A new student review of X: A Novel by Kekla Magoon Ilyasah Shabazz

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of X: A Novel by Kekla Magoon Ilyasah Shabazz. See the full review.

I found this book to be entertaining, but repetitive in a lot of places. I felt that Malcolm's perspective was well-written and helped me to understand his mindset when important events were going on in his life.

While I did find this book to be enjoyable, I also found aspects of it irritating. Malcolm's numerous poor decisions made me angry, but the book was interesting enough to keep me from putting it down. I felt it was the intent of the author for the book to be somewhat aggravating so that the reader would feel a sense of satisfaction when the book reaches its final pages.  

The fact that this book is based on actual events presented a problem for me. I found myself constantly questioning which aspects of this story were real and which were fabricated, and it distracted me. I would recommend this book to students 15 and up if they're interested in aspects of black history, but not if they want an accurate representation of Malcolm X's life. 

A new student review of Taking Sides by Patrick Jones

sisto8 posted a new student review of Taking Sides by Patrick Jones. See the full review.

This book was pretty good.  The characters were realistic.  They had depth and meaning behind each of their actions.  I occasionally don't see this very clearly in books, but the author had their actions pretty clear.  I think the author did a great job on making the book creative. The setting was different from other books I read. It seemed like a mystery novel, with all the different clues, twists, and turns, but it also was like just another fiction book because it didn't have the person acknowledge that they had a mystery.  I thoroughly enjoyed and I hope other readers do, too.  I recommend it for people 12+.

A new student review of Denton Little's Deathdate

tlang posted a new student review of Denton Little's Deathdate . See the full review.

Words cannot describe how funny and entertaining this book is. I was mesmerized in the storyline in the very beginning of Chapter One and still loved it all the way through Chapter 37. The book is funny. Denton's personality is that, even when death is right around the corner, he is still a funny guy who loves life and loves to make people laugh. All the characters are fully developed and each has a grand personality. The entertainment in this book...well, how can a gun shootoff not be entertaining?

A new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni

sakurafrost posted a new student review of Akarnae by Lynette Noni. See the full review.

I really liked this book. Akarnae was an adventure from cover to cover, a book I'd read again and again. The characters are fun-loving and felt very real to me, they didn't have unrealistic traits (besides the fact that practically all of the guys Alex meets are described as hot) or anything like that. Also, Alex, Jordan and Bear's friendship never turns into a weird love triangle, which was nice because it kept the focus on the plot.

A new student review of Mind Over Bullies - A MOB Forms by D.K. Smith

Star360 posted a new student review of Mind Over Bullies - A MOB Forms by D.K. Smith. See the full review.

Bullying is a topic that every school seems to talk about, but few people actually do something about. Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms tackled this difficult topic by spinning it into an intriguing mystery.

 

There were two major plots. The first was the anti-bullying campaign, which was very creative. The MOB members had an impressive mastery of technology that is outside of the ordinary teen’s skill set, adding an amusing touch reminiscent of James Bond. I find it interesting to read about teens who are trying to really make a difference, not just deciding who to go out with. The second plot was the counterfeiting ring. It added an extra dimension of suspense and helped tie in different characters to the bullying theme. The quick access that Margo had to the police was highly unusual, but was necessary to keep the two plots connected.

 

Margo’s transition from queen bee to social outcast was vividly portrayed. I liked how it provided readers with insight into both the “cool kids” zone and the average high schooler’s arena. She was clearly the main character, but the other students and characters were also important. Her fellow MOB members each had a unique personality, and readers are sure to find a kindred spirit in one of the high schoolers. I felt that Kat may have been a tad overdramatized, but felt the character development was realistic overall.

 

A downside of the book for me was its length. Now, I don’t shy away from long books. My favorite novel is Gone With the Wind, which is over a thousand pages long. However, I feel that Mind Over Bullies could have been cut down a bit. The counterfeiting plot was heavy on details and new people popping in for a few devious scenes, which could distract readers from the main theme of bullying. Of course, the money-making scheme served its purpose and did not spoil the book at all.

 

On a final note: the cover of the book is really cool! It fits the exact description of the MOB logo in the book. Judging by the title and the dramatic ending, Smith will probably write another MOB book. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it!

A new student review of Mind Over Bullies - A MOB Forms by D.K. Smith

Anjel posted a new student review of Mind Over Bullies - A MOB Forms by D.K. Smith. See the full review.

This was an amazing book! It hit a soft spot in my heart. The author really captured what happens when someone is being bullied. Adding the counterfeiting plot was an ingenious idea. 

 

My favorite part was when the girls were all still friends at the start of the book. My least favorite part was when one of the girls died, even though I didn't like her character very much. She had a pretty hard life, and I felt for her. 

 

I hope there will be a second book. I recommend this book to pre-teens, teens, and adults. Anyone would enjoy it because it is an awesome book. 

A new student review of Feral Pride

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of Feral Pride . See the full review.

A lot of this book hinges on things being accepted as soon as they are stated, as in many things are suddenly introduced and then suddenly removed from the story.  It gets hard to keep track of who everyone is and where everyone is throughout the action, or even when things are calmer.  This book has about an equal amount of romance as the previous books in the series; not much to say about that.  While I did find this book mildly entertaining, I don't think it's anything I'd pick up to read for a second time.  If you don't like elements that were in the previous books, then this book will probably do nothing to redeem the series in your eyes, so I'd only recommend this to people who like teen romance and supernatural creatures. 

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

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

When I began reading this book, I was pleasantly surprised by how fast it started off. It grabbed me from the very beginning of the book.

The main character, Michael, was a very interesting character. In the beginning of the book I didn’t like him that much. However, as the story progressed, I found that I liked his character more and more. Nya, one of the side characters, seemed likable to me from the very beginning. I loved her attitude and overall personality.

The only complaint I have is that it seemed to lag at some points in the book, causing me to lose interest. However, the writing always picked up shortly after and I was able to get re-engaged.

Overall, this is a great dark paranormal novel for older teens and young adults.

A new student review of The Prize: Tales from a Revolution by Lars D. H. Hedbor

Zane3 posted a new student review of The Prize: Tales from a Revolution by Lars D. H. Hedbor. See the full review.

The Prize: Tales from a Revolution is just the kind of book I would want for historical fiction. It is very exciting and suspenseful, but also has plenty of character and plot development. It is a well balanced book, except that there was quite a lot of romance for historical fiction. There were a couple things that I did not like: It was definitely wordy, which was annoying, and at times the romance became too much of a focus. There were also several things that I did like: There was a good amount of action (but not so much that it overwhelmed the story), and the story ended very nicely. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, but who also likes romance.

A new student review of Dime by E. R. Frank

Katiedid.Break posted a new student review of Dime by E. R. Frank. See the full review.

First, I'd like to say that when I read the description of this book I thought it said "Danny," not "Daddy." So I didn't realize what it was about, and I thought it was a kidnapping/runaway mystery. I would not usually pick this type of book; I am a fantasy nut.

Even so, it was actually pretty good, though it’s not a favorite at all. However, the characters are incredibly described and well thought out. The author truly made them come to life, and not many other authors can do so.

I liked how the author repeated the first chapter later in the book and used it as a sort of second prologue to the book. I also like how the ending was left open. What happens to Dime? Will the baby be okay? What about Lollipop, Brandy, and L.A.?

I wouldn't recommend this book to my friends because of its subject matter. To people who like this book I would recommend "The Death of Bees" by Lisa O'Donnell. It has a similar plot, but prostitution isn't included. Instead, there’s murder and drugs. It's not quite as harsh and shocking a situation as the one Dime finds herself in.