A new student review of Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

mashagoodspeed posted a new student review of Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven. See the full review.

This book was difficult to finish because I could not connect with the characters. The main character, Cassie, is supposed to be this young girl with a lot of acting potential, but she comes off as annoying, boy crazy, and not very exciting.

This book also gets a little more explicit than was necessary, and honestly, I felt like I couldn't read this in public because had anyone read over my shoulder, they would be very concerned about the type of book I was reading. This book had great reviews on Goodreads, but I did not find it enjoyable. If you enjoyed/enjoy books like the Fifty Shades of Grey series, then maybe you would like this book.

A new student review of The Zero of Oxymoron by Pierre Moessinger

Champion721 posted a new student review of The Zero of Oxymoron by Pierre Moessinger. See the full review.

Because this story was very short, it was to the point. It gave an interesting view of how things were so long ago. One of the characters is often described as fat, which is not very nice. Thankfully the rest of the story is very good. My favorite character was Oxymoron, who did not give up his beliefs even when everybody else rejected them.

A new student review of Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson

McTower posted a new student review of Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson. See the full review.

Hexed is literally the best book ever. It definitely kept the pages turning. Hexed is so action-packed, it was never slow or boring. Michael Alan Nelson made me feel as if I was in the middle of the setting, and if I closed my eyes, what I was reading played like a movie in my head. I would absolutely recommend this to almost anyone. As long as you are interested in reading fantasy or paranormal and are at least 12, you would absolutely love Hexed.

A new student review of Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Star360 posted a new student review of Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick. See the full review.

Small towns, romances, and murder mysteries are typically a winning combination with me. Sadly, Becca Fitzpatrick’s latest YA novel, Dangerous Lies, did not deliver. The main character, Stella/Estella, was insufferable. You would think that as a murder witness, she would understand the importance of cooperating with the police. But no.

 

Stella was far more concerned with contacting her boyfriend than being grateful that she was kept safe. She did not stop to thank Carmina for risking her life to take her in over the summer. Instead, she whined abut how she had to actually get out of the house and find a job. A seventeen-year-old working! What a radical thought! 

 

Her brattiness diminished slightly throughout the novel, but her character arc was still not satisfactory. The main reason she changed was because she liked (quite literally) the boy next door, Chet. Now, Chet was sweet and all. Yet, he failed to convince me as a love interest. He was too perfect, the figment of a dreamy thirteen-year-old’s imagination, not a realistic teen. And her ex? Nope, nope, nope. I did like how Reed was shown mainly through letters, which is unusual in the Facebook era. Yet he reeked BAD IDEA – a warning that Stella ignored for about 98% of the book.

 

The plot was sadly predictable. The “twist” at the end had me very impatient, because I had figured it out a good fifty pages before it happened. Based on Stella’s questionable actions, I really doubt that the Witness Protection Program is as straightforward and menacing as it is in the book. After all the goal of the WITSEC is not to break up young love, but to protect witnesses.

 

I was really looking forward to this YA mystery, but I left the book disappointed thanks to an irritating main character and weak plot points. Perhaps fans of Fitzpatrick are accustomed to her writing style and will enjoy this trite read far more than I did.

A new student review of Silver Eve by Sandra Waugh

Anjel posted a new student review of Silver Eve by Sandra Waugh. See the full review.

This is the 2^nd book in The Guardians of Tarnec series. I suggest reading the first book (Lark Rising) before reading this one.

I was again amazed by the ability of the author to make me feel as if I was a part of the story. I liked how independent the girls have been in both books, like how Lark (from Lark Rising) saved Gharian by herself, wounded, and like how Evie walked the countryside by herself, helping the people with wounds and in need. My least favorite part was when the book ended in a cliffhanger. I was surprised, and slightly upset, that I have to wait to find out what happened. My favorite part was when Laurent rescued Evie the first time they met. I recommend this book to adventure-seeking girls who love fantasy.

A new student review of The Iron in Blood by Jenny Doe

Jenny posted a new student review of The Iron in Blood by Jenny Doe. See the full review.

The Iron in Blood is a great vampire story which includes romance and lots of physical and emotional conflict. The part I love the most is the romance between Rebecca and Augus. He shows how much he cares for her by staying loyal to her. I love the fact that they use a unique way of giving the vampires power that is different from most vampire books and movies. The main character, Rebecca, is a girl who loves to read and cares about her family, just like me. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy and romance. Readers may also be interested in the other two books in The Iron Trilogy; The Vampire Gene and Blood Song. 

A new student review of Daisy to the Rescue: True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes by Jeff Campbell

Tabethar posted a new student review of Daisy to the Rescue: True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes by Jeff Campbell. See the full review.

Daisy to the Rescue by Jeff Campbell, is a fantastic compilation of stories about unbelievable animal heroics. I found the stories intriguing and inspiring and I really enjoyed learning about these amazing animals. The stories were organized in an easily understandable manner that provided all the facts about each event (such as the name and species of the animal, as well as who they saved) at the beginning of the each story. The stories then unfolded, with related anecdotes attached to emphasize animals’ caring disposition and our underestimation of them.

I felt that the simplistic writing style was slightly distracting, but the actual tales of these amazing creatures eclipsed any criticism provided.

A new student review of Road Rash by Mark Huntley Parsons

piercelg posted a new student review of Road Rash by Mark Huntley Parsons. See the full review.

I really enjoyed many parts of this book.  The love story in the book was really cute, but not overbearing! When I closed the book, I didn’t feel gypped; I didn’t feel like it was too much or too little.

I also liked the development of the band characters and the sense of camaraderie that developed through the story.  It made me want to join a band!  The author had talent in making me feel like I could be a part of the story. When I was reading this book, it made me feel like I could play the drums. It was a new experience for me that I really enjoyed. I thought the author did a great job making it easy for non-drummers to understand the book just as well as the hard-core drummers.

A new student review of I Remember You by Cathleen Davitt Bell

CassieTaylor1203 posted a new student review of I Remember You by Cathleen Davitt Bell. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book. It flows very nicely, especially regarding the fact that the story takes place over a number of years. There are some major time jumps, but they are executed in a way that make sense. The way the author has Lucas explain his dreams and the things he remembers is easy to follow as well, which is great because if it had gotten too complicated, it would have been hard to read.

I like Juliet as a character, because she has a good, realistic balance of doing what is right for her, and what is right for other people. The overall atmosphere is bittersweet, feeling that something bad is going to happen, but that the characters can not do anything to prevent it. I really love this writer's style.

A new student review of The Jericho River by David W. Tollen

ZoeDessoye1 posted a new student review of The Jericho River by David W. Tollen. See the full review.

The Jericho River was a very enjoyable read. I liked that it was fiction, but it was filled with a great deal of historical information. The author’s use of footnotes throughout the novel, as well as the historical introduction at the beginning of each chapter, was especially helpful for me. I was learning new information and being thoroughly entertained with the action all at the same time. I also enjoyed the numerous characters and their diverse personalities.

This novel should be recommended to students from the ages of 13 and older. The vocabulary was not very challenging and the information was comprehendible so there would not be any difficulty for younger students to understand. However, the content of this novel could be categorized as ‘mature,' due to the bloodshed, fighting,  and use of weapons. There are also different views on religious situations and some discrimination of race and religion.

My only criticism is the pace and suspense of the story line.  The historical situations were so engaging and action-packed, I would have enjoyed even more of this book; it was very well written and enjoyable.