Please post your response below by 3 pm on Friday, 9/12. You must then RESPOND to at least 3 posts in a well-written, well thought out 2-5 sentence response by Monday 9/15 at 7am.
To be honest, I first decided to read this book because the movie was about to come out. I heard many of my friends saying it was such a good book and that they can't wait until the movie, so I wanted to jump on the wagon and be excited too. After starting the book I realized that it was actually very interesting and addicting. I ended up finishing the book in a week and now it is one of my favorite books that I have ever read.
The book began with a girl named Hazel Grace who has cancer, attending a cancer support group. There she meets a guy named Augustus Waters, through her friend named Isaac. He's there to support his friend, Isaac who has a tumor in one eye that had been removed, and now he has to have his other eye taken out as well. Augustus approaches Hazel saying she looks like one of the actors from one of his favorite movies. Before Augustus takes Hazel home, they agree to read one another's favorite novels. After meeting each other for the first time they soon become great friends, mostly because of their interest in the novel An Imperial Affliction, and in the end they become lovers. Overall I think this novel is a very rollercoaster novel it pretty much guarantees that it will sometimes make you feel happy, will make you laugh, and will very much make you cry.
I think the best part of the book is when they both fall in love, which is basically the whole book. For example one favorite scene would be when they both go to Amsterdam and Augustus tells Hazel he loves her. And my least I would say is sadly the sickness that comes along with being a cancer patient, I know that it wouldn't be the book without the cancer, but it just sucks when a character is in pain. For example in one scene she ends up feeling pain and goes back to the hospital and the doctor says she might not be able to go to Amsterdam. When I really think of it, I don't really think this book could have been written any better. It's close to perfect and I like it just the way it is.
I extremely definitely think everyone who knows how to read should read this book! I recommend this to all my family members, friends, and classmates. I personally think this book could be read by any age and any gender, I never met anyone who dislikes the book. When I watched the movie, I noted that the book had more information, and that they made slight changes in the movie and skipped some less important things from the book. To be honest it was the first time I ever read a book before the movie came out, so it was truly a cool experience.
I completely agree that everyone should read this book. I read this book in 24 hours because I could not put it down. It is a great read and I think everyone could find a way to relate to this book.
I saw this movie in theaters and could not stop crying! I loved the romance that they shared with one another, how they looked over each others flaws and found what was truly important. I hope one day to read the book because all of those that I have discussed the book and the movie with say that the movie, although great, does the book an injustice with details.
I decided to read this book for my summer reading assignment last year and once I picked it up, I could not put it down! I always enjoy reading novels that are turned into movies so when a release date was announced I went to the movies as quick as I could! My favorite part in the book is the romance between Hazel and Augustus and how they looked past their diagnoses and loved each other like normal teenagers.
I have not read the book or seen the movie yet, but now I will be sure to read it in the near future. It sounds like a very good book, something that I will not be able to put down. The whole plot sounds interesting. Everybody has said how good it was, so now I will definitely have to read it.
I've heard a lot about this novel and the movie. I think the plot of The Fault in Our Stars is just perfect. The conflict of the main character being a cancer patient is genius. This allows drama to take place throughout the novel because cancer is an unpredictable virus. I must give this book a try because everyone recomends it.
I absolutely love this book! I finished the whole book in less then three days, I just could not put it down. Every little detail about book, the characters, the plot, conflict all just work perfectly together.
This was an absolutely great book. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is such an easy read and you won't want to put it down once you start.
I have not read this book but I will definitely take your recommendation and read it. I watched the movie and could not stop crying. This was one of the best movies I've ever seen, I definitely recommend it to everyone!
I found this series randomly when going through the Amazon Kindle book store. When I saw that it was about a Forensic Psychologist, I immediately bought it because that is what I want to be. Even though I knew it was fiction, I wanted to see what kind of situations a Forensic Psychologist goes through day to day. I didn't know anyone who read this series, but I decided to take a chance and see what it was all about.
Waking Hours starts with a local high school girl being found murdered in a park in East Salem. The announcement of the case on the news interests the book's forensic psychologist, Dani Harris. All of the suspects are teenagers who were at a party the night before with the victim. The biggest problem is that none of them can remember anything that happened. Dani Harris has her hands full with this case because one of them could be the murderer and she cannot let them get away.
The best part of the book was when Dani finds the reason behind why all her suspects don't remember anything from the party and when she starts to narrow down who could behind the whole incident. I don't think there was a bad part in this book. It kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading and I didn't want to put it down. I was mad that the book ending in a cliff hanger, but then remembered there were two more books. I think it was a great idea to expand this story and not just make it a single book. Usually when reading crime books,once you think you know who committed the crime it becomes less exciting. However, with this book even when I thought I had it figured out, it turned out there was so much more I didn't even know yet.
Overall, I would most definitely recommend this book to everyone. I don't read a lot but this book made me want to keep reading and find books just like it. It was so thrilling and never had a dull moment. This book will keep you on your toes and will get you hooked from the beginning. The whole trilogy is worth reading and I'm so glad that I found it.
Wow, this seems like a great read. I definitely love a great mystery/crime book because like you said, it keeps you on your toes. I am also considering that field of study along with a couple of others that I have in mind, so this book will be sure to keep me coming back for more. I'll have to make this my next independent reading book!
Like Nicole and Haley I also reading crime/mystery novels although I do not wish to work in that field. I enjoy the plot twists and the overall anticipation of reading a crime/mystery novel. I will definitely try to read this book soon.
This book sounds really good! I want to be a forensic psychologist as well. I think reading this will keep me very interested and also give me insight to the career. I haven't met anyone else who wanted to be a forensic psychologist in school, thats awesome! I will definitely be reading this!
This novel sounds like it's very interesting as it delves into the workings of a forensic psychologist. I'm sure it was helpful in gaining a better understanding of that profession
This books seems really interesting and now I kinda want to check it out and read it. I like alot of mystery books and this seems like a really good one. I also love series books so this seems like a perfect fit. I wonder why I never heard about it before but I can't wait to start reading.
I selected the book, November Blues, because I have been familiar with the author, Sharon M. Draper, for numerous years. She is the author of some of my favorite books, including The Battle of Jericho and Just Another Hero. As a child I grew up reading her books written for children, and fell in love with her style of writing. Her main theme has revolved around daily struggles that intercity children may endure in school and with their families.
November Blues covers teen pregnancy and what it is like to raise a child with little to no funds or support. After November’s boyfriend, Josh, died in a tragic hazing incident she soon finds out that she is pregnant with his child of two months. She struggles with questioning her true love for Josh throughout their relationship, and how to move on without the support system from him, or his family. Jericho, Josh’s cousin, takes the loss of his cousin very hard by giving up all of the hobbies and activities that once made him happy. In addition to grieving over his cousin, he is also battling his love life with his ex-girlfriend, Arielle, and his efforts on the football team.
This novel was great in describing what occurs in reality when an unplanned pregnancy takes place. Certain points of the exposition emphasize the struggles that may endure throughout the book when caring for a baby. A great example of this is when November’s mother forces her to go to the grocery store in order to price food items for the baby. It was evident that November had to question her financial stability, and whether she was equipped to raise a child at sixteen. The ending of the book was not what I hoped it would be; it was pretty vague and didn’t really conclude with a “happy ending”, like I hoped for. Nonetheless, that is what makes it such a realistic story, because there are not always happy endings with intercity teen mothers.
I would definitely suggest this book to many high school students, not only females but also males. It is a reality check to make sure one is not having unprotected sex, because the consequences of one night can change the rest of one’s future. I liked being able to step in the shoes of the character, November, for a change and experience all that she was going through. It definitely made me have a new prospective of raising a child; mothers are held completely accountable for their children. Although it certainly has been done, it seems like a lot for a high school student to deal with among the stress of SATs, applying to colleges and numerous high school events.
I do not mean to disparage your review, which was excellent, but I would not want to read this book. Simply because I do not see myself dealing with teen pregnancy. Also I feel like the topic is more geared towards helping women cope with teen pregnancy or to help prevent it.
Nicole this seems like a very good book. It looks like it has a great plot and relates to the real world. Although it doesn't have an happy ending, I feel like I could learn something from this novel. So I think that in the near future I wouldn't mind reading this book.
Now I wish I had checked this out when I saw it at the library. When looking at the book, I hadn't grasped the full context. Now that I do, I will definitely be getting it. It's crazy that November would have to deal with a pregnancy on her own because her boyfriend died. Dealing with both situations would be intense, especially since life goes on and continues to add to the struggles.
Your review was great. It made me interested in what happens in the book. I'm not so sure it would keep my attention however. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I might give it a try.
Chris, I agree with you that this might not be a book that would catch the attention of teenage males. However, I don't believe that this topic is only geared towards helping women cope with teen pregnancy. In my opinion, a teen pregnancy should be of equal responsibility between the mother and father of the child. Both individuals can also help prevent it.
I read the book Risked by Margaret Peterson Haddix for my summer reading project. Risked is a book in her Missing series. I have been reading this series ever since middle school, when the first book in the series, Found was released. Risked is now the seventh book in the series, with more books in the making. After reading her Among the Hidden series in school a while back, I decided to go ahead and look up more of her books, as I enjoyed the Among the Hidden series a lot. After reading the first book of the Missing series, I decided that I liked it so much I would read the rest of her books.
The whole series is based around these group of kids who were kidnapped from their original time period and brought to the twenty first century to be sold to different parents. Ever since they were found, Jonah, the main character in the book, who was also from a different time, has been trying to help these kids get back where they belong. They have traveled to many different time periods, trying to return these kids back without ruining time. Many different obstacles come along during their journey, and they must overcome them all.
The best part of the book was when they discovered who was behind the grand scheme of things, who actually sent them back to 1918. It was definitely a shock to all the characters in the book, something they never saw coming. It really was the climax, finally finding out why they were taken back to 1918. It was something that was not expected at all, since these characters were in time prison for kidnaping all the kids from their original time in the first place. I won’t tell who or else it basically ruins the whole story. The worst part had to be the ending. She ended the book with a huge cliffhanger, and I don’t like them. She alludes to something, but then just cuts it off. The suspense just kills me, waiting to see what happens in the next book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is a great book, with lots of twists and turns. However, you should read the rest of the series first, because each book leads into the next. I have been reading the series since middle school now, and I highly enjoy it. The whole series is very interesting, and will just make you want to read more. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.
I will definitely be checking this book out. Plot and twist are one of the things that I really enjoy in books. I also read the Among The Hidden series and really enjoyed those novels. Seeing this post reminded me of how much I like those books an I will definitely be reading this series!
Oh wow, its really cool how you started reading this series in middle school. I could feel the enthusiasm, I really wonder how many books the series will have in total. Overall this books seems really interesting and I would definitely read this, maybe after the first book.
I already love this author's work, so this is a no-brainer from the jump. I will definitely look out for this. I like the plot, the twists, and the suspense of it all. I also know I will not be disappointed by a Margaret Peterson Haddix book.
I remember reading the first few books myself in middle school. I assumed the series was finished after book three but now it seems like I have some catching up to do if you just finished book seven. I totally relate to your frustration with cliffhangers, but they give you suspense and a reason to continue the series! I loved the first books and now cannot wait to pick up where I left off!
I normally don't go for the time travel, unrealistic type of stuff when I am searching for a book. However, based on your review this books seems very interesting. I think that being that this is a part of a series makes it more interesting because you can follow these kids on there journey. I definitely will be checking out the whole series really soon.
I definitely wasn't expecting to see something about children being sold to different parents. That's definitely an attention grabber and draws me to read this book
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga Over the summer I was looking for a higher level book to read so I could improve my critical reading score and came across I Hunt Killers. The title of the book had grabbed my attention and after reading the inside covers I realized that it was my favorite genre; a thriller. When you first begin the book you are introduced to the main character, Jasper Dent. Jasper had a very tough childhood, his father was a serial killer who had trained Jasper to become one himself. This includes mutilating bodies in front of Jasper, how to clean up a crime scene, and any possible knowledge Jasper would need to know to be come the worlds greatest serial killer. Billy had been caught, and Jasper decided not to follow in his fathers footsteps, and instead help the police solve crimes.
One of the strengths of this book was it's use of words to paint a picture in your head of what was happening and almost put you there. For example the diner that Jasper went to every morning, in a small isolated town right off a highway, for coffee automatically paints a picture in your head. Right now you are seeing a slightly older establishment in a Midwestern town, and that is extremely impressive. The author provides a small amount of information and our brains do the rest. What could've been better is the way that the character expressed his emotions. Having the worst childhood any person could have he was mentally scarred. There were many moments in the story in which that Jasper was about to confide to his friends, but he never did. He was always aloof and manipulative and that bothered me. Jasper being trained to be a serial killer was good at faking emotions, so good that he often convinces his friends to investigate crime scenes illegally, during the middle of the night.
Overall this was a great novel. I only recommenced this novel if you are not squeamish and are looking for an interesting read. Some parts of this novel are very graphic and is not suitable for everyone, but if that is more your speed then you will really enjoy this book.
Thrillers and mysteries are my favorite genres to read. After reading your review, I want to read this book. It seems like it would be so interesting and reminds me of a episode of criminal minds, which is my favorite show.
Just from reading the summary of this novel, I feel as if I am already hooked. The book seems just weird enough to get my attention, but not too weird to turn me off from it. I definitely plan on reading I Hunt Killers next, it sounds too interesting to pass up.
I chose the book “In Afghanistan” by Jere van Dyk over the summer because it peaked my interest in subject matter. I read this book because I also read one of Jere’s other books called “Captive”, where he was held captive by the taliban for 45 days. The only reason Jere survived his captivity in that book was because of his experiences in this book he wrote beforehand.
Jere’s journey begins in America where he was talking to several big magazines to promise to publish his work when he returns. Many don’t because they don’t want to be held responsible for anything bad that could happen to Jere in the war torn country of Afghanistan. Finally, a higher up in TIME magazine unofficially supports Jere’s adventure. He gives Jere $500 and gave him some contacts and told him where to stay in Pakistan before heading into Afghanistan. Jere then travels to Pakistan and meets up with a few escorts who would smuggle him into Afghanistan. After he was smuggled into Afghanistan, his escorts brought him from village to village, from guerilla hideout to guerilla hideout.
This book is very interesting on how it is written. It is not a diary, but is a collection of his thoughts and recollection of events. Jere is very keen to detail and provides many. I think that is the best thing about this book. The only thing about this book that bothers me is that Jere did not fully explain what made him want to travel to Afghanistan in the first place. He made it sound like he woke up one day and decided he needed excitement in his life, so he picked the most dangerous hotspot for a western American man to travel to, Afghanistan.
All in all, I recommend this book only to those who like history. This book talks about a lot of current events at the time and how they effect Afghanistan, that the author assumes you already know about. There are some parts that can be boring, but it makes up for it when exciting things start to happen.
The Flowers in the Attic- V.C. Andrews Imagine you hear a story of a mother that has locked her children in the attic and attempted multiple times to poison and kill them. When hearing this story line, it was too good of a book to pass up and is why I decided to read this book. The Flowers in the Attic by V.C Andrews is about a family of six who goes through many trials and tribulations which ends in complete tragedy. It all begins with family incest that resulted in the conception of the “devils spawn”. After the death of their father, Christopher Sr., all the money that the family have saved over the years began to dwindle down until there was nothing left. Corrine Dollanganger, mother, made the decision that she must leave her house where she created her family and everything they have worked for, in order to go live with her mother and father to attempt to regain their acceptance. Corrine was born into wealth; however, when she conceived children with her half-uncle, her parents disowned her and cut her out of the will. Since her father was at deaths door, Corrine decided that this would be the best time to weasel her way back into the will.
Once the Dollanganger family had reached their grandparents mansion they were hidden in a secret room and was given specific instructions. They were to stay in this room without making a snippet of noise and for no reason were they to leave the room. Their grandmother, Olivia, allowed their mother to come visit them for a while but as time went on they began to see less and less of their mother. As their mother stop visiting them their grandmother had began to visit them but it wasn't to bear gifts but to physically and emotionally abuse the children. As the years went by the children's health began to decline, as did their lives. What happens next? Does Corrine succeed in poisoning her children? Is she even the one attempting to kill her children? Who will end up dead?
This book, unlike many others, had so many strengths there were no weaknesses that caught my eye. Some of the best parts were the parts that were left to imagination until later on in the book. For example, finding out what their mother had been up too as they were grew ill or discovering who was really behind the poisoning of their siblings. With every page this book brought a new element of surprise and is why I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
You got me with the first paragraph. I would definitely want to read this because it seems interesting, mysterious, and crazy. I like books like this, and I know I will be unable to put it down. I already began guessing who the "killer" might be, so I will definitely be getting to find out.
Flowers in the Attic is one of those books that makes you feel such hatred towards certain characters, such as the grandmother and their mother. I've read the book and watched the movie, and both times I feel such sadden emotions to the children. Having your own mother turn on you is tragic and depressing, especially due to some of the things she did to them. I agree with you, this book absolutely has no weaknesses.
Your first sentence made me want to read the book. The plot to this novel seems very dark yet intriguing and after reading your summary, I want to to know what happens in the end. I don't think I have read any book that is similar to Flowers in the Attic, it seems very unique with a lot of plot twist. I am definitely going to be checking this one out.
Like the others said, you had me hooked from the beginning. I only really read books that are mysterious and dark, and this seems to fit. After reading your review, I definitely need to pick up this book soon.
When I heard that Game of Thrones was the number 1 most watched show in the world, I had to watch it for myself to see what all the attention was about. Even though medieval times with sword fighting and magic isn't my cup of tea, I gave the show Game of Thrones, the number one most watch TV series in the world, a try. After falling in love with the story line, gore, fighting scenes, and other influential factors, I had to read the book after hearing countless times that the show doesn't do justice for how good the series is in text. So for my summer reading, I chose Game of Thrones Book 1.
A brief summary of the book wouldn't do any justice for how amazing the story line is. The main capital of the fictional continent of Westeros and Essos is King's Landing. With 7 kingdoms (The North, The Iron Islands, The Vale, The Westerlands, The Stormlands, the Reach and Dorne), after the fall of a King in King's Landing, someone must fill the throne and rule the 7 Kingdoms. If only it was so simple to pick someone to play that role for an entire civilization. With confusion regarding the rightful King, mayhem is brewing as each political figure of many of the Kingdoms fight for who's the rightful King, almost like playing a deadly game of who deserves the throne.
The only weaknesses that I found in the book were memorizing characters' names and remembering who belongs with what Kingdom. The strengths, however, are what truly sets the high standard for this book. Many novels and TV shows often have a main character that is usually always guaranteed to live. However, in Game of Thrones, you find yourself reading about several main character instead of just one. You don't want to get to attached because George R.R. Martin is not afraid to kill of some of the biggest characters in the book, resulting in a major shock. George R.R. Martin is an amazing author for how detailed his fighting scenes are described. With limbs flying off and characters being beheaded left and right, it's so hard not to imagine it in your head. As a fan of gore, I truly love this aspect and think it's one of the greatest strengths in this book. Another great strength is how many twists there are in the plot. You can be expecting one things to result to another but some event may go horribly wrong resulting in the death of a character that you may have hung onto. With plot twists that result in ending you may not want, a lot of twists go into deaths of characters you do want to die. Sometimes you end up saying to yourself that you want a certain character to die due to how evil they are by the actions they make. Martin certainly makes a connection with the reader and a character like no other author does.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who has the time to read 704 pages. If not, I would highly recommend watching the TV series. Both are highly addicting and you may surprise yourself with how much you like it. Be warned, this is for a mature audience. Blood, gore, and violence are just some of the reasons why it isn't appropriate for kids. However, it is a fantastic book and series to really dive into. I personally thought I wasn't going to enjoy it due to the setting but I found myself staying up until 5 am every morning this summer watching and reading Game of Thrones. This is truly a masterpiece in every aspect with strong character development, great action, amazing suspense, and dramatic shifts in plots. If you just watch one episode or read one chapter, you will understand why Game of Thrones is the number one watched series in the world with 14.2 million people tuning in weekly to find out what happens next.
While I don't see myself reading that many pages, I do watch the series with my family and love it! My dad and brother have both read the books so they know what is going to happen but I love the suspense of not knowing what's next. I relate to your statement on remembering the character's names. I never know who is who and each person has their name as well as nicknames. I also hope my favorite character does not get killed off!
Coming upon this book was a complete consequence. I saw the story line summarized on the front cover, and decided to give it a try. Caela Carter brings to life the story of her main character, Evelyn, who in attempt to get her parents’ attention, becomes pregnant. She doesn’t know who to turn to or what to do. Confused and depressed, Evelyn must now decide: Will she have an abortion, give the baby up for adoption, or take care of the child. Evelyn must keep in mind that once certain decisions are made, they cannot be changed. Before opening the book, I already had the assumption in my head that this story would be like all the other books about teen pregnancy: typical. Caela Carter proved me wrong. Caela Carter made Evelyn real. In the beginning, I felt that Evelyn was a “typical rich white girl” (NOT including the pregnancy, of course), but as the story progressed I came to enjoy this character’s personality. She was a deep thinker with so much potential, with an unclear goal. Through her incredible ups and downs, Evelyn’s story was a capturing one; I was unable to put it down for long. Her decision shocked me, as did the way that she went about it. This book had many strengths. I enjoyed the characters (some more than others) and their personalities. The interactions of plots was well thought out and properly depicted. I loved how Evelyn interacted with her African-American cousins when she went to temporarily live with them. I of course loved her aunt’s crazy and all-knowing personality, which brought more surprises than one. That’s another great thing about this book: It brings about so many surprises. Despite the strengths, even the greatest of books has its weaknesses. Predictability is definitely NOT one of them. The only things I did not completely approve of is that some people may find certain parts of the book unrealistic, such as a scene where Todd told Evelyn were talking about the possible future for their unborn child and Todd he supported Evelyn in whatever she chooses, but that he couldn’t be a part of it because he would get in trouble with his mom. I was like so confused! Who in real life is going to tell the girl they impregnated that she can do whatever she wants with no opinion! And the funny thing is he loved the girl, so how is he going to be so afraid of what, getting grounded that he can’t help his girl out? It was unrealistic how well everybody got along in the end; I was like “what”? Other than that little piece of foolishness, the book was amazing. I would suggest this to everyone! That is, everyone that is a teenage girl. Boys may not find it so enjoyable, but girls will. Even those girls who don’t enjoy the cliché teenage pregnancy stories (like me) will enjoy this book through and through. In my opinion, it is not common for books to be capable of grabbing the attention of different literary tastes, but this one can. Read it!
This book sounds interesting Bemi and I would love to read it. I find books centered around teenage girls very intriguing (go figure). I also can relate about reading books that are a little unrealistic; some can be pretty far fetched.
Over the summer, I attended a two-week pre-college program at The College of New Jersey. In this program, I took a college level course in sociology taught by a real college professor. One of the prerequisites for the class was to read the autobiography, “Gang Leader for a Day” by Sudhir Venkatesh. At first, the book seemed like another boring non-fiction book to read, but as the pages went on, I became involved with all of the characters. Like every book, this autobiography had its low and high points. Even with these points, I recommend this autobiography for any high school student or adult. This book opens readers eyes on the struggles dealt with in poor communities.
Written in the point of view of Sudhir Venkatesh, “Gang Leader for a Day” is an autobiography taking place in Chicago as Venkatesh is completing his thesis to obtain his masters degree in sociology. Unsure of a topic, Sudhir Venkatesh wonders why he cannot walk outside of campus around the Chicago Projects. These projects were group homes where thousands of people would live who could not afford a single family home or apartment. Curious, he visits the homes and gets involved with the local gang. Instead of committing crimes, Venkatesh investigated the ins-and-outs of being a gang leader and how to control the population inside the projects. This process continues until the gang leader believes Venkatesh has what it takes to run a high profile gang for a day. Can Venkatesh complete the task? Or does the change-up cause irreversible effects?
There are several lows and highs to this autobiography. First of all, like most novels, “Gang Leader for a Day” starts off very slowly. This is caused by the introduction of the setting, main characters, and reasons for this novel. Another low in the novel was the amount of violence and suffering of young members. Children as young as fifteen could join the local gang and sell drugs. On the other hand, the book is written so personally the reader feels as if they are there watching the story unfold. Personally, I felt for each one of the characters even though they were names on a page. Secondly, the autobiography gives readers a chance to understand the inner workings of a gang and how it is related to the community around it. While many people believe gangs start violence in towns, the gang in the projects actually helps the people surrounding it. While this book has many lows and highs it is a good read for any student or adult.
While this autobiography seems like an odd book for a high school girl to read, I would recommend the novel to any of my classmates. This book was not just about the gangs and violence found in Chicago, Illinois during the 1990s. This book opened people’s eyes about the struggles of living in the projects. While Gang Leader for a Day seems like a depressing autobiography, it offers hope to the inhabitants of Chicago and allowed their voices to be heard. Gang Leader for a Day is an excellent autobiography for any teenager to read to learn about the adversities people deal with to become successful in life.
This book sounds really interesting. It sounds like a true eye opener, to see what really goes on within the projects, and how they live their day to day lives. I find it interesting how someone as young as 15 can actually join a gang and sell drugs. It is definitely something I will read in the future.
After reading the books Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini, I was drawn to read the third installment in the series, Brisingr. The main premise of the series is a young, impulsive farm boy named Eragon discovers this egg which leads him into the world of the once great Dragon Riders who have been eradicated by emperor Galbatorix, a former Dragon Rider himself. Eragon and the dragon that hatched from the egg, Saphira, are faced with the daunting task of learning how to be a proper dragon as well as rider while being a beacon of hope of those fearing and warring against the powerful Galbatorix. Overall, Brisingr was an amazingly written book. There were numerous higher level words that forced you to either look at context clues or look at a dictionary. Although, some words for the creatures of the Eragon universe such as "Du Vrangr Gata" (Paolini, 22) or "Grimstborith Aldhrim" (Paolini, 415) occur frequently as well and are difficult to understand and pronounce even with the word key provided in the back. Also there's the political aspect to the novel which is interesting and at times fascinating with the grit and tenacity mixed with intelligence and smoothness those involved have. But it also tends to become tedious at times reading about the ins and the outs of the type of warfare they partake in. Even with those shortcomings, Brisingr has several twists and turns and sequences that draw the reader in, and with the vivid imagery that Christopher Paolini displays, the reader will always have a perfect picture of what's going on. All in all, I recommend this book because of the amazing story and storytelling by Christopher Paolini. Personally, seeing how thick the book is made me question if I truly wanted to read Brisingr, however as soon as I started reading it was difficult to put the book down. Brisingr is packed with big twists, action, and of course some romance since it's a young adult book, but a great storyline throughout.
In the past, I read Eragon, the first book in the series, and thought it was great. Up until now, I had no idea it was part of a series along with two other books. I plan on now reading the last two and finishing the series, especially Brisingr; Charles made it sound great.
I naturally am drawn into mystery novels, so Lisa Scottoline's "Come Home" immediately caught my attention. The whole novel revolves around figuring out how and why Jill's, the main character, ex husband is dead. Abby, her ex stepdaughter, delivers the news but believes the police over looked an important detail. Jill then decides to take on the risk, and slowly isolates herself from her fiancé and daughter just to find answers for Abby. Naturally her fiancé becomes jealous and curious as to why Jill is so focused on her deceased ex husband. He tries his best to stay out of the way, until things gets deadly.
As Jill becomes deep into the investigation, she can't distinguish the difference if people are actually following her or if she's completely exhausted and imagining things. The author does an exquisite job detailing every emotion and thought Jill is experiencing throughout the journey. In the novel Jill says, "Abby will always be my daughter and I'll still do anything for her." This statement proves, despite multiple sleepless nights and possible life threats, her mother-like characteristics help continue to guide in solving the mystery. Most mothers will do anything for their children and in Jill's case, the love for her ex stepdaughter is stronger than ever.
I feel, throughout the novel, the author never missed any important information or had had any weak spots. For example, when Jill was explaining to her real daughter why the marriage ended, she went through every detail. Ranging from questionable late nights at the office, to thousands of dollars missing from her account, I could feel the anger Jill had towards him.
I absolutely recommend reading Come Home, I'm currently rereading it myself. Lisa Scottoline is an amazing author, who's strong point is mysteries. So if you are attracted to the genre and epic plot twists, then this is the book for you.
This book reminds me of one of my favorite movies on Lifetime. I love a book that can keep you guessing on who did it, and based your review it looks like this book will have you guessing until the very end. I now know what book I will be reading next.
Over the summer, my friends and I decided to read multiple books so that we could discuss them once we were all finished. One of the books we chose to read is Addicted by Zane. Out of all of the books we chose to read, Addicted was by far the best; it sparked a multitude of conversations. Another factor besides my peers enticing me to read the book is the fact that a movie based on the book will be coming out shortly. I am very happy that we chose to read Addicted.
In Addicted, the main character, Zoe, has it all. She has a successful business of her own, two beautiful kids, wealth, and she’s even married to her high school sweetheart. To Zoe’s friends, family, the outside world, and even her husband, her life appears perfect. No one knows the addiction Zoe deals with on a regular basis. She is literally addicted to having affairs. Zoe seeks attention from other people even though she has everything she has always dreamed of right at home. Zoe’s affairs remain a secret for a while but everything that is done in the dark comes to light.
The novel had many strengths and few weaknesses. Addicted kept me interested from the first page to the very last. There wasn’t a dull moment throughout the novel. Each character was intriguing and interesting in a different way. There are several different storylines in the novel due to her multiple affairs, it kept the book captivating. The main weakness of the novel was the ending. I feel as though it was very far fetched. The ending should have been made a lot more realistic since the novel was based on a realistic situation. For example, instead of Zoe being affected by her affairs, many other characters are too. Zane incorporated a plethora of characters into an unrealistic plot twist that in my opinion decreased the books storyline.
I would definitely recommend this book. Though the ending was not what I expected, the story itself was intriguing and very emotional. It was interesting to watch how one’s decisions can be so detrimental not only personally but to others. I would suggest this to anyone looking for a great drama-filled novel with a grand plot twist.
Not to put your review down or anything like that, because it is very well-written, but this just does not seem like the type of book I would normally read. I do have to admit it sounds interesting, though. Just the idea of someone being addicted to having affairs is extremely intriguing,
This sounds like like a good read. The kind of addiction zoe has has is interesting because if someone found out about it, everything she has would be lost. Most people would want what she has, yet she is willing to risk it all for the thrill of attention.
I decided to read The Boy in The Striped Pajamas after my brother recommended the book to me. He assured me, it will have me glued to my seats, and unable to put down the book as every page brings a heartbreaking, and mind-grabbing event, and he was right. The novel takes place in Berlin during World War II, and it portrayed through the eyes of a child named Bruno, who is the son of a very important Nazi. Due to his father's promotion, the whole family ups and moves to Out-with which is actually Auschwitz, the deadliest and most gruesome of concentration camps during this time period. Although forbidden by his father to travel too close to the high wired fence in his backyard, Bruno's curiosity manages to get the best of him and he embarks on this restricted path. His instinct for exploration and desire for adventure are the driving forces that lead him to meet a young Jewish boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the fence. They quickly connect and become friends but neither of the boys truly know what's going on around them as they are clearly oblivious of the discrimination and atrocities going about them. As a matter of fact, they are even unaware of why the fence is dividing them and why Shmuel had to relocate from his home to this place where he is barely fed and has to work all day long. One day, Bruno gets even more curious and secretly, even begins to envy his new friend Shmuel, and does something that will leave you speechless and awed in disbelief.
The novel does a brilliant job portraying the horrors of what humans are capable of in their darkest era but yet it also explores the beauty of two friends during a time of war and hatred and how their innocence conquers differences in culture and boundaries. A vast number of strengths in this story can be found, for example, on page 14 of the novel, Boyne shows a cruel irony to this time period when the mother says, "We don't have the luxury of thinking, some people make all the decisions for us," because this statement alone describes the situation of the Jewish population and how they had no say in their fate, and it's ironic to show that the wife of a Nazi head official would say such a thing. However this novel does contain some weakness as well, for one, the authenticity of this story was often questioned for a couple of reasons. How is it possible that the son of a highly ranked Nazi officer is unaware of who Jews are and why they are being put behind fences because in reality the Hitler Youth Organization at the time would probably have brainwashed him as they had with many other kids. Also, how is it possible that the Jewish boy, Shmuel, is able to avoid doing work and come by everyday at the fence to talk to Bruno, when in reality, if a child was found not working, they would immediately have been executed. It just all seems a bit unlikely that reality would play out like the events in this story did, but nonetheless, this does not take away from exhilarating read.
This novel was hands down of my favorite books, because it had such emotion behind it and not to mention a great story line and I would highly recommend this book. John Boyne has such a deep passion for his writing and does an amazing task of transforming the reader into not only helping them visualize the horrors of the Holocaust, but actually making the reader feel the truth behind it all as a bystander watching all this happen during this time. In conclusion, all I have left to say is that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is literally a masterpiece of historical fiction, and to not read such a exhilarating story, should be a crime for any being that enjoys a good read.
After reading this review, I plan on reading the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Just from you're short summary it sounds great. Also multiple people have recomended it to me before so I will definitely be reading it soon.
I actually have read the book and watched the movie, and honestly this book is in my top 10 favorite books. This book portrays the obstacles of the holocaust so well that it feels as if you are going through the battle with the main characters. The quote that you inserted from page 14, just describes the unfortunate truth behind their life and is such a touching quote. I definitely with be rereading this book soon.
One of the books I read over the summer is Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Shiver is the first book of the The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. During the month of June, before school ended, I was looking for teen books to read for the summer on the internet and on one website, I came across Shiver. Later I download the book onto my phone and, during the middle of July, I started the series. I felt like I already read all the goods books and I wanted to see if therir was any obscure books that weren't on the school library shelves; thankfully, I found 30 books. Succeeding this book is Linger and the final book is Forever. There is also a companion book called Sinner, which is centered around two of the characters who were introduced in the first and second books.
The book Shiver is set in the fictional town of Mercy Falls, Minnesota and told in the two alternating points of view of Grace Brisbane and Sam Roth. Grace, a practical, strong-hearted teenager with emotionally neglectful parents, was attacked by werewolves at the age of eleven. However, she was saved from death by a yellow-eyed wolf: Sam. A creative, sensitive teen, with a bright amber yellow eye color, Sam was orphaned by his parents who tried to kill him when they found out he was a werewolf. He lives a double life as a werewolf and a human. Since the attack, Sam, as a wolf, and Grace, as a human, have been watching each other from the woods behind her house and Grace has always felt a connection with him and Sam has a strong yearning to be and stay human. Sam gets his wish to meet Grace when appears on her back porch, having been shot. Grace takes him in, nursing his wound, and allowing him to stay in her room. Together, they fall in love, sharing secrets and giving each other support, despite their opposite personalities. But eventually, Sam will permanently stay a werewolf and Grace must find a way to keep him from change. To add to their problems, a wolf hunt, due to the death of another teen by a wolf attack, has been issued in Mercy Falls, putting Grace, Sam, and the werewolf pack, and others involved in danger.
Shiver, though very good in general, show areas of strengths and minor weaknesses in my opinion. Maggie Stiefvater explained many aspects of the book in detail so the reader wouldn't be confused. She also made it sound appealing and realistic and it was connected to modern day life. If one reads the whole series, he or she might feel a connection towards the character. Sam, for instance, is described as lyricist and musician who keeps to himself and I can relate. He comes up with song lyrics in his head in the blink of an eye and that encouraged me to write more poetry since I love writing and reading. One of the things that irritated me throughout the book was the redundancy of the word 'mirror', as in the act of mirroring one's actions. I think Stiefvater could have used other words like 'imitate' or 'mimick'. Another thing that was bothersome, but in a good way, was the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. It drove me crazy not knowing what was going to happen next. Otherwise, this book was solid and interesting.
Shiver seems to speak to girls mostly so I would recommend it to teenage girls, but boys are welcome to read it as well. It was a very intriguing read and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. Since it was on my phone, I was running the battery down everyday bcause the book had me hooked. There are good lessons to take away from reading this book, such as the improtance of loving one's family and that suffering always accompanies joy. One would think that books like these wouldn't have any life lessons or effects on life in general, but they are hidden throughout the book in the form of the characters and the plot. This book is full of supsense, adventure, and romance, aspects of a book that would be appealing to a teenager. Once you start reading Shiver, it will make you shiver with excitement.
Shiver sounds like a book I would like to attach on! I love the idea of Sam and Grace sharing a mutual feeling of protecting each other, and having the outcome is falling in love. Also, similar to Sam, I am too kept to myself and can get lost in my music.
I selected this book because my brother recommended it for me. He said that it would be a great novel for me because he knew I loved reading about the history of African Americans in the United States. My brother repeatedly told me that if I chose to not read this novel, then he would no longer consider me as a high class reader. Due to my stubbornness and my constant will to prove my brother wrong, I accepted his challenge and ultimately decided to read “Slavery & Freedom”. I also decided to read this book because I truly wanted a challenging book that would test my reading and comprehension skills this summer. Slavery and Freedom by James Oakes is an interpretation of the Old South between the relationships of slaves and masters. This novel contains deep detail about the growing rate of racism and white supremacy. The books talks about the struggles and tribulations of contemporary life for African Americans living in the south. The novel considered the south contained the states of Texas, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Oklahoma. An important topic of the book was how the constitution defined the freedom of every individual. In the U.S constitution, it clearly states that the freedom of every man is granted to every American citizen. Southern Americans denied the idea of African Americans being claimed as citizens, which favored the continuation of slavery for several hundred years. Throughout the novel, Oakes continues to elaborate on his views and expose the flaws of segregation and the U.S constitutions in great detail. “Slavery & Freedom” had several strong points and valid connections that gained my interest. This novel is strengthened with enriched detail to support to the views of James Oakes. Oakes provided his readers with a general discussion of the basic system of slavery. I really liked how Oakes supplied his audience with several well written perspectives on how the newly interpreted constitution made slavery in the south acceptable, and caused the outbreak of war. A direct example of this is when Oakes acknowleged how the competition between capitalism and slavery resulted in the Civil War. "The pathway from the American Revolution to the Civil War begins at the intersection of slavery and liberal capitalism" (Oakes 14). I also adored how Oakes was straight forward with his audience by simply stating the obvious. "If you are not free, you are unfree" (Oakes 66). This quote by Oakes was used to debunk the idea of giving slaves some priviliges so that they experience a little freedom, however, they still wouldn't be considered as U.S citizens. Although Slavery & Freedom is strengthened with so much detail and historical facts, it has several weakness that could use revision. The book solely focuses on the views of James Oakes with brief touches to other perspectives. Oakes simply uses the works of others that share the same argument has him, he never applied the work of an author that contradicted his views. Oakes also gave little to no background information of the Civil War during Lincoln’s presidency. He didn’t include any details about the racist acts of white supremacist, which I believe would have added some interesting comparisons to others novels. Overall, this novel was very informative and thorough. I believe “Slavery & Freedom” is more suited for those who have an interest in history and politics. I would definitely recommend this book to my classmates who enjoy a challenging read, and don’t mind rereading through passages to fully understand the views of the author. I recommend this book because it has the potential to completely change a reader’s mentality about the relationship between slaves and slaveholders. I would love to share a discussion with anyone who is willing to read this book. “Slavery & Freedom” by James Oakes is truly a great novel for high class readers who are open to new perspectives.
This book sounds like a very intriguing and interesting read. We did a big project on slavery in AP World History, and I would definitely like to learn more about it. We only go over so much in school, but sometimes I wish I could learn more, and this book will fulfill this. I will have to look into this book for the future.
I decided to read Dear John by Nicholas Sparks over the summer because I enjoy reading Nicholas Sparks books as well as Romance novels. Dear John, this sappy love story starts out with the main character, John Tyree watching the girl he still loves, Savannah. As he watches her from afar he thinks all about how much he loves her as well as what has happened to their once so strong relationship. Tyree then goes back to the beginning to narrate his story about their love. He starts off when he dropped out of school and enlisted in the army, not knowing what else to do with his life. This was until one summer when he met Savannah, his dream girl, while over in the United States on a leave. They quickly fell madly and extremely in love which leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish out his duty in the army. At the same time John is wanting to settle down with the girl of his dreams.While on duty overseas, John writes letters to Savannah and she writes back. But when 9/11 hits, John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. Tragically, this extremely long separation leads Savannah to fall in love with someone else. When John returns he must face the fact that Savannah is now married to someone else. But, when he goes to see his true love, Savannah, he faces the hardest decision of his life. One of the great aspects of Dear John is that it is completely written in first person. It is written in the point of view of the main character John Tyree. This leaves you only in the head and mind of John.This aspect is what makes the novel so poignant. It really makes the reader feel for him, which is hard to do. You get to feel all the different emotions John goes through, and you know exactly what he is thinking at all times. You get a completely male perspective which is not common in many romantic love stories. Through the novel you get to experience all of John's internal thoughts, that of which no movie can capture. This helps to make the novel so powerful and moving. Dear John is a sweet love story that presents us with very relatable characters. John and Savannah’s story is quick, intense and care-free at the beginning of the novel, but as the relationship grew and certain circumstances unraveled it tested their true love for each other. Dear John gives its readers an idea of unconditional love, sappy heartbreaks and the reality of certain instances where you may have to make the selfless decision not just for your life but also for the people you love allowing us to understand what love really means. Nicholas Sparks’ writing style is very easy, making pacing considerably fast making me love how the story was presented to the readers. The characters in the novel were very “real” and you will definitely connect not only to John and Savannah but, to other minor characters as well. Even though I think the ending was nice in a sense that everything didn't end up as “happily ever after,” I do think the ending was a little sad and harsh. The whole story you are rooting for John and Savannah to be together. In the end you just kind of hold on to hope that they might get back together when he goes home for good. Instead it ends in a way you may not have wanted it to. But that is the only weakness of the novel in my opinion. In my opinion, I would most definitely recommend Nicholas Sparks’, Dear John to anyone, although I think the ladies would enjoy the novel more being that it is a romance novel. It was an awesome quick read that leaves your heart completely melted, a great book to read on the beach or in a relaxing setting. If you want to feel sappy, happy and romantic, this is the book for you. I myself highly recommend Dear John, and plan on eventually re-reading this in the future because it was remarkably satisfying. Dear John was a very enjoyable novel that you won’t want to put down once you start, romantic and fantastic.
I've watched the movie Dear John an innumerable amount of times, and every time I feel the love John has for Savannah. I feel as if the reader, because the book is written in first person, will have a much deeper connection with every aspect of their relationship, as you mentioned. I agree with the thought of routing for them to last all the way until the end, even with John spending extra time away because of 9/11. Also I agree that the ending is harsh, but over all is an amazing story.
I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, because of his novels are amazing, especially Dear John. The whole time I was reading this book I was on the edge of my seat, I could not out it down. And I agree with you about the ending, it definitely was not the way I wanted it to end, but nonetheless it was a great story.
I've heard of Nicholas Sparks and how widely acclaimed his books are, but I never read one of his books before. After reading your review, I think I'll take the book out for a spin. Its plot seems interesting and would be something to rave about.
I decided to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman because I love reading about teenage life and since I already read The Fault In Our Stars I felt as if this would be good. I heard about If I stay because I saw the trailer for the movie and it grabbed me instantly. As I started to read I could not put the book down, I was addicted. While reading the book I felt a number of emotions between sadness, to happiness, to anger to laughing so hard I ended up crying. The main influence on why I picked this book was because I knew not everyone knew about it because they would all be hooked on The Fault In Our Stars. Not only did the movie trailer swoop me in, but the comments on Amazon defiantly made me excited to read it as well.
If I Stay is about a 17 year old girl whose family dies instantly from a car crash. Mia, the 17 year old girl, ends up being in a coma after having multiple surgeries done. She is the only surviving member of the Hall family in the crash. Mia is also an amazing musician. She plays the cello like no one has ever seen before, one week after the crash she is supposed to have an audition at Julliard. Sadly because of the crash her audition is postponed. You then see how her boyfriend, Adam who is in a band, reacts to her coma. He ends up going down a deep dark path that leads to Adam and Mia never speaking again.
This book had a lot of emotions running throughout the pages. I believe that is a true strength of an author. I personally felt like I was Mia and I was right in her life from page 1. My only critic we be that they didn't go to far into what happens to her before the crash, other than the basics of her background, considering the crash happens on page 17.
I would 100% recommend this book. If you liked the Fault In Our Stars you will love this book. There is also a squeal called Where She Went and this book is from Adam's point of view. I also read this book and I was addicted instantly. This book shows you how anything can change in a blink of an eye. I recommend this book to everyone especially if you saw and liked the movie. Even though I have yet to see the movie the book is always better.
This novel sounds like a very interesting read. I've never read a book where the main character instantly lost their loved ones to begin the story. I would love to read this book because the essence of going through the hardships of life all alone interests me. Once I read this novel, I could give you my feedback about the book and maybe we could possibly discuss our favorite parts.
Before reading this review, I was debating whether to read If I Stay. The book didn't really give a good first impression. I now have changed my mind because of your praise towards the book.
I too read If I stay because I saw the movie trailer one day. Once I started I couldn't stop, honestly it was great. I have to agree that there was so many emotions throughout the novel. All the different emotions help to make it a great novel.
My mom wanted me to read this for my book review at first, and it sounds interesting to read. There are some movie ads on television for a movie version of this, which looks very emotional. I'm sure you went through a lot of emotions while reading it.
This novel definitely sounds like it has multiple option packed parts to it. Personally, I probably wouldn't read it because it see like it has an insufficient amount of action for me. But it still seems like an amazing book
I have always been a huge fan of teenage romance novels and stories that centered around characters who were teenagers or young adults in general. Before coming across Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, I had heard about the author, who is hailed in the literary world for her young adult novels. After reading the summary, I chose to read Just Listen because it is a story about the unlikely friendship and relationship of completely opposite people.
The story centers around 17 year old Annabel Greene, who models along with her two older sisters. Annabel desperately wants to quit modeling, but doesn’t want to disappoint her mother who enjoys it. After being raped at a party by her bestfriend’s boyfriend, Annabel loses her bestfriend Sophie along with all her friends who are under the impression that she willingly had sex with him. After losing her popularity and being publicly ostracized, she be-friends social outcast Owen Armstrong and their relationship begins to bloom.
I believe that there is only one weakness of the book and that is, how it is set up.The structure of the story is not necessarily typical or ideal, in a sense that, the reader doesn’t find out the truth surrounding the main incident of the story until towards the end, with the author coming close to disclosing it a few times, just before switching to the next scene in the story. For example on page 143 of the book (just about the middle), Annabel is confiding in Owen about how much she wants to quit modeling, but doesn’t want to tell her mom. In return, Owen tells her it must be difficult for her to carry that around without telling anyone. The reader then reads, “I knew he was talking about modeling. But hearing this, I thought of something else, the thing I could never admit, the biggest secret of all.”At this point the reader knows Annabel is referring what happened that night. but what the reader still doesn’t know is what actually happened. Though these parts can be particularly frustrating for the reader, it keeps the reader intrigued enough to keep reading.
The best part of the book, is when Annabel is involved in confrontation with Sophie, her ex bestfriend. After becoming extremely nauseous and vomiting in a near by shrub, Annabel begins to cry. Owen then comes and begins to comfort her and offers her a ride home. This is the best part I believe because, she begins to see him in a new light and this is the very beginning of their budding relationship. From the start of the story you can tell that Annabel is a rather quiet and more intraverted person, so witnessing her slowly start to open up to Owen shows how even the most shy people can let their guard down when they really need to.
I personally would recommend this book to all of my classmates. It shows the lesson of judgement, and how social status doesn’t matter when you need a companion. Even though the structure of the story could have been better, the story itself is astounding the lesson behind it is even bigger.
Just Listen was another book I read this summer and I enjoyed reading it. When I read the summary beforehand, I was curious to see how two teens with unlike personalities would ever be friends. I felt like I could understand how Annabel felt throughout the story, since she's shy and aloof and how she changed as a person with Owen in her daily life. I would recommend this book too.
For my summer reading assignment, I chose to read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Prior to reading the book, I had heard tons of good things about it. Ultimately, that's what drove me to read it. Also, almost all of my friends had already read it, so I didn't want to be the only one that hadn't read this book. To give a brief synopsis of the story, Katniss Everdeen is a young teenager, living in one of the twelve districts run by a powerful government based in the Capitol. To showcase this power, every year, the Capitol holds a televised event which randomly selects a boy and a girl from each district. Essentially, they throw the twenty-four teenagers in an arena and have them battle it out. Katniss Everdeen,along with Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, are District 12's representatives. They are put on the journey to the Capitol where they will participate in the 49th Hunger Games, with only one thing on their minds; to stay alive.
In my opinion, the Hunger Games was a very good book. The number of weaknesses was heavily outweighed by the number of strengths. To be completely honest, I could not really find any weaknesses, that's how much I enjoyed the book. I suppose the ending of the book was a little anti-climactic, but that was in order to set up for the next book in the trilogy. There are a huge number of strengths in the book. One of the big things that I liked was that the story was easy to follow, but had just enough twists to keep me interested. One of those big twists was in the arena when it looked like Peeta had betrayed Katniss, but was really trying to protect her. Another big strength was that the book had a little bit of everything, it had action, humor, drama, romance, and whatever else you can think of. I also like the fact that as the main character, Katniss was not portrayed as the stereotypical, flawless protagonist. For example, in the beginning she struggled to follow orders, especially coming from Haymitch. She was extremely disobedient, but eventually she understood Haymitch and began to trust him. Clearly, the strengths outnumber the one weakness.
I would definitely recommend this book to all of my classmates. On a scale of 1-10, I would definitely give the Hunger Games a ten. I enjoyed the book a lot, it is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. Like I said, the book barely has any weaknesses and has an abundance of strengths. I would recommend this book to anyone just looking for a good read. It is also a great underdog story, I know that is something that a lot of people like. In conclusion, my summer reading book, the Hunger Games, was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.
The hunger games was a good movie, but books always give more descriptions. I want to get more into the hunger games and read the books as well as see the movies, Your review gives a good insight on the book.
I've also read the Hunger Games during my summer and I really enjoyed reading this novel. I absolutely agree with the 10/10 rate you gave the book. I loved reading the Hunger Games because of the adventurous plot, action-packed parts, and the survival of the fittest theme. I would also recommend this novel to my fellow classmates as well as anyone who loves a book with plenty of action.
The Fault in Our Stars~Summer Reading Assignment
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I first decided to read this book because the movie was about to come out. I heard many of my friends saying it was such a good book and that they can't wait until the movie, so I wanted to jump on the wagon and be excited too. After starting the book I realized that it was actually very interesting and addicting. I ended up finishing the book in a week and now it is one of my favorite books that I have ever read.
The book began with a girl named Hazel Grace who has cancer, attending a cancer support group. There she meets a guy named Augustus Waters, through her friend named Isaac. He's there to support his friend, Isaac who has a tumor in one eye that had been removed, and now he has to have his other eye taken out as well. Augustus approaches Hazel saying she looks like one of the actors from one of his favorite movies. Before Augustus takes Hazel home, they agree to read one another's favorite novels. After meeting each other for the first time they soon become great friends, mostly because of their interest in the novel An Imperial Affliction, and in the end they become lovers. Overall I think this novel is a very rollercoaster novel it pretty much guarantees that it will sometimes make you feel happy, will make you laugh, and will very much make you cry.
I think the best part of the book is when they both fall in love, which is basically the whole book. For example one favorite scene would be when they both go to Amsterdam and Augustus tells Hazel he loves her. And my least I would say is sadly the sickness that comes along with being a cancer patient, I know that it wouldn't be the book without the cancer, but it just sucks when a character is in pain. For example in one scene she ends up feeling pain and goes back to the hospital and the doctor says she might not be able to go to Amsterdam. When I really think of it, I don't really think this book could have been written any better. It's close to perfect and I like it just the way it is.
I extremely definitely think everyone who knows how to read should read this book! I recommend this to all my family members, friends, and classmates. I personally think this book could be read by any age and any gender, I never met anyone who dislikes the book. When I watched the movie, I noted that the book had more information, and that they made slight changes in the movie and skipped some less important things from the book. To be honest it was the first time I ever read a book before the movie came out, so it was truly a cool experience.
I completely agree that everyone should read this book. I read this book in 24 hours because I could not put it down. It is a great read and I think everyone could find a way to relate to this book.
DeleteI saw this movie in theaters and could not stop crying! I loved the romance that they shared with one another, how they looked over each others flaws and found what was truly important. I hope one day to read the book because all of those that I have discussed the book and the movie with say that the movie, although great, does the book an injustice with details.
DeleteI decided to read this book for my summer reading assignment last year and once I picked it up, I could not put it down! I always enjoy reading novels that are turned into movies so when a release date was announced I went to the movies as quick as I could! My favorite part in the book is the romance between Hazel and Augustus and how they looked past their diagnoses and loved each other like normal teenagers.
DeleteI have not read the book or seen the movie yet, but now I will be sure to read it in the near future. It sounds like a very good book, something that I will not be able to put down. The whole plot sounds interesting. Everybody has said how good it was, so now I will definitely have to read it.
DeleteI've heard a lot about this novel and the movie. I think the plot of The Fault in Our Stars is just perfect. The conflict of the main character being a cancer patient is genius. This allows drama to take place throughout the novel because cancer is an unpredictable virus. I must give this book a try because everyone recomends it.
DeleteI absolutely love this book! I finished the whole book in less then three days, I just could not put it down. Every little detail about book, the characters, the plot, conflict all just work perfectly together.
DeleteThis was an absolutely great book. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is such an easy read and you won't want to put it down once you start.
DeleteI have not read this book but I will definitely take your recommendation and read it. I watched the movie and could not stop crying. This was one of the best movies I've ever seen, I definitely recommend it to everyone!
DeleteWaking Hours- Lis Wiehl~Summer Reading Assignment
ReplyDeleteI found this series randomly when going through the Amazon Kindle book store. When I saw that it was about a Forensic Psychologist, I immediately bought it because that is what I want to be. Even though I knew it was fiction, I wanted to see what kind of situations a Forensic Psychologist goes through day to day. I didn't know anyone who read this series, but I decided to take a chance and see what it was all about.
Waking Hours starts with a local high school girl being found murdered in a park in East Salem. The announcement of the case on the news interests the book's forensic psychologist, Dani Harris. All of the suspects are teenagers who were at a party the night before with the victim. The biggest problem is that none of them can remember anything that happened. Dani Harris has her hands full with this case because one of them could be the murderer and she cannot let them get away.
The best part of the book was when Dani finds the reason behind why all her suspects don't remember anything from the party and when she starts to narrow down who could behind the whole incident. I don't think there was a bad part in this book. It kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading and I didn't want to put it down. I was mad that the book ending in a cliff hanger, but then remembered there were two more books. I think it was a great idea to expand this story and not just make it a single book. Usually when reading crime books,once you think you know who committed the crime it becomes less exciting. However, with this book even when I thought I had it figured out, it turned out there was so much more I didn't even know yet.
Overall, I would most definitely recommend this book to everyone. I don't read a lot but this book made me want to keep reading and find books just like it. It was so thrilling and never had a dull moment. This book will keep you on your toes and will get you hooked from the beginning. The whole trilogy is worth reading and I'm so glad that I found it.
Wow, this seems like a great read. I definitely love a great mystery/crime book because like you said, it keeps you on your toes. I am also considering that field of study along with a couple of others that I have in mind, so this book will be sure to keep me coming back for more. I'll have to make this my next independent reading book!
DeleteLike Nicole and Haley I also reading crime/mystery novels although I do not wish to work in that field. I enjoy the plot twists and the overall anticipation of reading a crime/mystery novel. I will definitely try to read this book soon.
DeleteThis book sounds really good! I want to be a forensic psychologist as well. I think reading this will keep me very interested and also give me insight to the career. I haven't met anyone else who wanted to be a forensic psychologist in school, thats awesome! I will definitely be reading this!
DeleteThis novel sounds like it's very interesting as it delves into the workings of a forensic psychologist. I'm sure it was helpful in gaining a better understanding of that profession
DeleteThis books seems really interesting and now I kinda want to check it out and read it. I like alot of mystery books and this seems like a really good one. I also love series books so this seems like a perfect fit. I wonder why I never heard about it before but I can't wait to start reading.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNovember Blues by Sharon M. Draper
ReplyDeleteI selected the book, November Blues, because I have been familiar with the author, Sharon M. Draper, for numerous years. She is the author of some of my favorite books, including The Battle of Jericho and Just Another Hero. As a child I grew up reading her books written for children, and fell in love with her style of writing. Her main theme has revolved around daily struggles that intercity children may endure in school and with their families.
November Blues covers teen pregnancy and what it is like to raise a child with little to no funds or support. After November’s boyfriend, Josh, died in a tragic hazing incident she soon finds out that she is pregnant with his child of two months. She struggles with questioning her true love for Josh throughout their relationship, and how to move on without the support system from him, or his family. Jericho, Josh’s cousin, takes the loss of his cousin very hard by giving up all of the hobbies and activities that once made him happy. In addition to grieving over his cousin, he is also battling his love life with his ex-girlfriend, Arielle, and his efforts on the football team.
This novel was great in describing what occurs in reality when an unplanned pregnancy takes place. Certain points of the exposition emphasize the struggles that may endure throughout the book when caring for a baby. A great example of this is when November’s mother forces her to go to the grocery store in order to price food items for the baby. It was evident that November had to question her financial stability, and whether she was equipped to raise a child at sixteen. The ending of the book was not what I hoped it would be; it was pretty vague and didn’t really conclude with a “happy ending”, like I hoped for. Nonetheless, that is what makes it such a realistic story, because there are not always happy endings with intercity teen mothers.
I would definitely suggest this book to many high school students, not only females but also males. It is a reality check to make sure one is not having unprotected sex, because the consequences of one night can change the rest of one’s future. I liked being able to step in the shoes of the character, November, for a change and experience all that she was going through. It definitely made me have a new prospective of raising a child; mothers are held completely accountable for their children. Although it certainly has been done, it seems like a lot for a high school student to deal with among the stress of SATs, applying to colleges and numerous high school events.
I do not mean to disparage your review, which was excellent, but I would not want to read this book. Simply because I do not see myself dealing with teen pregnancy. Also I feel like the topic is more geared towards helping women cope with teen pregnancy or to help prevent it.
DeleteNicole this seems like a very good book. It looks like it has a great plot and relates to the real world. Although it doesn't have an happy ending, I feel like I could learn something from this novel. So I think that in the near future I wouldn't mind reading this book.
DeleteNow I wish I had checked this out when I saw it at the library. When looking at the book, I hadn't grasped the full context. Now that I do, I will definitely be getting it. It's crazy that November would have to deal with a pregnancy on her own because her boyfriend died. Dealing with both situations would be intense, especially since life goes on and continues to add to the struggles.
DeleteYour review was great. It made me interested in what happens in the book. I'm not so sure it would keep my attention however. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I might give it a try.
DeleteChris, I agree with you that this might not be a book that would catch the attention of teenage males. However, I don't believe that this topic is only geared towards helping women cope with teen pregnancy. In my opinion, a teen pregnancy should be of equal responsibility between the mother and father of the child. Both individuals can also help prevent it.
DeleteRisked - Margaret Peterson Haddix
ReplyDeleteI read the book Risked by Margaret Peterson Haddix for my summer reading project. Risked is a book in her Missing series. I have been reading this series ever since middle school, when the first book in the series, Found was released. Risked is now the seventh book in the series, with more books in the making. After reading her Among the Hidden series in school a while back, I decided to go ahead and look up more of her books, as I enjoyed the Among the Hidden series a lot. After reading the first book of the Missing series, I decided that I liked it so much I would read the rest of her books.
The whole series is based around these group of kids who were kidnapped from their original time period and brought to the twenty first century to be sold to different parents. Ever since they were found, Jonah, the main character in the book, who was also from a different time, has been trying to help these kids get back where they belong. They have traveled to many different time periods, trying to return these kids back without ruining time. Many different obstacles come along during their journey, and they must overcome them all.
The best part of the book was when they discovered who was behind the grand scheme of things, who actually sent them back to 1918. It was definitely a shock to all the characters in the book, something they never saw coming. It really was the climax, finally finding out why they were taken back to 1918. It was something that was not expected at all, since these characters were in time prison for kidnaping all the kids from their original time in the first place. I won’t tell who or else it basically ruins the whole story. The worst part had to be the ending. She ended the book with a huge cliffhanger, and I don’t like them. She alludes to something, but then just cuts it off. The suspense just kills me, waiting to see what happens in the next book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is a great book, with lots of twists and turns. However, you should read the rest of the series first, because each book leads into the next. I have been reading the series since middle school now, and I highly enjoy it. The whole series is very interesting, and will just make you want to read more. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.
I will definitely be checking this book out. Plot and twist are one of the things that I really enjoy in books. I also read the Among The Hidden series and really enjoyed those novels. Seeing this post reminded me of how much I like those books an I will definitely be reading this series!
DeleteOh wow, its really cool how you started reading this series in middle school. I could feel the enthusiasm, I really wonder how many books the series will have in total. Overall this books seems really interesting and I would definitely read this, maybe after the first book.
DeleteI already love this author's work, so this is a no-brainer from the jump. I will definitely look out for this. I like the plot, the twists, and the suspense of it all. I also know I will not be disappointed by a Margaret Peterson Haddix book.
DeleteI remember reading the first few books myself in middle school. I assumed the series was finished after book three but now it seems like I have some catching up to do if you just finished book seven. I totally relate to your frustration with cliffhangers, but they give you suspense and a reason to continue the series! I loved the first books and now cannot wait to pick up where I left off!
DeleteI normally don't go for the time travel, unrealistic type of stuff when I am searching for a book. However, based on your review this books seems very interesting. I think that being that this is a part of a series makes it more interesting because you can follow these kids on there journey. I definitely will be checking out the whole series really soon.
DeleteI definitely wasn't expecting to see something about children being sold to different parents. That's definitely an attention grabber and draws me to read this book
DeleteI Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I was looking for a higher level book to read so I could improve my critical reading score and came across I Hunt Killers. The title of the book had grabbed my attention and after reading the inside covers I realized that it was my favorite genre; a thriller. When you first begin the book you are introduced to the main character, Jasper Dent. Jasper had a very tough childhood, his father was a serial killer who had trained Jasper to become one himself. This includes mutilating bodies in front of Jasper, how to clean up a crime scene, and any possible knowledge Jasper would need to know to be come the worlds greatest serial killer. Billy had been caught, and Jasper decided not to follow in his fathers footsteps, and instead help the police solve crimes.
One of the strengths of this book was it's use of words to paint a picture in your head of what was happening and almost put you there. For example the diner that Jasper went to every morning, in a small isolated town right off a highway, for coffee automatically paints a picture in your head. Right now you are seeing a slightly older establishment in a Midwestern town, and that is extremely impressive. The author provides a small amount of information and our brains do the rest. What could've been better is the way that the character expressed his emotions. Having the worst childhood any person could have he was mentally scarred. There were many moments in the story in which that Jasper was about to confide to his friends, but he never did. He was always aloof and manipulative and that bothered me. Jasper being trained to be a serial killer was good at faking emotions, so good that he often convinces his friends to investigate crime scenes illegally, during the middle of the night.
Overall this was a great novel. I only recommenced this novel if you are not squeamish and are looking for an interesting read. Some parts of this novel are very graphic and is not suitable for everyone, but if that is more your speed then you will really enjoy this book.
Thrillers and mysteries are my favorite genres to read. After reading your review, I want to read this book. It seems like it would be so interesting and reminds me of a episode of criminal minds, which is my favorite show.
DeleteJust from reading the summary of this novel, I feel as if I am already hooked. The book seems just weird enough to get my attention, but not too weird to turn me off from it. I definitely plan on reading I Hunt Killers next, it sounds too interesting to pass up.
DeleteIn Afghanistan by Jere van Dyk
ReplyDeleteI chose the book “In Afghanistan” by Jere van Dyk over the summer because it peaked my interest in subject matter. I read this book because I also read one of Jere’s other books called “Captive”, where he was held captive by the taliban for 45 days. The only reason Jere survived his captivity in that book was because of his experiences in this book he wrote beforehand.
Jere’s journey begins in America where he was talking to several big magazines to promise to publish his work when he returns. Many don’t because they don’t want to be held responsible for anything bad that could happen to Jere in the war torn country of Afghanistan. Finally, a higher up in TIME magazine unofficially supports Jere’s adventure. He gives Jere $500 and gave him some contacts and told him where to stay in Pakistan before heading into Afghanistan. Jere then travels to Pakistan and meets up with a few escorts who would smuggle him into Afghanistan. After he was smuggled into Afghanistan, his escorts brought him from village to village, from guerilla hideout to guerilla hideout.
This book is very interesting on how it is written. It is not a diary, but is a collection of his thoughts and recollection of events. Jere is very keen to detail and provides many. I think that is the best thing about this book. The only thing about this book that bothers me is that Jere did not fully explain what made him want to travel to Afghanistan in the first place. He made it sound like he woke up one day and decided he needed excitement in his life, so he picked the most dangerous hotspot for a western American man to travel to, Afghanistan.
All in all, I recommend this book only to those who like history. This book talks about a lot of current events at the time and how they effect Afghanistan, that the author assumes you already know about. There are some parts that can be boring, but it makes up for it when exciting things start to happen.
The Flowers in the Attic- V.C. Andrews
ReplyDeleteImagine you hear a story of a mother that has locked her children in the attic and attempted multiple times to poison and kill them. When hearing this story line, it was too good of a book to pass up and is why I decided to read this book. The Flowers in the Attic by V.C Andrews is about a family of six who goes through many trials and tribulations which ends in complete tragedy. It all begins with family incest that resulted in the conception of the “devils spawn”. After the death of their father, Christopher Sr., all the money that the family have saved over the years began to dwindle down until there was nothing left. Corrine Dollanganger, mother, made the decision that she must leave her house where she created her family and everything they have worked for, in order to go live with her mother and father to attempt to regain their acceptance. Corrine was born into wealth; however, when she conceived children with her half-uncle, her parents disowned her and cut her out of the will. Since her father was at deaths door, Corrine decided that this would be the best time to weasel her way back into the will.
Once the Dollanganger family had reached their grandparents mansion they were hidden in a secret room and was given specific instructions. They were to stay in this room without making a snippet of noise and for no reason were they to leave the room. Their grandmother, Olivia, allowed their mother to come visit them for a while but as time went on they began to see less and less of their mother. As their mother stop visiting them their grandmother had began to visit them but it wasn't to bear gifts but to physically and emotionally abuse the children. As the years went by the children's health began to decline, as did their lives. What happens next? Does Corrine succeed in poisoning her children? Is she even the one attempting to kill her children? Who will end up dead?
This book, unlike many others, had so many strengths there were no weaknesses that caught my eye. Some of the best parts were the parts that were left to imagination until later on in the book. For example, finding out what their mother had been up too as they were grew ill or discovering who was really behind the poisoning of their siblings. With every page this book brought a new element of surprise and is why I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
You got me with the first paragraph. I would definitely want to read this because it seems interesting, mysterious, and crazy. I like books like this, and I know I will be unable to put it down. I already began guessing who the "killer" might be, so I will definitely be getting to find out.
DeleteFlowers in the Attic is one of those books that makes you feel such hatred towards certain characters, such as the grandmother and their mother. I've read the book and watched the movie, and both times I feel such sadden emotions to the children. Having your own mother turn on you is tragic and depressing, especially due to some of the things she did to them. I agree with you, this book absolutely has no weaknesses.
DeleteYour first sentence made me want to read the book. The plot to this novel seems very dark yet intriguing and after reading your summary, I want to to know what happens in the end. I don't think I have read any book that is similar to Flowers in the Attic, it seems very unique with a lot of plot twist. I am definitely going to be checking this one out.
DeleteLike the others said, you had me hooked from the beginning. I only really read books that are mysterious and dark, and this seems to fit. After reading your review, I definitely need to pick up this book soon.
DeleteGame of Thrones Book 1 - George R.R. Martin
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard that Game of Thrones was the number 1 most watched show in the world, I had to watch it for myself to see what all the attention was about. Even though medieval times with sword fighting and magic isn't my cup of tea, I gave the show Game of Thrones, the number one most watch TV series in the world, a try. After falling in love with the story line, gore, fighting scenes, and other influential factors, I had to read the book after hearing countless times that the show doesn't do justice for how good the series is in text. So for my summer reading, I chose Game of Thrones Book 1.
A brief summary of the book wouldn't do any justice for how amazing the story line is. The main capital of the fictional continent of Westeros and Essos is King's Landing. With 7 kingdoms (The North, The Iron Islands, The Vale, The Westerlands, The Stormlands, the Reach and Dorne), after the fall of a King in King's Landing, someone must fill the throne and rule the 7 Kingdoms. If only it was so simple to pick someone to play that role for an entire civilization. With confusion regarding the rightful King, mayhem is brewing as each political figure of many of the Kingdoms fight for who's the rightful King, almost like playing a deadly game of who deserves the throne.
The only weaknesses that I found in the book were memorizing characters' names and remembering who belongs with what Kingdom. The strengths, however, are what truly sets the high standard for this book. Many novels and TV shows often have a main character that is usually always guaranteed to live. However, in Game of Thrones, you find yourself reading about several main character instead of just one. You don't want to get to attached because George R.R. Martin is not afraid to kill of some of the biggest characters in the book, resulting in a major shock. George R.R. Martin is an amazing author for how detailed his fighting scenes are described. With limbs flying off and characters being beheaded left and right, it's so hard not to imagine it in your head. As a fan of gore, I truly love this aspect and think it's one of the greatest strengths in this book. Another great strength is how many twists there are in the plot. You can be expecting one things to result to another but some event may go horribly wrong resulting in the death of a character that you may have hung onto. With plot twists that result in ending you may not want, a lot of twists go into deaths of characters you do want to die. Sometimes you end up saying to yourself that you want a certain character to die due to how evil they are by the actions they make. Martin certainly makes a connection with the reader and a character like no other author does.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who has the time to read 704 pages. If not, I would highly recommend watching the TV series. Both are highly addicting and you may surprise yourself with how much you like it. Be warned, this is for a mature audience. Blood, gore, and violence are just some of the reasons why it isn't appropriate for kids. However, it is a fantastic book and series to really dive into. I personally thought I wasn't going to enjoy it due to the setting but I found myself staying up until 5 am every morning this summer watching and reading Game of Thrones. This is truly a masterpiece in every aspect with strong character development, great action, amazing suspense, and dramatic shifts in plots. If you just watch one episode or read one chapter, you will understand why Game of Thrones is the number one watched series in the world with 14.2 million people tuning in weekly to find out what happens next.
While I don't see myself reading that many pages, I do watch the series with my family and love it! My dad and brother have both read the books so they know what is going to happen but I love the suspense of not knowing what's next. I relate to your statement on remembering the character's names. I never know who is who and each person has their name as well as nicknames. I also hope my favorite character does not get killed off!
DeleteMe, Him, Them, and It - Caela Carter
ReplyDeleteComing upon this book was a complete consequence. I saw the story line summarized on the front cover, and decided to give it a try. Caela Carter brings to life the story of her main character, Evelyn, who in attempt to get her parents’ attention, becomes pregnant. She doesn’t know who to turn to or what to do. Confused and depressed, Evelyn must now decide: Will she have an abortion, give the baby up for adoption, or take care of the child. Evelyn must keep in mind that once certain decisions are made, they cannot be changed.
Before opening the book, I already had the assumption in my head that this story would be like all the other books about teen pregnancy: typical. Caela Carter proved me wrong. Caela Carter made Evelyn real. In the beginning, I felt that Evelyn was a “typical rich white girl” (NOT including the pregnancy, of course), but as the story progressed I came to enjoy this character’s personality. She was a deep thinker with so much potential, with an unclear goal. Through her incredible ups and downs, Evelyn’s story was a capturing one; I was unable to put it down for long. Her decision shocked me, as did the way that she went about it.
This book had many strengths. I enjoyed the characters (some more than others) and their personalities. The interactions of plots was well thought out and properly depicted. I loved how Evelyn interacted with her African-American cousins when she went to temporarily live with them. I of course loved her aunt’s crazy and all-knowing personality, which brought more surprises than one. That’s another great thing about this book: It brings about so many surprises. Despite the strengths, even the greatest of books has its weaknesses. Predictability is definitely NOT one of them. The only things I did not completely approve of is that some people may find certain parts of the book unrealistic, such as a scene where Todd told Evelyn were talking about the possible future for their unborn child and Todd he supported Evelyn in whatever she chooses, but that he couldn’t be a part of it because he would get in trouble with his mom. I was like so confused! Who in real life is going to tell the girl they impregnated that she can do whatever she wants with no opinion! And the funny thing is he loved the girl, so how is he going to be so afraid of what, getting grounded that he can’t help his girl out? It was unrealistic how well everybody got along in the end; I was like “what”? Other than that little piece of foolishness, the book was amazing.
I would suggest this to everyone! That is, everyone that is a teenage girl. Boys may not find it so enjoyable, but girls will. Even those girls who don’t enjoy the cliché teenage pregnancy stories (like me) will enjoy this book through and through. In my opinion, it is not common for books to be capable of grabbing the attention of different literary tastes, but this one can. Read it!
This book sounds interesting Bemi and I would love to read it. I find books centered around teenage girls very intriguing (go figure). I also can relate about reading books that are a little unrealistic; some can be pretty far fetched.
DeleteGang Leader For a Day - Sudhir Venkatesh
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, I attended a two-week pre-college program at The College of New Jersey. In this program, I took a college level course in sociology taught by a real college professor. One of the prerequisites for the class was to read the autobiography, “Gang Leader for a Day” by Sudhir Venkatesh. At first, the book seemed like another boring non-fiction book to read, but as the pages went on, I became involved with all of the characters. Like every book, this autobiography had its low and high points. Even with these points, I recommend this autobiography for any high school student or adult. This book opens readers eyes on the struggles dealt with in poor communities.
Written in the point of view of Sudhir Venkatesh, “Gang Leader for a Day” is an autobiography taking place in Chicago as Venkatesh is completing his thesis to obtain his masters degree in sociology. Unsure of a topic, Sudhir Venkatesh wonders why he cannot walk outside of campus around the Chicago Projects. These projects were group homes where thousands of people would live who could not afford a single family home or apartment. Curious, he visits the homes and gets involved with the local gang. Instead of committing crimes, Venkatesh investigated the ins-and-outs of being a gang leader and how to control the population inside the projects. This process continues until the gang leader believes Venkatesh has what it takes to run a high profile gang for a day. Can Venkatesh complete the task? Or does the change-up cause irreversible effects?
There are several lows and highs to this autobiography. First of all, like most novels, “Gang Leader for a Day” starts off very slowly. This is caused by the introduction of the setting, main characters, and reasons for this novel. Another low in the novel was the amount of violence and suffering of young members. Children as young as fifteen could join the local gang and sell drugs. On the other hand, the book is written so personally the reader feels as if they are there watching the story unfold. Personally, I felt for each one of the characters even though they were names on a page. Secondly, the autobiography gives readers a chance to understand the inner workings of a gang and how it is related to the community around it. While many people believe gangs start violence in towns, the gang in the projects actually helps the people surrounding it. While this book has many lows and highs it is a good read for any student or adult.
While this autobiography seems like an odd book for a high school girl to read, I would recommend the novel to any of my classmates. This book was not just about the gangs and violence found in Chicago, Illinois during the 1990s. This book opened people’s eyes about the struggles of living in the projects. While Gang Leader for a Day seems like a depressing autobiography, it offers hope to the inhabitants of Chicago and allowed their voices to be heard. Gang Leader for a Day is an excellent autobiography for any teenager to read to learn about the adversities people deal with to become successful in life.
This book sounds really interesting. It sounds like a true eye opener, to see what really goes on within the projects, and how they live their day to day lives. I find it interesting how someone as young as 15 can actually join a gang and sell drugs. It is definitely something I will read in the future.
DeleteAfter reading the books Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini, I was drawn to read the third installment in the series, Brisingr. The main premise of the series is a young, impulsive farm boy named Eragon discovers this egg which leads him into the world of the once great Dragon Riders who have been eradicated by emperor Galbatorix, a former Dragon Rider himself. Eragon and the dragon that hatched from the egg, Saphira, are faced with the daunting task of learning how to be a proper dragon as well as rider while being a beacon of hope of those fearing and warring against the powerful Galbatorix.
ReplyDeleteOverall, Brisingr was an amazingly written book. There were numerous higher level words that forced you to either look at context clues or look at a dictionary. Although, some words for the creatures of the Eragon universe such as "Du Vrangr Gata" (Paolini, 22) or "Grimstborith Aldhrim" (Paolini, 415) occur frequently as well and are difficult to understand and pronounce even with the word key provided in the back. Also there's the political aspect to the novel which is interesting and at times fascinating with the grit and tenacity mixed with intelligence and smoothness those involved have. But it also tends to become tedious at times reading about the ins and the outs of the type of warfare they partake in. Even with those shortcomings, Brisingr has several twists and turns and sequences that draw the reader in, and with the vivid imagery that Christopher Paolini displays, the reader will always have a perfect picture of what's going on.
All in all, I recommend this book because of the amazing story and storytelling by Christopher Paolini. Personally, seeing how thick the book is made me question if I truly wanted to read Brisingr, however as soon as I started reading it was difficult to put the book down. Brisingr is packed with big twists, action, and of course some romance since it's a young adult book, but a great storyline throughout.
In the past, I read Eragon, the first book in the series, and thought it was great. Up until now, I had no idea it was part of a series along with two other books. I plan on now reading the last two and finishing the series, especially Brisingr; Charles made it sound great.
DeleteI naturally am drawn into mystery novels, so Lisa Scottoline's "Come Home" immediately caught my attention. The whole novel revolves around figuring out how and why Jill's, the main character, ex husband is dead. Abby, her ex stepdaughter, delivers the news but believes the police over looked an important detail. Jill then decides to take on the risk, and slowly isolates herself from her fiancé and daughter just to find answers for Abby. Naturally her fiancé becomes jealous and curious as to why Jill is so focused on her deceased ex husband. He tries his best to stay out of the way, until things gets deadly.
ReplyDeleteAs Jill becomes deep into the investigation, she can't distinguish the difference if people are actually following her or if she's completely exhausted and imagining things. The author does an exquisite job detailing every emotion and thought Jill is experiencing throughout the journey. In the novel Jill says, "Abby will always be my daughter and I'll still do anything for her." This statement proves, despite multiple sleepless nights and possible life threats, her mother-like characteristics help continue to guide in solving the mystery. Most mothers will do anything for their children and in Jill's case, the love for her ex stepdaughter is stronger than ever.
I feel, throughout the novel, the author never missed any important information or had had any weak spots. For example, when Jill was explaining to her real daughter why the marriage ended, she went through every detail. Ranging from questionable late nights at the office, to thousands of dollars missing from her account, I could feel the anger Jill had towards him.
I absolutely recommend reading Come Home, I'm currently rereading it myself. Lisa Scottoline is an amazing author, who's strong point is mysteries. So if you are attracted to the genre and epic plot twists, then this is the book for you.
This book reminds me of one of my favorite movies on Lifetime. I love a book that can keep you guessing on who did it, and based your review it looks like this book will have you guessing until the very end. I now know what book I will be reading next.
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ReplyDeleteAddicted - Zane
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, my friends and I decided to read multiple books so that we could discuss them once we were all finished. One of the books we chose to read is Addicted by Zane. Out of all of the books we chose to read, Addicted was by far the best; it sparked a multitude of conversations. Another factor besides my peers enticing me to read the book is the fact that a movie based on the book will be coming out shortly. I am very happy that we chose to read Addicted.
In Addicted, the main character, Zoe, has it all. She has a successful business of her own, two beautiful kids, wealth, and she’s even married to her high school sweetheart. To Zoe’s friends, family, the outside world, and even her husband, her life appears perfect. No one knows the addiction Zoe deals with on a regular basis. She is literally addicted to having affairs. Zoe seeks attention from other people even though she has everything she has always dreamed of right at home. Zoe’s affairs remain a secret for a while but everything that is done in the dark comes to light.
The novel had many strengths and few weaknesses. Addicted kept me interested from the first page to the very last. There wasn’t a dull moment throughout the novel. Each character was intriguing and interesting in a different way. There are several different storylines in the novel due to her multiple affairs, it kept the book captivating. The main weakness of the novel was the ending. I feel as though it was very far fetched. The ending should have been made a lot more realistic since the novel was based on a realistic situation. For example, instead of Zoe being affected by her affairs, many other characters are too. Zane incorporated a plethora of characters into an unrealistic plot twist that in my opinion decreased the books storyline.
I would definitely recommend this book. Though the ending was not what I expected, the story itself was intriguing and very emotional. It was interesting to watch how one’s decisions can be so detrimental not only personally but to others. I would suggest this to anyone looking for a great drama-filled novel with a grand plot twist.
Not to put your review down or anything like that, because it is very well-written, but this just does not seem like the type of book I would normally read. I do have to admit it sounds interesting, though. Just the idea of someone being addicted to having affairs is extremely intriguing,
DeleteThis sounds like like a good read. The kind of addiction zoe has has is interesting because if someone found out about it, everything she has would be lost. Most people would want what she has, yet she is willing to risk it all for the thrill of attention.
DeleteEven though I've read this book, I'd definitely read it again. Zane's portrayal of Zoe as a character is very relatable. I can't wait for the movie!
DeleteThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
ReplyDeleteI decided to read The Boy in The Striped Pajamas after my brother recommended the book to me. He assured me, it will have me glued to my seats, and unable to put down the book as every page brings a heartbreaking, and mind-grabbing event, and he was right. The novel takes place in Berlin during World War II, and it portrayed through the eyes of a child named Bruno, who is the son of a very important Nazi. Due to his father's promotion, the whole family ups and moves to Out-with which is actually Auschwitz, the deadliest and most gruesome of concentration camps during this time period. Although forbidden by his father to travel too close to the high wired fence in his backyard, Bruno's curiosity manages to get the best of him and he embarks on this restricted path. His instinct for exploration and desire for adventure are the driving forces that lead him to meet a young Jewish boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the fence. They quickly connect and become friends but neither of the boys truly know what's going on around them as they are clearly oblivious of the discrimination and atrocities going about them. As a matter of fact, they are even unaware of why the fence is dividing them and why Shmuel had to relocate from his home to this place where he is barely fed and has to work all day long. One day, Bruno gets even more curious and secretly, even begins to envy his new friend Shmuel, and does something that will leave you speechless and awed in disbelief.
The novel does a brilliant job portraying the horrors of what humans are capable of in their darkest era but yet it also explores the beauty of two friends during a time of war and hatred and how their innocence conquers differences in culture and boundaries. A vast number of strengths in this story can be found, for example, on page 14 of the novel, Boyne shows a cruel irony to this time period when the mother says, "We don't have the luxury of thinking, some people make all the decisions for us," because this statement alone describes the situation of the Jewish population and how they had no say in their fate, and it's ironic to show that the wife of a Nazi head official would say such a thing. However this novel does contain some weakness as well, for one, the authenticity of this story was often questioned for a couple of reasons. How is it possible that the son of a highly ranked Nazi officer is unaware of who Jews are and why they are being put behind fences because in reality the Hitler Youth Organization at the time would probably have brainwashed him as they had with many other kids. Also, how is it possible that the Jewish boy, Shmuel, is able to avoid doing work and come by everyday at the fence to talk to Bruno, when in reality, if a child was found not working, they would immediately have been executed. It just all seems a bit unlikely that reality would play out like the events in this story did, but nonetheless, this does not take away from exhilarating read.
This novel was hands down of my favorite books, because it had such emotion behind it and not to mention a great story line and I would highly recommend this book. John Boyne has such a deep passion for his writing and does an amazing task of transforming the reader into not only helping them visualize the horrors of the Holocaust, but actually making the reader feel the truth behind it all as a bystander watching all this happen during this time. In conclusion, all I have left to say is that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is literally a masterpiece of historical fiction, and to not read such a exhilarating story, should be a crime for any being that enjoys a good read.
After reading this review, I plan on reading the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Just from you're short summary it sounds great. Also multiple people have recomended it to me before so I will definitely be reading it soon.
DeleteI actually have read the book and watched the movie, and honestly this book is in my top 10 favorite books. This book portrays the obstacles of the holocaust so well that it feels as if you are going through the battle with the main characters. The quote that you inserted from page 14, just describes the unfortunate truth behind their life and is such a touching quote. I definitely with be rereading this book soon.
DeleteShiver by Maggie Stiefvater
ReplyDeleteOne of the books I read over the summer is Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Shiver is the first book of the The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. During the month of June, before school ended, I was looking for teen books to read for the summer on the internet and on one website, I came across Shiver. Later I download the book onto my phone and, during the middle of July, I started the series. I felt like I already read all the goods books and I wanted to see if therir was any obscure books that weren't on the school library shelves; thankfully, I found 30 books. Succeeding this book is Linger and the final book is Forever. There is also a companion book called Sinner, which is centered around two of the characters who were introduced in the first and second books.
The book Shiver is set in the fictional town of Mercy Falls, Minnesota and told in the two alternating points of view of Grace Brisbane and Sam Roth. Grace, a practical, strong-hearted teenager with emotionally neglectful parents, was attacked by werewolves at the age of eleven. However, she was saved from death by a yellow-eyed wolf: Sam. A creative, sensitive teen, with a bright amber yellow eye color, Sam was orphaned by his parents who tried to kill him when they found out he was a werewolf. He lives a double life as a werewolf and a human. Since the attack, Sam, as a wolf, and Grace, as a human, have been watching each other from the woods behind her house and Grace has always felt a connection with him and Sam has a strong yearning to be and stay human. Sam gets his wish to meet Grace when appears on her back porch, having been shot. Grace takes him in, nursing his wound, and allowing him to stay in her room. Together, they fall in love, sharing secrets and giving each other support, despite their opposite personalities. But eventually, Sam will permanently stay a werewolf and Grace must find a way to keep him from change. To add to their problems, a wolf hunt, due to the death of another teen by a wolf attack, has been issued in Mercy Falls, putting Grace, Sam, and the werewolf pack, and others involved in danger.
Shiver, though very good in general, show areas of strengths and minor weaknesses in my opinion. Maggie Stiefvater explained many aspects of the book in detail so the reader wouldn't be confused. She also made it sound appealing and realistic and it was connected to modern day life. If one reads the whole series, he or she might feel a connection towards the character. Sam, for instance, is described as lyricist and musician who keeps to himself and I can relate. He comes up with song lyrics in his head in the blink of an eye and that encouraged me to write more poetry since I love writing and reading. One of the things that irritated me throughout the book was the redundancy of the word 'mirror', as in the act of mirroring one's actions. I think Stiefvater could have used other words like 'imitate' or 'mimick'. Another thing that was bothersome, but in a good way, was the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. It drove me crazy not knowing what was going to happen next. Otherwise, this book was solid and interesting.
Shiver seems to speak to girls mostly so I would recommend it to teenage girls, but boys are welcome to read it as well. It was a very intriguing read and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. Since it was on my phone, I was running the battery down everyday bcause the book had me hooked. There are good lessons to take away from reading this book, such as the improtance of loving one's family and that suffering always accompanies joy. One would think that books like these wouldn't have any life lessons or effects on life in general, but they are hidden throughout the book in the form of the characters and the plot. This book is full of supsense, adventure, and romance, aspects of a book that would be appealing to a teenager. Once you start reading Shiver, it will make you shiver with excitement.
Shiver sounds like a book I would like to attach on! I love the idea of Sam and Grace sharing a mutual feeling of protecting each other, and having the outcome is falling in love. Also, similar to Sam, I am too kept to myself and can get lost in my music.
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ReplyDeleteFreedom & Slavery: By James Oakes
ReplyDeleteI selected this book because my brother recommended it for me. He said that it would be a great novel for me because he knew I loved reading about the history of African Americans in the United States. My brother repeatedly told me that if I chose to not read this novel, then he would no longer consider me as a high class reader. Due to my stubbornness and my constant will to prove my brother wrong, I accepted his challenge and ultimately decided to read “Slavery & Freedom”. I also decided to read this book because I truly wanted a challenging book that would test my reading and comprehension skills this summer.
Slavery and Freedom by James Oakes is an interpretation of the Old South between the relationships of slaves and masters. This novel contains deep detail about the growing rate of racism and white supremacy. The books talks about the struggles and tribulations of contemporary life for African Americans living in the south. The novel considered the south contained the states of Texas, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Oklahoma. An important topic of the book was how the constitution defined the freedom of every individual. In the U.S constitution, it clearly states that the freedom of every man is granted to every American citizen. Southern Americans denied the idea of African Americans being claimed as citizens, which favored the continuation of slavery for several hundred years. Throughout the novel, Oakes continues to elaborate on his views and expose the flaws of segregation and the U.S constitutions in great detail.
“Slavery & Freedom” had several strong points and valid connections that gained my interest. This novel is strengthened with enriched detail to support to the views of James Oakes. Oakes provided his readers with a general discussion of the basic system of slavery.
I really liked how Oakes supplied his audience with several well written perspectives on how the newly interpreted constitution made slavery in the south acceptable, and caused the outbreak of war. A direct example of this is when Oakes acknowleged how the competition between capitalism and slavery resulted in the Civil War. "The pathway from the American Revolution to the Civil War begins at the intersection of slavery and liberal capitalism" (Oakes 14). I also adored how Oakes was straight forward with his audience by simply stating the obvious. "If you are not free, you are unfree" (Oakes 66). This quote by Oakes was used to debunk the idea of giving slaves some priviliges so that they experience a little freedom, however, they still wouldn't be considered as U.S citizens.
Although Slavery & Freedom is strengthened with so much detail and historical facts, it has several weakness that could use revision. The book solely focuses on the views of James Oakes with brief touches to other perspectives. Oakes simply uses the works of others that share the same argument has him, he never applied the work of an author that contradicted his views. Oakes also gave little to no background information of the Civil War during Lincoln’s presidency. He didn’t include any details about the racist acts of white supremacist, which I believe would have added some interesting comparisons to others novels.
Overall, this novel was very informative and thorough. I believe “Slavery & Freedom” is more suited for those who have an interest in history and politics. I would definitely recommend this book to my classmates who enjoy a challenging read, and don’t mind rereading through passages to fully understand the views of the author. I recommend this book because it has the potential to completely change a reader’s mentality about the relationship between slaves and slaveholders. I would love to share a discussion with anyone who is willing to read this book. “Slavery & Freedom” by James Oakes is truly a great novel for high class readers who are open to new perspectives.
*acknowledged, *privileges (spelling revisions)
DeleteThis book sounds like a very intriguing and interesting read. We did a big project on slavery in AP World History, and I would definitely like to learn more about it. We only go over so much in school, but sometimes I wish I could learn more, and this book will fulfill this. I will have to look into this book for the future.
DeleteI decided to read Dear John by Nicholas Sparks over the summer because I enjoy reading Nicholas Sparks books as well as Romance novels. Dear John, this sappy love story starts out with the main character, John Tyree watching the girl he still loves, Savannah. As he watches her from afar he thinks all about how much he loves her as well as what has happened to their once so strong relationship. Tyree then goes back to the beginning to narrate his story about their love. He starts off when he dropped out of school and enlisted in the army, not knowing what else to do with his life. This was until one summer when he met Savannah, his dream girl, while over in the United States on a leave. They quickly fell madly and extremely in love which leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish out his duty in the army. At the same time John is wanting to settle down with the girl of his dreams.While on duty overseas, John writes letters to Savannah and she writes back. But when 9/11 hits, John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. Tragically, this extremely long separation leads Savannah to fall in love with someone else. When John returns he must face the fact that Savannah is now married to someone else. But, when he goes to see his true love, Savannah, he faces the hardest decision of his life.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great aspects of Dear John is that it is completely written in first person. It is written in the point of view of the main character John Tyree. This leaves you only in the head and mind of John.This aspect is what makes the novel so poignant. It really makes the reader feel for him, which is hard to do. You get to feel all the different emotions John goes through, and you know exactly what he is thinking at all times. You get a completely male perspective which is not common in many romantic love stories. Through the novel you get to experience all of John's internal thoughts, that of which no movie can capture. This helps to make the novel so powerful and moving.
Dear John is a sweet love story that presents us with very relatable characters. John and Savannah’s story is quick, intense and care-free at the beginning of the novel, but as the relationship grew and certain circumstances unraveled it tested their true love for each other. Dear John gives its readers an idea of unconditional love, sappy heartbreaks and the reality of certain instances where you may have to make the selfless decision not just for your life but also for the people you love allowing us to understand what love really means. Nicholas Sparks’ writing style is very easy, making pacing considerably fast making me love how the story was presented to the readers. The characters in the novel were very “real” and you will definitely connect not only to John and Savannah but, to other minor characters as well.
Even though I think the ending was nice in a sense that everything didn't end up as “happily ever after,” I do think the ending was a little sad and harsh. The whole story you are rooting for John and Savannah to be together. In the end you just kind of hold on to hope that they might get back together when he goes home for good. Instead it ends in a way you may not have wanted it to. But that is the only weakness of the novel in my opinion.
In my opinion, I would most definitely recommend Nicholas Sparks’, Dear John to anyone, although I think the ladies would enjoy the novel more being that it is a romance novel. It was an awesome quick read that leaves your heart completely melted, a great book to read on the beach or in a relaxing setting. If you want to feel sappy, happy and romantic, this is the book for you. I myself highly recommend Dear John, and plan on eventually re-reading this in the future because it was remarkably satisfying. Dear John was a very enjoyable novel that you won’t want to put down once you start, romantic and fantastic.
I've watched the movie Dear John an innumerable amount of times, and every time I feel the love John has for Savannah. I feel as if the reader, because the book is written in first person, will have a much deeper connection with every aspect of their relationship, as you mentioned. I agree with the thought of routing for them to last all the way until the end, even with John spending extra time away because of 9/11. Also I agree that the ending is harsh, but over all is an amazing story.
DeleteI am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, because of his novels are amazing, especially Dear John. The whole time I was reading this book I was on the edge of my seat, I could not out it down. And I agree with you about the ending, it definitely was not the way I wanted it to end, but nonetheless it was a great story.
DeleteI've heard of Nicholas Sparks and how widely acclaimed his books are, but I never read one of his books before. After reading your review, I think I'll take the book out for a spin. Its plot seems interesting and would be something to rave about.
DeleteIf I Stay by Gayle Forman
ReplyDeleteI decided to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman because I love reading about teenage life and since I already read The Fault In Our Stars I felt as if this would be good. I heard about If I stay because I saw the trailer for the movie and it grabbed me instantly. As I started to read I could not put the book down, I was addicted. While reading the book I felt a number of emotions between sadness, to happiness, to anger to laughing so hard I ended up crying. The main influence on why I picked this book was because I knew not everyone knew about it because they would all be hooked on The Fault In Our Stars. Not only did the movie trailer swoop me in, but the comments on Amazon defiantly made me excited to read it as well.
If I Stay is about a 17 year old girl whose family dies instantly from a car crash. Mia, the 17 year old girl, ends up being in a coma after having multiple surgeries done. She is the only surviving member of the Hall family in the crash. Mia is also an amazing musician. She plays the cello like no one has ever seen before, one week after the crash she is supposed to have an audition at Julliard. Sadly because of the crash her audition is postponed. You then see how her boyfriend, Adam who is in a band, reacts to her coma. He ends up going down a deep dark path that leads to Adam and Mia never speaking again.
This book had a lot of emotions running throughout the pages. I believe that is a true strength of an author. I personally felt like I was Mia and I was right in her life from page 1. My only critic we be that they didn't go to far into what happens to her before the crash, other than the basics of her background, considering the crash happens on page 17.
I would 100% recommend this book. If you liked the Fault In Our Stars you will love this book. There is also a squeal called Where She Went and this book is from Adam's point of view. I also read this book and I was addicted instantly. This book shows you how anything can change in a blink of an eye. I recommend this book to everyone especially if you saw and liked the movie. Even though I have yet to see the movie the book is always better.
This novel sounds like a very interesting read. I've never read a book where the main character instantly lost their loved ones to begin the story. I would love to read this book because the essence of going through the hardships of life all alone interests me. Once I read this novel, I could give you my feedback about the book and maybe we could possibly discuss our favorite parts.
DeleteBefore reading this review, I was debating whether to read If I Stay. The book didn't really give a good first impression. I now have changed my mind because of your praise towards the book.
DeleteI too read If I stay because I saw the movie trailer one day. Once I started I couldn't stop, honestly it was great. I have to agree that there was so many emotions throughout the novel. All the different emotions help to make it a great novel.
DeleteMy mom wanted me to read this for my book review at first, and it sounds interesting to read. There are some movie ads on television for a movie version of this, which looks very emotional. I'm sure you went through a lot of emotions while reading it.
DeleteThis novel definitely sounds like it has multiple option packed parts to it. Personally, I probably wouldn't read it because it see like it has an insufficient amount of action for me. But it still seems like an amazing book
DeleteImani Jarr
ReplyDeleteSummer Reading Assignment
I have always been a huge fan of teenage romance novels and stories that centered around characters who were teenagers or young adults in general. Before coming across Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, I had heard about the author, who is hailed in the literary world for her young adult novels. After reading the summary, I chose to read Just Listen because it is a story about the unlikely friendship and relationship of completely opposite people.
The story centers around 17 year old Annabel Greene, who models along with her two older sisters. Annabel desperately wants to quit modeling, but doesn’t want to disappoint her mother who enjoys it. After being raped at a party by her bestfriend’s boyfriend, Annabel loses her bestfriend Sophie along with all her friends who are under the impression that she willingly had sex with him. After losing her popularity and being publicly ostracized, she be-friends social outcast Owen Armstrong and their relationship begins to bloom.
I believe that there is only one weakness of the book and that is, how it is set up.The structure of the story is not necessarily typical or ideal, in a sense that, the reader doesn’t find out the truth surrounding the main incident of the story until towards the end, with the author coming close to disclosing it a few times, just before switching to the next scene in the story. For example on page 143 of the book (just about the middle), Annabel is confiding in Owen about how much she wants to quit modeling, but doesn’t want to tell her mom. In return, Owen tells her it must be difficult for her to carry that around without telling anyone. The reader then reads, “I knew he was talking about modeling. But hearing this, I thought of something else, the thing I could never admit, the biggest secret of all.”At this point the reader knows Annabel is referring what happened that night. but what the reader still doesn’t know is what actually happened. Though these parts can be particularly frustrating for the reader, it keeps the reader intrigued enough to keep reading.
The best part of the book, is when Annabel is involved in confrontation with Sophie, her ex bestfriend. After becoming extremely nauseous and vomiting in a near by shrub, Annabel begins to cry. Owen then comes and begins to comfort her and offers her a ride home. This is the best part I believe because, she begins to see him in a new light and this is the very beginning of their budding relationship. From the start of the story you can tell that Annabel is a rather quiet and more intraverted person, so witnessing her slowly start to open up to Owen shows how even the most shy people can let their guard down when they really need to.
I personally would recommend this book to all of my classmates. It shows the lesson of judgement, and how social status doesn’t matter when you need a companion. Even though the structure of the story could have been better, the story itself is astounding the lesson behind it is even bigger.
Just Listen was another book I read this summer and I enjoyed reading it. When I read the summary beforehand, I was curious to see how two teens with unlike personalities would ever be friends. I felt like I could understand how Annabel felt throughout the story, since she's shy and aloof and how she changed as a person with Owen in her daily life. I would recommend this book too.
DeleteThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
ReplyDeleteFor my summer reading assignment, I chose to read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Prior to reading the book, I had heard tons of good things about it. Ultimately, that's what drove me to read it. Also, almost all of my friends had already read it, so I didn't want to be the only one that hadn't read this book. To give a brief synopsis of the story, Katniss Everdeen is a young teenager, living in one of the twelve districts run by a powerful government based in the Capitol. To showcase this power, every year, the Capitol holds a televised event which randomly selects a boy and a girl from each district. Essentially, they throw the twenty-four teenagers in an arena and have them battle it out. Katniss Everdeen,along with Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, are District 12's representatives. They are put on the journey to the Capitol where they will participate in the 49th Hunger Games, with only one thing on their minds; to stay alive.
In my opinion, the Hunger Games was a very good book. The number of weaknesses was heavily outweighed by the number of strengths. To be completely honest, I could not really find any weaknesses, that's how much I enjoyed the book. I suppose the ending of the book was a little anti-climactic, but that was in order to set up for the next book in the trilogy. There are a huge number of strengths in the book. One of the big things that I liked was that the story was easy to follow, but had just enough twists to keep me interested. One of those big twists was in the arena when it looked like Peeta had betrayed Katniss, but was really trying to protect her. Another big strength was that the book had a little bit of everything, it had action, humor, drama, romance, and whatever else you can think of. I also like the fact that as the main character, Katniss was not portrayed as the stereotypical, flawless protagonist. For example, in the beginning she struggled to follow orders, especially coming from Haymitch. She was extremely disobedient, but eventually she understood Haymitch and began to trust him. Clearly, the strengths outnumber the one weakness.
I would definitely recommend this book to all of my classmates. On a scale of 1-10, I would definitely give the Hunger Games a ten. I enjoyed the book a lot, it is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. Like I said, the book barely has any weaknesses and has an abundance of strengths. I would recommend this book to anyone just looking for a good read. It is also a great underdog story, I know that is something that a lot of people like. In conclusion, my summer reading book, the Hunger Games, was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.
The hunger games was a good movie, but books always give more descriptions. I want to get more into the hunger games and read the books as well as see the movies, Your review gives a good insight on the book.
DeleteI've also read the Hunger Games during my summer and I really enjoyed reading this novel. I absolutely agree with the 10/10 rate you gave the book. I loved reading the Hunger Games because of the adventurous plot, action-packed parts, and the survival of the fittest theme. I would also recommend this novel to my fellow classmates as well as anyone who loves a book with plenty of action.
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