A new student review of Enter the Realm of Flesh by A.N. Sinner

snehayamsani posted a new student review of Enter the Realm of Flesh by A.N. Sinner. See the full review.

“For a split second, a certain word sprang to Michael’s mind: Destiny.”

A.N. Sinner creates an intriguing world for the minds of young readers, using monsters, the mafia, and ancient mythology in Enter the Realm of Flesh.

Sinner does an excellent job with Michael's character development. At the beginning of this novel, readers see Michael as a typical teenager going through the motions of high school. But after his parents' death, he matures drastically from a boy to a strong man. The writing techniques Sinner uses to convey the development allows readers to witness Michael’s growth, creating a classic coming of age novel.

The plot was interesting as it explored the theory of there being more than one realm and the existence of monsters. In fact, I felt Michael Phoenix, in this novel, was the equivalent of Thor.

Although the plot was interesting, at times certain details were lost because there are so many things happening at once. There were moments I felt the writing could have been better developed, but it was generally quite enjoyable and easily understood. This story also serves to be a quick read for those who do not enjoy long reading material. I finished it in two days!

A new student review of Challenger Deep

Star360 posted a new student review of Challenger Deep . See the full review.

Books about sick children tend to make me nervous. The Fault in Our Stars seems to be unceasingly loved by everyone except me, who failed to be impressed by the plot’s stale ingredients of illness, questionable romance, and overwrought metaphors. That being said, Challenger Deep is not TFIOS. But even if you adored John Green’s magnum opus, hold on. Challenger Deep has a lot to offer.

 

Schizophrenia is a difficult topic to write about with wit, realism, and sympathy, but Shusterman accomplished all three of those checkpoints. He explains in the author’s note that his son Brendan, who had a mental illness, was a great inspiration. In fact, Brendan’s artwork from when he was “in the depths” is featured in the novel. I appreciated how the simple illustrations added valuable insight into the struggle of schizophrenia. 

 

The novel is told in short chapters that rotate between Caden’s real-world experiences and his dives into the imaginary world of the ship Challenger Deep. If that sounds weird, don’t worry. It took me a little while to get used to the switches, but as you get into the story it becomes easier to keep up with the parallel storylines. I found the glimpses into Caden’s chaotic mind to be fascinating and creative. The parts in real life were just as important, since they let the reader understand what was really going on.

 

The cast of characters is relatively small, and some of the most important ones exist only in Caden’s head. The ship’s crew allows Shusterman to show off his unique talent for whimsy and wonder that made me think of Alice in Wonderland (the book, not the watered-down Disney movie!). Caden himself is neither directly likable or dislikable. Since he is struggling with schizophrenia, it was difficult to see who the real Caden was like. But by the end, I was cheering him on and wanted him to have a happy ending.

 

What really pleased me about this book was what was not there – romance. Sometimes, YA authors throw in a random love interest in an attempt to appeal to audiences, only to have the couple flounder in a poorly written relationship. Shusterman keeps readers focused on the real dilemma of mental illness. Caden only has a sort of crush on one girl, but it definitely does not interfere with the main plot. Phew!

 

Whether you usually go for tales of teen illnesses or not, please try Challenger Deep. It’s a poignant, well-written novel that will change your perspective on mental illness. I know that Caden will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

A new student review of Wild Boy and the Black Terror

Pikachu posted a new student review of Wild Boy and the Black Terror . See the full review.

Wild Boy and the Black Terror has become one of my favorite books. I liked the characters Wild Boy and Clarissa because of Wild Boy's detective skills and Clarissa's acrobatic skills. I liked the setting, because it made me feel like I was there.   I was able to read the book without getting lost, but I think it would have been better if I had started with the first book. It was an exciting book but it seemed to drag on in some spots. I recommend this book to people who like mysteries.

 

A new student review of Supernova (The Star-Crossed Saga Book 2) by Braxton A. Cosby

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Supernova (The Star-Crossed Saga Book 2) by Braxton A. Cosby. See the full review.

When I began reading Supernova, I found that I was slightly disappointed. This sequel to Protostar did not live up to my expectations. It started off slowly and took a while to get into the action, and Sydney became even more unlikable in this book than in the first one. Her constant mood swings annoyed me and her romanticism was nonexistent. In various points of the book, I felt that William did everything he could to please Sydney, and in return she treated him horribly.

Something that I didn’t find enjoyable while reading this book was the author’s writing style. There were various times where it felt as if the characters dialogue was verbose or did not flow naturally.

Although the beginning started off slow, when the plot began to get interesting it was easier to read. About halfway through is when the storyline truly became engaging.

Unfortunately, this sequel just didn’t live up to the first book.

A new student review of Protostar by Braxton A. Cosby

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

Romance books aren’t typically my thing. However, if I am basing my opinion just on the story and not on its romance aspects, this book was a good read. I especially liked all the cool gadgets that were added. For example, the hydrogen blasters were very creative. I liked that the author, Braxton A. Cosby, gave the characters a fairly solid background. The action sequences in this book were enjoyable and thrilling. Something about this book that I didn’t enjoy as much was that it lost my attention in certain spots.

If you like sci-fi and romance, this book is for you.

A new student review of Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories by George Cooper

moseso posted a new student review of Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories by George Cooper. See the full review.

This book is well written and seems to be geared toward 5-8 year olds. However, even as a 12-year-old reader, it still made me laugh. There are four stories total, and each one rhymes impeccably. With the exception of the first story, the main characters are hard to distinguish; I felt the author could have said their names or stated their genders. Beautiful artwork helps the reader vividly imagine every detail of the book. Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories to Make You Laugh certainly lives up to its title. If you’re looking for a funny, quick and easy read, this book is the one for you!   

A new student review of The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army

nictaf posted a new student review of The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army . See the full review.

The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army was an extremely well-described book, filled with action and adventure.  An example is when “Milo adjusted his grip on the next one and pitched it with a split-fingered fastball. The rock burned past the flailing pincer and hit the Stinger in the mouth.”  Jonathan Maberry wrote a wonderful book and I can’t wait for book two.  I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up.

A new student review of Forever Ruby by Claire Merchant

Lucy posted a new student review of Forever Ruby by Claire Merchant. See the full review.

This is a truly magnificent book. The beginning was boring as it started describing Ruby's life, and it didn’t seem really interesting until she meets a new character, Cole Frost, who’s mysterious in every way. The story includes death and romance and the supernatural. Many death scenes occur and the story also involves some characters drinking alcohol, but it’s nothing extreme. The story also has vampires and some other supernatural beings. I love this book, I love the characters and how many of them seem so mysterious, and I really like the relationship between Cole and Ruby; I found them loving and magnificent. 

A new student review of The Switch Sisters by Gwen Li

sharon posted a new student review of The Switch Sisters by Gwen Li. See the full review.

I applaud Gwen Li for bring minorities into the light of young adult fiction. The fact that the Switches struggle to fit in, due to their unique backgrounds, raises many important questions about the way we treat others, especially those who have different backgrounds, within society. Too often, the differences that exist among people create unnecessary fear and prejudice—an issue that the book clearly addresses. In addition, through its characters, the book also brings up the concept of identity, and how identity fluctuates depending on the surrounding environment. Each of the Switch sisters, as well as the mother, bring a distinct personality to the table that contribute to the progression of the story. Furthermore, Li does a great job of portraying the sticky nature of mother-daughter relationships—the way a mother’s good intentions may get in the way of her daughters’ potentials.

I found the end of the book satisfying. However, I found that many of the secondary characters that seem to have lacked originality, or weren’t given enough time to develop within the book. Nevertheless, I was entertained by the numerous plot twists that consistently appeared throughout the book. More importantly, I enjoyed that through her storytelling of a fictional family and town, Li subtly presents real-world issues that we all need to think about more often.

A new student review of Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson. See the full review.

This book was quite good in my opinion. I had not read the first novel in the series, nor did I have any knowledge of the storyline going into this book. So when things quickly switched to Kyle’s point of view, I had little idea what was going on. It took me a little while to get the characters and situations straight, but when I did it was quite rewarding. Although this was the second novel, much of the information that was in the first novel was explained in this one, making it easier for me to comprehend things like Dr. Time and the Time Weaver. It was confusing for me as a reader when the abrupt switch to Kyle's point of view from Max’s perspective occurred. I was just beginning to comprehend how Kyle grew up, when all of a sudden he became the main character and his father faded into the background. Occasionally other perspectives were thrown in to showcase other characters' inner thoughts, but at times this made for jarring transitions.

I liked how there was an optimistic view of the future, especially in Life I. Even in Life II, where things were much more advanced because of the Darsian’s influence, the new inventions that were explained in detail were very interesting. I connected with many of the characters, especially Kyle and his girlfriend Eva. I liked how the dates were shown at the beginning of every chapter, making it much easier for me to follow exactly when and where events were happening. Kyle and his brother were essentially my age because of the years they were born in, which helped me to make another connection. 

The pace of the novel flowed quite well at most points, and held my attention. I enjoyed the inclusion of some real life physics in the book. For example, the Casimir effect is mentioned, which I just learned about a couple of weeks prior to reading! I enjoyed this read for how realistic it remained even though it is science fiction. I would read more books by this author in the future.