A new student review of Surf Shop Sisters by Laura Kennedy

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of Surf Shop Sisters by Laura Kennedy. See the full review.

This story kept my interest, and I found it engaging. While I did enjoy reading this book, there were several elements the author could have improved upon. I liked the intertwining of the three plots, and I felt that the author did a great job keeping them balanced so that one plot didn’t feel more important than another. However, I did not think that each of these plots was needed or as flushed out as they could have been. Yes, they were well balanced, but the fact that they were happening simultaneously caused the story to switch between them many times throughout the book, which became somewhat distracting. I do, however, appreciate the messages behind each of the plots. 

At the end, Brooke explained what we should have learned throughout the book. I wish it had been done more subtly instead. Subtlety with morals tends to remain with people longer than obvious morals. 

This book was heavy with the pop culture references. While I know a lot of people like having these references in books because it makes them relatable, this relatability doesn’t last forever. Making a book specific to the current time usually makes it dated very soon, which can cause it to be less appealing in a few years. This doesn’t make the story bad; it just makes it date more easily as culture evolves and changes. 

Overall, this book was enjoyable, but it presented some issues in its structure and content. I would recommend that parents consider the content of this book before allowing pre-teen or young teen girls to read it.  It contains many sex references, some of which are essential to the plot. This is a fun book, but I can easily see younger readers being confused or distressed by all of the sex references.  

A new student review of Deacon's Folly by James Thibeault

jotaf posted a new student review of Deacon's Folly by James Thibeault. See the full review.

I think the author, James Thibeault, had a good idea in Deacon’s Folly, but it didn’t quite live up to its full potential. The characters were fairly developed, but I felt like they all shared one personality instead of each having their own. If each character could have been unique, it would have been better. A lot of violent things began to happen a little past the middle of the book, which I didn't like. I did, however, enjoy the theme of perseverance that was woven throughout. All in all, I think this book had tons of possibilities, but it fell a little flat. I would suggest this book to ages 14 and up or to people who like books that take weird twists but end in a positive way.

A new student review of Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway

WillB posted a new student review of Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway. See the full review.

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey could be a little bit more exciting. There wasn't enough action for me.  I think that all or at least one of the characters should tell their feelings. I do not like that the author brought up characters but did not tell much about them in the beginning of the story when Pigsticks was interviewing assistants.  The book has many pages without much writing because of the many illustrations.  I do not suggest this book for 7 year-old and older readers.

A new student review of See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

Melissa32301 posted a new student review of See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles. See the full review.

I liked this book a lot; it shows what it’s like to have a family that is always too busy for you. Knowles combined a lot of themes in this book: family, sexuality, tragedy, and bullying. She didn’t put all of these things into one person; she put them in a dysfunctional family. I think that Knowles could’ve improved this book by adding a point of view from each member of Fern's family. Have a chapter for Sara, then one for Holden, one for her mom, one for her dad, and one for Charlie. It would’ve allowed more people to relate to the characters. We’d get to know more about the rest of her family, and we’d be able to relate to the rest of them. 

A new student review of Truth in Patience: Book 3 in The Patience Trilogy by Beth Fehlbaum

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Truth in Patience: Book 3 in The Patience Trilogy by Beth Fehlbaum. See the full review.

I liked this book because it felt real in a variety of different ways. Although I have never been through any of the experiences that Ashley had, I still felt a connection to her. While I didn’t agree with her actions at times, she had gone through so much that it was usually easy to understand why she did what she did. Even though I couldn’t relate directly with Ashely’s experiences, I could relate because I am a teenager, so I know many of the things that teenage girls have to go through.

I am not a fan of swearing, and this book had a lot in it. But I know that swearing is part of real life, so that gave it a more realistic feel.

I believe that people who have been in similar circumstances as Ashley will definitely have a connection to this book and will perhaps enjoy it even more than I did. Overall, this was a good read, and I recommend it for those looking to find some light at the end of the dark tunnel of their current life situation.

A new student review of Truth in Patience: Book 3 in The Patience Trilogy by Beth Fehlbaum

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Truth in Patience: Book 3 in The Patience Trilogy by Beth Fehlbaum. See the full review.

I liked this book because it felt real in a variety of different ways. Although I have never been through any of the experiences that Ashley had, I still felt a connection to her. While I didn’t agree with her actions at times, she had gone through so much that it was usually easy to understand why she did what she did. Even though I couldn’t relate directly with Ashely’s experiences, I could relate because I am a teenager, so I know many of the things that teenage girls have to go through.

I am not a fan of swearing, and this book had a lot in it. But I know that swearing is part of real life, so that gave it a more realistic feel.

I believe that people who have been in similar circumstances as Ashley will definitely have a connection to this book and will perhaps enjoy it even more than I did. Overall, this was a good read, and I recommend it for those looking to find some light at the end of the dark tunnel of their current life situation.

A new student review of The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

CalMarie posted a new student review of The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder. See the full review.

Meg Leader does a brilliant job compelling readers with the structure of this story. She introduces characters with style and weaves an intricate tale full of the up and downs that we call life. The main character Pen has a lovely personality full of fragile innocence worn through her first experiences of love and the hardships that life brings.

A new student review of Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo

Jonah Ross posted a new student review of Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo. See the full review.

This was an exceedingly good book. This is definitely a great new addition to the genres of fantasy fiction and adventure. It has suspense, adventure, fantastic characters, and witty dialogue.  The author wrote the book based on the Catholic faith, as well as adding some interesting twists as well. He combined sharing the beliefs of many people with a good story that calls for attention and will be a great success. This book will serve as a model for good literature in the future.

A new student review of Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh

jotaf posted a new student review of Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh. See the full review.

I thought this book was amazing!  I loved every bit of it -- the idea behind the book, the characters, and everything else.  The characters were very well developed; I felt as if they could be real people that I might meet in my everyday life.  The conversations were very natural.  Also, I loved the idea of the spheres; the idea of colored orbs that could physically improve you in some way or another was very fascinating.  I know with some books when you read the summary, and then read the book, it lets you down.  But this was definitely not the case with this one.  It did take a bit of a strange turn at the end, but I felt like it somewhat worked together with the story.  This book kept my attention from the first page to the last with mass amounts of action.  I would recommend this book to ages 12 and up, as there is some mature wording and themes.

A new student review of Boudica, Queen of the Iceni by Marlene Sosebee

BG posted a new student review of Boudica, Queen of the Iceni by Marlene Sosebee. See the full review.

Boudica Queen of the Iceni was not exactly what I expected. In historical fictions I like to have a lot of history woven into a brightly illustrated story. For me, it’s first about the history, then the fiction story that weaves it together. Boudica Queen of the Iceni isn’t a book I’d readily recommend along the historical lines, although there is the story line of the invasion and affliction of the Celts. On the other hand if you have an interest in astrology or the zodiac you would enjoy this book as it describes these in detail using each character in the book. As each character is introduced you get a good description of their zodiac signs and the character traits they portray.