A new student review of Moon Bear

owen44839 posted a new student review of Moon Bear . See the full review.

This book is good; one of the things I liked about this book is the plot because I never heard about a story involving kids moving to the city for work. Another interesting part of the book is how it teaches the reader about some of the things that are happening in the real world right now.

There are some things I do not like about this book. For example, the story was too depressing because of all the things that happen to Tam. Another unfortunate part of this book is that in the end it didn’t describe how Tam built the conservation center.

Over all this book is good but I would only recommend it for people who don’t get too attached to books or get too emotional when reading them.

A new student review of Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran

Star360 posted a new student review of Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran. See the full review.

I am very hard to please when it comes to historical fiction. On my checklist are realistic characters, smart allusions to true events, real people portrayed honestly, and a storyline that doesn’t get lost in a mess of ancient jargon. Rebel Queen passed the test with flying colors! Much of pop culture focuses on Bollywood, and a typical high school history class skims over Buddha. While I already knew about the castes, Hinduism, and sati, this book gave me a fascinating new perspective on Indian history.

 

I was surprised to realize that the book was not told from the perspective of the “Rebel Queen,” Rani Lakshmibai. To my relief, Sita was an excellent narrator. Since the story is told from first person, the reader gets to know all of her thoughts and emotions. Those feelings add humanity to the history, which makes the 300-plus page book go by quickly. Sita is fierce and loyal. Her flaws ground her. As expected, there is a romance; however, it is not sappy or foolish. I liked how it actually emphasized the culture of 1800s India.

 

Life at the palace was really interesting. Readers could see the very different lives of a servant, a guard, and a royal. I’m used to reading about Elizabethan ladies-in-waiting who were busy catching husbands, so reading about female warriors who would not get married was refreshing. The politics was in the usual vein of we-must-have-a-male-heir-or-else, but the Indian culture made it unique from the European histories.

 

I’m no expert on India, so I can’t give a definitive answer when it comes to historical accuracy. There are many years given throughout the chapters, specific laws written, and the author included a note explaining what things she changed. Either way, the detailed (but not dull) descriptions made me want to read a nonfiction book about India.

 

People who enjoy this book might also like Climbing the Stairs, by Padma Venkatraman. It takes place in World War II, and it references some of the events that take place in Rebel Queen. It could almost be considered a sequel, since the intelligent main character seems like she could be a descendent of Sita!

 

I adored this rich, engrossing tale of nineteenth-century India. I can’t wait to read Moran’s other historical novels!

A new student review of Book by John Agard

Star360 posted a new student review of Book by John Agard. See the full review.

From the get-go, I was inclined to like Book. I’m a member of LitPick; I love books! Though I knew about papyrus, Gutenberg Bibles, and printing presses, I still discovered quite a few fun facts about the history of books. Did you know that an Assyrian king had a library with a kiln to bake clay tablets, an old form of books?

 

This book is clearly meant for kids, though I think that adult bibliophiles will also enjoy it. Brief chapters are great for short attention spans, and Packer’s illustrations are stunning. Some are charming additions to break up pages; others are diagrams that show readers things like how to make papyrus paper.

 

In between chapters are quotes or poems about reading, which first seemed a little odd. Eventually I got used to them. Some were really lovely; others were humorous. I know that I’ll be copying Emily Dickinson’s poem about books into my notebook!

 

I noticed that the author, Agard, is a British poet. That might explain the long sentences that sometimes drifted into lyrical prose. He also name-dropped Harry Potter, which is always a plus. I liked how the author made Book a bold character. He once remarks, “When politicians talk about closing libraries to save money, I feel like knocking them over the head.” My thoughts exactly!

 

Book is a unique, educational read that bibliomaniacs of all ages can learn from. I only wish it had been a bit longer, so that I could enjoy more of Book's autobiography.

A new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Kay Kay posted a new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout. See the full review.

White Hot Kiss is an absolute page turner. This is a book that will leave you breathless and eager to keep reading. On the edge of your seat, you turn another page and begin a new adventure. It's thrilling, mischevious, and romantic. My favorite character is definitely Layla. She's a natural fighter and leader. Her many characteristics remind me of myself. She's extremely hard headed. My favorite part of the book is at the very end, when Layla's true gargoyle/demon form shines through. The way the author describes her... she's beautiful. I suggest this book to any teenage girl that's boy crazy and ready for a ride.

A new student review of The Flight of the Dragons by Vivian French

Alex412 posted a new student review of The Flight of the Dragons by Vivian French. See the full review.

I found this book to be a little slow. It was kind of interesting when they introduced the dragons and the legend that comes with them. It was very in depth but the story never quite interested me and it was a little easy to predict. Since it was so predictable it never had any suspense so I found it a little boring. If you are into the Five Kingdoms series or like mystery, there is a good chance you will like this book.

A new student review of Timestorm by Julie Cross

AnimeLover posted a new student review of Timestorm by Julie Cross. See the full review.

Timestorm was a well thought out book with so many twists and turns I couldn't tell which way was up. Timestorm leaves the reader to wonder what is going to happen next and puts them on the edge of their seat. I often would get in trouble because I was so engrossed in the book I wouldn't pay attention in class. Although, as good as the book was, I feel like the content rating for it should have been higher because there were some scenes where Jackson and Holly would be "interlocking" with each other. It kind of made me want to put the book down and wait for no one to be around to see my face turn super red. Besides, the whole romance thing kind of took away from the action. Timestorm is an amazing book! I love the book so much i want to finish the series, and can't wait to see what new danger Jackson must face.

 

A new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane

WhereTheRedFernGrows posted a new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane. See the full review.

Lies in the Dust is a book that describes Salem wonderfully. In my opinion, this book can be graphic at some points. This book was violent at times when the illustrater would show images of people being hung. Although it was violent, this book was based off of a historical event and can help the readers develop more knowledge of the time period. Lies in the Dust is definitely a book that many people should read. I would recommend this to anyone, but I think anyone who reads this should be 11 or older.

A new student review of A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep Joanne Ryder

O.B. WAN posted a new student review of A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep Joanne Ryder. See the full review.

This book was exciting and touching. There are scenes where the readers end up on the edge of their seats, but there are also scenes that warm the heart. It’s a mix of adventure and romance. There’s also some sad parts, like when Winnie was at her Great-Aunt’s funeral. I would recommend this book to boys and girls that like dragons, but accept a little romance. I would also recommend this book to people that liked the How To Train Your Dragon series or movies. 

A new student review of Ruthless

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Ruthless . See the full review.

This book immediately started with suspense. As I started reading, I realized that in no time I was already halfway through the book! With non-stop excitement throughout, it kept me thoroughly entertained.

In the beginning, I didn’t know quite what to think of Ruth. She was a complex character to like. However, as the story went on, she became more and more likable. As the story progressed, you could really see her start to change mentally and physically.

One of the things I really liked about the story was that it was very realistic. The villain of the story is what was the most believable for me; while menacing and unlikable, I found myself curious about his past and what had made him the way he was.

If you like suspense and mature YA fiction, than this is definitely the right book for you.

A new student review of Deception's Pawn (Princesses of Myth)

Star360 posted a new student review of Deception's Pawn (Princesses of Myth) . See the full review.

Deception’s Princess, the book before Deception’s Pawn, was one of the first books that interested me on LitPick. Though I wasn’t able to order it, I checked it out at my library and loved the unique tale of love, power, and kingdoms. So when I saw that Deception’s Pawn was available, I was thrilled! The YA novel met my expectations, and I’ll be recommending the series to my friends.

 

The YA market has been seeing an upsurge in strong female characters: think Katniss, Tris, and Tally. Maeve brings a strong spirit that was believable, too. She was loyal to her family and had a witty tongue, which always wins points with me. Her actions towards boys were not always the most sage, but what teenager really knows what she’s doing? The important thing was that she learned from her mistakes, and readers should take her lessons to heart.

 

The setting was absolutely delightful. I have a weakness for European castles, and Deception’s Pawn provided one not usually seen in YA lit. Ancient Irish myths don’t get a lot of attention in contrast to the Greek or Roman ones (I’m looking at you, Percy Jackson!). The character’s appearances were well described, and it was easy to keep track of the diverse cast.

 

The bullying storyline had its flaws, but I think that it added an important angle. At the beginning, naive Maeve believed that she and her roommates would be close friends. However, the first descriptions of the girls sent a red flag that she completely missed. Maeve did the right thing by eventually telling an adult, though there was a frustrating result. I was looking forward to seeing how she would confront the girls, but her final reaction was disappointing. Even so, it’s valuable food for thought.

 

Deception’s Pawn will enthrall teens who love their romantic dramas with a side of court intrigue and a dash of ancient fantasy.