A new student review of 2:32 a.m. by Emily Ford

ALex1x1 posted a new student review of 2:32 a.m. by Emily Ford. See the full review.

2:32am was a very interesting book to read. But there are two things that I did not like about it. The first is that I felt that the build up to everything took too long. And the second is that there are some missing quotation marks in the text.

 

A few things I did like about it were how the characters were so well written that one could became attached or even empathize with them. Another part was how creative and new this story was.

 

Even though I did not care much for the book, I would recommend this to others for its creative story line and for creating deep attachments to the characters.

A new student review of Drift by M. K. Hutchins

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Drift by M. K. Hutchins. See the full review.

A dangerous and thrilling world, Hutchins creates in Drift a novel that’s sure to transport you by the first chapter! Absolutely worthy of the award bestowed upon it—I give Drift 5 out of 5 stars!

Cleverly put together, Hutchins gives birth to not only a thrilling story but a magical world, intriguing characters, and nice big ‘ol pot of “thinking noodle soup”!  

Artfully crafted, Hutchins’s characters hit the nail on the head. Each one had sufficient motivation, growth, and closure. Each character accelerated the plot and gave their own opinions on it as it progressed, through not only words but actions committed and omitted. Every element of the book was placed there for a reason to be revealed at the end. With the plot itself, Hutchins could not have done a better job.

Simply scrumptious for an avid fantasy lover, Hutchins handsomely whipped together seeming incompatible elements and made them into a breathtaking world.  Tenjat’s world feels real and draws you in. Everything wielded together from characters to plot to description. Particularly the amount of the thought that went into this book was astounding.

Strong themes run rampart, and parallels to the world we live in today can be found.  This novel doesn’t contain the usual requirements to gain entry in “Mature Rating Club.” No sign of vulgarity or mature material here, only "thinking noodle soup" for the reader. Know that if you read this novel, be prepared to look deeper and to expect food for thought. Each one of us could learn a little something from the story Tenjat’s little Turtle Island and the people on it.

I am unbelievably impressed with Drift and will re-read it in the future. I hope to see more work from Hutchins, as I thoroughly enjoyed her debut novel, Drift. 

A new student review of Quarantine: The Saints (Book Two) by Lex Thomas

iamabooklion posted a new student review of Quarantine: The Saints (Book Two) by Lex Thomas. See the full review.

This book was really good and was a great sequel to The Loners. I really like how Lex Thomas made me feel like I was watching a movie when I read this book. It was fast paced and fun, and I loved the main characters, Lucy and Will. Lex Thomas did a really good job on the new characters that were added to this book. There were a lot of character developments, and the plot line was just mesmerizing! A few things I didn't like was the way the author made Lucy kind of weak compared to the other characters, but I loved her nonetheless. Overall, it was a great, thrilling read, and I would recommend it if you love horror or thrillers.

A new student review of Fury's Fire by Lisa Papademetriou

Lucy posted a new student review of Fury's Fire by Lisa Papademetriou. See the full review.

Fury' Fire, is an interesting book to read although not the best that I have ever read. To me, the beginning was too slow to recommend to anyone. Although if you continue reading, it might become interesting. 

A new student review of 77 Things You Absolutely Have to Do Before You Finish College by Halley Bondy

Dsun_ posted a new student review of 77 Things You Absolutely Have to Do Before You Finish College by Halley Bondy. See the full review.

Although this book is listed as nonfiction, I feel that it has comedy in it. The witty remarks make me feel like the author is actually talking to me instead of telling me what to do. Some of the things to do were very silly and some of them were something that someone could actually consider doing. Overall the book was just a fun read for me.

A new student review of Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber

dancechicka posted a new student review of Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber. See the full review.

Despite my reservations when I began reading, I really did enjoy this book.  Lily, even with her unique story and inner struggle, is a very relatable main character.  Her inner monologue shows us a girl that is strong and vulnerable, shy and outspoken.  She has a fiery streak that I really enjoyed seeing develop throughout the book.  Stuber did a very good job portraying the discrimination and intolerance that Asian-Americans faced at that time—being blamed for things that were happening thousands of miles away.   I also felt that Lily’s relationship with her parents and those around her was also very well-written.  It showed how the strain of the Korean War adversely affected almost everyone, even in their own homes and family circles.  The supporting characters were also of importance in this book—with Ralph, an ex-nun, and the janitor/Chinese cook Mr. Howard, the personality in this book abounded, even when things got serious.  The only thing that I could find fault with was Lily’s frequent pity-party sessions, which could get a little tiresome—but that may just be called being a teenager.  All in all, a wonderful read for anyone looking to brush up on their historical fiction and have a little fun along the way!

                “I hold my breath and flip the first picture over. It’s blurry, but I can see it’s a hand.  A pale, drooping hand, chopped above the wrist, with long, stiff fingers and a handcuff exactly the way Ralph described.”

                I would recommend this book for ages eight and up.  The vocabulary and plot is pretty simple to understand for younger readers, and the content is, for the most part, squeaky clean.

                Will Lily be able to uncover the secrets of her past AND take on the consequences?  Or will Lily find that she may have gotten in over her head?  Read Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber to find out!

A new student review of Caminar by Skila Brown

muffin posted a new student review of Caminar by Skila Brown. See the full review.

This book is written in verse (poetry).  It made the book very confusing and hard to understand.  The tone is serious often somber.  With war comes death and destruction and the author captures that feeling her poetry.  

The author uses short verses, which can seem be difficult to read.  It’s hard to get a sense of the characters and setting and connect on a deeper level.  I did like when the book talked about the soldiers playing soccer and doing other things with the citizens of Chopan. Overall, I did not really like Caminar by Skila Brown.

 

A new student review of Earth Star by Janet Edwards

erogers9911 posted a new student review of Earth Star by Janet Edwards. See the full review.

What a great book- one I will recommend to others! I really enjoyed how it took place in the future and how the technology was better than ours. I also liked the futuristic language the author created. This book is a sequel to Eath Girl, so make sure to read that one first.

A new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej

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

I had a hard getting into the book at the begining. The reason is because the prologue really doesn't do much for the story, at least in my opinion. However, after reading the next few chapters; I was hooked on the the book. Some things weren't explained, but overall it was a great read. I would reccomend Vampire Kisses to anyone who likes paranormal romance. I found the use of mythology to be great, and a useful way to get people to learn things without doing boring research. Great writing, and amazing location detailsmake you feel like you're actually there.

A new student review of 31 Ways to Change the World by We Are What We Do

Queen_Ri posted a new student review of 31 Ways to Change the World by We Are What We Do. See the full review.

"31 ways to change the world" taught me so many new things. I always thought that to make a change you need to be big or have a group. "31 way to change the world" showed me it doesn't matter how small the action is, little things make a big difference. I loved this book. My favorite part was learning some sign language. I also loved action #4 and action #31. I believe that "31 ways to change the world" is a excellent book for any age category.