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Prodigy by Marie Lu was a fantastic book. In some aspects it really improved from the first book, but there were some things that could have been better. At certain parts of the book I couldn't put it down, but at a couple of points I found myself losing interest. The book at some parts seems like there going really fast and sometimes it felt really slow.

The author of this book really knew how to make you like the two main characters. She made you want he best for them and for every thing to turn out alright. And really liking the characters just made the ending of this book so much harder to read.

But anyways I would rank this book a 4 out of 5. It is a great book with great characters, but there were some parts the were lackluster. The thing that real stands out is the ending of this book. Reading the book got you really attached to the characters and when the ending came it was a little sad.

Mitchell Heimer Hr2

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The Graveyard Book tells a story about growing up from a rather odd perspective. Nobody Owens, or Bod, is a boy growing up in a graveyard with his guardian Silius and his adoption parents Mr. and Mrs. Owens. His family was murdered by an unknown man as a child so he was taken in by the people of the graveyard. Or in other words, ghosts. The book takes on an interesting way to show maturing from a child to an adult as it not only introduces the concept of growing out of childlike tendencies but also the introduction to the dangers and joys of being an adult.

The author, Neil Gaiman, took inspiration from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Both take on the perspective of a child being separated from their families and being raised by characters that are not part of the boys original society. I feel Neil Gaiman did a wonderful job giving an homage to The Jungle Book as The Graveyard Book is very fluent in its writing and tells a very suspenseful, mysterious, and engaging story.

The characters would have to be my favorite part of the book. There is a lot of mystery behind a lot of the characters such as Silius, Bod’s guardian, who takes random trips to unknown locations and teaches Bod many things that ghosts would do such as phasing in and out of objects and not being seen by other human beings. Another example is Scarlett Perkins, a girl that Bod meets and is very peculiar as she is one of the only people that is able see Bod. They seem to have a connection and you don’t know why as it seems like she is just a normal girl. But yet these two have a connection as they are later drawn back to each other later in the book.

Overall, The Graveyard Book can deliver on suspense and mystery and leave you wanting to read more. The Graveyard book is a great book for anyone who is a fan of The Jungle Book or someone who wants a spookier look at a story of growing up.

Brenden Lane                Hr: 1

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The book “The body in the woods”  written by April Henry is a mystery thriller that is both enjoyable and compelling to read. The book follows 3 different perspectives of 3 highschool students on their journey to unravelling the mystery behind the dead body in the wods.

To start off, the characters were great. With the 3 main characters, it gave you 3 unique perspectives that keeps the story fresh and interesting. This also opens up to great character development as we get to see their clashing thoughts and emotions intertwine as they unravel the mysteries behind the dead body.

A good point of this book is the plot. It kept me interested the whole book and I found myself really intrigued the whole time. I felt that the pacing was very good as it went well with the plot. The only problem I had with the book is the ending. It felt cliche and expected but I would still say I quite enjoyed it to an extent.

Overall, I would give this book 4-5 stars. With its compelling story and multiple perspectives, this book is perfect for somebody looking for a fun mystery book to read.

Andy Nguyen 2nd Hour

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When people think of the classic horror story “IT” by Stephen King, they usually think about the story with the creepy clown. After reading this book, I can assure you, IT is so much more than that. IT is a coming of age story set in 1958, Derry Maine, about a group of 7 friends trying to save their childhoods from a deadly monster, but ending up losing their childhoods in the process. The book is split into 2 parts, when the Loser’s Club (the name of the group) are children and when they are adults. The story switches between the two in fragments quite often in the book, so the readers only know all the information of what happened in the past by the end of the future. In my opinion, this constant switch of childhood and adulthood keeps the story interesting, and the reader will find themselves unable to put down the book, desperate to find out more. The characters are what makes this book so compelling. One would think that with so many main characters, it would be too complicated and consistent, but Stephen King does an amazing job at making sure each character is a dynamic individual with their own fears, insecurities, thoughts, and backgrounds that seem almost too real to be fictional. Each character has so much depth, it’s possible that every single one of them will be relatable to any reader.  Whether it's abusive parents, being neglected, mental illness, oppression of religion and race, or torment of their peers; Bill, Beverly, Stan, Richie, Eddie, Ben, and Mike all deal with the horrors of everyday life. The biggest theme in IT seems to be growing up, and IT definitely showcases that in all ways. Events that all correlate with “growing up” like the harsh reality of civil rights, the concept of love and sex, or the loss of wonder all appear in IT. The monster itself, Pennywise the clown, seems to be the main symbol of the fear of growing up, as a clown is an entertainer created to spark joy in children, yet a scary clown is an exact opposite. Such a simple change can be compared to childhood and adulthood, and as the Loser’s Club battle Pennywise, it is almost as if they are battling their utmost fear; growing up. That said, this book has the ability to connect with a person the age of 14 as easily as it can connect with a person at the age of 90.
As spectacular as Stephen King has written IT, there are plenty of elements that should caution readers to think twice before picking this book up. One of the main elements is the pace of this book. Stephen King has a very particular writing style. To put it in the simplest terms, he’s very descriptive, sometimes overly descriptive. For example, if there is a character in a room with a cake, yet the cake has nothing to do with the plot of the story, he might still take a full page to write about the texture, scent, and grandeur of the cake. Personally, I enjoy his writing style, but if you are a slow or novice reader, I encourage you to not read this book. Another huge element is the profanity in this book that not every reader might be comfortable with. This book has a LOT of racial and antisemitic slurs, almost on every page. I understand the author’s intention of depicting raw 1950s issues with this, but it gets to the point where most of the slurs become extremely unnecessary in several situations. Something that made me uncomfortable whilst reading this book is the constant sexualization of the main female character, Beverly. Although Beverly is only 11 years old, she is described in a way only appropriate for a 30-year-old model. I also understand King’s intention with this, since Beverly is a victim of sexual abuse, this shows how the men around Beverly’s life view her. Some scenes in this book are also very graphic or gory, therefore readers who are squeamish or morally conservative should not read this book.
In conclusion, I personally think IT by Stephen King is the best piece of literature I’ve ever read so far, and if one is up to the challenge of reading 1,138 pages in small printed text, it is most definitely worth the read. Flaws and all, the book is a literal, carefully crafted symbol of childhood. Children who devoured this book in the 1980s still adore it today as adults, and generations on end will continue the same trend, making the title of “great horror classic” extremely well deserved.

Cyn-Ean Yu
Hour 1

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The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman Is a great book to read. It is an edge of the seat thriller, and has a great plot. It is about Jack, who murders most of the members of a family. The toddler however, escapes by crawling out of the house and is raised by people in the graveyard. He is cut off from the actual world while being raised in the graveyard. If you enjoyed the jungle book, you will like this, it is based off the Jungle Book, but it is set in graveyard. I think that If you like good fiction novels, you will like this one. It rely keeps you wondering and it is very thought provoking.

It was one of the few books that I have thoroughly loved and finished. It is one of the best mystery books I have ever read, It introduced me into that genre. If you are looking for a great, classic mystery to read The Graveyard Book would be a great one to read.

Jack Firman

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