A new student review of The Secret of Goldenrod by Jane O'Reilly

hawkreader10 posted a new student review of The Secret of Goldenrod by Jane O'Reilly. See the full review.

"The Secret of Goldenrod" was a great book! I was so absorbed in Trina's story that I didn't want to put this book down. With the exception of the magical ball and talking doll, the plot felt very realistic. The detailed descriptions of the mansion painted a picture in my head and made me feel as if I was there. I really liked how the author used flashbacks to combine Trina's story with the story of the family who lived in Goldenrod a century before. I found "The Secret of Goldenrod" to be a very fast and entertaining read and would strongly recommend it to anyone from 5^th grade through middle school.  

A new student review of The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid

JesusFreak posted a new student review of The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid. See the full review.

Upon opening this book, I found myself intrigued from the get-go. The first chapter gripped me and I found myself curious to find out more about the universe. The story was very fast-paced and didn’t bore at any moment.

The main character, Nemesis, was a different protagonist than most books have. She wasn’t quite human, so it was very interesting to have the story from her perspective. She was a strong character throughout the book, both physically and mentally. It was an intriguing experience to see her grow from the start of the story to the end.
The author did an amazing job describing the universe the characters lived in. The descriptions weren’t too lengthy, but were just the right amount of words to explain the world and what was happening.
This book is an excellent read for those who love the young adult genre. Filled with suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, The Diabolic is sure to impress.

A new student review of Vampire Boy (Book 1 of Carpathia Chronicles) by Aric Cushing

jotaf posted a new student review of Vampire Boy (Book 1 of Carpathia Chronicles) by Aric Cushing. See the full review.

I thought Vampire Boy was a great book. It was full of adventure, magic, and mystery. The characters were well developed; Alex is a vampire that tries to be friendly to everyone and is brave, too! By using a lot of conversation between the characters, the author, Aric Cushing, kept the book interesting. 

I was disappointed that this book ended very abruptly. This story will be part of a series, but I would have liked to see the school year completed.

I would recommend it to readers ages 10 and up. This book strongly resembled Harry Potter (it even had a reference to it), so if you like Harry Potter, this book might be for you.

A new student review of The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

PhilipDeGroot posted a new student review of The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent. See the full review.

From the get-go, it is obvious that this is the second book in a series, and should not be read as a stand-alone novel. Unfortunately, I was not able to read the first book, and was a little lost at the beginning as a result. It was, however, relatively easy to pick up on the plot and understand everything that was going on. One thing that was harder to do was get to know the characters, as the author probably assumed readers of the second book would already know the characters. Because of this, there were few things in this book that made the characters memorable, and I found them rather easy to confuse with each other.

While the individual details of the plot are unique (a government run by demons attempting to destroy other demons without destroying themselves), the overall idea can be found in many other books. I think this story is something that will appeal to those who read lots of dystopian fantasy, especially because of several unique twists that make it different from other books of this genre. Generally, the protagonist in dystopian books is fighting against one main antagonist througout the series, but (from what I gathered through this book), the first book, The Stars Never Rise, time is spent escaping and surviving attacks from the corrupted church. The Flame Never Dies, however, turns a different direction, and although it still contains things about the church, most of the focus is on the demon city that is set on destroying Nina and her group. I gave this book three stars because, although there were some different twists, I did not find it terribly unique or memorable, and it did not contain anything that really excited me. So if you love this genre and want something a little different, then The Flame Never Dies will probably be great for you. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere.

A new student review of A Pigeon's Tale by S.A. Mahan

Jowill posted a new student review of A Pigeon's Tale by S.A. Mahan. See the full review.

This is the most original story I have read in a while!

The title, ​A Pigeon's Tale, is perfect since it's a tale told by a pigeon named Walter.  

Some of the vocabulary and science terms were above me. Even though I didn't fully understand them, it did not interfere with my overall understanding and enjoyment of the story.

Readers of all ages will like this story. This tale evokes almost every emotion imaginable! As Walter tells the story of his long life (hundreds of years long) the reader will cry, laugh, gasp, and celebrate.

A new student review of My Life Hereafter by Lynette Ferreira

MistySpirit posted a new student review of My Life Hereafter by Lynette Ferreira. See the full review.

My Life Hereafter kept my interest greatly. The concept of what happens after you die is one that many people debate today, and have many different ideas of. I liked the concept of that idea in this book. Also, I enjoyed the plot twist, it was extremely unexpected but kept my interest in the book until the very end. The characters were fun and believable, and there were many good life lessons. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to wonder about life after death, or anyone who enjoys a good adventure.

A new student review of Button Nose the Sad Little Bear by Gina LoBiondo

moseso posted a new student review of Button Nose the Sad Little Bear by Gina LoBiondo. See the full review.

This adorable tale about friendship would make a wonderful addition to any bookshelf! Button Nose, the main character, is a cute little bear with a sad face. Little Girl is his playful companion who loves him unconditionally and takes him everywhere she goes.

 

Beautiful illustrations fill every page of this book, making it visually appealing. Real pictures about the author’s youth also fill the pages in the back of the book, letting readers know that this story is based upon her childhood. This charming story would be an excellent read-aloud for young children and a perfect first reader for those beginning the journey of reading on their own!

 

A new student review of Pegasus -- A Dragon's Tale by Gina LoBiondo

moseso posted a new student review of Pegasus -- A Dragon's Tale by Gina LoBiondo. See the full review.

A tale about a dragon will allure young readers, and this book does not disappoint! Along with magical hatching of a baby dragon named Pegasus, we are acquainted with Prince Dayshawn and Princess Kameela, who look after the young dragon until he must be set free.

 

Lovely illustrations are on every page of this captivating story, allowing the reader to visualize the story with ease. A running theme of friendship is woven into the book as Pegasus does not forget his caretakers, and Kameela and Dayshawn readily welcome him into their home.

 

As a wonderful read aloud or a first reader, Pegasus -- A Dragon’s Tale is a perfect addition to any story collection!   

A new student review of On Guard by Patrick Jones

Booklover1111 posted a new student review of On Guard by Patrick Jones. See the full review.

Over all, this book was okay. It definately wasn’t one of my favorite books and there were a couple things that I would change. First of all, I didn’t like how there was some violence in the book. Secondly,  I personally didn’t like that there was a lot of talk about gangs and a few references to swear words. Some things that I liked about the book were the characters Jade and Mercedes. Jade is a really strong and tough character, but yet she is still girly. Mercedes is always trying to help her sibling and never worries about herself. This book is a really quick read because it is only 97 pages. 

A new student review of Between Worlds by Skip Brittenham

Ampster posted a new student review of Between Worlds by Skip Brittenham. See the full review.

Between Worlds is a book about overcoming obstacles and defining what is possible. Mayberry and Marshall go through this fantastic journey, running, plotting, and fighting their way out of anything that comes their way. What it comes down to in the end of the book, though, is that you can't do it alone. Teamwork is a very important aspect of this book. Mayberry, Marshall, and even Aaron can't defeat the evil by themselves. They all need to work together to break the barrier.

 

In this book, Brittenham develops the characters very well. All of them are unique in their own way. Mayberry is a strong girl who likes to explore and set her own standards of what is possible. She is sarcastic, yet at the same time she is sweet, caring, and determined. Marshall is a boy who dreams of having an awesome life but doesn't hold much hope of it happening. He is courageous, strong, and brave, just not all the time. He has a crush on Mayberry but doesn't want to ruin their friendship, so in that way he is both shy and thoughtful. Aaron is a character who has simply lost hope. He lost hope in survival, family, and life. Mayberry and Marshall come and ignite that flame of spirit once more in his worn body.

 

I loved how Brittenham wove all of these different characters, plots, and backstories into one story that kept you on your toes and begging for more. I loved the prologue and how it tied into the story, explaining Aaron's grief and hopelessness. This story was well-written, with lots of detail and a great plot line. I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling tale.