A new student review of The Serpent In The Glass by D.M. Andrews

link posted a new student review of The Serpent In The Glass by D.M. Andrews. See the full review.

The author did a good job of describing the characters. I could picture them in my head easily. I think the idea of the marble with a serpent in it was cool. The story itself was very original. I've never read anything like it before.

However, the pace of the book was very slow and could have benefitted from more action, especially in the middle. The mystery was easy to figure out and not a surprise at the end. There were a few dream sequences that were strange and sometimes hard to follow because some were italicized and others were not. 

A new student review of The Girl With The Iron Touch

kfc1997 posted a new student review of The Girl With The Iron Touch . See the full review.

Kady Cross has written another amazing book in The Steampunk Chronicles, and I sincerely hope that she has another one coming. The characters felt realistic; I could connect to their emotions, which were well written. The storyline was amazing, and it connected well to the two previous books in the series. I recommend this book to girls aged 15 and up.  

A new student review of Neferet's Curse: A House of Night Novella (House of Night)

Bookreader587 posted a new student review of Neferet's Curse: A House of Night Novella (House of Night) . See the full review.

This book has an extremely mature theme. The entire book hints to the end, and the events leading up to it. This book does explain the antagonist's reasons for being the way she is in the House of Night novels. The authors did a great job of setting a tone to the novella such as some instances when they would use the words "burning gaze" to describe the way her father looked at her. You can tell that the character is almost constantly threatened or scared, very rarely happy. The book was written very well, other books written in the same time setting as this one I found rather boring. This book had a very mature theme and I would not recommend it for people under 15 due to the graphic violence.  

A new student review of Weather Witch

R. Mae posted a new student review of Weather Witch . See the full review.

 

 

When I started Weather Witch I had trouble following the plot. The character view changed so often, I couldn't figure out who to vote for and it was very confusing. After reading it for a while, I kind of 'fell into' the plot. It all clicked together and I realized that the multiple points of view taught me a great moral. Jordan hates Bran for trying to make her, and I would have too if I didn't know the truth about him since I had been in his mind. Rowan was snotty, and seemed that way to everyone including me, but in his own head he was perfectly fine. All these different viewpoints gave Weather Witch a unique edge. Once the plot came into focus I really enjoyed the book. One thing I didn't like was that everyone except me knew what the witches were and could do. When everyone else seemed to know what was happening, I didn't and that was annoying.  Even though there were some problems, I really liked the book. Weather Witch is creative and fresh.

A new student review of Feral Nights

lagoonablue444 posted a new student review of Feral Nights . See the full review.

            I give this book 3.5 stars.  I would have liked it better, if they didn’t have so much talk about sex and drinking.

            I didn’t really have a favorite character in this book.  I liked the mystery and that they were all were-animals.

A new student review of Belonging (A Temptation Novel)

Peace8747 posted a new student review of Belonging (A Temptation Novel) . See the full review.

I thought Beolnging was a very good book. I loved a bunch of the elements in the book. I have read a lot of book and Belonging was one of the best. The thing that I loved the most was the real life element of the story. The thing that I hated the most was all the talking about sex. Overall it was an amazing book.

A new student review of Fitz

nowhereman posted a new student review of Fitz . See the full review.

 

This book sounded interesting when I read the overview but after reading it I had mixed feelings about it. I mean how could a boy justify holding his father at gunpoint? I thought that the author needed to add more stuff to justify Fitz’s actions because the boy didn’t think about his actions at all. Overall though it just needed something to make it stand out more. I recommend this book to ages 12 and up.

 

A new student review of The Sin Eater's Confession (Carolrhoda Ya)

sabol posted a new student review of The Sin Eater's Confession (Carolrhoda Ya) . See the full review.

I found this book to be one of the most gripping and suspenseful thriller novels I have ever read. Ilsa J. Bick took great care in weaving each thread into the complexity of the plot that keeps you holding your breath. I found myself becoming so attached to the tragic hero; at one moment feeling sympathy, and other times screaming at him in frustration. At times I had to force myself to stop reading at night. And when the story was over, there were even more unanswered questions than before.  The Sin-Eater’s Confessions is not only an engrossing novel, it is also a social statement that questions sexuality, the role of parents, and the struggle that teens undergo when trying to define who they are among society,      

A new student review of Life: An Exploded Diagram

VBat posted a new student review of Life: An Exploded Diagram . See the full review.

In Life: An Exploded Diagram, Mal Peet masterfully knits storylines from different times and places into one seamless plot. The character development reminded me of Khalid Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, in that the story followed the characters for their entire lives, not just focusing in on the 
"important" part of their existence. This allows for the reader to relate to each of the characters, especially Clem and Frankie, and for the reader to pick up on the clever ways in which the past, present and future intertwine over the course of the story. 

The mix of storytelling and narration of political events worked in a unique, interesting way. The important political happenings that affected the story were narrated by an older Clem. His interpretations of key political figures are though provoking, and spark an interest in the Cold War era.  

I would recommend Life: An Exploded Diagram to teens and young adults who enjoy romance, history, and realistic fiction. Fans of Peet's Tamar or works by Khalid Hosseini will enjoy this book immensely. 

A new student review of A Monster Calls

JesusFreak posted a new student review of A Monster Calls . See the full review.

When I first got this book, my first thought was, this book is really small. And it was really short.  I finished it within three days. But, excluding the shortness, it was a very good book! I loved how it really got deep into your thought process and made you think. The only other things I didn’t like about it was that they never fully explained the whole concept of the Monster. Was the Monster just a figment of the main character’s imagination, or was it real? The other thing that I didn’t like about it was that the ending didn’t really feel like an ending. It just sort of stopped suddenly without further explanation. Other than that, a pretty good book.

A new student review of Butterfly

nlsings posted a new student review of Butterfly . See the full review.

I liked this book.  The writing was pleasant and poetic.  The story was decent.  It was a pretty typical tale of an awkward kid growing up, and learning to appreciate who she really is.  It has a good message, but it is one that often surfaces in teen literature.  Some of the parts about her friends and boys were cliche and overdone, but it was a sweet and nostolgic read overall.  If you have a soft spot for adorable and well written books about teenage girls growing up, then this is for you.  Especially if you have read and enjoyed the book Scarlet by Cathy Cassidy, then I would highly recommend this to you.  

A new student review of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

dancerASJ posted a new student review of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards. See the full review.

This book is a good read. Not too long.Not too short.Great storyline with developing characters , secrets , and friendship. All in all this is any enjoyable book.

A new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson

mattstudent_101 posted a new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson. See the full review.

quick summary

A new student review of Touch of the Demon

kanati posted a new student review of Touch of the Demon . See the full review.

l personally enjoyed this book for the action and constant plot twists keeping me on my toes. Diana Rowland shows her mastery of the element of suspense and the urban fantasy genre by use of her captivating characters and engaging plot line. This is truly a great page turner that contains a little something for everyone. I recommend this to any teen looking for a great series that will never grow old. I know I will be keeping my eyes out for the next book in the series.

A new student review of The Moon Coin (The Moon Realm Series, Book 1) by Richard Due

PrincessLeiaAayla posted a new student review of The Moon Coin (The Moon Realm Series, Book 1) by Richard Due. See the full review.

The Moon Coin by Richard Due was an average book.  I liked the fact that it included:

• Some pictures, so you have a better image of what the characters look like
• Some descriptions, but they are very confusing

Here is what I didn't like:

• The story and the way it unfolded was VERY confusing
• Lily is always lying throughout the story and never learns from her lying, which is frustrating.
• The spelling is weird, as if it's from another country. It makes the book difficult to read.

A new student review of Garden Princess by Kristin Kladstrup

TaurielOfMirkwood posted a new student review of Garden Princess by Kristin Kladstrup. See the full review.

It was a pretty good book. Not the best, but not the worst. It wasn't really that exciting, and it was actually kind of boring at times. The ending was good, though. That was the part in the book that really made me want to know what happens. So, overall, it was a good book. Not a great book, not a terrible book, but a good book.

A new student review of Plague in the Mirror

swimmer1430 posted a new student review of Plague in the Mirror . See the full review.

The subject of doppelgangers is very interesting and hasn't been written about as much as it should. I thought the premise of Plague in the Mirror sounded very original: evil twins, time travel, romance, and travel all rolled into one. However, I think the author had too many storylines and themes in her novel. Neither modern day Italy or Medieval Florence were as fleshed out as they could have been. I would have preferred if the author picked one setting and stayed with it - rather than have May constantly travel between the two. There were things that I enjoyed in this novel. I loved the setting of Florence. I want to travel to Italy so I was jealous of May's opportunity to live there for the summer. I also enjoyed May's relationship and romance with Liam although I do wish they spent more time together in the book. Overall I think the author of Plague in the Mirror had too many ideas for one book, but it was still an enjoyable read.

A new student review of The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter

sthom506 posted a new student review of The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter. See the full review.

Kate Winters has such a human feel for a supposed Goddess, which allowed for a wonderful connection to the character. Her tale is believable while still being fantastical and adventurous. There is a balance of romance and action, not to mention familial love and tight-knit friendships. The character relationships developed the most in this latest book, and it is easy to be drawn in from the first sentence. As the characters go through pain, joy, and amusement, so will each and every individual reader, feeling as though they are apart of this brilliantly painted mastery of a story. Well written and much enjoyed by this reader, The Goddess Inheritance is a perfect addition to any fantasy or mythology loving reader's collection. 

A new student review of The Crossing (Blood of the Lamb: Book One)

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Crossing (Blood of the Lamb: Book One) . See the full review.

This book was a breath of fresh air for me.  Hagar has defiantly come up with an original and innovative idea.  I was a little confused with the plot and who’s who at the beginning, but as the book went on I figured it out.  I love how Hagar portrayed Maryam as a strong and willful individual, yet gave her a certain vulnerability that made you want to cheer her on to victory.  This book was exciting but not too faced paced, edgy without being intrusive, and had plenty of new twists that kept me guessing.  This book captures the feeling of deception and conspiracy, with the underlying rage and anger just below the surface.  I also felt the supporting characters played a big role in this book’s plot, giving it depth and personality.  All in all, I felt this novel was a success and encourage you to read it!

“The singing and the crush of people amplified around her….she cast about, desperate for some whom might ease her plight.  But now she was falling….”

I would recommend this book for mature readers and young adults, as this novel had some sexual situations and references, yet no profanity to speak of.

Faced with the consequences of turning her back on everything she believes, will Maryam be able to escape the dreaded and merciless Apostles and find out the truth…..alive?  You’ll have to read Mandy Hagar’s new novel, The Crossing, to answer that question?

Note:  This book is the first installment of the Blood of the Lamb Trilogy.  If you are interested in reading the other installments, the second novel is called Into the Wilderness and the third, Resurrection.

A new student review of Dare You To by Katie McGarry

kaiyle posted a new student review of Dare You To by Katie McGarry. See the full review.

Dare You To is one of the best books that I have read in a really long time.  I love how Katie McGarry switches back and forth between Beth and Ryan's perspectives so the reader can see how different events affect each of them differently.  Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a teen romance book.