Book review by G.A.B

During the summer before their freshman year of high school, Kelsey and David became inseparable best friends- until a misunderstanding happened turning Kelsey into a class clown and everything around her collapsed, including her relationship with David. Ergo when Kelsey’s parents made the decision to move, she couldn’t wait to turn over a new leaf and leave the past behind. Sadly for Kelsey’s case, David wasn’t ready to let her go… 

            Now in their senior year, Kelsey has new friends, true popularity, and an extremely hot boyfriend. Her life is put together again. Well, until David’s family moves into town that year. Hidden feelings start to ignite once again, and ruin Kelsey’s last chance at happiness. The more time she spends with David the more Kelsey realized she never actually let him go, or wanted to in the first place.

I enjoyed how Gina Ciocca alternated between Kelsey’s past and present (her senior year). During the book you were actually reading two stories in one- which for any book worm that’s haven! I also loved the sister to sister relationship. In all honesty it reminded me of how I interact with my two younger sisters because we might have our arguments and loud mouths like Kelsey’s sister, Miranda we still pull through for each other during our low times. Lastly, I love David! He was my favorite character even though he had his own messed up life he stayed true to Kelsey (even when she didn’t). Now on to my dislikes, during the book I wasn’t pleased with how Kelsey was a drama queen. Not everything can be about you, David has his issues too! Not to mention if she had just waited to let David explain the misunderstanding all would be well again, but I guess I can’t really complain because that’s what keeps the story alive. Also don’t get me wrong I love clichés, but I just wish there would have been a plot twist or something unpredictable to surprise the reader during the story. Those are my only complaints, but I still loved the book. � H�� ��s�+aO

Though he tries all he can to fit in and do his best in the football team, he can't shake the feeling that something isn't right – with the team, his best friend, Eytan, and the girl he likes, April. None of it made sense to him. As he transitions through his first few months into sophomore year, he begins to realize the reason why he isn't completely happy.  

Throne of Glass is a young adult fantasy novel written by Sarah J. Maas.  The main character is a teenage assassin named Celaena Sardothien.  Celaena is a rich assassin in a kingdom where magic is outlawed and the poor are thrown into labor camps.  Despite having the title of Adarlan's most notorious assassin, Celaena is captured by the tyrannical king and thrown in the Salt Mines of Endovier. After a year, Celaena is rescued from the labor camp and offered a deal by her enemies. The dashing and handsome Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard, and his Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall. They tell her that the king has decided he needs a Champion. Celaena will be pitted against a dozen other assassins, thieves and murderers in a 14-week competition.  If she is victorious, she will serve the crown for four years and then be granted her freedom, if she fails, she'll die.  As the tale develops, Celaena forms forbidden relationships and discovers a conspiracy buried deep into the king's court. The story takes a pivotal turns as Celaena finds herself falling in love. Celaena is young woman living in a world full of pain and death, but she refuses to let the monsters break her. Will she survive the competition and win the title of the King's Champion? 

Sarah J. Maas spins a beautiful story about a girl who swaggers through life and hides the worst pain behind her smirk. A tale unlike those stereotypes of defenseless princesses, but of a queen, who doesn’t need anyone to protect her. Her characters are full of life and relatable even when the setting is immensely different from the 21st century. Maas uses foreshadowing and flashbacks to build suspense and flawlessly coalesces background information into the story.  Plot twist after plot twist bombard the reader in an amazing way that keeps them awake and grasping at the words.  The mood of the writing fluctuates in a seamless manner that readers can easily follow. Harry Potter lovers will absolutely adore this fantasy masterpiece. Romance, ghosts, balls, kings, and demons weave an extraordinary tale in Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass.  

 

On the way, James nearly crashes his truck, sending him into a ditch on the side of the road. Checking for damages to the vehicle and the cargo, James discovers that the “cargo” he was carrying are actually two young Hispanic girls, filthy and teary eyed, huddled in the corner of the otherwise empty truck. After learning their names, Antonia and Maria, he proceeds to take care of them on their trip to Reno by letting sit in the front with him and taking them to a gas station to get new clothes, as well as providing food for them. During the hours that follow, James begins to fall in love with Antonia, the older and wiser sister who is more cautious. However, when they arrive at Reno and he delivers them to Garo, a super suave but suspicious man, he begins to realize he won’t see her again. As he says goodbye, he notices subtle signs that all point to prostitution, and he starts to worry. He asks a hotel manager, Dale, for help, and although he was hostile at first, he grows closer to James over time, and agrees to help out. 

Meanwhile, Maria and Antonia are trapped in Garo’s house, and both sisters walk into the world of human trafficking. The Smallbones blatantly show the graphic horrors of prostitution through Antonia’s thoughts; she is terrified and she constantly prays to God for an escape. Will James, with the help of Dale, rescue Maria and Antonia from the hands of prostitution? 

The Smallbone brothers wrote a powerful and compelling story based on true events that capture the reader and prove that a man cannot determine the price of a woman, because they are priceless. They centered in on a topic that is difficult to talk about in a way that is straightforward, but not overwhelming. By showing how Antonia’s faith remains strong despite her ordeals, the Smallbones also convey a message of Christianity that is not strained or too focused upon. They also portray various acts of chivalry that are not as common in modern times, but are still realistic and can be seen as prevalent today. While some parts can be extremely cliche, they show how James changed from a grieving widower to a strong man with respect for women. While James went through a drastic development, Antonia seemed a bit underdeveloped and her ending with James seemed rushed. Despite this, it is clear that she mended James’s relationship with God that had been broken since his wife died. Pushing aside the Smallbones’ Christian message, they clearly show that every woman is “worth more than all the money in the world”; that they are undoubtedly priceless.

 

 

J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit is a great Prelude to The Lord of The Rings.  The Hobbit is a fantasy novel based on a hobbit named Bilbo as he is recruited by Gandalf, and thirteen other dwarves to accompany them on their journey to defeat Smaug.  Next, the descriptive words Tolkien uses in his novel brings the story to life, gives a sense of wonder to a new character introduced making the reader want to know more about this character . 

 

The author cautions the theme as a "careful what you do with your life" by showing both paths taken out through the two boys. It was especially surprising to know that this story was a true story, because seeing someone with the exact same name as you, while having the exact opposite as you is close to impossible to encounter. Similarly, the book was definitely an interesting concept to review, considering it didn't have an overall surprise as the ending was all revealed in the introduction. In each chapter, the book would describe one section of both Wes' lives. The uniqueness about that was to see how progressively better Wes Moore's live was getting as opposed to the other Wes Moore getting more reckless. The only thing arguably needed to change about this is the introduction and how the ending result of their decisions in life spoiled. 

In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling as well as John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, we finally see the wizarding world again after years and years of waiting.  Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter has led a normal life, for a wizard at least.  He works for the Ministry of Magic, has a beautiful wife, and three children.  When his youngest son, Albus Severus, has reached the age to attend Hogwarts, conflict begins to arise.  Albus becomes aware of the people staring at him whispering about his father.  With the Potter family legacy being forced upon him, Albus begins to form his own opinions on how great the Chosen One really is.  Throughout the story, Harry and Albus struggle with their relationship and understanding each other.  Harry worries over his son, who in turn pushes him away.  Will they fix their broken relationship or will they grow apart?

            Throughout the story I was intrigued by the twists and turns that Rowling brilliantly constructed.  Rowling also shows the struggles that parents and teens may have, but not in an overbearing and informational way.  The reader can learn whilst being entertained.  As far as the storyline goes, the plot was fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat up until the very end.  The symbolism throughout the story is fantastic.  This book is a great addition to the Harry Potter collection and was a fascinating story to read.  If you liked the Harry Potter series, this book will not disappoint and is the sequel that we’ve waited so long to have! I would encourage anyone to read this book, it’s truly magical.

            When it comes to controversial topics in general it’s usually a hit or miss, especially in on topics that shines light on the human rights violations of the Middle East.   Author Souad in Burned Alive completely knocks it out of the ballpark.  The biography takes place in the West Banks, a Middle Eastern country next to Syria and Israel.  She describes life as a woman, how terribly she is treated, how her father would beats her regularly, and her simple decision that changed her life forever.

  Bravery is usually always depicted as a heroic action or act of selflessness, although there has been little bravery and courage to speak up against human rights violations and acts of pure brutality not directly concerning us.  To speak up in behalf of these issues knowing the full consequences (which involve death) is one of the bravest things someone could do. Burned Alive is by far one of the most heartbreaking and inspirational titles I have ever read, I’ve yet to see another who puts itself forward to tackle these subjects.  I highly recommended reading Burned Alive and experience Souad’s journey yourself.

1984 by George Orwell

 

            1984 was written in 1949 and tries to predict how the common world would look if a government controlled society with complete force. You could compare this all-powerful government to Adolf Hitler and how he distorted the truth to keep power over the population. A reason Orwell may have written the book with this kind of complete power is because of all the tyrants and he may have seen the same looming for his country. Likewise, the tyrant of “Big Brother” watches over everybody and doesn’t allow any form of disagreement with his absolute rule.

            Winston Smith is part of the middle class Outer party and lives by himself. He is one of the people in society that question the truth about the past and tries to get more information about the true past by asking older people about what they remember about the past. 

            Overall, Winston was betraying Big Brother the whole novel starting with writing “DOWN WITH BIG BROHTER” multiple times in his diary. This science fiction utopian novel shows that even the most powerful forces can change somebody entirely. 

 

 

JWF

Dorothy must die by Danielle Paige is a twisted sequel to The Wizard of Oz.  Amy Gumm is a tough girl with pink hair and a complicated life. Amy and her pet rat, named Star lived in a trailer. One day the trailer was ripped from the ground taking them to a strange place. It took them to Oz but, it wasn’t happy like it was in the movie Amy watched when she was younger.  All of the old Oz characters have changed and new ones come along.During Amy’s journey she meets Indigo a goth munchkin with tattoos of Oz before Dorothy’s rule. Ollie is a flying monkey, well he use to be, is trying to save is sister from the Scarecrow. .The guy she falls in love with. The lady that saves her life. In order for her to get home she has to accomplish some difficult task. Will she succeed. 

 

  

            Caragh O’Brien’s The Vault of Dreamers is an intense and suspenseful adventure novel. At The Forge School of the Arts, readers become involved in the televised life of Rosie Sinclair as well as her nocturnal investigative side. The Forge School of the Arts is an academy that broadcasts artistically talented teens at all times during the day. At night, the cameras are turned off and they are required to take a sleeping pill that makes them asleep for twelve hours. Rosie skips her sleeping pills constantly and explores the campus; as a result she starts to unravel what she believes to be the truth about the school.  

O'Brien's use of first person creates an emotional connection between Rosie and the audience; the reader feels present in her adventures. For example, when people continuously interrogated her sanity, it made the readers feel as if to consider their own. The author also really involves the reader in Rosie's romantic relationship with Linus, a bus boy, and she also develops it appropriately with steady timing. However, Rosie's friendships weren't well built up. For example, when Janice and Paige visited Rosie in Dr. Ash's office the scene was played up for them to act as best friends and have a heartfelt moment. However, the lack of them being mentioned throughout the story made their presence was strange; "She came to sit next to me on the bed while Paige lingered near the door" (O'Brien 363). The novel felt secluded to only certain characters. More perspective on the other characters would've been a nice addition.  

The plot was well executed with every chapter being filled of herself being questioned and her life being twisted, which caused a slap in the face of the reader. The cat and mouse chases between Rosie and Dean Berg were crucial to the development of the story and added tension to the plot, although they became redundant with the same outcome. A wider variety of effects from Rosie and Dean Berg's "chess game" could've added a touch of spice. 

Overall, the book is captivating. It is very relatable to teens and Rosie creates a good sign of rebellion such as Katniss or Tris.  

 

 

 

BP
A Darker Oz

A twist on the classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Must Die is a spectacular read for fantasy lovers everywhere.  Written by authoress Danielle Paige, this beautiful opus takes us alongside assassin-in-training Amy Gumm.  Also known as Trailer Trash and Salvation Army in school, pink-haired Amy was not really cared for in Kansas.  Her mom a drunk, father gone, and bullies at school made the girl pretty tough from the start.  When that squall picked up the dilapidated mobile home and took Gumm to Oz, that all changed.  The Revolutionary Order of Witches rescued her from Dorothy’s dungeon and explained,”… Glamora said,’ and losing its magic to Dorothy will mean the end of Oz.  That’s why you’re here.  We need you to stop her.’” (Paige 135). And that was the spark for Amy.  She now had a mission. Kill the dictator of the now less then magical land, Dorothy Gale.  Along with the help of a revolutionary order of witches and warlocks, flightless monkeys, and a mysterious gardener boy, Gumm sets out to achieve this goal in the Dorothy Must Die series.

            The theme of Dorothy Must Die is that no matter what, there is someone out there that cares for you.  For Amy Gumm, this may seem hard because of all that has happened to her in Kansas, but then she meets Nox and Ollie and Indigo.  

My initial impression of this amazing work of literature is how easily you get caught up in the story.  Because of the mass use of imagery, the book is painted into a crystal clear picture.  There are many times when imagery comes into play, like when Danielle describes Amy,” I was Salvation Amy, the flat-chested trailer-trash girl whose clothes were always a little too big and a little to thrift store.” (Paige 4).  Since I love being able to ‘see’ the words as if it was a film, I already started to read this book again.  The only restriction I would put on this piece is the age limit.  There is a lot of harsh language and violence so I would not permit this for ages 10 and lower.  I believe that the violence and harsh language add to the story, but maybe there should be less of it.  But if you are older than age 10, I would most definitely suggest this book for a fun escape. 

            The King of Attolia is a story full of suspense, humor, and conflict. You walk through the struggles with a lowly guard who is put in situations he is unused to, and with a new, inexperienced king who is learning his way. In The King of Attolia Turner winds you through her written world in a way that is fantasy, but has a historical feel to it. It is gripping to the end, as well as a great read. 4SUSQ �+�p

Henry’s writing was not just the story being told through thoughts, dialogue, and series of events; instead, it incorporated police interviews, 911 calls, and evidence the police had collected.  These unique factors allowed the readers to try and piece together information on their own.  Henry’s work also consists of a changing point of view, allowing the reader to gain information other characters might not have yet.  This technique does a fantastic job of creating suspense for the reader.

 

Summary

            In Madeleine Roux’s novel Asylum, Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan attend the New Hampshire College Prep program where the unexpected always happens to them.  First, Dan finds a picture of a man in his desk drawer.  This may seem normal, but then he noticed that someone angrily scratched out his eyes.  His roommate, Felix, said that there’s an office on the main floor which had hundreds of pictures similar to the one Dan found.

            Dan, Abby, and Jordan go to the office to look at the pictures, only to find many more.  They found another office, and underground tunnel with tons of cells used as rooms for patients.  They found out what went on at the asylum when it was open.  They also found out about certain people who were pretending and lying all summer.  This was a summer none of them would be able to forget.

 

Book Review

            I liked my book, Asylum, by Madeleine Roux because she wrote it with great detail, “Faintly, he could see a man staring up at him, an older, bespectacled gentleman in a doctor’s coat and dark shirt… Messily—or perhaps angrily—someone had scratched them out” (Roux 15).  I could picture everything she described in this book.  Once I started reading, I got hooked.  I didn’t want to put the book down ever again until I finished it.  I really liked how she incorporated pictures from actual asylums and things she was describing into the book.  This book is 1 out of 3, therefore I’ve been wanting to read the other 2 because of how good the first one was.  When I finished the second one, I loved it also, I want to read the third one even more now because the second one was written similarly to the first but it was somehow better.  The way Roux wrote the first book made me want more, I liked that most because it sucked me into her series and I loved it.

Even if you haven't read his the first novel Every day, of course you can still read Another day of course, you can still read Another day because it's an amazing book. Although, you might not understand the characters, The novel is in first person point of view of the main character Rhiannon, he writes her point of view in an emotional way that you start feeling attached to her  and feel sympathetic towards her. As you keep reading you get sucked into their world and it's difficult to put the book down because every time you stop reading there is always a cliffhanger that makes you crave more of the story. As the plot starts to develop it gets you questioning everything in the real world too as if some of the events could actually take place because it's so close to our reality that we just start to question "what if this happens then maybe this will happen?”. In addition, it appeals to our generation because he adds in details that relate to us very well, for example: finding out who we are, exploring love, and our relationship with our mind and body.

In City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, Clary's evil brother Sebastian has disappeared along with her boyfriend Jace. After killing the demon Lilith, Jace and Sebastian were bonded together by a parabatai bond, when one person gets hurt, so does the other. Clary joins with Simon and her friends to find them and stop Sebastian's plans of creating an army of dark Shadowhunters and burning the world down. Clary and Simon use Faerie rings in order to communicate while she goes out alone to find them. Clary has to play along with Sebastian's evil scheme to get Jace unpossessed and to save the world. The bond is broken momentarily and Jace tells Clary to not trust either of them. Clary goes through a very emotional time trying to fight the urge of being with Jace. Together they explore the beautiful city of Venice while Sebastian puts his plan together. Jace is kind, romantic, and as happy as could be, but she knows that it isn't really him. Back home, Simon, Magnus, Alec, and Isabelle raise the powerful angel Raziel in order to find a way to break the bond. Simon has to trade his Mark of Cain in order to get a holy sword named Glorious which could potentially kill Sebastian. Inside Sebastian's room, Clary finds his plans to raise Lilith and use her demon blood in a second mortal cup to create the dark army. Can Clary stop his plans and save the world? 

City of Lost souls is romantic, humorous, gripping, and action-packed.  Cassandra Clare makes you fall in love with Jace and Clary's relationship from the beginning to the end. All Clary wants is to live a peaceful life with him but something always goes wrong. Cassandra writes with such detail and elegance that provokes emotion from both the character and the reader, "Clary thought of Sebastian, with his ice-white hair and black eyes. If only, she thought. If only I didn't have a brother, none of this would have happened. A little throb of hatred went through her, warming her icy blood" (Clare 27). She also tears you apart when Jace joins Sebastian and his plans to destroy the world. Clary fights for true love in the beautiful world of Shadowhunters, werewolves, vampires, and faeries. Jace makes you fall in love with him no matter what he does with his charm and romance. Jace would do anything for Clary, so she knows that she must do the same, "I don't care," Clary said. "He'd do it for me. Tell me he wouldn't. If I were missing-" "He'd burn the whole world down till he could dig you out of the ashes. I know," Alec said" (Clare 20).  This kind of passion is why this is one of my favorite books. Cassandra Clare manages to make the world and people seem real by giving them human emotions within a fantasy environment. When characters get hurt or die, it's devastating to any reader. The way that Jace is depicted in this book will make you be just as confused as Clary, not knowing if you should love or hate him. The ending of the book has a huge twist that makes you crave for more and question what will happen next. This book was written so perfectly, anyone who loves fantasy and action will absolutely love it.

 

K F

 

          In The Graveyard Book we meet our main character, Bod, as an infant.  He has crawled his way to a graveyard where the people of the graveyard, who are actually ghosts, take him in. The ghosts understand that somebody has to take care of this baby and they discuss whether they can take care of this new child. Eventually they decide they will grant him the “Freedom of the Graveyard” and decide to raise him. So now, as his new guardians the ghosts have to give him a name Mrs. Owens, the infants new mother, decides the name when she states, “ he looks like Nobody but himself.”(Gaiman 121). Which gives him the name Nobody Owens, but most people will call him Bod.

            When the ghosts granted Bod the Freedom of the Graveyard they gave him the ability to see and speak to the people of the graveyard. This helps Bod be able to have friends inside of the cemetery, but as Bod grows up the ghosts stay the same so he constantly has to make new friends. But Bod has one person that is always his friend and Guardian Silas. Silas is the only other non-ghost that has the freedom of the graveyard so he is the person that bod has the most in common with. This qualifies him to be the main supporter for Bod along his journey even though he isn’t there all of the time. 0NZp�"��

 

            The book starts out with Harry sending Albus off to Hogwarts. Albus meets Scorpius. Harry and Albus have a very rocky relationship because Albus feels that being a Potter puts too much pressure on him. Albus and Scorpius steal a time-turner from Hermione’s office and go back in time to prevent Cedric Diggory from dying. They learn that messing in time has some very strong consequences.  They manage to fix the problems they’ve caused, but their struggles are not over yet. Albus and Scorpius realize that they put their trust in the wrong person and find themselves trying to save the world. 

            

            In my opinion, the storyline was pretty weak. It was extremely complicated, and it felt like the authors were being lazy by playing off of the original books. I thought this would be an original story. Instead, they reused the time-turner from book 3, the tragic death of Cedric from book 4, and theweird Voldemort-Bellatrix romance that had always seemed stupid to me, because Voldemort cannot feel love.  I never thought of him having any romantic interests at all. It just doesn’t fit Voldemort’s character to want a child. The argument that he just desperately wanted an heir could be made, but Voldemort believed that he would live forever. Why would he need one? On page 287, it says, “The child of Bellatrix Lestrange and you. I was born in Malfoy Manor before the Battle of Hogwarts. A battle you are going to loose.” First, who was taking care of this newborn infant while her parents were off slaughtering people? Second, Harry sees Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor not long before the Battle of Hogwarts, and it is not noted that Bellatrix looks pregnant. It was lazy writing, and a lazy reuse of old storylines. The story did not have to involve Voldemort. The authors could have created a new villain pretty easily. Dark magic still exists, even though Moldy-Voldy is dead. 

 

            The other major criticism of this book is the characters. Harry Potter is portrayed as an awful father. At one point, he actually says, “Well, there are times I wish you weren’t my son,” (Rowling, Tiffany, and Thorne, 41). Harry neglects Albus and doesn’t try to respect his point of view. This bothered me because in the other books, Harry was portrayed as a kind person who would make an excellent father, but here, that is not the case. 

 

            Other than those two criticisms, the book was pretty good. This is mainly because of three things. First, the writing is excellent. I was not disappointed. I was a bit worried about the quality of the writing, as this was a play and not a regular novel, but I was blown away with lines like, “They were great men, with huge flaws, and you know what– those flaws almost made them greater,” (Rowling, Tiffany, and Thorne, 308). Second, Scorpius. He is hilarious and nerdy and just generally awesome. My favorite line of his is, “My geekness is a-quivering,” (Rowling, Tiffany and Thorne, 255). He just makes up for Harry being awful. He is absolutely nothing like Draco, and that’s a good thing. The third thing is, it’s Harry Potter. It wasn’t what I had hoped, and it wasn’t perfect, but it is still the eighth book. Sequels made long after the original came out are usually a whole lot worse than this. *Cough* Episode 1 *cough*.  I would recommend this book to any long-time Potterhead. If you can’t say that you’re in the Harry Potter fandom, you’re probably not going to like it, but true fans will be blinded by the magic. There was tons of Easter eggs in this book that made me super happy, so if you are a true Potterhead, I would 100% recommend this book. If not, then maybe skip this one.

 

 Casino Royale

Casino Royale is about a British spy named James Bond who is sent by “M”, the leader of the British secret service, to defeat a man named Le Chiffre who is a Soviet agent, in a game of cards to bankrupt him and lose all his money. The reason for this is because Le Chiffre has been controlling the trade union for the Soviets but has taken their money and he has invested it badly. Since his financial position os desperate, he enters into a high stakes card game and puts all his remaining money on a big win at he casino. M chooses Bond because he is one of the services best gamblers. A lady named Vesper Lynd is sent by the agency to improve Bond’s cover. Also a French agent, Rene Mathis, and a CIA agent Felix Leiter. Once the men enter the game, Le Chiffre gets an early lead and actually eliminates Bond from the game. Bond then buys back in with money that he received from Leiter. After money hours of playing, Bond finally wins and takes all the money. After the game, Bond finds out Le Chiffre and his men have captured Vesper and he chases the men down. Bonds car then hits road spikes set up by Le Chiffre and is also taken. Le Chiffre then tortures Bond and forces him to tell where the money is. Bond never talks and is saved by a man working for the agency “S.M.E.R.S.H.” which is also a agency trying to kill Le Chiffre. Next, Bond and Vesper fall in love and go away together.

I enjoyed Casino Royale because it had plenty of suspense and action which is what I like in books and it also developed the character very well because I could sometimes feel what he felt and I actually cared about him and what he was trying to do. I also liked how to mood of the book was always suspicious, like someone was always watching him. I enjoyed how the author put little details to describe people and things including Le Chiffre and what drink he ordered. One thing I did not like about the novel was how the author didn’t give enough backstory about the antagonist, Le Chiffre. It seemed like he was a one dimensional character who always found his way out of curtain situations. 

Mare Barrow lives in a divided world, where you either bleed red or silver. Reds are the commoners, who live in poverty under the rule of Silvers. The Silvers are treated and feared like Gods because of their supernatural abilities, which make them powerful warriors. Mare is a Red that lives in the silts with her family. At seventeen years old, Mare has a year till she’s conscripted into the Red army to fight in the war for the elite Silvers. Then, an encounter with a boy named Cal leaves Mare with a life-saving job at the palace.Through unexpected events Mare discovers that she has a dangerous and powerful abilities of her own. Her power becomes a threat to destroy the Silvers world. To stop that from happening the king and queen hide Mare in plain sight as one of their own. Mare struggles to conform into someone she will never be. Through a series of more lies, Mare gets swept into a dangerous game of power, cruel betrayal, murders, and lies. This game sets Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart and thoughts. 

I cannot praise this book enough to all my friends. It will have you flipping each page as fast as lightning, and unwilling having to put the book down to jump back into reality. Aveyard does a terrific job creating a classic hero’s journey and transforming it into a unique tale about a girl forced into a world she doesn’t know. From the first page, I was consumed in a compelling world of mystery and fantasy. In the first chapter, I notice that Aveyard wrote simple yet had a lot of details and descriptions in her work. The opening scene gives you great details of Mare’s ordinary life through allowing you to see, hear and smell everything. As the story continued, I was eager to watch the plot evolve as the action came in. The fast pace made the book incredibly gripping. This novel is full of action and suspense, a bit of romance, and a ton of plot twists. I would recommend this to anyone thirteen-year-old and above that’s looking for a book that has no boring parts.

Mrs. Kleman Honors English Bell 5
LEH

             Jennifer Donnelly takes us along on a journey with Mattie Gokey, a 15 year old girl who lives on her family’s farm in the rural community of Eagle Bay.  Written in a highly detailed style, Donnelly proceeds to tell us about daily life in 1906.  Donnelly creates an image of the countryside and farmland that many authors would have overlooked. Mattie’s life definitely isn’t perfect, especially after losing her mother at a young age. Being raised on a farm means she has quite a busy day. Still, somehow she always manages to find time every day for her true passion, writing. Mattie strongly believes that, “Nothing can stop you from writing if you really want to.”

            Donnelly takes you on a roller coaster ride, making you sit on the edge of your seat.  She strives to show the readers how everyone has strength within them to follow their hopes and dreams. Mattie is forced to work though all the challenges and obstacles that life has thrown at her.  When Grace Brown is found mysteriously dead in the bay, Mattie is forced to wonder if promises are still true even after someone dies? The author states, “When you make someone a promise, do you always have to keep it?…but you can’t break a promise to anyone who’s dead. They’ll come back and haunt you if you do.” Donnelly leaves you questioning if Mattie will end up putting the pieces together of this mysterious death. Will secret letters reveal this mystery or will Mattie have to go digging through the past? Will Mattie end up getting what she really desires in life, or will her whole world come crashing down?        

Period:5

October 22, 2016

Uglies: Book Review

In the book “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld, Protagonist Tally Young-blood is a 15 year old girl who is counting down the minutes of her next birthday, in which she will turn not only sixteen, but into a pretty, and finally be reunited with her best friends and potential lover, Peris. While spending her last days as an ugly, she meets a girl named Shay who shows her another perspective on the true meaning of being pretty. Uninterested in changing her face, Shay runs away leaving Tally in her thoughts- and in danger. When special people of dominance send her on an important mission outside the walls of safety, Tally sees a whole different world than where she was raised. With the help of two discoverers, and one David, she figures out something that not much people know. With this new information, she could save the entire population of New Pretty Town. But the real question is, will she ever be safe?

In the book “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld, Protagonist Tally Young-blood is a 15 year old girl who is counting down the minutes of her next birthday, in which she will turn not only sixteen, but into a pretty, and finally be reunited with her best friends and potential lover, Peris. While spending her last days as an ugly, she meets a girl named Shay who shows her another perspective on the true meaning of being pretty. Uninterested in changing her face, Shay runs away leaving Tally in her thoughts- and in danger. When special people of dominance send her on an important mission outside the walls of safety, Tally sees a whole different world than where she was raised. With the help of two discoverers, and one David, she figures out something that not much people know. With this new information, she could save the entire population of New Pretty Town. But the real question is, will she ever be safe? With a 4-part series, we go into the mind of an ugly who can change the brainwashed minds of perfect people.

One of the reasons I personally love this book is because it shows you a different outlook on life on the opposite side of the acceptance scale. Instead of reading a story about beautiful creatures who live in this amazing world, the author captures the story of a relatable teen who is going through an 'ugly' phase that most, even I, face on an everyday basis. The fact that throughout the book I feel connected to Tally, is a wonderful experience. My favorite part of the book would have to be when she was explaining how Peris looked after becoming pretty. She describes him as a man with, "Big eyes and full lips like a kid's; smooth, clear skin; symmetrical features; and a thousand other little

clues...The big eyes and lips said: I'm young and vulnerable, I can't hurt you and you want to protect me" (Westerfield 16). Something important to me when reading a book is the ability to relate, and this