A new student review of River Runs Deep

emmasnyder posted a new student review of River Runs Deep . See the full review.

This is an excellent book. I would recommend it for fourth through sixth graders. The characters' choices and the adventure in this book's plot kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. One of my favorite parts was when Nick and Elias were hiding behind a rock at Smiley Pit trying to fight off a band of pirates. Nick and Elias made all the Pirates throw their weapons into a huge pit. 

This is a great book for readers of any age who wants to learn more about history and who love adventure and suspense. The stories and situations are historically appropriate and interesting.  Thank you Jennifer Bradbury for writing an excellent book for young readers!

A new student review of Autumn of Elves by Joanne Vruno

S.Ehlers posted a new student review of Autumn of Elves by Joanne Vruno. See the full review.

Autumn of Elves

A new student review of Spinner by Michael Bowler

Lucy posted a new student review of Spinner by Michael Bowler. See the full review.

I really liked this book; I found it interesting and engaging. I didn't want to put it down, as I was completely absorbed in what would happen next. For this reason, I finished this book quickly. I liked the mystery surrounding Alex's powers. I found his powers very exciting. I felt bad that he didn't have any friends and was bullied all the time. In addition, the fact that his wheelchair had limited many things in his life didn't seem fair. I would highly recommend this book to my friends. I found it to be an amazing read. The only thing that I had disliked was the inclusion of some offensive language. Overall, I loved this book.

A new student review of The Hired Girl

Hannah472 posted a new student review of The Hired Girl . See the full review.

This book is one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It was interesting and enjoyable. The author used percise characterization to develop the characters. The pacing of the novel was not too slow nor too fast. I was constantly flipping the pages waiting for Joan's next adventure to begin. Joan went through many difficult situations and events that were very relatable even with the drastic time difference. It was interesting to see what some of her problems were compared to problems in our current time. 

Throughout the novel, I sympathized with Joan, and I laughed with Joan. Joan's dialogue often made me laugh to myself. I found I could easily relate to the events she went through. I could not put this book down until the very last page. I was left wanting to know more. Schlitz should definitely write a sequel to this book,

There were many life lessons in this book that are highlighted through the characters' mistakes and choices. This is novel that should be cherised and reread again and again; I know I will do so. Readers of this book will receive a taste of what life was like a hundred years ago, and will get to grow up with a young girl named Joan. Laura Amy Schlitz did a wonderful job with this book, and I highly recommend it. 

A new student review of Protostar by Braxton A. Cosby

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Protostar by Braxton A. Cosby. See the full review.

The author developed a very interesting concept for this story. It is unlike any book I have read before. One of the main characters, William, was quite likable from the beginning. I enjoyed reading about him; he was my favorite character. Unfortunately, Sydney was not as likable a character for me. She came across as whiny at times and seemed to lack depth. I wished that her character had more feeling and complexity so that I could have cared about her and become invested in what happened to her.

The entire book was very fast-paced in my opinion. It kept me interested throughout the read; I didn’t get bored once.

The only other complaint I have about this book is that at times the wording seemed child-like, as well as forced and unnatural.

Though there were a few things I believed needed some refining, overall the book was a good read that I enjoyed. It is great for sci-fi/romance lovers of all ages.  

 

A new student review of Uncertain Glory by Lea Wait

Anjel posted a new student review of Uncertain Glory by Lea Wait. See the full review.

After reading this book, I have decided to increase the variety of books I read. I learned that I not only have fun reading historical fiction, but I get a look into the past. And it helps that I am studying the Civil War at school as I was reading this book. I was really intrigued when I learned that the printing shop in this book actually did exist. My favorite part was when Nell didn’t have to live with her Uncle anymore, but my least favorite part was when Owen disappeared. Not only because he disappeared, but why he disappeared because it makes me sad to think about living back when not everyone agreed to racial equality. 

A new student review of Spinner by Michael Bowler

Gwendolyn posted a new student review of Spinner by Michael Bowler. See the full review.

This novel certainly does not fail to provide its reader with an overdose of gruesomely described violence and truly unnerving instances that hold the power to be made scarier depending on each reader's imagination. This book was rated for ages 12 and up, but I personally feel that, judging from the subject matter, the instances of gore, and the language and conversations between characters in this book, it would give a fairer warning to those approaching it if this book was rated for mature readers. 

 

Although I cannot say that I necessarily enjoyed the scenes of gore and violence, I admire the author's bluntness in creating a world where the reader does not sense a safety net around the main characters, preventing them from permanent peril. Much like the new film Kingsman: The Secret Service, this book doesn't hold back when creating shocking imagery and unbelievably intense scenarios.  While on the subject of the imagery, I feel that many scenes in this book have a uniquely cinematic vibe, opening up a visual reading experience without there being any actual images in the book. Interestingly enough, in a Q&A with the author in the edition of Spinner that I read from, Bowler states ¨I like to visualize scenes in my head before I ever write anything down...So when I do sit down to the keyboard, I describe scenes as I saw them in my head, almost like a movie.¨

 

Spinner by Michael J. Bowler has a truly absurd story-line, with various intertwining characters and segments that merge together into one mess of craziness. However, despite the absurdity of all the paranormal activity and horrific scenarios, this book is a well-written read with realistic and human characters. The selection of characters in Bowler's story come to life on the page. They drew me into the story as a reader and kept the story interesting.

 

I felt that there were some lulls in the story, usually in scenes of suspense that felt wrongly placed. These suspense scenes were usually in sections of unnecessary pages throughout the book where I wanted it to get to the point, and I became impatient the more it seemed to provide unnecessary descriptions or dialogues. 

 

The gory paranormal horror genre that this book fits into is not one that I would usually delve into. When I began this book I did not know if I would enjoy it or not. On a whole, this was a genuinely entertaining and gripping novel with truly solid characters. I do not think that I will be re-reading Spinner, but I found it to be a worthwhile read.

 

A new student review of Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins?

faithreynolds2002 posted a new student review of Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? . See the full review.

I enjoyed this book because it helps you learn about life. I gave this book a five star rating because it has parts that just suck you in to keep you reading. This book helped me learn what the true meaning of friendship is, like when Izzy helped Jessica control the disappearing. I would recommend this book to people who love fantasy. My only wish is that the author put more detail in the book of what the characters looked like.

A new student review of Gray Zone by Veronica R. Tabares

thudson36 posted a new student review of Gray Zone by Veronica R. Tabares. See the full review.

I enjoyed reading Gray Zone and appreciated its themes concerning bullying, since it is so common in schools today. I liked how parts of this story were told through Sophie Rose’s diary entries, which allowed you to learn about events through dual perspectives. The events described in this story were realistic, but I don’t think the ways the characters handled the situations were lifelike. It was easy to like the main character, Autumn, as she was very relatable. Overall, I liked this novel and would recommend it to others, especially victims of bullying. This book brings attention to issues that are occurring every day in schools.

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

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

The great parts of this book make up the majority, and Lies in the Dust truly is stunning when looked at critically. The quiet, slow pace of the book creates a striking contrast with its stark, black and white art. It wastes no time dallying on topics which are unneeded, and each chapter has an impact on the reader which, in my experience, has not been paralleled by many works of literature. Putnam's thoughts on the cruelty of these trials are as beautiful and depressing as they had to be. The majority of the book is thought provoking and intriguing. Though the simple art may sometimes be lacking, it still serves its purpose well. It is simple to imagine the characters any way you wish to, which is an important, easy way to help the reader envision their book. Ann's siblings also represent the innocence which is held by children, even in such a horrible, cruel situation. Once more, its contrast with Ann's older wisdom, gained by all her experience, is an amazing, powerful complement to the book. Its simplistic art style only deepens the impact of its meaning. There is no distraction here, whether with narrative or art, which is why I believe it is a great read for anyone. If you are interested in history, as I am, then I believe you will enjoy this book very much.

However, the book is nowhere near perfect. The pacing of it is fairly difficult to keep up with, as it frequently shifts from Ann’s perspective, post-trial, to a flashback of the trials. The art, though simple, is not of the greatest quality, and it is sometimes difficult to tell what drawings are supposed to be what. Those are all the really striking problems I could find with it, though, so the good parts of this book truly outweigh the bad.

Though it has its own issues, as all books do, Lies in the Dust truly is a masterpiece. And as a debut title for Crane, there is surely much to expect from him in the future. Some of its themes could be found inappropriate, with death and depression being the main violations. Beyond that, I would recommend it to seventh graders and up. Though there is some Old English which is difficult to read, it is not too hard beyond that. However, it still is a challenge, so the book’s difficulty is nicely balanced. If you would like to read about the Salem Witch Trials, but don’t believe that you are ready to tackle a book like The Crucible, then this is just what you need. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 rating.