A new student review of Off Side by M. G. Higgins

Phoebe posted a new student review of Off Side by M. G. Higgins. See the full review.

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A new student review of Small as an Elephant

Christian Reader posted a new student review of Small as an Elephant . See the full review.

This is an excellent novel.  The plot is fast-paced and the story is gripping - I had a hard time putting down this book!

The characters are life-like and believable.  Jack, while being a child, seems more mature than his mother.  He understands what is acceptable in society, and also comprehends that when his mother goes off the deep end, he has a chance of being separated from her by the authorities.  He understands the implications of bad actions; he strives to always be good, and to help his mother with her mental problems.  He can’t completely control his mother, however, and she does get a little loopy at times.  This is the first time that she has left Jack anywhere, but he understands that it’s up to him to get back home and find his mother, before she says or does something stupid and gets them separated for good.  Jack has been separated from his mother before; the government found out about his mother taking him out of school for no reason at all, and other not-quite-normal things she’d done with him regarding school and care-taking.  When that happened, Jack was taken away from his mother and sent him to the only other family he had - his loving grandmother.  While Jack is eventually returned to his mother, it's clear that there's a huge rift between his mother and grandmother. 

It is because of all this that Jack is my favorite character - he understands that one must deal with what one is given. He is mature for his age, and he figures out very interesting ways of staying alive while he’s on his own.  His mother and grandmother, likewise, are very believable and life-like; their actions, while not always justified and good, were understandable and something I’d expect a real person to do.

The setting is excellent.  The author makes the state of Maine (along with some other various states in the USA) come to life; having never visited there myself, after reading this novel, I feel like I’ve been on vacation there for a week.  While descriptive, the author is not very wordy - he states what needs to be stated in an clear, clean, and concise way.

Overall, this is a fun and heartfelt story and an emotional journey with a young boy who only wants to find his mother, but is afraid of letting anyone know he’s alone.  This is a book I will cherish and keep in my collection for a long, long time.

A new student review of The Assault by Brian Falkner

JesusFreak posted a new student review of The Assault by Brian Falkner. See the full review.

This book was okay. It wasn't awesome and it wasn't horrible. There was action, but there was so much description that I got bored easily. I found it cool, though, how there was an index in the back so that if you didn't know what a word meant you could just look at the back of the book. The characters were well formed, but the book just didn't interest me that much. I like apocalyptic stories, and this had a good idea, it just wasn't executed well.

A new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth

engineerphilip18 posted a new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth . See the full review.

This book is very well-written. It’s very gripping and a fast book. The short chapters should encourage reluctant readers to keep going. Also, the intriguing beginning made me want to find out more. The characters were well-developed, especially Geneva and Jemma. When you read the book, you really empathize with Geneva and want to help her. I didn’t like the romance side of it, however. It seemed like an adventurous book and the romance took away from the feel of the book. I loved the cliffhangers! They wanted me to keep reading and not put the book away. I recommend this book to anybody who wants a fast-paced, adventurous book that will keep them thinking!

A new student review of Butterfly

seaotter77 posted a new student review of Butterfly . See the full review.

I found the writing style in Butterfly to be incomprehensible and annoying at times. I could barely understand what Sonya Hartnett was writing half the time. The words and sentence structure made no sense whatsoever, and there was no interesting plot at all! I found it extremely challenging to get through the book, as it was not only confusing, but also boring, and if I could, I would give this book no stars at all. The novel was even depressing at times; all Plum ever did was worry about herself, and constant worry does not make for a good read. I would never recommend this book to anyone, but if someone would want to read it, I would suggest ages 14 and up: the writing style is advanced and there is some mature content.

A new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray

Tester4 posted a new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray. See the full review.

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dfdsThe Houston Rockets were on a West Coast swing at the time. Their coach, the former Celtics star Kevin McHale, had more than a passing curiosity in Lin, and perhaps even a twinge of regret.

“I was fascinated like everybody else,” McHale said.

Two months earlier, for 12 days in December 2011, a still-obscure Lin had been a member of the Rockets. But he had a minimum contract and thus a maximum chance of not surviving a lockout-shortened training camp.

“Everything he did was full-bore,” McHale said. “I thought he’d be a great energy guy on our team.”

Before this season, Lin returned to the Rockets as a free agent with a better-known name and a three-year, $25.1 million contract that the Knicks declined to match. He also faced impossible expectations among Houston fans and a challenge that seems to confront artists more often than athletes.

A new student review of Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Natalie Pope Boyce Mary Pope Osborne

Tester5 posted a new student review of Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Natalie Pope Boyce Mary Pope Osborne. See the full review.

The Houston Rockets were on a West Coast swing at the time. Their coach, the former Celtics star Kevin McHale, had more than a passing curiosity in Lin, and perhaps even a twinge of regret.

“I was fascinated like everybody else,” McHale said.

Two months earlier, for 12 days in December 2011, a still-obscure Lin had been a member of the Rockets. But he had a minimum contract and thus a maximum chance of not surviving a lockout-shortened training camp.

“Everything he did was full-bore,” McHale said. “I thought he’d be a great energy guy on our team.”

Before this season, Lin returned to the Rockets as a free agent with a better-known name and a three-year, $25.1 million contract that the Knicks declined to match. He also faced impossible expectations among Houston fans and a challenge that seems to confront artists more often than athletes.

A new student review of The Grimalkin's Secret

McTower posted a new student review of The Grimalkin's Secret . See the full review.

     This is a very magical and gripping book.  If you like magic, dragons and a good Adventure or Mystery, this is the book for you.  Including lots of magic, with an unexpected twist, readers of all ages will love this.  This story is not only about Kya and her friends battling the Symbari, but also about true friendship, and paintings linked to missing people. This book is sure to leave readers not wanting to put it down.

A new student review of Dead Strange by Matt Lamy

Christian Reader posted a new student review of Dead Strange by Matt Lamy. See the full review.

In this book, Matt Lamy attempts to explain 50 of the world’s most famous mysteries.  This book includes information about the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, zombies, voodoo dolls and magic, alien encounters, UFO sightings, real-life Men in Black, alchemy, Amityville, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Bible Code.  For each topic there are black and white photos and around two pages of facts about that particular mystery.

While this book does state the main facts about these mysteries, there are not enough facts given.  For me to give this book a five star rating would mean that this book had little to no problems.  This book only has one problem, yes.  But it’s a large enough issue that I do not feel I can justify giving this book a five star review.  The only problem this book has is a large one - there are not enough facts given to prove or disprove each mystery.  Yes, the main facts are given, and the author doesn’t try to state whether or not each mystery really happened - he simply suggests whether or not he personally thinks it might have happened, and at times states he’s not sure if it happened.  That part is good - it allows the reader to make up his or her mind about whether or not to believe these mysteries.  However, the author does not give enough information about each mystery for me to truly state whether or not I agree. With some mysteries, the author simply states suggestions, and doesn’t really state fact or truth.  And considering that the cover states that this book contains “the bizarre truths behind 50 world-famous mysteries”, it’s disappointing.  I was hoping the book would live up to its high standards, but alas, it did not.

This book is informative but not informative enough.  It is easy to read, and simple to understand.  However, not enough fact or truth is given for me to justify giving this book a five star review.

A new student review of My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book One)

sthom506 posted a new student review of My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book One) . See the full review.

My Ex from Hell is a hilarious take on Greek mythology that borders on cheesy. The main character, Sophie, is witty and entertaining, and has two very realistic and interesting cohorts with whom she can witty-banter the day away. This book was different - the characters seemed realistic in their actions, yet the story had a good dose of mythology at the same time. I enjoyed this book, and it made me laugh quite a bit. 

A new student review of The Litigators by John Grisham

George posted a new student review of The Litigators by John Grisham. See the full review.

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A new student review of Regine's Book: a teen girl's last words by Regine Stokke

Kennick7 posted a new student review of Regine's Book: a teen girl's last words by Regine Stokke. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book.  Her story really touched my heart.  There was never a time that i wanted to put the book down, a real page turner.  I felt like I was in the hospital with her, I could feel the anticipation for the test results, I could feel Regine's pain!  I can just imagine what all of the family is going through, what that family had to do now.  Although there was a slight bit of swearing, I felt that it was appropriate for what was happening.  This was one of the best biographies that I have ever read.  To tell you the truth, I have thought of most biographies as boring, but Regine's Story kept me guessing and hoping about what was going to happen next.  From parts that made me cry, to parts that made me laugh, this book was over all, GREAT!

 

 

 

A new student review of Girl The Reaper

EmilyFredricks posted a new student review of Girl The Reaper . See the full review.

 

I thought that this book was very interesting and was able to keep my interest. But it wasn't a book that made me want to just sit down and read until it was done. Some parts of this book got a little boring but the overall book was interesting.

A new student review of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

dancechicka posted a new student review of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. See the full review.

This novel was amazing.  Rowell has shaped an entirely new and groundbreaking novel that has taken a normal romance and bent it into such a totally messed-up and random love story that it makes Romeo and Juliet seem like amateurs.  And, wouldn’t you know, it worked.  While this story was raw and brutally honest, it had a poetic feel to it, it  flowed from one line to the next.  I felt a connection to each of the characters and truly felt like I was there in the story.  I felt the sadness and the pain and the hurt that accompanies young love and its consequences.  This book was such an emotional and gripping story that made me bawl and gasp and smile…….it just had the whole package.  Sometimes I felt a little bored with the plot and the whole star-crossed lover’s storyline.  Just let me speak to all the romance lovers out there—this was not your average love story, and I really believe that you’ll enjoy this book.

“Eleanor could swear she heard five hearts racing.  Every one of them was stifling a sob.  Crying inside out.”

I would recommend this book for ages fifteen and up, or for very mature readers, because this book did have extreme profanity and sexual references.

So, will the couple that never had a chance make their own destiny, or will they be influenced and let the world break them apart?  There is only one way to find out—the choice is yours.

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

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

Worst Game: Not a whole lot of horrible games on this schedule, but I'm gonna go with the game against the Dolphins for my pick. (The Bills would be a reasonable choice, too.) Unlike a lot of people, I think Miami will disappoint in 2013 and, also unlike a lot of people, I don't think the Ravens are nearly as bad off as people want to act like. $$ testing

A new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray

mattstudent_101 posted a new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray. See the full review.

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A new student review of Mystic by Alyson Noel

MickeyBeth posted a new student review of Mystic by Alyson Noel. See the full review.

Mystic is my favorite (so far) in the Soul Seeker series. Alyson Noel does a spectacular job of making the complicated journey of a Seeker easy to understand. (When I try to explain what the series is about.. Well, that's not so easy.)

Alyson Noel has a way of making mystical worlds become real in the reader’s mind, and while she does not disappoint in Mystic by “creating” the different dimensions (Middle, Upper, and Lower Worlds), she also makes less “enchanting” places seem quite real as well. She describes the land of Enchantment, New Mexico amazingly; so that you can picture the crumbling adobes and even how the town has been darkly influenced by the evil Richters.

The characters also seemed much more developed then when the Soul Seeker series first started. Daire has grown in her training with her grandmother, Paloma has become a better seeker and now understands the seriousness of the task at hand. Dace has also become a much deeper character. Instead of his world being purely shades of black and white as it used to be, he starts to see that sometimes there can be a shade of gray in between. Xotchl, Daire’s best friend, is a very interesting character. With Xotchl being blind, yet able to see energy, anything in her perspective was a little harder to picture but her character is definitely intriguing. Then, of course, there's the romance. Daire and Dace are perfect together. They're definitely my two favorite characters, and the "love padlock" is now on my list of things to do.

In short, all of the characters are believable, even the otherworldly ones.

Mystic is told mostly from Daire’s perspective, but there are certain chapters in Dace and Xotichl’s (Daire’s best friend) perspectives. I liked Daire’s perspective the most. As the main character, her thoughts are the ones that kept my attention the most. Since Xotichl is blind but sees the “energy” of things it was more difficult to imagine some of the things she sees, so I wasn’t as captivated by her perspective. It was also nice to have some in Dace’s perspective to see how deep his devotion for Daire goes.

I also like this series a lot more than Alyson Noel’s Evermore series. I started the series and fell in love with the first book but then the series had grown so sad and depressing by the second book that I never finished it. Mystic holds all of the happiness and romance that I loved in Evermore without being so depressing that I can’t stand it. (In other words, much better.)

It’s hard to say whether or not I liked the ending of Mystic due to the fact that it’s the third book in a series, and there’s going to be four. So Daire’s journey as a Seeker will continue in the next book called Horizon which comes out in November. The ending was sad, but still a good ending all the same.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful romance. It is a great book with romance, action, & some Native American myths thrown in.

Mystic will be on sale in about a month! ;)

A new student review of Throne of the Crescent Moon (Crescent Moon Kingdoms)

alison_S posted a new student review of Throne of the Crescent Moon (Crescent Moon Kingdoms) . See the full review.

The prose was electric in its simplicity, monstrosities such as bone ghuls and the ominous Jackal Man illuminated through a writing-style which perfectly skirts the boundary between succinct and Spartan. Ahmed’s deft pacing seamlessly integrates developments in both character and plot, neither of which is marred by stereotyped science-fiction protagonists. On the contrary, Abdulla’s balding visage and corpulent physique, when presented alongside the ferocious self-discipline of his dervish Raseed bas Raseed, makes for a powerful juxtaposition. As our heroes traverse the Crescent Moon Kingdoms, their ensuing escapades- whether against demonic fiends or inner-demons of their own- evoke pity and awe, suspense and angst, glee and wonderment. Imaginative as it is vivid, Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed breaks your heart, only to send it racing back amongst the gleaming temples of Dhamsawwaat.

A new student review of Wednesdays in the Tower

avolzer posted a new student review of Wednesdays in the Tower . See the full review.

 

Wednesdays In The Tower is a sequel to Tuesdays At the Castle. It is not necessary to have read the first book, but it is very helpful. The development of the plot of this fantasy/mystery moved slowly, but it got more exciting as the book continued. The plot was interesting, and I found myself wondering what was going to happen. However, it was lacking an antagonist, or bad guy. There wasn’t really a problem or conflict. Be aware that it ends on a cliffhanger. This really disappointed me, as it was the most exciting part of the book. I’ll be looking for the next book!

 

A new student review of Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

HannahScorsone posted a new student review of Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald. See the full review.

The book was okay. I usually have to find the perfect book to get into it. To me the book was kind of boring in the beginnning. Usually books bring me in on the first chapter, but this one didn't. The book got better towards the end. Hallie was my favorite character in the book. She is upbeat and loves to go for her dreams.