A new student review of Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince

darkash375 posted a new student review of Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince. See the full review.

Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel, the story just drags to you into it. I love the character Liz, she's a character that everyone can relate to. This book was really entertaining and shows us all "Tomboys" out in the world (myself included) that we aren't all alone. It shows us that gender norms are very overrated and how we shouldn't waste time on them. I recommend this book to every 7th grade and up girl out there. 

A new student review of The Field by Tracy Richardson

jotaf posted a new student review of The Field by Tracy Richardson. See the full review.

I thought The Field was an imaginative book full of action and mystery.  I liked that the author, Tracy Richardson, blended a believable story about a regular high school boy with just enough sci-fi to make it enjoyable.  I also thought the characters were realistic.  I think my favorite part was in the ending, but since it gives away a lot of the book, I can’t say what it is.  You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out.  The book was sometimes slightly confusing to follow.  Also, on the editor’s part, I saw a bunch of grammatical errors and flipped words, like “a in” instead of “in a."  Unfortunately, a lot of the book dealt with soccer, which started to get a little boring for me.  But if you are a soccer fan who also likes a little bit of sci-fi, this book might be for you.

A new student review of The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

moseso posted a new student review of The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson. See the full review.

This book is intriguing and attention-gripping. With surprises around every corner, the author does a wonderful job of making it seem you’re right there next to Becky and Amy every step of the way. Becky Thatcher, the main character, is extremely clever, and always on the lookout for an adventure. Her best friend, Amy Lawrence, is more ladylike, but just as adventurous. The author, Jessica Lawson, does an impeccable job of making all the characters in the book seem real. It is a cliffhanger, but that leaves room for imagination. Geared towards girls of ages 10-12, this book will definitely end up on your list of favorites, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. 

A new student review of Briony Hatch by x x Penelope and Ginny Skinner

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Briony Hatch by x x Penelope and Ginny Skinner. See the full review.

This book was decent with its story, and the visuals were pretty good for a graphic novel. However, I do have an issue with most of the characters. Briony herself is pretty likable, and I do see some aspects of me in her. However, I have a hard time believing her claims of her being the only girl in her whole class that has not been in a relationship or has not done any drugs. Also, I do not know why she hangs out with Julia anymore, especially because she is a really bad influence. The other thing is her attraction to this goth boy, which is totally strange because it makes no sense why she would like him other than a belief that they may both like the same book series. Overall there are some things that are correct about how teenagers act, but there are others that I know are not true. I did like the ending, which was pretty open and left things off on a happy note.

A new student review of The Severed Tower by J. Barton Mitchell

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of The Severed Tower by J. Barton Mitchell. See the full review.

This is a post-apocalyptic book with a great deal of action and intensity. The switching points of view made each character feel more dynamic to me, and the ending really did tug at my heartstrings. Speaking of that, the ending was, I think, wonderfully set up for the next book in the series. Only some of the information about where the characters’ next adventure would take place was given, enough to make readers interested. I really like the idea of Zoey becoming more independent and smarter and deciding what she feels would be best. It’s always very interesting to me when stories put children in important decision-making positions, and this is no exception.

I had not read the previous book in this series, and I felt that I might not be able to connect to it very well with my lack of background, but it actually did a decent job. By the end I really cared about what was happening to these people. One complaint I do have was with the pacing; I feel that going a bit slower with the story would have made it better. It seemed that everything happened very quickly, the characters making choices within very short amounts of time. The timing of flashbacks and previous character stories worked wonderfully, however. It probably is a better experience to read this book after reading the first in the series, with more background and story to work with. Overall, a pretty good action series that I will definitely be looking into for future reads. I would recommend it to preteen or teen fans of action movies with sci-fi elements.

A new student review of Little White Lies

thudson36 posted a new student review of Little White Lies . See the full review.

I thought Little White Lies was a good, suspenseful novel. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat and I found myself wanting to keep reading after every chapter. I liked the major plot twist near the end of this book, but I did find some parts confusing. I think it takes the first couple of chapters to grab your attention, but once it does, it holds your interest. The characters are very well developed, although I think they can sometimes be unrealistic. You can tell the storyline took a lot of thought and planning because the book has many twists and turns. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller.

A new student review of Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows by Andrew Cratsley

Anjel posted a new student review of Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows by Andrew Cratsley. See the full review.

I really liked this book. It was pretty good. My favorite part is when Rieka walks out of the tower into the mass of dead not using any emotion as if she were cold hearted. At some points I felt fairly confused, having to reread a paragraph two or three times. My favorite character was Corinth because of his attitude. I also liked that this was PG so when I was babysitting and the girl asked what I was reading I could read it out loud and she loved it. This is the first book in a series. I would recommend this book to 10+, for people who absolutely LOVE fantasy (like me) and who have read and liked “Fable Haven” By Brandon Mull (especially book five) and “Lark Rising” by Sandra Waugh.

A new student review of Kalona's Fall by P. C. Cast Kristin Cast

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Kalona's Fall by P. C. Cast Kristin Cast. See the full review.

Creating a tragic hero, the authors bring unceasing sympathy for a series-long villain in the novel, Kalona’s Fall.

Too often, I feel like stories become flat because they lack a good enough development for the villain. Stories are defined by the struggles of the characters. Usually, villains provide the struggle as the speed bump in the middle of road for the hero of the story, but the very best stories contain the most heart wrenching, understandable  villains. These villains have a logical backstory, an immense appeal to pathos and a chance at redemption.  They create the best stories.

Unfortunately, Kalona did not earn a place on my ‘top villains’ list.

Kalona’s Fall had many interesting and whimsical properties to it. Casts’ artful creation story held romance, and magical creatures brought different thrilling textures to the plot. The plot itself was not extraordinary but held a catching air.  However, Casts’ overall  characters’ development left much to be desired.  Kalona, the main character,  is the only exception, as he has a clear character development from something innocent to something dark and selfish.  Casts’ other characters (with their lack of development) dragged my esteem for this book down.

 The other characters simply did not make the story believable.  Either the characters were too predictable or were too nonsensical. Erebus, for example, fought hard for Nyx’s love in the beginning of the tale but then ups and forfeits the competition  after a good portion of the book with no explanation as to why, except that he sees the passion between Nyx and Kalona. It was not logical for his character in my opinion and thus killed the book, as it eliminated an obstacle for Kaona in perhaps the laziest way possible for the authors to have chosen.  Nyx brought little logic but a lot of emotion to the book. While her emotion held my attention, it felt often either dragged out or cut short. Her interactions in the tale lacked a balance and it felt like Nyx either overacted or underacted her part. Together with other characters, Kalona’s Fall was shortchanged and I was tempted to not finish the book.

But I finished it anyway.

It wasn't a waste of  time, as new obstacles popped up for Kalona which were intriguing and set up the plot for the rest of the series (I am assuming this as I have not read the House of Night Novella series). Kalona did win my sympathy, but not my heart. The story held a lot potential and brought a great explanation as to why a hero became a villain, but I found that the simplicity of the solutions given to certain problems presented throughout the book thoroughly disappointed me

A story which holds charm for avid fans of House of Night Novella series, Kalona’s fall will add a depth for the villain and thus the entire series plot; but for the browsing reader, it may not be so appealing or hold their attention.

 

 

A new student review of Chasing Light by Angela Jooste

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Chasing Light by Angela Jooste. See the full review.

                When I began reading this book, I was unsure if I was going to like it. However, as I continued to read it, I found the author’s style of writing to be beautiful. Alternating point of views is hard to write, but she did so wonderfully. Another thing I loved about this book was the amazing cover art. While subtle, it got me interested enough in the book without giving anything away.

                The one complaint I have about this book is that it was hard to remember all the characters, and I easily got their names confused.  About halfway through, I finally got them down; it just took a bit of time.

                Overall, this is a moving book written for older teens that will not disappoint.

A new student review of Taking Flight

Nickyjean posted a new student review of Taking Flight . See the full review.

I loved reading this book, written by Michaela and her adopted mother. It was very interesting to read about Michaela’s life in her own words.  It was written with lots of details, and was very interesting. I especially liked reading about the hardships Michaela had in Africa as a young child.  It made me feel grateful for the life I have!  But even with a hard childhood, she was able to blossom in America into a beautiful ballerina.  She didn’t make excuses about her life, she just became better.

I highly recommend that you read this book!