This is a long book: 750ish pages. On the other hand, the book is a page-turner with enjoyment furthered by reading the first four books. With all the twists and turns this book takes, and the more actions-conscious events, it's reminiscent of Game of Thrones with a new and deep setting.

The first few introductory chapters were a bit long, and there were a few confusing parts, but other than that it was an enjoyable page-turner. At around 420 pages, this book looked long at first but sped by in a flash. The Olympus Project gives an interesting perspective on what might happen in the future for humankind. 

 (Spoilers in this review)

This fabulous book is part of a 26-part series, which is a lot, but promises to keep improving.  The storyline is flawless with no holes in it. I’m enjoying the way the author goes about showing evolution. For example, after they find the cure to stop the stone state of humans, they decide to recruit a fellow high school student for help. He turns out to have disparate ideals than Senku; they split and become enemies. Gunpowder is the first step in their fight for the upper hand. The characters in this story are well done but they fall into the classic tropes like the smart cocky one, the dumb but strong one, and the villain who has twisted ideals and wants to fix the world, which brings down the book a little bit. The pacing is pretty fast, which I enjoyed, but if you prefer those slow-building stories you might not be able to get into it. The art story world-building and writing are stellar, though, so if you like adventure manga or adventure books in general, I would recommend the Dr. Stone series.

This story tells the life of a young man named Christopher McCandless who ventures into the Alaskan wilderness, abandons all sense of identity, and disappears from society. Krakauer details Chris's journey and the background he had, before deserting his college dorm and family forever. The book continues to tell the lives of many different explorers and young men who were also as intrigued by nature as much as Chris. Krakauer finds and explains the similarities he notices when analyzing Chris's story to other adventurers to try and find out why they were suddenly disappearing from the world. Lastly, Krakauer and his friends venture into the wild and follow Chris's path to get a perspective and maybe an understanding as to why he might have done what he did. 

This book often frustrated me and made me question the characters' actions and choices. I would recommend reading Into The Wild if you are interested in exploring since Krakauer executed this book's language and description well. The detail and effort Krakauer put into the mysteries of why nature allures people and the natural human curiosity to go into the wild gives the book a clear understanding.

I liked Dune.. when I understood it. It is pretty confusing with different things getting introduced every chapter, like a Gob Jabbar or a Crysknife. It requires slow reading I recommend watching the movie first to get a visual image of the world of Dune. The books and the movies are similar but they cut out some parts (like a dinner scene on Arrakis). The world-building and the characters are well crafted and the characters interact well with each other. The fight scenes even though you are just reading them are a delight to the eyes. People have these shields that can take fast attacks but when slowly stabbed or attacked they can hurt the person. As the book says every fight is like a chess game deciding every move very slowly as it could cost you your life. Reading Dune Book 1 was a fun experience and has convinced me to read the other novels and keep up with the movies. 

(Spoilers in review)

Doctor Stone is a great series thus far and I love where the author is going with it. The way that the story tackles what was once the simplicity of modern medicine to now having to make an over-the-counter medicine is well done. It does it in a way that is interesting and shows the struggle to get there but doesn't make it feel boring or hard to follow. For example, to get to making sulfonamides they first need to mix other chemicals but to do that they need something that can withstand heat so they need to make glass. This all happens through many chapters but to keep it from getting boring they add side plots and other character interactions throughout to keep the reader engaged while still showing how tedious glass-making can get. Another thing this book brings up that got me thinking is what if our modern conveniences we take for granted were gone? For example, if I'm feeling sick I would just go to the store to get some medicine, but what if you couldn't just go to the store?   This book highlights how we take this for granted and how little self-reliance we have.  However it gives up hope by showing us that it is possible to still thrive on your own, it just takes a lot more than just going to the store.

Her best friend has been shot. By the police. For no reason. Khalil was pulled over because he was a young black guy. When the officer asks him to step out of the vehicle, the officer sees a “gun”. This gun was a hairbrush. The white cop assumes Khalil is going to shoot him, even though he is nowhere near the “gun”. So the cop shoots Khalil. Starr has to figure out why, and how to cope. 

This shows the modern and future issues of racial profiling and discrimination. Even though it is a sad topic, each chapter delves into a new aspect of Starr’s life. Even though The Hate U Give might seem long, at 464 pages, it will be a quick read with you not wanting to put it down. It is a real-life perspective on what is happening today, and unfortunately, probably in the future. 

I loved reading the Meg I have a personal bias though this book its all the soft spots for me. It is a lot different from its movie counterpart and the story is more fleshed out. The idea and concept are great adding some scientific reasoning to make this story feel like something that could happen in the real world. What is terrifying is that only 5% of the ocean is explored these creatures like these Megalodons could very well exist in the deep parts of the ocean. This adds to the horror aspect of the book the words are used to the author's advantage making it feel very realistic. After reading this book I would safely give this book a 9.5/10 a very enjoyable read but there are better books out of this series.

The first half of this book was great, the rest (excluding the ending) felt like a waste of time. The Battle of Phobos was incredible and felt like the earlier books, but the needless reiteration of events made the book a chore to read. Though this book had very high highs, the lows make it a 4/10.

I think this book is something everyone should at least take a peak into, whether you read it fully or just pay attention to categories that peak your interest, your bound to learn great information and give yourself the tool of identifying others to help you greatly in the future. I thought it was a 10\10 and influenced my ability to sense other attitudes and work better around the problems in the road that may become a problem in future or current situations whether its work or school based.

Stephen Chbosky was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, 1970. He is an author, screenwriter and director and has written two novels including the infamous, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, published February 1, 1999, and has been one of the most banned and challenged books in the past century. He wrote the book during a rough breakup, when trying to find himself, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower reflects that, with every character he created, growing, changing, and finding themselves over the period of just one year. He both screen wrote and directed the movie adaptations for his most famous novel, The Perks of being a Wallflower, Wonder, and the musical Dear Evan Hansen. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, is told through letters written by Charlie, an introverted teenage boy. The letters recount the experience of his first year in high school, meeting new people, experiencing new things, and his attempts at being involved. Once Charlie encounters two seniors, Sam and Patrick, Charlie's horizons are broadened. Sam and Patrick take him to his first party, acquaint him with his first girlfriend, and embrace him, adopting him into their friend group. Though Charlie's traumas forbear him at times, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about more than just Charlie's high school experience; it is the story of how Charlie found himself and where he fits in the world around him.

Many topics covered in The Perks of Being a Wallflower are highly controversial. Themes like underage alcoholism, mental health, sexual violence, drug use, suicide, and homosexuality are some of the many reasons why the book is one of the most challenged books in the past century. Censorship has existed since the beginning of writing. Novels considered tendentious tend to be the most challenged or banned pieces because of the mature themes included in them. Many contentious subjects written about in The Perks of Being a Wallflower are more common than you might think. The relatability of mature topics discussed in the novel is why the book has been highly challenged and debated by parent groups from towns across the country. The book covers topics that seem misleading for teenagers but, in reality, are very understandable for many.
The value of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" lies in its ability to inspire readers with its valuable lessons. Despite his past traumas, the main character, Charlie, learns about the importance of friendship, self-acceptance, and living life to the fullest. These lessons resonate with many readers and encourage them to reflect on their lives.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower's suggested audience is primarily teenagers. The book covers heavy topics that teenagers could easily relate to, so it might be difficult for younger kids to understand. Of course, older generations would understand the themes in the book, but they wouldn't relate to the characters, who are teenagers in 1999, because high school was a much different time, even a few years prior.

Although George Orwell was a pen name, it became one of the most well known names in literature. The author of popular novels such as Animal Farm and 1984, George Orwell had different political views than those around him, which drove him to write about his ideas regarding the state of the government.

Original Date Published: 1949

1984 is a word of warning about what the world could look like under a totalitarian government. In Oceania, there are two kinds of people: the Proles and the Party members. The Proles are the average people who believe every lie the party feeds to them. The Party members are the people who have an education and the average desk job. The main character, Winston Smith, is a member of the Outer Party. He knows that the Party lies to the citizens of Oceania, and he knows that they erase the events in the past that they do not like. He and his lover, Julia, join a rebel group after gaining this knowledge, but not everyone is telling the truth. 1984 is a novel full of deception and control with an extraordinarily eerie ending. 

1984 is probably banned due to the ideas regarding politics, sexual scenes, and violent scenes. The idea of a dictator was likely very scary in the year that it was written, due to the fact that WWII had recently ended. Sexual scenes were and still are frowned upon in literature, and 1984 has plenty of scenes that fall into a category of inappropriate and sometimes unnecessary content. There are plenty of violent scenes all throughout the novel, including scenes of torture and mentions of murder. 

Reading 1984 is important for the same reason as learning history. It is important because you can learn from the mistakes that were made and not make them yourself. It also shows very eye opening fears from the 40’s, such as controlling governments and dictators. The writing poses many questions about sense of self and individuality, and it prompts you to reflect on who you are and what you believe. Like most other banned books, 1984 is banned because it talks about important but uncomfortable topics. People ban books because they are afraid of the ideas and beliefs that the words will spark in the reader. That is exactly why banned books should be read.

The Color Purple is a book that is full of tragedy and the horrors of Celie’s everyday life. I knew from the second paragraph why this book was banned; it started off with scenes of sexual assault and incest, which continued to show up throughout the book. 

The main character, Celie, discovers who she is and finds her identity because of the terrible abuse she had to endure, and even though life gave her a hard time, she stayed true to herself no matter what. Celie’s journey really started when she lost her sister and married Mr._____.

Throughout the entire story, Celie tried to find happiness along with someone who truly loved her, since her sister was the only one who cared for her. When all hope for happiness seemed lost, she met Shug Avery, a woman who had always astounded her. As Celie and Shug get closer, Celie discovers who she is, and who she wants to be. After many ups and downs, Celie discovers that she doesn’t need others to make her feel happy, and that her happiness is a journey she needs to embark on on her own. 

The Color Purple was banned for many reasons that were quite obvious, in my opinion. There are scenes with incest, both sexual and domestic abuse, masturbation, and LGBTQ+ scenes. I can see why certain people would want to ban a book like this, but I think that it’s a very important book that highlights a lot of very controversial topics from an interesting perspective. 

In my opinion, The Color Purple is important because it is very down to earth and doesn’t smear over the terrors of life. During that time period, black women endured many hardships, but a lot of people sugar coat what they went through to make themselves feel better about it. Celie’s journey, on the other hand, is described in excruciatingly horrific detail, and the author shows readers what life was really like then. I learned a lot from this book, and I think that everyone should read it at some point so that they can further educate themselves on the topic of human relationships, and so they can further understand how to find out if people are sugar coating history. 

Set on a futuristic version of planet Earth, Ender’s Game follows the story of a young boy named Ender. At six years old, Ender is recruited to go to Battle School. This so-called school is located on a space station and trains new officers for the war against Buggers. Named for their bug-like features, these aliens have tried to invade Earth twice. Now, Earth is preparing for a mysterious third invasion. Humans are outnumbered and without someone to mastermind the war against the Buggers, humankind is in danger of being wiped out. All hope is riding on Ender. 

Most of the controversy surrounding this book is that it is pornographic. Throughout the book, there is nudity and some mentions of genitalia; however, that is the extent of the matter. This book was banned in some places because of racial comments in the original version. I am glad to say that these parts of the book have now been rewritten to exclude the racist mentions. 

This book is worth reading because it encourages people to think. Pondering about the morals of killing for self-defense and how different people may have different perspectives on the subject is beneficial. In addition, the book encourages contemplation about child manipulation and abuse both physically and mentally. By deeply embedding these ideas into his book, Card has done a wonderful job encouraging people to think outside the box and be creative. Ender’s Game can start great discussions about important topics and inspire people to be imaginative and consider things from other perspectives. For these reasons, I believe Ender’s Game should not be banned.

A Study In Scarlet was banned because of its derogatory view of Mormons. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s daughter later admits, A Study In Scarlet’s Mormons are based on anti-Mormon books by former Mormons and are grossly inaccurate. In the book, Mormons are consistently described as violent, strict, and polygamous people. For example, in the novel, no one could exit Salt Lake City without a written pass from Brigham Young, the Mormon leader. If they did not have said pass, armed guards would shoot them. In real life, Mormons are a whole lot less authoritarian.

Banning a Study In Scarlet is illogical. Despite the inaccuracies, this novel should be at least an option for students to read, if not mandatory. It is the first book of the revered Sherlock Holmes series, and it is a spectacular novel and should be treated as such. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a stroke of genius when he created the infallible Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps, if people are concerned about the book’s view on Mormons, schools should only offer it to middle and high school students, as they are old enough to decipher fact from fiction and take everything with a grain of salt.

Sherman Alexie was born in Wellpinit, Spokane Indian Reservation on October 7, 1966. He is a popular Native American author of poetry, short stories, and novels. When Alexie was 6 months old he underwent surgery because he suffered from congenital hydrocephalus, a nervous system disease which gave him seizures when he was a young child. Luckily this didn't affect him very much once he got to high school where he became an honor student and class president. He got a scholarship to Gonzaga University where he studied for two years and later graduated from Washington State University. He published his first book, I Would Steal Horses, in 1992. Fifteen years later on September 12, 2007, he published The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 

This story is about a Native American boy by the name of Arnold Spirit Jr. who decides to move to an all-white school after being suspended from his all-Native American school on his Native American reservation. Junior as he likes to be called, quickly realizes that all his previous friends have become enemies because they feel betrayed. His best friend, Rowdy, has become his worst nemesis. At his new school, Reardan, he finds it even more difficult to make friends in this new prejudiced environment. Will Junior be able to make some new friends and stay enrolled in this unfamiliar school, read this emotional rollercoaster of a book to find out. 

Though I enjoyed this book greatly, it was easy to see why it could have been banned for many reasons. First of all, there are countless times that alcohol abuse is referenced in this work. For example, at the very beginning, on page 16 it says, “His father is drinking hard and throwing hard punches, so Rowdy and his mother are always walking around with bruised and bloody faces.” This book may have also been banned because of the racial slurs mentioned, especially when Junior first gets to Reardan. The final and probably biggest argument to get this story banned is the multiple mentions of sexual content. I have decided not to elaborate on this topic. 

The main value of this book is to teach students not to give up no matter the hardships they going through. Junior could even be seen as a role model to someone who is struggling because he shows that perseverance is key to success. I would recommend this book to a more mature audience that can handle repeated swearing and racial comments, as well as, sexual content. 

Animal Farm is about the animals of Manor Farm who are fed up once and for all. After years of labor working for humans without receiving any reward or good treatment in return, Old Major, an elderly pig, delivers a touching speech that completely morphs the livestock’s outlook on life. With a new hope to hold onto, the animals decide to plan a rebellion against their master, Mr. Jones, and create a government of equality and freedom for each individual. Although life is initially peaceful, the leading pigs become more power-hungry. In short, they rise as dictators through propaganda, manipulation, and taking advantage of the other livestock’s gullibility.

Animal Farm is banned partially because it’s a representation of the Russian Revolution, but also because the material mocks and throws accusations toward the communist government. It argues that no matter what kind of government is ruling, ultimately, no one will remain equal. It encourages rebellion by painting a picture of how higher authority feeds off citizens, getting stronger and richer while the poor residents are overlooked and perish. It also dissects the methods by which leaders exploit and create fallacies to better suit their personal needs, and use fear tactics to submit people into obedience. 

One example of manipulation shown in the novel is when the pigs claim, “‘…We pigs are the brainworkers…It is for your sake we drink milk and eat apples… If we pigs failed in our duty… Jones would come back!’” They state false evidence and bring terror to intimidate their "friends," similar to allegations of how we are puppets to the government.

To summarize, Orwell’s tale threatens those who wish to maintain control over their oppressed subjects. This is because his story empowers the ideas of revolutions and fights for liberty for people with declining equality. To prevent the reveal of unspoken grievances from happening, Animal Farm is banned in a variety of countries–mainly in North Korea, for a short period in Russia (1945-1980s), and from an assortment of African countries.

In conclusion, Animal Farm's merit is truly abstract; greed and materialism can escalate to maliciousness and injustice without one even anticipating it. The main idea behind the text also warns its readers no matter how well-intentioned a political system is, they will be susceptible to corruption and selfishness, where many of their motives are to do things not in a desire to benefit their society but themselves. This writing is very valuable and will unbox your judgment.

If you enjoy novels with deeper meanings while preserving conciseness and clarity, or aren't comfortable with explicit content, you'll be very invested in this book's suspense. Animal Farm is so thought-provoking and unique, written for everyone to read. Please check it out for yourself!

The Great Gatsby is a novel set in the late 1920s about a man named Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island, New York and meets a mysterious billionaire named Jay Gatsby who spends his days obsessing over his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. during his time on the east coast, Nick meets Daisy, who is his cousin, and her husband Tom Buchanan, on many separate occasions. Nick learns of Tom's affair he's having with another woman, named Myrtle Wilson. One night, Nick receives an invitation to a party being thrown by his millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby. He soon meets Gatsby and becomes good friends with him before learning of his desire to reunite with his past lover, Daisy Buchanan.

The Great Gatsby has been banned or challenged multiple times throughout the years. The novel depicts both sides of a married couple having an affair on the other through out the story, and it contains two cases of murder. In my honest opinion, these do not seem like very valid reasons for a book to have been banned. I feel it should be important for people the learn and understand the impact that cheating can have on people and what it may lead to in the aftermath.

The main value of this story is that many dreams are simply unattainable. Jay Gatsby spends most of the novel chasing after Daisy Buchanan and trying to rekindle the past love they had together. In their younger years before gatsby joined the military, they were both deeply in love. after he returns from his time in the army and at Oxford University, he learns that Daisy had given up on him and settled down with Tom. He then proceeded to spent years accumulating his wealth just to purchase a home across the bay from hers. Throughout the book, they meet multiple times, but near the end of the novel the two of them have a massive falling out and the illusion Gatsby spent so many years of his life chasing fell to pieces.

         Overall the book was alright. If you like holocaust books I think you would like it, It was only alright for me cause I'm not the biggest fan of holocaust books. The book has a lot of killing and can be pretty disturbing, so if you are sensitive to stuff like that I would not recommend this book.   

If you like books set in Amsterdam during World War 2, this book is for you. I did not like this book as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed learning about the Holocaust in middle school and learning about that period but this book wasn't for me. This book had a lot going on so if you like busy books and can understand everything going on I recommend this book.  If you are a slower reader and books are harder to comprehend you might want to choose a different book because this book has a lot you need to comprehend and it was harder to enjoy because of that factor. 

In 1966 Moying Li thinks she will be set for life after being invited to a prestigious language school. But then a student-run organization starts taking control of the school and publicly beating the headmasters and teachers. Eventually, they begin making confessions to the teachers about things they didn't do. After Moying comes out of her dorm to find her headmaster hanging from a tree in the courtyard she runs home to her family to find her house taken apart by more Red Guards. More challenge she had to face was when she was living with her father and he got taken away to a labor camp and she could only see him once every couple of years. This book shows the struggles and heartbreak many families and communities experienced during this time in China. The government was very controlling during this period in China.

Overall I enjoyed this book because I had never really learned about China and I never knew they had a Cultural Revolution. I would recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the Cultural Revolution in China.

Once they return to Norway, they wait in the Vedda, a frozen 350,000-square-mile area that is mainly home to hunters and skiers, and a place that the Germans avoid because of the dangers. They wait and plan for the right time to attack. Overall I recommend this book to anybody who likes a quick and true read. The challenges that they face make this a great book.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. It was a short read that jumped right into action from the beginning. I would recommend this book to people who would like to learn more about what the kids' lives were like during World War 2.

The book is divided into multiple different essays all talking about different struggles of the aftermath of the bombing.

The author's writing makes you feel for the people of Hiroshima by discussing his interactions with them and their stories.

Oe discusses people's physical and mental struggles and focuses on their resilience. This book raises questions about whether is it good to use nuclear weapons in war. Oe makes it clear of the importance of remembering the bombing in Hiroshima to prevent future nuclear disasters. He says the story and memories of the survivors should be remembered and honored.

Kenzaburo Oe's writing is critical along with being compassionate. He will write about the politicians and the decisions they made that led to the events of the bombing.

"Hiroshima Notes" is a moving book about the human suffering and cost of nuclear warfare. This book shows how strong the human will and is a reminder of the consequences of war.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history and the different aspects of war.

Overall the book was pretty good, but at the beginning of the book, it can be confusing if you don't understand the meaning of different words so I had to look up some words to understand the story better. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an adventure-type story and characters overcoming challenges.

I personally liked the book. one of the things I liked about the book was all the people Slava met. I really liked the old lady at the beginning because she let him stay in her barn. Another reason I liked the book is it shows us how good we have it here. thats why i liked the book. I think the theme of the book is perseverance. A reason I think the theme is perseverance is he worked hard to complete his goal of finding his family.

The main idea of this book is a girl named Hanneke Bakker, who sells items illegally on the black market, and one day she went to deliver items to one of her clients, Mrs. Janssen.

Hanneke thought it was just a quick stop to drop off her stuff, but what she didn't know was that she would be asked a life risking question. 

Mrs. Janssen was hiding a girl named Mirjiam, after her whole family's hiding spot was raided. Mirijam was able to escape, but the rest of her family was killed.

One day, Mrs. Janssen went to visit  one of her friends across the street, and when she came back Mirjam had disappeared out of thin air. So that's when Mrs. Janssen had asked Hanneke to find Mirjiam. 

This can seem exciting and interesting, but it isn't. This book is super slow paced, and not something I would read again. When I pick up a book, I look for something exciting, something that makes me not want to put the book down, and with this book, I did not find either of those.

If you are into world war 2, or historical stuff, this book is probably something that would interest you, but if not, i do not recommend this book.

As Pi struggles for life in the Pacific Ocean, he confronts the hard realities of nature and the challenges of living with a predator. Over 227 days, Pi learns to coexist with Richard Parker, forming a crazy bond that helps him maintain hope and sanity. The story explores thoughtful questions about faith. I believe that if someone likes reading they would love it. This particular book I did not like because it was difficult to follow and hard to read continuously.

Anyone who likes true stories of a young man who faces many obstacles while finding who he is as a person and as a husband would really enjoy reading “American Sniper”. The journey Chris Kyle takes while finding what he wants in life is truly inspiring and sheds light on the struggles that members of the United States military face every day.

If you like running this may be the book for you. However, even though I like running I found the story to be moving too slow. The details about Kenya got a bit boring and some seemed unnecessary. On the other hand, I liked the content this book brought. It was interesting to read about their many accomplishments and record-breaking runs. I also enjoyed the inspiration from Patrick Sang as a coach. 

The book had a lot of potential and good ideas but I don't think the author captured it right. The book felt very rushed. Which didn't leave much time for the characters to develop through the story which made them seem flat and uninteresting. the book also was very predictable the betrayal felt very obvious, like they hinted too much at it. Overall I think the book lost its meaning in the end. It was just too covered by all the drama to get the real excitement of it.

If you like murder mysteries with some new culture included, then this is the book for you. I liked the book quite a bit, and thought the way the author included the different speech, like the Australian accent used in words like house, and railway, food, like the common meal of sardines for breakfast, and settings like the bar being called a pub. was a great idea. I loved that it was in a poetic form, and how well the author defined the characters so nicely. If I were to recommend this book to a specific personality, it should be someone that doesn't have a weak stomach, it gives a lot of detail about Colleen’s death and the crime scene. I like how the story explains Eddie and Larry’s lives before the murder, and how they built their house on their own.

A few years passed and Sunji went to his aunt’s house who lives in a different town tryin to find Young-🤬, his best friend from when he was younger, but instead of finding his best friend Sungji figured out his grandmother had passed. During this time North Korea had missile transfer to Iran and North Korea had continued to fire nuclear bombs. A few weeks or months go by and he forms a street gang to be able to survive in any conditions he may go through, Sungji’s gang was going through a rough place of traveling while trying to escape North Korea, and during these travels, his best friend has died, they find their way to a farmer’s home and ask if there is a place where they can bury his best friend Young-🤬, they send him with a few words of respect and make their way back to trying to escape North Korea, while they were traveling Sungji experiences grief from the lost of his best friend. After a few more days of traveling, they were by a potato farm, and guards came chasing after them out of nowhere, the gang lost the guards and finally made it to the border of North Korea, they all had fake passports, but before they could even get out of north korea they were stopped and interrogate the group, they realized they were all from North Korea Defector and sent them all to an organization that helps them, this organization was in South Korea, once Sungji was sent into the organization Sungji was reunited with his father.

To begin, I think Boris Pasternak could have done away with many of the details he added in Doctor Zhivago. First, he added very long descriptions of people, often covering what seems like their whole lives in a few paragraphs. This is helpful, but it was only really applicable to anything when I approached the latter half of the book. In a roundabout way, the narrative does come around, but it feels dry at times regardless. The writing style utilizes such descriptions, as well as telling the story mostly with paragraphs and not with dialogue.

This can be negative and positive; for example, when Pasternak explains the Zhivago family and Yurii Zhivago’s failing heart, his depression, and the poetic scenes of Russian wilderness, it works quite well. On the other hand, when he is trying to convey a sense of emotion, or provoke thought, it sometimes falters, and when describing emotion, it is usually more effective to use dialogue as opposed to writing third-person view points. In one such instance, Zhivago and Lara Fyodorovna Antipov, often simply just Lara Fyodorovna, have found each other in Yuriatin, and, in a way, fall in love with each other. Zhivago explains his unyielding passion for her, and she replies similarly, however it was all conveyed via dialogue, which brought a realistic and understandable effect to the scenario, which could not be achieved through using narration. Pasternak's writing style prioritizes context and background information, with the intent to bring things back around later on. 

This is especially true when concerning major characters, because it is necessary to understand where they came from before knowing what they will do. An obvious example of this is when Pasternak explains Zhivago’s journey from his youth to attending the Medical Institute and becoming a physician; it would be confusing as to how he became a doctor if the reader wasn’t made aware of his previous education. We, then, if his youth weren’t covered, would not know what happened to Zhivago’s family, which is crucial to the plot. Separately, Pasternak uses several poetic devices, most commonly similes and metaphors, but he also will use biblical words such as “thy,” “thou,” and “thee.” However, he does expertly use characters to display emotions within Yurii Zhivago. 

For example, Lara, represents his loss, his depression, and yet she brings him hope. Tonia, his first wife, brings to him a guilty mindset, the personal feeling of irresponsibility; the fact that he couldn’t even bring stability to his own family. Marina, his third and final wife, arouses from within him an air of hope, of spirit, but of which is yet again taken from him. Such convictions are the core of Doctor Zhivago, because the purpose is not for reading about the Russians, or communists, or the Tsars, but the havoc and dismay that is brought upon War’s victims and how they recover, and how they sometimes do not recover. Wars have been romanticized for the last century or so, but Doctor Zhivago does just the opposite; there is love, yes, but there is also hate, grief, and destruction. 

Pasternak used the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War as a background, which I find worked quite well. He didn’t just use it as a backdrop, he also utilized it for character development just as well. Zhivago, most primarily, is forced to adapt to post-war circumstances. For example, before the wars, he lived a well-off life in a house in Moscow. Then, during the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, he evacuated to Siberia to avoid the White and Red armies, and still, was captured by the Soviet partisan army. He was then let go later on, and made his way from Yuriatin to Moscow, which was comparable to a slum or ghetto at that time. The communist legislature also imposes a mandatory poverty status upon him and all other peoples, despite the fact that he is not poor (the Soviet government basically forced everyone to be poor in order for them all to be equal.) This included sharing an apartment with rats, forcing yourself to retain a diet of mostly potatoes, and other conditions of this nature.

And above all, such a literary work provokes one to ask themselves this question: “Are there really any winners in war?” In all, I believe that the story does improve as one reads further. It begins quite dry, but during and after Zhivago’s military service and capture in the Russian Civil War, more emotions are brought into the picture, and it gives an extended view and intrigue to the story. He was married, but his wife, Tonia, was deported, so he “married” Lara, but he tricked her into escaping Siberia so as to not be arrested and thrown in a gulag, and when he returns to Moscow, he reunites with an old friend. Through this connection, he “marries” his friend’s daughter, Marina, and even then, he abandons her to consult himself in solitude, to face his depression for the loss of Lara and Tonia, alone. Doctor Zhivago requires patience and interest to read, but it is nonetheless still a phenomenal work of literature. I would recommend this novel, however, it would be helpful if the reader has any interest in history whatsoever. This allows the reader to digest the material more effectively, and to also not be entirely bored of it at the halfway point.

So overall, this book is excellent in its own right, and I would recommend it, but it'd be helpful if you had any interest in history at all; a large portion of Doctor Zhivago is history-based.

Told through the eyes of the author, Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains will capture the reader’s attention with its wonderfully written account of Paul Farmer’s life and will leave them with a yearning to follow in his footsteps. Tracy Kidder was born on November 12, 1945, and is a renowned nonfiction writer who has won many awards for his works including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Award. This first-hand account of Pual Farmer’s legacy is so enthralling to read and paints a picture of Farmer's beliefs and life goals. In my opinion, Kidder does a wonderful job of telling the story in first person and his writing style is very fitting for the book. In the book, Farmer mentions how he dislikes some other works about poverty-stricken areas and states that they let the reader have a ‘way out’ of the tragic realities. Tracy Kidder has done a beautiful job of not providing a ‘way out’ for the reader and letting the reader see just how bad things are for some people. The plot was slightly confusing to me in the first part of the book; however, after the flashback to Farmer’s childhood, the clarity of the plot gets much better. This book speaks volumes about how much good one selfless person can do in the lives of others. 

I enjoyed reading White Fang because it teaches the reader what trust is, how it’s broken, and what can restore it. It is such a wholesome story dissecting White Fang’s stages in life and how he changes his perspectives on people. You will definitely notice the character development through the exquisite writing quality that combines a broad vocabulary of words, flowy sentences, and the uncompromising conditions of the winter cold. I can also see how the book can be relatable to some people, in the aspects of betrayal, neglect, and emotional detachment. It’ll open your eyes both because of the physical tears the book impels, but also how we as individuals look at the world unlike another depending on our upbringing–whether you’re human or not. If you enjoy classics with deeper meanings, and uplifting stories, or just want to feel reconnected with nature, I’d for sure recommend this book, as it perfectly encapsulates these profound topics.

The telling of this story was slightly confusing due to the four separate viewpoints, and at times I was lost as to who was talking or had to reread a section. Alfred, one of the characters through which the story is told, is rather mentally unsound and more than a bit insane. In the book, he is constantly writing mental letters to his half-Jewish “sweetheart” who he had (spoiler alert) betrayed to the Nazis. This seems unnecessary and makes it slightly weird. Beyond that, I feel as if the writing style was pretty good, but by no means fantastic. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drama and historical fiction; however, I wouldn’t read it again.

To start, I thought the three separate viewpoints made it hard to pay attention to what was really going on in the story. The constant switching between them and their different personalities was definitely a struggle to keep attention to. I also thought as much that i enjoyed the action and how well written it is, I do think there is too much. there was not a lot of rest time for the characters to have time to expand upon themselves, and I find myself having difficulty remembering what happened when in the story. Overall, I thought The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero was a great, well written book, with its own fair share of flaws imperfections.

Furia was a challenging book to read due to the absence of action throughout the book. While the book is about soccer, an interesting and contact-heavy sport, the writer focuses more on the small details in Camila’s life rather than her main interest. I thought this was a different way of telling the story because it stretched the book out and made the plot hard to follow. Camila’s character wasn’t consistent in her value throughout the whole book so that also played into the book being hard to follow. The book was written in first person through Camila’s eyes. It was nice to see her version of all of it because she had a lot of secrets, and there were a lot of points in the book where you thought she would get caught. It would have been nice to see Diego’s version of all that happened because he was one of the main characters in the book besides Camila. Yamile Saied Mendez is good at making metaphors, so a reader can see more clearly what she is trying to say. Throughout the book, Mendez also ties in a lot of Camila’s culture through dancing, food, the setting, and the characters that were developed. In all, I gave this book a two because the author chose to make the book more complicated than it had to be, and it made the book hard to follow.

Firstly, Huck Finn's drunken father manages to steal his son from Huck's adopted family and holds him captive in a cabin deep in the woods. As soon as he is able, Huck escapes by faking his death. He plans a journey, a rafting trip down the Mississippi River to escape from society, and invites a runaway slave, Jim, to join him. Huck and Jim may not have completed their ideal journey, but they learned many lessons.

Mark Twain wrote the novel and dialogue to be accurate to approximately the 1830s to 1840s. Because of the accuracy of his writing, Mark Twain's classic can be challenging to comprehend, but trying to understand the heavy Southern accents makes the book more fun to read. At first, understanding the language can be a little strenuous, but once further into the story, deciphering the language becomes much more effortless. Mark Twain included lots of imagery and descriptive phrases that make even somber scenes seem intense. The only part of the story I didn't enjoy was the ending. The ending felt incomplete, and I needed a more conclusive, action-packed final scene.

Suzanne Collins, the creative author of the Hunger Games series, perfectly creates Katniss's first-person point of view. When we see through Katniss’s eyes, we can really feel everything that happens to her instead of receiving the information from a narrator. A narrator can only talk about what happens, but a book is correctly written in the first person you go through everything that the character goes through and feel everything they feel. In such an emotional book like this one, the first person works fantastically. Another crucial element of the author's craft is the symbolism used. There are many instances of symbols. For example, the Mockingjay is probably the most important representing both Katniss and the rebellion, there are some others as well including the clock shown to Katniss by Plutarch Heavensbee, the head game maker, representing the Quarter Quell arena. Imagery is another element Collins is exceptionally good at writing. In every part of the story, word choice is perfect. This is one of the reasons this book is so hard to put down and so enjoyable. These are just a few excellent elements of Collins's unique writing style that make her work fun to read.

In her memoir, Walls described the gruesome and hard times in her life in acute detail, which made it far more engaging than if she had skipped over those parts, and it makes the reader root for her all through the book. One scene in particular I really liked was when Jeanette was over at a friend’s house and she offered to carve their chicken for dinner. The friend’s family was amazed at how Jeanette could get every scrap of meat off of the carcass, and how quickly and skilled she could do it. That scene stuck with me because even though it seemed inconsequential it showed how she had to mature early and that she could be independent in the real world. Including that part of her life in the book showed a lot of character development, and I really enjoyed reading it. I also loved how the scenes would flow, and the language that the author would use to describe her newest house or her father’s next big business venture. I did have to stop reading at times, though, because of how repetitive it could be. It was the same story every time: all full of hope, the family would move to a new town, her father would promise to keep a job and provide for his family, but then everything would go downhill, and before long they would have to pack up and go on another “adventure” in their newest rusty old car. Though it could be a bit boring in the middle of the book, I really enjoyed The Glass Castle, and I would recommend it to anyone who is ok with having their heart broken and wants to look at the world a bit differently after the book is finished.

Born a Crime is a very interesting and informative book. Since Trevor Noah has experienced everything he wrote about, he is able to give a full scope of his encounters as a young man. I feel that the story was a bit convoluted and moved a bit too quickly, like jumping from one topic to another in the span of a page. I wish he expanded a bit on more topics, like his time in prison or the beatings he endured from his stepfather. Besides all of that, I really enjoyed the different stories and experiences he had to tell about his life. I thought this book was a great memoir that encapsulated what it must've been like growing up in the Apartheid as a person of mixed race in a place that disgraced his creation and being. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys Trevor's work and want to learn more about the Apartheid.

 I found it to be easier to read and relate to because of Mr. Sedaris’s way of writing. At times I found myself dozing off and being unmotivated to want to read this book, but that showed me how simple and boring life can be. All of the stories shown in this book were ones that I could see myself experiencing. Reading books about crazy accomplishments can make someone feel the need to make some remarkable discovery to have people enjoy their life story, but David Sedaris’s book takes the pressure off of people and gives them a place where they can listen to stories that they can get a laugh or a cry out. The relatability gave me a sense of comfort because I wasn’t having to read about a revolutionary event. I could read about the simple life that I am experiencing right now. Mr. Sedaris has a unique way of writing, and I often found myself confused about the chronology of events that were happening. He would bounce around to different topics without finishing and resolving problems. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” isn’t a book to read if you are looking for a problem-solution plot, rather it is a group of stories that make you feel a certain way. 

My favorite aspect of the book was probably when she explained how busy her and Barack’s life had become. It was amazing to learn about all the duties and responsibilities the first lady and her family had. Her fears about the safety of her daughters were scary, and they added a layer of risk and uncertainty to the mood of the book. I particularly enjoyed the beginning and middle of the book, but as I neared the end the excitement fizzled out. This memoir informed and entertained me even though I am not very interested in politics and law. I think that it would be great for anyone to read, regardless of prior knowledge on those two topics.

Published in 1998 by one of the sole survivors of the Holocaust, Leo Bretholz, is an amazing memoir that will take you directly off your feet and hurtle you 76 years back in time, putting you in the shoes of the Jewish memoirist. With no promising future after the arrival of Hitler in his hometown, Bretholz escaped countless times from the Nazis in desperate grasps of regaining his freedom, having to forcefully expand his resolve across a span of seven years in battle scarred Europe. Peeking underneath “discrimination” and “scary,” is his first hand experience, exposing the gruesome reality of what the Holocaust was like that transcends the meaning of such simple words.

Leap into Darkness is such a great place to start learning about the Holocaust because it has so much more to give than just information. It dives past the subjects of strength and courage and touches base on the elements of sacrifice for those around you, to be in unimaginable moral dilemmas, and shows how human nature is capable of both corruption and love. As a picky reader, Leap into Darkness surpassed my expectations. I loved the characters so much and how insightful the book was. It felt like my eyes were opened for the first time. To anticipate Bretholz’s development and then see his mindset turn from innocent to a weariness beyond his years was engaging, but also heartbreaking. Every setting was depressing and inhumane. I found the book hard to read due to the many unfiltered and harrowing scenes, but at the same time that factor kept me occupied and on my toes. You could really imagine yourself being there amidst the cruel, armed Nazis, hear the painful cries of mothers being separated from their children, and feel the hesitance of Jews to even take a step out of their hiding. 

Not only did it touch my heart, but the way the book’s sentences flowed made it incredibly easy to follow, with even real life photos that correspond to the text. It’s easy to know what’s going on, making it perfect for learning history. I believe everyone should educate themselves on what happened during the Holocaust, and I know for a fact that the autobiography Leap into Darkness offers exceeds that.

While Ozzy may not have written his autobiography solitarily, his influence on the book's language is undeniable. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's style of writing. While I read, it was easy to imagine Ozzy's voice reciting the words because the book was written as though he were speaking, including a plethora of profanities. Ozzy developed great characterization throughout the book, most of the autobiography consisted of anecdotes, that combined, lead to an almost complete retelling of his life.

In my opinion, this book is written quite well. Mr. Greitens tells this story from a first-person point of view which makes sense because it is his story. When reading the book, I did get slightly confused in the beginning when the storyline jumped back into Greitens’s childhood and I believe that that section of the book could have been formulated better; however, the rest of the book was fine. Filled with so many facts and tiny details and supplemented by pictures, this book lets the reader step into Mr. Greitens's life. Throughout the book, the reader learns that sometimes you have to have strength so that you can do good. However, other times the inverse is true, to be strong, you must do good. If someone wants to rebuild a war-torn country, they cannot do it just by using force. They also have to interact with the locals, learn the culture, and show kindness to the people there to truly heal the country. I would not only recommend this book to anyone interested in serving overseas but also to people who are intrigued by different cultures and volunteering with refugees overseas.

What I enjoyed about this story is the sense of “I can do anything” that is prevalent throughout the book. It makes you want to challenge yourself, and see how far you can push yourself and your abilities. It is a tale of self-discovery, brotherhood, and a quest to become worthy in a father’s critical eyes. 

The author did a phenomenal job describing the scenes, and it felt as if you could almost see what the book was describing. Additionally, Rinker Buck didn’t leave out or skip the parts he may not have liked, he told it truthfully and without incongruences, even if it shed him in a bad light to start. The autobiography was funny, informative, and immersive. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes planes and is slightly rebellious.

No Summit Out of Sight is written by Jordan Romero, a young mountain climber and inspirational speaker, and Linda LeBlanc, a mountain climber, world traveler, and writer. This book tells the story of Jordan Romero, the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, a compilation of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Telling the story of Jordan's adventures as he pursues his goal of climbing the Seven Summits, this book starts by going into the background story of how he was inspired to pursue this immense challenge. Next, it describes the first mountain he had ever climbed and how he trained for it. The book continues to describe how Jordan trained for and climbed each of the Seven Summits, starting with Mount Kosciuszko and ending with Mount Vinson. This book’s true story holds themes of perseverance, teamwork, and support. 

I enjoyed this book because it has engaging writing that made me, the reader, feel as if I was climbing the summits right alongside Jordan. I could almost feel the moments of Jordan’s successes and hardships as if I, too, was experiencing them in real life, which is a feeling most other books do not give me. Before I read this book, I didn't realize how complicated it is to climb tall mountains; however, after I read this book, I now know what a huge undertaking it is. Some of the taller peaks can even take over a month to scale. In addition, I found the description of the cultures that Jordan encounters on his travels incredibly interesting and entertaining. It is fascinating to learn about different traditions and ways of living. Learning about the adventures of Jordan Romero really inspired me, and I’m sure that anyone who reads this book will fall in love with his story and be encouraged to follow their dreams.

Catch Me if You Can was written by both Frank W. Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding. I believe they were able to give an excellent tone to the story because it was unique and spirited. The character development was also fascinating since the authors did a good job showing how much Abagnale grew up during his short life of crime. As Abagnale was really still a kid, these early years of life on his own probably contributed a lot to the person he is now. The plot was very intriguing although confusing at times and sometimes far-fetched. One of my aspects of this book were the fun chapter titles which kept me guessing what might be in the next chapter. These are just a few of the unique author craft elements used in Catch Me if You Can. 

          The author's message to anyone reading her book was that no matter what adversity you are faced with, you can always find a way out of it as long as you have the determination and resilience to do it. I overall liked this book because the author did a good job explaining what happened and making everything understandable. The different points of view of various people during the book made it a little harder to take notes but it was good reading cause I could understand what was going on with other people and their outlook on the situation. I would recommend “The Donner Party” as it was my favorite book in a while and it showcases an interesting true story.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a happy ending. Although there are tough obstacles along the way, it only makes the ending so much better. The book was written in an unusual way, which was hard to follow, but in the end everything made sense. I liked how the author gave detailed descriptions of surroundings, using sensory details and explaining how the characters felt in every situation. I also really liked how he kept the boy and the father unnamed throughout the entire book. I think it helped emphasize the bond between the father and son, and how much determination they had.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is ok with a book having racism, not that it's a good thing but this book is based on racism, but also the show of love and personal conviction. The book was written as a duo book, every other chapter would be one character's point of view and the others would be the second character’s point of view, some of the chapters would be sometimes super long and others would be super short, only one page. I liked how the author added detail into each chapter, even the super short ones. The author made everything so easy to understand, she also made it to that even if Michael’s parents didn’t like Mina that doesn’t change the perspective that Michael sees her.

 I would recommend this read to many people. It is a very action-packed book and extremely hooking right from the start. It has two sections to it, one about all of his adventures through his life which is told in first person and is extremely action-packed and very engaging. The second section of the book is told in the third person and it's more about his childhood and it goes into detail about his life not just his adventures. This book was a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone that loves action-packed books.

 At the beginning of the book, Beatrice faces the daunting task of making a life-changing decision that will not only determine her future but also challenge her identity. She grapples with the expectations of her family and society, feeling a strong pull towards the bravery and excitement of Dauntless. In contrast, her family has always belonged to Abnegation, a faction whose main value is selflessness. This inner conflict sets the stage for her transformation that comes with dangerous challenges and uncovers crazy truths about her society. Despite the risks involved, Tris’s courage and determination to forge her path make this book very engaging and make you want to keep reading. I would 100% recommend this book.

Crater’s boss, the Colonel, is in search of someone who is dependable and hardworking to retrieve a mysterious, top secret package.The package is on the other side of the moon and will take someone with a lot of courage and mental toughness to pull off the mission. The Colonel believes this person is Crater. Crater was not allowed to open this package under any circumstances. Crater develops as a person and matures greatly as he faces many challenging obstacles throughout this mission, along with making new friends and enemies. He proves to himself and others he is the right choice for the Colonel and this important mission.

If you enjoy science fiction this may be a book you would enjoy. However, I found it to be confusing and I did not enjoy the content it brought. While the story of Crater and his mission was exciting at times it still was hard to keep up and understand all of the futuristic and science terminology. 

The author did a great job with this book. The mix of magical working with making it into a real story. It is magical to have small birds watch over them going back to acting like the little siblings are birds and leaving their nest. But the author also puts it into perspective of having the birds leave the nest like having the kids leave home. With every poem in this story, he goes into depth detail and heartfelt messages on how people are feeling writing passages on how the character feels. This over was a great book and I think the author did a great job.

One of the elements I noticed of "Brave New World" is its building. Huxley carefully crafts a society that is both advanced and particular, where technological advancements have dictated disease and suffering but at the cost of peoples autonomy and emotional depth. The characters, from the conditioned citizens to the outsiders. Highlighting the stark contrasts between the controlled utopia and the raw, unfiltered human experience.

The book's relevance has only grown over time, as it raises important questions about the ethical implications of genetic engineering, the role of technology in our lives, and the value of individuality. The author, Aldous Huxley, did a wonderful job of writing this book, making "Brave New World" a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of science, society, and philosophy. It serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of losing our humanity in the pursuit of progress and the importance of preserving our individuality in an increasingly homogenized world.

I thought Canada was very good, but I did find the plot a little confusing at times, which made it hard to stay fully immersed. Richard Ford’s writing is very intricate, and he often spends pages giving unimportant details that make it difficult to follow everything that is going on in the plot. This book also had some disturbing scenes that I did not enjoy reading. People who prefer complex, detailed books over fast-paced books with lots of action would likely enjoy this a lot.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me, but I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading long and detailed books.

While the team researches, they find the dangerous creatures that lurk in the lake. Loch and Zaidee find their way around the lake searching for clues to prove the existence of the creatures. They go through challenges that bring them closer together and the characters grow a stronger bond as the book goes on. They encounter the creature on multiple instances and the book ends chapters on cliffhangers keeping the suspense. Throughout the book, they find so many clues that bring them closer to proving the existence of the creature. It’s so rewarding to see them get closer and closer throughout the book They find people trying to hide the creature from the people trying to prove the creature. The book ends with a very action-packed climax. 

The author has a fast-paced writing style that keeps the reader interested throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction and exciting books.

This book shows themes of diversity, and having your own beliefs. Zeck traveled to earth to get away from all of the diversity that was in space. The book also tells the reader about war and peace between civilizations, by showing the struggles of all the characters.

I think this book would be good for anybody who wants to read a fiction book that has a little bit of real life information. I thought this book was okay, I would only recommend this book if you find unrealistic war interesting

My overall opinion of the book is hard to be one hundred percent sure of. This is the second book of a series that has seven books. The book was hard to understand most of the time and I had to go back on many occasions to reread a section to understand it better. For someone who plans on reading the series or at least has read the first book it would be a really good option, this book has an intense and complex storyline that requires you to read the first book.             

The Ross Sea Party walked over 1700 miles to help Shackleton. All of their dogs died while they were in Antarctica. Most of them were also suffering from scurvy. A man named Macintosh had a daughter a month before he left to help Shackleton and he ends up dying while he is in Antarctica. Shackleton never made landfall on Antarctica. 

The characters in The Summer I Turned Pretty are well explained, and their backstories reveal a lot about them as a character which helps to figure out why Conrad and Jeremiah are so important to Isabel. I found the way Jenny Han writes to be confusing sometimes because of the flashbacks to Isabel when she was little, but I understand why the author did this because it was necessary for the plot to advance. I did not like the plot of The Summer I Turned Pretty because the idea of not being able to decide between two boys was weird, and not a good role model for the reader. The Summer I Turned Pretty was a confusing book, and I did not like the theme because she is overthinking about her first love, and choosing to impress boys instead of focusing on herself.

This book is definitely dystopian and has similar themes to 1984 by George Orwell. I enjoyed its political commentary on censorship and media due to its relevance today. Despite being written 72 years ago, the inventive technology written by Bradbury feels almost prophetic. The reading experience was enjoyable with a fast paced plot and exceptionally well written characters. One of the few things I found disappointing was the ending because I prefer novels that have a clear ending rather than letting you ponder.

On Earth, there are two worlds. One of them, a place where humans thrive, is the Green World. The other is somewhere that people haven't explored all of, but is a place where hundreds of thousands more species live, called the Blue World. We know issues on Earth consist of deforestation, climate change, and global warming, but many people don't know that issues similar to these continue deep underwater, affecting animals like fish, turtles, or seals and their habitat. As Sylvia Earle explores the world’s ocean thoroughly, she records her observations for this nonfiction account as a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. Starting off, we learn about why the ocean is important to us: being 97% of the world's water source and its capacity to limit health issues makes the ocean something we need to take care of. Oceans of all tempuratures are critical to help animals thrive in their day-to-day lives. Throughout the book, the author writes about the encounters she has had with animals like dolphins and whales, which helped grow her love for the ocean. Moving on from animals, Earle talks about oil spills and drilling, climate change, and the change in CO2, causing dangerous waters for both humans and animals using them. “Melting Ice and Rising Seas” details how changing temperatures cause animals to die. Going on, the writer has another experience while on an iceboat, which helps her realize what makes ice melt so fast. Finally, Earle celebrates China’s 10,000 years worth of work compressed into a few decades, making them very accomplished.

 To learn is to know, and this book continues to teach its reader that exploration is purposeful and necessary, that there is always more to learn about our oceans- that helping means being aware. This is shown as the author tries to keep people informed and involved with tasks that can help save our oceans. This was a well-written book and was constantly teaching me new things, like learning about what extensive challenges animals all over the world must pass. Many of these animals go through so many parts of their life  just to survive through these experiences. However, it was challenging to read as there was a lot of scientific language and information used that sometimes took away from the purpose of the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and it taught me a lot of things I didn't know before. 

Elma's story shows that human exploration, desire for survival, and curiosity override current societal expectations. This is seen throughout the story especially in the scenes about the media attention Elma receives.  It starts by an old colleague of hers inviting her onto a children's science show and expands into “Lady Astronaut” clubs with people vying for her autograph and attention.  All of this public adoration for Elma, a smart woman who is aiming to go to space, convinces the space organization to rethink their previous decisions.

Despite the positive themes of the book, there were some parts where the writing was difficult to read.  One of the parts that was frustrating was how much technical science language the author used. It was a large part of a few chapters, so it was difficult to understand what they were talking about without knowing the jargon. Other than those parts, the writing in the book was humorous and easy to follow. While I mostly enjoyed the book, I will not be reading the rest of the series, nor do I plan on re-reading it.

This book connects to the topic of exploration in various ways. Cassidy explores the haunted places in Paris, such as the catacombs, for the first time. Another thing she explores is what it’s like to deal with new, powerful ghosts and her ability to send them on. Victoria Schwab states Cassidy is “still developing skills as a ghost hunter,” proving she continues to learn new things about her powers. 

My overall opinion on Tunnel of Bones is positive. There isn’t a boring part in the book, and action is always happening. I enjoyed the character development of Cassidy and Jacob, both individually and collectively, showing that unity is important even during times of hardship. The book is straightforward and didn’t cause any confusion.

The next morning, the ceremony begins. Thousands of people gather at the center of Irfut. As Deka tries to ignore her thoughts, she finds her friend. All the girls line up and the ceremony is now really happening, as Deka's name is called she begins to worry, walking across the platform she heads toward the blood drawers. As Deka approaches the station, Ionas, the most handsome man in Irfut, stabs her in the chest. Her blood runs red but quickly turns to gold. Deka passes out. When she awakes, she is in a dark, cold room with her father and guards of Irfut.

Deka asks her father what happened, and he quickly replies, mumbling under his breath something like, “It would have been better if you had just died”. Deka, confused and terrified, begs her father to not kill her. It turns out she has survived nine deaths. Now she is sent to the kingdom of Otera, where she makes friends, fights off deathstrikes and creates new worlds. Throughout all of this, Deka has nightmares about her mom and what the future has to store. The kingdom of Irfut is ruled by an emperor, who the Alaki do not like because he takes women power away.

This book dives into details of fear, impurity, power, and feminism. An overriding message, shown by the treatment and use of gold-blooded girls, is that women should not be controlled by men who are jealous of their power. Men should not be allowed to hide a girl's strength, because of their fear of not being the ‘best’. This book has crazy suspense with fighting that leads the reader to see things in a new way. Namina Forna is a master at making you feel the feelings the characters are going through. She wrote this book to help show her personal experience of gender problems and promote the empowerment of women. The characterization of “The Gilded Ones” is centralized around Deka, who was first criticized for her skin color, but transformed into a strong warrior, she is part of a group of girl warriors named Alaki. White hands, Britta, and Adwapa are all powerful women, similar to Deka. A popular symbol of this book is blood, whether it's gold or red, someone is always said to be better. Overall I enjoyed this book because Namina Forna does an excellent job at explaining feminism and keeps the book in a repeating first person, past tense narrative.

      The Wicked King delves into the theme of exploration especially, as developed through Jude’s learning to dictate a whole kingdom, the ropes on battle strategy, royal appearance, political situations, and so much more– all in order to dictate a whole kingdom. Jude also explores the hidden features of Cardan, the High King. Jude and Cardan started off as enemies, but as time progresses the two slowly bond through taking charge of their small empire. Cardan ultimately shifts his focus entirely on how to end the war by taking what once belonged to the Queen of the Undersea and make it part of his own expanded realm.

 Through The Wicked King, Black voices that to be strong is to sacrifice. Jude has always wanted one thing, to be stronger than her enemies; to accomplish this she has given up or sacrificed many things: her health as a mortal by poisoning herself every day brutally, so she would at some point be immune to it; protection from Madoc, her father, for her own power to become the king’s seneschal; and other desperate acts that will be left unrevealed here as to not unravel the entire story.

From my point of view, this second book of the Folk of the Air trilogy was an amazing piece of literature. The author has kept an ongoing suspense throughout the plot, so it keeps the reader always on their toes. She plants cliffhangers at every chance she gets and reveals unknown information through intense moments, so you never see them coming. Her chosen way of writing truly makes you feel like you’re sucked into the book. Holly Black, symbolizes many key points in very creative and unique, unexpected ways. Overall, I recommend this book for its magical way of providing escape from this world to a new one simply through just using words on paper.

Shirai has an amazing writing style that makes you think something is going to happen before it happens, and then he will make you think you're right with your prediction, and then he switches up the story, and it starts to head in a completely different direction. I love these books, and I definitely recommend them to anyone who likes medieval-era sci-fi books. 

The empire is one of demons that rules over the demon world, and the kids who escape the farmers have to explore the demon world to try to find a way to the human world. Beyond those thematic connections, The Promised Neverland promotes the idea that one should fight for freedom and survival. The kids must fight demons to escape to the human world, where they will be free from the twisted demon world. When they are going through the forest, which they know nothing about, they end up using whatever other knowledge they have to make food and survive in the forest.

The attack on the land has left Shahen, Sosi, and Mairam orphaned and in need to run far, like baby birds fleeing their nest. Those young ones are far from alone–the eagle from the start watches as they begin to move over mountains and through rivers, with blood polluting the waters. Over the course of 63 days of hiding in the daylight, then using the cover of night to shield themselves from the attackers, many tragedies threaten their lives. From starvation to dehydration, this story will keep you guessing what could happen next. 

This book explores themes of both sadness and happiness, with a hint of magic, while also maintaining the adventure at its core. It shows that being together with those you love, during a far travel, can determine life or death. This book is for those who have only a bit of time each day to read a couple of pages, or those who like to just sit down and read through a book in one go. It is easy to lose track of time. But, for me, this was not my favorite book. I often found myself lost on whose perspective I was reading from. Also, it was often hard to pick back up from the same spot without forgetting some major or minor details. While it was not my favorite book, I could see someone who likes these types of books finding this entertaining, heartbreaking, and just overall a good book.

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I thoroughly enjoyed indulging in the masterpiece that is Antarctica by Peter Lerangis. Mr. Lerangis did a superb job of ensuring there was never a stale moment. In the past, I've read books with great concepts or intriguing characters, but I often struggled to get into the book because there were too many chapters that felt empty or unimportant to the plot. However, that was never an issue with this book. Furthermore, I also found the dialogue in this book, specifically the internal dialogue, to be quite intriguing. It allowed me to feel as if I was experiencing the expedition with the rest of the crew, and it also granted the other characters the power to add some emotional depth. The one issue I had was that the ending is a cliffhanger, which requires me to get the second book, but I don’t have it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic books or anyone who likes stories like Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

'’A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'’ illustrates exploration through discoveries and self-discovery. Pippa explores a closed case for a senior project, allowing her to explore more of herself when she doesn't recognize herself anymore after the decisions she makes when investigating the case. The story also illustrates that the truth must be uncovered at any cost: Pippa doesn't drop the case, even after the gruesome threats and actions taken against her while working on it.

The story's theme keeps the intrigue going—how far will they go to uncover something? The plot is fast-paced and keeps the reader interested and wanting to continue reading to find out what happens next. The characters all have well-written parts in the story, which makes it engaging and encourages the reader to figure out the truth of the murder case too. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery and fast-paced books that keep you second guessing until the very end.

Consistent throughout the story, we see the Hudson’s expedition followed by misfortune and grief as they work to find a mysterious yet legendary passage no matter the cost. As the scene transitions to the Netherlands to follow Isabella and her mission as a spy, we learn her true thoughts and despair about her family and the situation she’s been placed in. Back home in London, the slightly more happy pair of Richard and Katherine Hudson go through their daily lives and allow us to see not only what life may have been like in such a time, but how difficult it could be when faced with the possible loss of family. All of the transitions throughout the book, from perspective to perspective, are used skillfully by the author to detail how different people can respond when faced with challenge or trauma. She also uses these views to introduce different themes—both dark and bright—like grief, despair, and death, and others like love, friendship, and perseverance. All of them end up coming together to show that any group of people, no matter their differences, can unite under one common cause.

In this role, Gabriel meets several notable figures, including Benedict Arnold, Henry Knox, General Lee, General Israel Putnam and many others. Next, he meets General Lee's aid-de-camp, Gabriel detests Edwin Cresswell the Third very much.whose arrogant detests him. Gabriel and Edwin begin their rivalry 

Later Gabriel and a friend embark on a mission. During which they journey through Albany, New York, and explore the North American wilderness. They have to figure out how to get from Boston to Fort Ticonderoga and back with over sixty tons of cannons. It is through their ordeals that Stevenson establishes the importance of planning ahead, as they need to strategize to get the cannons without the British knowing. Washington even states that planning ahead of time is crucial to defeat the king.Other obstacles threaten Gabriel's life.

This book is very well written, and there are many twists in the plot to keep the reader intrigued. Stevenson keeps the story moving right along instead of staying on one topic for three chapters. While it may be historical fiction, this story depicts what it would have been like to live in the 1770s as an early American kid. An added bonus is the map in the beginning of this version of the book, which is helpful in visualizing the terrain that the characters are traversing. I highly recommend this adventure to anyone who, like me, enjoys reading historical fiction.

This book offers a lot of action and drama. But the author left it off at a cliff hanger so it made me confused, wondering what happens next. The end, when Cal and Mare are fighting the executioners, brings the plot full circle by having two silvers fight. This was a big suspenseful part. The fight feels like it lasts forever, and any reader can't help but wonder and hope Cal and Mare will be okay. Mare's journey from being a girl without powers to a girl with powers really mixes it up and causes a range of emotions. Overall this book is engaging and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, so I'd say it's a great book for someone who likes lots of action.

The Novice talks mostly about exploration. Fletcher's originally in a village called Pelt before his adventure to the training camp. He traveled to the city of Corcillum and was robbed  not long after arriving but saved by someone who knew  he was a summoner and who sponsored Fletcher at the training camp.

At the training camp Fletcher felt out of place because other sorcerers were way ahead of him, but he had no clue at the time of what he was capable of. Matharu's tale is a warning that people who have power need to use it responsibly as a leader should.

This book connects to empires through the Hominem empire which is the empire in the book.

If you're looking for a fantasy book with mythical creatures and a great story line then this book is perfect for you. I loved this book because it has constant changes--in where he's going, who he's talking to, and who he's fighting--making the book never boring. I've always liked reading about mythical creatures or unreal events because it makes reading fun.

Throughout Love & Gelato, Lina learns that exploring new ways of life can be helpful for mental and physical growth. I loved this book because of the writing style the author used. It is written from one point of view, and filled with dense information that is on topic with the main ideas. The descriptive adjectives the author uses, like "picturesque" and “eerily silent” makes the reader feel like they are in the setting and going through the same things Lina is. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about trying new things and navigating difficult relationships while pushing through traumatic events.

The topic that The Odyssey shows the most is exploration, as it focuses on Odysseus' journey to return home. He travels to many different islands and monsters that he has never seen before, for example when he travels to the island where the Cyclops is, and when he runs into the Lotus Eaters. The Odyssey illustrates that homecoming can be a painful and gruesome experience. Odysseus’s adventure through the Mediterranean sea includes being trapped on an island for seven years and telling the Phaeacians about his journey after the Trojan War. 

I really like Greek myths and the characters that come from it. The story effectively uses suspense and in some ways provides life lessons. If one can look past the huge time difference to see everyone has a journey to make. If you're looking for a good book that tells an exciting/terrifying journey, then The Odyssey would be a good choice.  

A quick Summer is one day, while working at the zoo, Jason Walker fell into the mouth of a hippo and was expelled into the mysterious land of Lyrian.

While exploring Lyrian, Jason stumbles upon a secret book in a huge library. In the book, Jason discovers a six-syllable word that can destroy the evil emperor Maldor.  Unfortunately, the book only gives him one of the syllables.  Jason's quest is to find the remaining syllables.