character, Jacob, was an interesting main character.  He wasn’t the average hero like most main characters are in books.  It was a nice breath of fresh air.

                Another thing I loved about this book was the simple yet captivating cover art.  The red on the bottom is a great contrast to the white on the top.

                The only complaint I have about this book is that in places it was a bit slow.  Shortening of description might have helped speed up things a bit more.

                All in all, Eden West is a beautifully written book that tells the way of life when living in a cult.

A new student review of The Counterfeit Father by PV Lundqvist

RockinR4 posted a new student review of The Counterfeit Father by PV Lundqvist. See the full review.

This book was a blast to read! From the first sentence, I was hooked. It was one of the funniest action-packed mysteries I've ever read! I hope this book becomes a series, because I'd love to know all the other adventures Tony experiences. Thanks PV Lundqvist for an awesome read and to LitPick for allowing me the opportunity to review the story!!

This story was so very close to a 5 star rating, but I felt compelled to give it only 4 stars because, in my opinion, it needed more information about the trust.  Knowing exactly what the trust was and why or how it could affect him so drastically would have made this story easier to follow, comprehend, and much more intense.  With that info included, this would have easily been one of the top 5 books on my "Best Ever Read" list !!  Still a great book nonetheless.  

A new student review of The Incredible Space Raiders From Space

O.B. WAN posted a new student review of The Incredible Space Raiders From Space . See the full review.

This book was EPIC! This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It has adventure, comedy, and not much romance. My favorite part is when Jonah and another Space Raider encounter the Shrieker for the first time. I would recommend this book to boys age 6-10.

A new student review of Ally Ally Oxen Free by M Allman

sschu5 posted a new student review of Ally Ally Oxen Free by M Allman. See the full review.

I really like this book because of how it leads up to the ending. But, also I think this book is good because of the character Tom. He stands up for Nancy when she is teased and almost doesn’t care that the other kids think his summer will be bad. What’s better than a good character is some suspense. I really like a book with suspense, and this book has it. So overall this is a really good book. I would recommend it to anybody.

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

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

This book has a really interesting storyline. I really enjoyed how it wasn't told in Liela's perspective but instead switched to be in the perspective of the people that she meets on her trip. Some of the things that happen in this book are pretty ridculous and unrealistic and although this is a story it was hard to ignore some of the far fetchedness in this book. This book has a good ending which is good because while reading this book I was worried how they would conclude the story. Overall i didn't love this book but it was a cute read that was easy to read and had a unique story line.

A new student review of The Tightrope Walkers

123evae123 posted a new student review of The Tightrope Walkers . See the full review.

I had so many emotions while reading the book. I loved Dom and hated Dom and was mad at Vincent and in awe of Holly all at the same time. I related to Dominic on a personal level, because he was written to love words. He loved to write and read and it made me connect with him as a character. I saw Holly as a dreamy girl who loved to draw and paint even the most dangerous of things, like the shipyards or Vincent. Her friendship with Dominic had its ups and downs and was a completely believable example of a friendship turned romance. At one point in the novel, just after Dominic went to Vincent because he thought Holly was only friends with him out of pity, I wanted to believe that Vincent had grown up, had stopped being the bully he was in the beginning, but even though the premise of the novel was about change, Vincent was the same. I did find that it was more believable than having all characters change, though, by having the bully of the story attack the two main characters out of envy. When I picked this book I was expecting Vincent to change and the three of them to become friends, and I was pleasantly surprised when that did not happen.

A new student review of The Trap by Andrew Fukuda

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of The Trap by Andrew Fukuda. See the full review.

 

This book, like its forerunners, was intense.  For readers who like action and plots that are not fully realized until the end of the story, this series is a good one to pick up.  The majority of this book is action scenes that require the characters to do some quick thinking.  The continuity is kept up nicely and is patched up in some places where I had questions left over from the previous books.  The ending was the kind that I enjoy the most, one which makes the reader reconsider the whole series and rethink everything that was stated about the world.  The ending reveals that the roles of the two primary species of the series, the duskers and the humans, are, in fact, completely reversed from what the characters and the audience believed.  It also reveals the time period in which the story takes place.  I recommend this book to those who enjoyed the previous installments in the series, as well as anyone who enjoys action-packed and suspenseful series.  The only thing which I think could have been explained better was the taking of dusker technology by the future human inhabitants of the world.  The end of the book makes it sound as if Gene and Sissy can recreate what they saw in the metropolis and palace, but we are never given any evidence that they have this capability.  We are also not given an explanation for why it took so long for the human race to develop these technologies, long after Gene and Sissy would be dead.  I would also have liked a more definite end to the story arc of Gene’s father.  It is hinted at the end that he committed suicide after learning about the secret of what he had discovered about his species, but we are never given anything factual.  However, these issues with the story’s credibility did not impede my enjoyment of the book.  The intensity of everything happening and the ability of the writer to make me care about these characters made it very enjoyable.

A new student review of The Mourning Emporium by michelle Lovric

jotaf posted a new student review of The Mourning Emporium by michelle Lovric. See the full review.

I thought The Mourning Emporium was a good book filled with adventure and magic.  The characters were well-developed and almost seemed like they could be real.  One thing I liked about this book was that it started with a quick half-page summary of book one. For those who hadn't read it, it also explained other parts from book one when needed during book two.  A part I liked in the book was when, after the ice flood, Lorenzo knew that he wouldn’t be able to get flowers for his mother’s funeral.  Instead, he carved and painted wooden violets to use.  The author, Michelle Lovric, kept the action going throughout the book, and I didn‘t want to put it down.  I would recommend The Mourning Emporium to ages eleven through sixteen.

A new student review of Trailing Tennessee by Cory Wheeler Mimms

muffin posted a new student review of Trailing Tennessee by Cory Wheeler Mimms. See the full review.

While reading this book I learned a great deal about the Appalachian mountains.  The hiking is difficult and dangerous.  Mother nature tries to stop Eli with lightning, rain, landslides and more.  The book moves at a fast pace with many action scenes that leave you anxious to find out if he makes it out alive.  Mimms does a good job creating a connection between Eli's character and the reader.  Eli’s determination to live up to the Sutton legacy is admirable.  You can’t help but root for him to complete his quest.