A new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej

mikaylamoody68 posted a new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej. See the full review.

In my opinion this book was a little slow in the start, but as you gained more understanding of the characters the book become hard for me to put down. To me Vampyre kisses was an overall good book and I can't wait to I read the next one in the series.

A new student review of The Infects

Ravette posted a new student review of The Infects . See the full review.

This was a very fast-paced read. Yet highly enthralling. It wasn't just the typical gore and bloodfest that interested me - though it did help - it was the very realistic idea of how the virus of the "Infects" came to be. Not only that, but the characters also seemed very realistic; especially since they each had very individual personalities. But, most of all, I loved the ending. It was definitely suspenseful and kept me 'on my toes' the entire time; a twist ending.

Highly recommended for zombie/conspiracy/horror lovers.

A new student review of Red Crucible

LaRayne posted a new student review of Red Crucible . See the full review.

Red Crucible puts a reality into the end of the world. It makes you think this is going to happen. That is why I loved it! This book has very little dialogue, yet it still will keep your attention and entertain you on a long car ride. I would recommend Red Crucible to ages 12 and up. It is a great book about the true need of survival matureness and bravery!

A new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman

bookgirl1289 posted a new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman. See the full review.

Full of action and mystery, Rain of the Ghosts is a wonderful read for anyone who likes a good, slightly creepy, ghost story. It is a good book for both boys and girls because it has strong male and female characters, Rain and Charlie. It was also very fast-paced and exciting. One of the things that I found rather strange about the book is the fact that it is told by a dog who seems to have supernatural powers. When you are reading you can tell that he has some connection to what is happening but you don’t know what it is. There are several unsolved mysteries but they promise to be solved, hopefully, in forthcoming books. I loved reading this story and found it a wonderfully mysterious story to read. I would highly recommend this book for ages 11 and up as a great adventure/ghost story. It promises to be the first book in a great new series!

A new student review of The Bitter Kingdom

R. Mae posted a new student review of The Bitter Kingdom . See the full review.

Bitter Kingdom was a faultless, magical finale to the Fire and Thorns Trilogy.

The Plot:

One thing that I really enjoyed about the other two books was the strong characters and the realistic plot. Elisa was a queen who felt responsible for her people and she always knew what she wanted. That really affected the plot. When the book starts, Elisa is trying to reach Hector. Since she loves him, that is one of the reasons why she wants to rescue him, but marriage with Hector will help bring peace to the kingdom. Elisa's character has to go through all these struggles to save her people. There were some major twists in the story that I never would have seen coming. I won't tell you the details, but let's just say that you can never truly know God.

The Characters:

I loved Elisa. She is so unique and delightful. She has a good sense of morals and is therefore very enjoyable. The romance between her and Hector was believable, not over done. It was actually really good. Storm turned out to be heroic and interesting. As devastated as I was when some people were killed, it worked out better for the plot and characters that way. I think Rae Carson is really good at killing her characters. I admire that. It made the book even more original. Mara still eludes me. There was a moment when Elisa cornered Cosme and Alodia into a contract of fealty, both of whom are very hard to outwit. For a moment I was upset, but Rae Carson smoothed easily over the scene and brought the toughness back into both of the Queens.

The Setting:

All three of the books had different settings. Separate kingdoms, land types. The desert, the mountains, and in this book the mines. They added a little flair to the scenery and made for good bonding between our main characters. It was also effective for the plot. If Rae Carson would have just continued on with her characters trekking through the snow I would have become very bored. Instead she leads her characters to a place they feel uncomfortable and excited.

The Standout:

Her name was Waterfall. You might guess girly. I say not. She lead our characters through the mines. She was coy, brave and determined. She was my absolute favorite part of the story, along with Red Sparkle Stone. Red was a slave who Elisa, in a way,  accidently buys. She ends up being a priceless addition to the team. She also added a little humor into this otherwise serious book. That is the one thing I would have enjoyed more of. Most of the humor in the book felt stiff and unnatural. It would have made the book almost perfect if I would have been able to laugh a little more. So I liked Waterfall and Red. They are completely opposite. The latter trusting and innocent. The first, cautious, coy and independent.  I loved both of these girls and I think they really made the book better.

The Moral:

What are you willing to give up for someone you don't even know? Elisa was such a great queen because she really felt responsible for her people. During the story she thought about giving up. She could have run away and lived with Hector. But she wouldn't, because she had a responsibility and she wasn't going to be a quitter. That's a good moral to me. Now, the story does imply that Elisa and Hector did more than make out, but Rae doesn't give you all the gross details. Elisa and Hector were married. Also, swearing is not really present in this book. The characters had other ways to express themselves. It was very impressive. 

A new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron

dancechicka posted a new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron. See the full review.

I was dissatisfied, disenchanted, and disillusioned with this book.  It was in verse (like poetry), which I thought was going to make Cameron’s points more hard-hitting and direct.  Most books to use this to their advantage, but in this one it just fell flat.  Cameron did not seem to know when to break apart stanzas or fragment thoughts to really drive the point home.  I believe she would have been much better off writing this book in sentence form—it would have forced her to add details and emotion in this book.  All I felt was disconnect and indifference, no feeling at all.  If you write poetry, you need to use the limited amount of words  allowed and make them count—use commas instead of ands and substitute action verbs for passive verbs.  The only character I could sometimes connect with was Bongo—because he was the only one who felt real.  I do, however, see much potential in Cameron as an author.  She knows what she’s doing—she just didn’t utilize her talent and skills to put together a high-quality book.

                “Can’t say where I’m going, though I would if I knew.  I’d take her with me if I could.  All I can do is pull away from her crestfallen face.  It’s no way to say goodbye.”

                I would recommend this book for ages twelve and up, for some mature comments but not much profanity at all.  This novel also portrays alcoholism, abuse, and drug use.

                Each in their own personal abyss, can these three close-knit teenagers find a way to make their futures look somewhat brighter?  Or will they all end up stuck in the rut in which many of us find ourselves?  Out of This Place by Emma Cameron is the only way to find out!

A new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

alphatauri posted a new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter. See the full review.

When I saw the concept for Alice in Zombieland, the book before this one, my mind rushed with happiness. I'm a fan of both zombies and Alice in Wonderland, so naturally I freaked out. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The action took too long to start up and Ali and Cole had very little chemistry together. However, Through the Zombie Glass totally changed my thoughts on the series. All the introducing done in Book One makes the plot in Book Two flow so much better. One of Gena Showalter's greatest abilities is to create so many diverse characters that truly make her worlds feel like real ones. She most certainly did that in Through the Zombie Glass. Ali and Cole were obviously the stars of the show with their suspenseful relationship building, but the other hunters all had their moments. This is a book full of action, romance, mystery, and heartbreak in many ways. I heartily recommend it to anyone who has the slightest interest in zombies or Alice in Wonderland!

A new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler

sschu5 posted a new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler. See the full review.

This is a great book because Jago and his cousin Maya take responsibility for a theft of something they were in charge of protecting.  It was full of mystery and suspense.  This book teaches kids to take responsibility even though they should have asked adults for help.  It has a great plot and is a good short book for young readers to start reading chapter books.

A new student review of Golden Girl

nlsings posted a new student review of Golden Girl . See the full review.

While this book did lean toward the predictable side, I did enjoy it. I am a sucker for the 20s, and I was pleased with how the author presented the time period. The writing was good, if not sometimes slightly cheesy. Despite this, the book still read well, and I think it is worth the read.  

If you liked Wicked Lovely and The Luxe, then I would recommend Golden Girl, but read Dust Girl first!  

A new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend

kfc1997 posted a new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend . See the full review.

Louise Rozett’s Confession series continues with her Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend. The second was even better than the first as Rozett delves deeper into the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl. Rose steps out of the book and becomes a peer, a guide, and a friend, as you get further and further through the story. Although I felt some details were over-exaggerated, the plot and the writing were flawless. I haven’t experienced anything close to what Rose’s life and love was like, but Rozett definitely makes me wish I could. I would recommend this book to girls in 9^th grade or older. I hope to see a third book come to stores soon!