Thursday, September 6, 2007
Welcome to the Young Adults' Choices Blog
As the school year is about to begin, we at the schools in Iowa who are beginning our first year in Young Adults' Choices program are excited to be readers for this program. I invite you to share your thoughts about the nominated books you are reading and to browse the recommendations of other students posting here. Please observe basic safety precautions as you post here: do not use your last name (although the first initial of your last name would be ok), and please do not identify the name or specific location of your school (although it would be ok to list your state). Also, in your postings, please be respectful of others and their opinions. I look forward to reading your recommendations. Happy reading!
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I read Specials by Scott Westerfeld, and it's the last book in one of the best series I've read (Uglies and Pretties are the first two books in the series). In this series, children live in boarding schools until they're 16, when they have plastic surgery to become "pretty." The idea is that if everyone is pretty, no one will be discriminated against. But in addition to the plastic surgery, people's minds are altered, too. They can't think for themselves and their biggest concerns are the parties they go to and what they'll wear. Tally, the main character, by the third book has undergone two surgeries and is part of the elite "specials" who are allowed to have control of their own minds so they can police the rest of the population. But Tally questions her society's practices, and that puts her in danger.
Without giving away the ending, the ending made sense to me, but I was a little disappointed that Tally and David have to be so isolated in order to do what they feel is in everyone's best interest. They give up a lot.
If you've read the book, what do you think?
I just read What Happened to Cass McBride? This book was easy to read and really suspenseful. Cass is a cute, popular girl at her high school, and when David, a boy who wasn't "cool", asked her out, she turned him down. She wrote a note to a friend about the incident, and David read it. That night David committed suicide. David's brother Kyle blames Cass, so Kyle kidnaps Cass and buries her alive--with an airtube to breathe through and a 2-way radio to talk to him.
I read "The Hand of the Devil" by Dean Vincent Carter. The book centers around a Mr. Ashley Reeves. Mr. Reeves works for a newspaper of scientific oddities, and the story begins when he gets a letter from a Mr. Mather. Mr. Mather claims to have in his possession a huge mosquito called the 'Ganges Red.' Ash goes to investigate, and after meeting Mr. Mather on Mather's personal island a whole new plot unravels. In the end, Ash is cornered between two sides. I liked the sudden plot twists. However, I did not care for the ending. Without giving anything away Ash gets about ten chances to escape and it gets repetitive. The book is very straightforward, but it gets a lot more interesting when you try to read between the lines.
Alex E.
I read Welcome to Wahoo by Elise and Dennis Carr. Victoria Julianne Van Wyck is a rich, spoiled teenager with an attitude! She attends boarding school in Europe, and her father spends lots of money getting her out of trouble. Something goes terribly wrong with her father's work, and Victoria and her bodyguard Adam are sent to Wahoo, Nebraska to escape assassins. Going by the name Amanda Jones, Victoria has to learn to live without access to money and alcohol. She also has to learn she can't always have her way.
I liked this book; it has a very definite voice. It has humor, a bit of mystery, and everything else you expect from a chick flick. The ending is somewhat surprising, unless you read in-between the lines.
Amelia S.
I recently read CRUNCH TIME by Mariah Fredericks. This book is about four students who are juniors in high school. They have taken the PSATs and are prepping for the real thing. The students, Daisy, Max, Leo, and Jane decide to skip their unhelpful prep class and form a study group. The group studies together every Thursday until the SATs. Daisy and Max start out as best friends but their relationship is strained when Daisy falls for Leo. Jane feels invisible because many people befriend her to meet her famous mother. When the results come in it is discovered that somebody cheated on their test, but who?
This book keeps you wondering and isn't as predictable as you expect!
by Jessica R.
I read "Good Girls" by Laura Rub. I enjoyed reading it but it had a lot of adult language and ideas. It was about a girl in high school going through some rough times with boys, parents and friends. The main character, Ash, is a very smart and intelligent girl but goes to a party one night and gets into some trouble. The book walks through the whole schoolyear and how she deals with herself, peers and adults. Overall, it was an easy read. As a high school girl, I could relate to it and put it into perspective.
If you read this book as well, I think it'd be interesting to see what you thought of it!
I read the book "Climate Change" by Shelly Tanaka. This books dicusses how we caused global warming, what we have to do to slow the effects, and what it could mean for our future. Global warming could put us and our future generations at risk for things such as drought, lack of fresh water, and famine. One interesting fact I learned from the book is that polar bears could become extinct as early as 2050. The book leaves you with tips on what you, states, nations, and the world can do to prevent or slow the devastating effects of global warming.
I really enjoyed this book because it gave me a view of global warming, not through the eyes of a politician, but through the eyes of an average citizen of the world. It gave me more motivation to be efficient with my energy and showed me ways that the community and I could make the world a better place to live for future generations. It was an overall great read!
Audra L.
I read OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU by Hanna Jansen. Jeanne is a typical Rwandan girl with a great life. She has everything from family to friends and even servants, but then her life is turned upside down all because of the tribe she belongs to. Though tribes aren't really much of a big deal (more of a tag) all of a sudden it becomes the reason for a horrible thing:The Rawandan Genocide. If you're Tutsi, you have no right to live and Jeanne is Tutsi. With her family Jeanne is lead away from home and through devestating events she struggles to survive and grow up all at the same time.
I loved this book it's based on a true story and is extremly sad. The author is Jeanne's adoptive mother and the way she writes the book is amazing.
Aynur D.
I read "Traitor" by Gudrun Pausewang. The book takes places in the German countryside during WWII. Anna finds an ill and weak Russian soldier who is a prisoner of war and decides that she is going to hide him and take care of him until he regains his strength and can flee the country. He is the enemy to the Germans, so Anna must kept this a secret or the Russian and she will be killed. I thought that the story was good overall, though too repetitive at parts. I also did not care for the ending. It was not only the events that take place in the end of the novel, but also how abruptly they all occur and leaves the reader in astonishment.
Brian H.
I read SKIN by Adrienne Marie Vrettos. The main character, Donnie LePlant, discovers that his sister Karen suffers from anorexia. The book mainly deals with Donnie and Karen's relationship and how he tries to deal with her eating disorder and help her get better, since their parents are going through a divorce and are too busy dealing with their own problems to provide adequate help. However, if you are looking for factual information about anorexia, this may not be the best book. It centers more on the relationship between the characters and the family dynamics.
I will also add that the ending was not what I expected.
Stephanie W.
I read "A Higher Geometry" by Sharelle Byars Moranville. This book is about a teenage girl named Anna Conway and takes place in the late 1950s. Anna is a very talented math student and wishes to go to college to study math further. However, her relationship with Mike Dillon & her family's expectations that she'll get married & become a mother after high school present some problems. Since Anna is the top of her class when it comes to math, she is invited to visit the university to participate in a math contest. After much persuading, Anna's father finally caves in. Anna ends up taking first place in the contest. Winning the contest opens many doors for Anna that allow her to finally persue her dreams. However, this means that she'll have to choose between starting a life with Mike, the man she loves, or following her aspirations to study math in college. What will she choose? You'll have to read the book to find out. I liked this book because of how the author managed to make me feel like I was there with Anna throughout her struggle.
Kassy S.
I read The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci. This book was about a cute and popular high school girl who decides she is bored with her "cool" friends. She decides to sign up for a zoo internship where she meets a couple of people who she usually makes fun of because they aren't cool. What she finds when she meets them surprises everyone, especially her.
I really enjoyed the meaning and idea behind this book, though the language and innuendo got to be a bit much in some parts. I would recommend this to others, as long as that kind of thing doesn't bother them.
~Rachel C.
Megan Whalen Turner’s "The KIng of Attolia" is a satisfying triquel for fans of her previous two books, "The Thief" and "The Queen of Attolia". If you have not yet read these two books you may not want to read this summary, as it contains several spoilers. The "KIng of Attolia" begins after the main character, Eugenides, becomes the king of Attolia by marrying its queen. The Attolian people believe Eugenides has no right to rule their country because he is very young and from a different country, Eddis. His servants constantly mock him, and all the palace nobles do their best to undermine his authority. Throughout the book, Eugenides slowly proves to the people of Attolia that he is much cleverer, braver, and subtler than anyone expected.
I enjoyed this book immensely. At the beginning I was afraid it would not be as engaging because a whole new character with his own subplot was introduced immediately. Nevertheless, Turner pulled off another fantastic story with a thrilling ending. The characters in her books are so human that it is very easy to identify with them and to sympathize with multiple characters who seem to have opposite goals. I would recommend this book for lovers of fantasy and ancient myths; there is no magic but there is frequent contact with the gods. The ending of "The KIng of Attolia" is clearly left open for continuation of the story, and I hope several more sequels follow.
Sarah W.
I read the book, The Melting Season by Celeste Conway. This book is about a young girl, Giselle, who is going to school to become a ballerina. She is following in her parents' footsteps. They were both famous ballet dancers. Giselle soon meets Will, a boy her age who lives a "normal" life. Will stays by Giselle's side as she struggles with her relationship with her mother, ballet school, and the realization that she didn't know her deceased father as well as she thought she did. I really enjoyed this book. I could easily relate to some of things Giselle was going through, but not all of them. It was a pretty easy read and not too long. I would reccomend this book for most teenage girls!
Beth H.
Title - The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1:The Pox Party
Author - M.T. Anderson
This deep-thinking book, which takes place during the American Revolution, allows you to see the life of a African prince named Octavian Gitney through his eyes. Octavian was brought from Africa to America and sold as a slave with his mother. A man named Mr. Josiah Gitney bought them and they stayed at the Novanglian College of Lucidity where he treated them like European loyalty. Octavian later finds that he is just another experiment like everything else in the house. He is treated just like any other European prince his age so that they can compare the overall capacity of everything a black man can obtain to that of a white man. Octavian find out about this experiment and wants to prove that color doesn't matter until the funder of the College dies. Mr.Gitney must find someone new to fund the college and after two tries, the first not having too much interest in the college but more in Octavian's mom, Mr.Gitney finds a man named Richard Sharpe that changes the whole college around and doesn't fund Octavian's experiment. Octavian goes from being treated like a prince to working as a servent. After the mobs start breaking out because of British soldiers the whole house moves to Mr.Gitney's brother's house. At that house they have another experiment and get volunteers and slaves together to have a pox party. Everyone is given this illness and everyone stays in the house so that the experimenters like Mr.Gitney can analyze the outcomes of black and white people. Octavian's mother dies during this experiment and Octavian runs away. Ever since the Pox Party, Octavian questions the college's experiemnts and what he thought was the perfect world.
What I liked about this book is that even though there is barely any action that goes on, it is always keeping you thinking. This may be because the book doesn't explain everything too much and you have to make inferences. I also like the fact that there are many twists to the book and I wanted to finish the book really bad to see what happens to Octavian because he has a lot of potential. What I didn't like is that Octavian didn't get to continue with the experiment at all and the fact that if he gets caught, since he ran away after leaving his owner, Mr.Sharpe, chained to a chair, he'll be hung. This book is good for someone that wants to understand the discrimination during the American Revolutionary towards Africans and compare it to todays discrimination towards Africans and what that has to do with science.
Omeed K.
I read Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox. This book is about two cousins who are daughters of Dreamhunters, or people who go into the Place, where they catch dreams. Laura and Rose, the cousins, Try, or see if they can enter the place. Rose was confident but, Laura wasn't so much. In this book you follow Laura and Rose's journey that involves struggles, hardships, laughter, and one loving family.
This book was ok. It's slow at the begining, gets to be a good fast paced adventure, then slows back down again. If i had to rate it, it would be about a five out of ten.
Kari F.
I read Beka Cooper Terrier by Tamora Pierce. It is about a young girl who is a trainee to be a Dog(a police officer). She comes from the slums of the city, so she knows what it is like to be invisible. When she hears about some serious murders going on she investigates. I liked this book a lot because it was very interesting and had a lot of twists that you wouldn't expect. Even though the book is a fantasy, you can still relate to it a lot. Beka worries about the same things we do, like is she doing the right thing or does she have good friends.
I read Beka Cooper Terrier by Tamora Pierce. It is about a young girl who is a trainee to be a Dog(a police officer). She comes from the slums of the city, so she knows what it is like to be invisible. When she hears about some serious murders going on she investigates. I liked this book a lot because it was very interesting and had a lot of twists that you wouldn't expect. Even though the book is a fantasy, you can still relate to it a lot. Beka worries about the same things we do, like is she doing the right thing or does she have good friends.
Courtney E.
I recently read FIRESTORM by David Klass. It is a very suspensful and adventurous novel that brings up a current problem facing us today- the health of our earth. The story revolves around Jack, who has been sent back in time to save the earth from the turning point, which is a point in time where damage inflicted to the earth can't be healed. Jack must find a mysterious object called Firestorm that is supposed to renew all that has been damaged in the world. People that have become rich off of the stripping of the earth's resources are out to catch Jack and kill him before he finds Firestorm. Jack must race against time and avoid the Dark Army (rich people) to save the world.
This story is a very easy read and becomes pretty addictive. Some aspects of the story are a stretch to believe, even if this is a fictional story- a telekenetic dog as a character is an example. This book was still a very fun and exciting book to read.
Paul S.
I read Ophelia by Lisa Klein, which is Klein's interpretation of the Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Ophelia, a witty and wise girl of Denmark, goes from being a simple commoner to finding favor in the royal court to falling in love with Prince Hamlet. However, when King Hamlet of Denmark suddenly dies, Prince Hamlet suspects murder. He becomes so obsessed with revenge that he denies Ophelia's love and ends their short marraige. Alone in a country full of liars and power-seekers, Ophelia must find a way to escape because the knowledge she has about King Hamlet's murder could cost her her life.
I actually thought this book might not be very exciting, but it was! Though the plot was slightly difficult to follow at times, I enjoyed Ophelia very much - especially the ending!
Amelia M.
The book I read was called "Surrender", by Sonya Hartnett. The book is about a boy named Anwell, but goes by Gabriel. The theme of the book is death, and good versus evil. Gabriel, the main character, is friends with a strange boy named Finnigan. Finnigan is suppose to be all the bad things in life, while Gabriel is an angel. Throughout the book Finnigan starts fires around the town. The book is written from the point of Gabriel on his death bed.
I didn't really like this book. The main reason I didn't like this book was because it was hard to figure out which character's head you were in. It was hard to follow what was going on, especially at the beginning. There were some things I did like about the book. I like how the story ends. Once you finally find out what's going on at the end, the book is really good. I also liked the whole idea of how it was written, but it could have given more information in the beginning. Overall I liked the book, but it could have been better.
Joey S.
I read the book THIS IS ALL by Aidan Chambers. This book is about a girl named Cordelia, it's wrote up in a journal type way. She is pregnant at the time, and she is writing a Pillow Book to her daughter. In this Pillow Book she writes to her daughter about her past and how she viewed things as a teenager. She explains many things it from meeting her best friend up until she finally makes love to the boy she loves. Once her daughter turns 16 she plans on giving her the book and reading it with her. I have not completly finished this book, though from what i've read so far i'm not the biggest fan. Others might like it, in general the writing style is good, it's just the angle of the story doesn't quite catch my attetion. Even though I'm not a big fan of the book I would recommened it to others.
April N.
I read "Leonardo's Shadow: Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo da Vinci's Servant" by Christopher
Grey. This book tells the story of the period of time when da Vinci was painting the Last Supper. It is told from the perspective of Leonardo's servant, Giacomo, who met da Vinci when he was saved from falling off a cathedral roof when he was being chased by a mob. Giacomo doesn't remember who he is or where he came from because he had the fever when he fell. Giacomo is very loyal and protective of da Vinci, but da Vinci seems to not give Giacomo any respect for all Giacomo does for him. Da Vinici is in the process of painting the Last Supper and has been working on it for the past two years. The Duke and the rest of the people in Milan are getting restless for the painting to be finished, so much that they are talking about bringing one of da Vinci's rivals to finish the painting in time for the Pope to visit in the spring. Many events in the book allude to the idea that there is a lot more to Leonardo than any one person knows. On top of this the Duke is a very powerful man who is not afraid to put someone in jail, and Milan is being faced with an attack from France. Giacomo is asked by the duke to find one of Leonardo's inventions in order to help with the attack because without it Milan does not have much of a chance to win. This story follows Giacomo while he tries to satisfy the duke, work for da Vinci, learn how to paint to show Leonardo that he deserves an apprenticeship, and most of all persuade da Vinci to finish the Last Supper so that they have money to pay all their debts off. The book moves slowly especially in the beginning, but it is a good read!
-Sibyl C.
DIVA by Alex Flinn tells the story of a junior in high school who transfers from her public Miami high school to a performing arts school. Caitlin, the main character, has recently gotten out of an abusive relationship. She wants out of her preppy, fake life to be an opera singer. Even with her fake girly-girl mother, Caitlin is not shallow or fake at all. When she transfers to the arts school, though, she feels completely out-of-place with the “artsy” crowd. Soon, however, she makes new friends that she has singing in common with, and she makes amends with her past.
I think this book was OK. I didn't really like the very open-door ending.
I recently read the novel THE ADVENTURES OF MICHAEL MACINNES, by Jeff Carney. Set in 1924 America, the book documents a year in orphan Michael MacInnes' life at a prestigious boys' prep school. MacInnes, a poetic, mischievous, freethinking teenager, is a misfit at the school and he soon befriends the other misfits. He is a very unconventional thinker, and, rather than change his behavior to abide by the strict rules, he attempts to change the rules. From questioning the existence of God in front of a strict, devoutly religious teacher to starting his own underground magazine to counter the school's, he finds himself in many dilemmas throughout his year and he narrowly escapes each one. Without ruining the story, I will say that in the end, both the school and the students are changed for the better because of MacInnes.
I found the story entertaining for the most part, but I found a few of the events were rather unbelievable and did not fit the reality of the rest of the book. For example, in one scene a witch appears out of nowhere and gives MacInnes three predictions. The book is not a book to read to young children because of numerous issues involving sex, drugs, drinking, homosexuality, and religion among other themes. Overall, I found the book and entertaining page turner that did not require much thought.
Vincent S.
I read The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks. This book is a type of murder mystery that takes place in England. Ruben, the main character, has a "gift" that allows him to know what other people are thinking. He also sees what is going on with his family, and he sees his sister, Rachel's, brutal rape and murder. He knows that she was killed by the dead man, but he doesn't know who that is or where he can find him. He would tell the police this when Rachel's body is discovered, but they would think he is crazy. Ruben tells his brother Cole, and they decide to go to the place of Rachel's murder and try to dig up some clues. While there, Cole and Ruben stir up some trouble and find that Rachel's death is much more of a mystery than they thought it was. Now, I don't want to give the ending away, but I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the discovery of the clues. The clues were just easily presented to the reader, and you didn't even have much time to guess. I think this is a good story, but it would have been better if the clues would have been harder to figure out.
I read Megiddo's Shadow by Arthur Slade, and it's one of the best war stories I've read. The book is about a 17-year old boy who's brother dies in war in France. He is so upset that he decides to go and join the war himself. His father has lost his wife and his son, and now he begs Edward not to go. This book left a sad and honorable memory because it included drama such as battle and deaths of close friends and loved ones. Edward finds himself on the front line when he joins, but Uncle Nixon decided to move him to the horse riding academy which trained them to tame horses for battle. He finds a horse which is so stubborn that no one would ride it. Edward has a god given talent which guides him to be able to ride this horse, Megiddo. Soon enough Megiddo is Edwards horse. As Edward is in war he discovers a beautiful nurse that he falls in love with. She is about three years older than him but it doesn't matter to her. Towards the end of the book she ends up dying from a disease and he realizes why his dad never wanted him to go to war. His dad didn't want him to be traumatized just like when he was a war hero.
Drew G/Iowa
I read The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux. The book follows a murderer/thief, Angel Allegria, who attempts to run away from his problems. He ends up on the Palvarado Ranch in the middle of the Chilean desert. He murders everybody but a little boy, Paolo. He attempts to settle down with Paolo and earn a sense of love and respect from him. Paolo grows to love Angel and they treat each other like father and son. Eventually, they are forced to go back to the cities where Angel used to commit his crimes to buy some livestock. The police find out Angel is there, and they pick up his trail. Eventually he is caught and sentenced to death. I thought the book was well written, but the author seemed sympathetic towards a serial killer who deserved justice. Of course, it is just a fictional story so overall it was a good read.
-Alex C.
Anonymous said...
I read The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedwick. This book was interesting enough to keep me reading for the assignment but I never thought of it as one of my favorites.
The book is set during the time period of WWI and is about a girl of seveenteen. Alexandra Fox was born with a curse. She recieves random visions of people she has meet dying. Her first vision as a young girl left her parents in denial of her ability, and since then she has had very few visions.
When Alexandra becomes a nurse in training at her local hospital the visions become more frequent. And when telling her father of what she has seen he denies her the right to go back to the hospital and nurse the wounded soldiers. Monthes later after a tradgedy within the family occurs, she travels alone to France to find her brother who has joined the army. She must successfully get to France (posing as a nurse) unnoticed, find her brother Tom, and save him from the deadly visions she has.
Mercedes L.
I recently read the book called Face Value by Catherine Johnson. The main charachters are a piar of models, Paula and Lauren. They live in different times, and both have careers that are interfered with by the brutal yet famous Ed McKay. The models have three major links between them: a great friend named Vanessa (Nessa), the fact that Paula is Lauren's mother, and again, Ed McKay. I enjoyed this book because it was well written and full of details. The plot was new and inventive. The seperate but not seperate stories made for an interesting twist, althogh it made it a bit confusing in the beggining.
-Cathy N.
Rebekah S
I read DEVIL'S TANGO by Herve Jubert.This book takes place in the future, sometime after the second flood. A series of gruesome murders are being commited by the Baron of the Mists. One sorcerer(who is also a laywer) discovers that every murder is in a form of a death penalty from various countries and times. The main detectives, Roberta Morgernstern and Clement Martineau struggle to piece together the link between the murders, the alcemists, and the city's defense system.
I think that this book could have been beter. The author introduces the characters too quickly, even the unimportant ones. However, it is a very intriguing plot, and once I got into it I really enjoyed it.
London Calling by Edward Bloor. Martin, a teenage boy in a modern day city, goes to a school he hates, All Souls Preparatory. He's an outcast along with two of his other friends. They received vulgar abuse from other students there. Finally, Martin stands up against the bully who is abusing his Indian American friend, this almost costs him his education at All souls, not that it's a bad thing. He keeps getting this weird phone calls from his grandma about Jimmy before she passes away and he finds out she had a radio that was for him. He uses the radio and he falls asleep. He wakes up in World War II era of Great Britain. Will he heed his grandma's advice and help Jimmy?
I really enjoyed this book. It had an interesting plot that really kept you captivated. I read this in a day because my eyes were drawn to this book. I really recommend it, there's nothing I didn't like.
Brennen M.
I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It is about an orphan girl's journey through World War II in the German city of Munich and her many encounters with Death. Both her and her brother are sent off to a foster home, but on the way, her brother dies; this is Liesel's first experience with Death. That same day she steals her first book- although she has not yet learned to read. Her foster father teaches her how to read and she starts stealing more books. They are her escape from the real world, her way of stealing something back. No matter what life throws her way- a runaway Jew, an obnoxious friend, bomb raids, Hitler youth meetings- the stolen books never let her down.
I loved this book. The way that Zusak writes it so that Death is the narrator is creative. I love the way that Death was portrayed. The ending provided good closure of the story. Zusak also made it easier for me to relate to a teenagers life during World War II.
Karen D.
If you're looking for an easy read, I would suggest The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs. It is an entertaining book about a young girl, Ivy, who frequently is babysat out with two old men,identical twins, Abner and Adolph Rumbaugh. One day, while playing in their basement, she stumbles across their secret. They hold the love curse. Her mom takes her to the Rumbaugh family church, and she explains the secret to her. As the story evolves, Ivy realizes that she has the love curse as well. I would suggest it for lower level readers.
By Linden T.
I read "In the Break" by Jack Lopez. This is an very interesting and intense book about a teenage boy Juan. Juan helps his best friend, Jamie escape to Mexico after Jamie gets into a brutal fight with his step-father. The entire book revolves around Juan, Jamie, and Jamie's sister, Amber's, passion for surfing and the adventures they have in Mexico. They meet many people along the way. Towards the end of the book, Jamie goes missing after surfing and Amber and Juan get caught by border patrol, sending the two back home. I didn't enjoy the ending of the book because, I felt as if the author left you haning. All in all I enjoyed the book.
Katlyn U.
I read My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher. In this novel, Ashley Mitchell's life goes from almost flawless to a total disaster when her mother is accused of embezzeling a million dollars from the company in which she was employed. When her mother went missing the day the money was embezzled, Ashley was forced to move out of their newly redone house and get a job and live on her own. Throughout the novel Ashley starts to learn what values are and how important it is to have someone who cares about you. I personally loved this book, and I would love to hear what anyone's opinion who has read the book.
Lindsey G.
I read Megiddo's Shadow by Arthur Slade. It is about a boy named Edward in his late teens, who receives news that his older brother died in World War One. Edward is so enraged that he joins the army even though he is under aged. As he travels to Europe and eventually fights in the Holy Land on horse back, he learns first hand the horrors of war and how it can take away the ones most dear to you. He loses a war buddy, his girlfriend, his horse, and others.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it because Slade tells the story how it is. War isn't glamorous. The writing gets the reader emotionaly involved in the story. Aruthor Slade even had me tearing up in a couple parts of Edward's story. Most of all I liked religious content that Slade weaves into the story. It is good to see a book that has the moral standards that our country was founded on.
-Jacob T. Iowa
I read RECKLESS RUSH HOUR A JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY VOICES. It is a book compiled of many short works by many different writers. Some of them I didn't really enjoy reading. But most of them really opened up new perceptions on life, especially the aspect of doing things without thinking hence the title of the book. I really enjoyed the comic, It made me really think about what I would have done if somebody had told me that they could show me how to transcend into the ether. I would definetly recommend this journal to anybody looking for a book that shows what happens when people go to the edge and jump off.
I read the book "TTFN", by Lauren Myracle. This was a sequal book. The first book was "TTYL." This book that I read was about friendship and overcoming obstacles. There are three best friends: Angela, Zoe, and Maddie. They all overcome a problem of their own and pull together. They have jealousy problems going back and forth. And, there are some secrets.
I liked this book because it was something you could relate to in high school. It shows you how to forgive and move on. It's a very good book and I would reccommend it to any girl!
I read the novel X Indian Chronicles: The Book of Mausape. This is not the usual type of selection that I like to read, but it kept me interested the whole way through. The collections of short stories about Mausape jump around a lot from when he was young to when he was in jail and such. If you don’t pay attention you will get lost. Mausape and his friends live in NDN city which is full of Native American families in the 21St century. Mausape and his friends go from running from Native American monsters to becoming drug lords and finally betraying each other. This book is not for the light reader and can be a little racy at times, but overall it gives the message that the deeper you get into drugs the worse you come out.
-Mason T.
I have recently begun to re-read the Chronicals of Narnia. I read the first four when I was smaller, but I have forgotten all but a few vauge details. I have read through the first two and have begun the third.
I thought the first book (The Magican's Nephew) had lovely details. The descriptions of how Narnia came to life painted clear pictures in my head. The woods between the worlds was a fun new idea as well. The way Jadis was described made her seem truly evil.
The second (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) was interesting because I kept thinking about how the new(ish) movie (Narnia) differed with the scenes in the book. I thought the book was good, but I enjoyed the movie more.
Cathy N.
Just in Case, by Meg Rosoff, is a story about a fifteen-year-old boy named David Case. When David finds his baby brother precariously balancing from his balcony, David becomes abruptly aware of the fine line between life and death and senses the presence of his fate: impending doom. To escape the ever-present clutches of Fate, David Case, now Justin Case, changes his name, his clothes, and his friends. With his new thrift-store clothes, his new eccentric photographer friend, Agnes Day, and his imaginary greyhound, Boy, Justin feels secure. But soon enough, Justin begins to crack. He moves out of his parents’ house and into an airport, where he feels oddly at home. After falling in love, suffering from confusion, hatred and depression, and narrowly escaping the clutches of Fate multiple times, Justin finds that he can't hide from Fate, and embraces his future.
I found this book as interesting as it was unconventional. The different perspectives, including the voice of Fate, created extra depth in the characters and the story. The book was dark, intriguing, and thought-provoking. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.
Mackenzie F.
I recently finished reading "Octavion Nothing," by M.T. Anderson. I thought it was a beautifully written tale of a Octavion, an African prince brought to America during the American Revolution. Octavion and his mother are bought by a scientist named Josiah Gitney. Mr. Gitney doese lots of experiments and is recently working on one that will finally tell whether of not Africans can be educated and become as intelligent as whites. Mr. Gitney takes them to the College of Ludicy and begins the testing. Octavion grows up at the college and is treated like royalty. He is given a classical education, and is taught Latin, Greek, logic, and violen. He is also constantly being monitered and tested, the people at the college even weigh what he eats, and what comes out. One day the main condributer of money to the college unexpectedly dies and his nephew comes to visit the college to decide whether or not to continue the funding. The nephew, Lord Cheldthrope, eventuall falls in love with Octavions mother and asked her to marry him and move to England. When she refuses, Cheldthrope becomes furious, brutally whips Octavion and his mother, and refuses to fund the college any longer. Mr. Gitney find another funder for the college, Mr. Sharpe. Mr. Sharpe refuses to fund the experiments on Octavion, and Octavion goes from being roalty, to being a slave doing chores around the house, but still going to his lessons. While preforming another experiment set to determine the effects of small pox on african americans and whites; Octavion, his mother, and others are intentionally infected with small pox. Octavion survives, but his mother doesn't. Extremely greif stricen and shocked, Octavion runs away and joins the army. He serves for a little while untill he is captured and taken back to the college. His former violen teacher helps him escape a second time for good.
I loved this book! I thought is was a beautifully written story filled with synonyms and refrences to anceint literature and the scientific method. It is about an intresting, intelligent, african american boy living during the American Revelution. It gives great insight into the horrors of slavery, and inner workings of a sad tormented little boy.
Okay, sorry this is long, but it was a long book.
I have just finished The Riddle by Alison Croggon. It's the second book in the Pelinnor Series, and I think it's better than the first.
The story follows Maerad and Cadvan, a student and teacher (listed respectively) in magery, on a quest to stop the Nameless One from taking over the land. Indeed, the plot is reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, but the story is quite different. At the end of the first book, Maerad was instated as a Bard (magician) and was confirmed as The One who would save the land from the Nameless One.
Immediately, Maerad and Cadvan become outlaws of a corrupt system, and flee for their lives. Their journey takes them from seas and tropical islands to mountains and frozen wastelands. Their travels are riddled (no pun intended) with attacks and unexpected twists, and you'll have to read it to find out if they ever solve The Riddle.
While the book does move slowly at some points, it has deep and realistic character development. And when there finally is action, the book shines by painting colorful scenes that leap to life off the pages.
I would definitely recommend this book to others, but only if they are interested in fantasy, and have a lot of time to invest!
Blake Cervetti
I read the book Doppelganger by David Stahler Jr. the book in my opinon was very good its told in the first person point of view of a monster called a doppelganger a shape shifting creature that takes on the form of a high school student the book explains that doppelgangers are monsters that enjoy the killing of humans, but this one wants despretly to be a human and tries his hardest to keep the form of the student for as long as possible. The book reminded me of Darren Shauns Cirque du Freak series puting a whole different perspective on monters.
Gage Stoneman
The "Road of the Dead" by Kevin Brooks is a fantastic book. I really liked his writing style which was very dark, and sometimes violent. The main character, Ruben Ford-14, has the ability to see and feel what other people experience. When he experiences his sister being murdered on a desolate moor, Ruben and his brother Cole set out to retrieve her body. They meet a host of dangerous characters whom all seem to have secrets. This is a great book if you're into more psychological topics because Mr. Brooks really lets you know what the characters are feeling.
Ben S.
Trigger was a fantastic book that I admired because of the position the author put the reader in while reading the book. The main character, Jersey Hatch, is in a difficult position that really forces the reader to think about how they would react if they were in his shoes. I'm glad this book was on the YAC list, and plan to look for more books by Susan Vaught soon.
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