Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Secret Language Of Girls


The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell was not my favorite book, at all. I did not like this book and I will tell you why in just a minute.
But first... let me give you a summary. It's about two friends Marylin, and Kate who are BFF's... or so they thought. They go through their rough patches and stuff like that, yadda... yadda... yadda. That's basically all it is.
So... you know how when you write in your journal and there is that month when you just write... nothin' important or anything like that. I mean, there might be some good parts... just there's nothing really that good to tell about. Well... that's how this was. It just wasn't anything exciting. it's just normal everyday life. But I guess that this wasn't normal, it was way to... what's the word? Different? for 11 year olds life. I mean, "normal life" was like being in 4th grade all over again. And then some parts, you'd think that they were immature 17 year olds. There is gossip about relationships, (4th grade), silly little relationships (4th grade), and spin the bottle at a party. (immature 17 year olds, although I guess it could still be classified under 4th grade.) I mean, nothing is really age appropriate in this book. It's stupid. And there are stupid little fights like in fourth grade. Really guys??? Really??? There are a lot of parts that people can relate to, but overall, I just didn't like this book. I thought it was pretty stupid the whole time I was reading it, and to be honest with you there was probably only one part I liked. That was it. So if your at the library, DO NOT PICK THIS BOOK UP!!! Go pick up something a lot better, such as Harry Potter. Grade: D-.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie

I thought this book looked kind of good in a quirky, crack me up sort of way. And at first it was nothing like that. At first it was really sort of cliche. I mean the main character is going into his first year of high school. He has a tight band of four friends including him. And what else? His mom is pregnant. I don't know about you but I find that plot very boring.

But then the story started picking up, not in the plot. ( That didn't pick up until about midway/ 3/4ths of the way) But in the way that the author wrote the story. You see when he finds out his mom is pregnant he thinks of all the things that would be helpful to know going into high school. So he starts a journal for his baby whatever it's going to be. Once he started doing that I fealt more connected to the charachter. I started viewing the whole book as a journal for me.

Furthermore once I started feeling more connected to the charachter I really started changing my viewpiont. It changed my frame of mind from uuugh this guys a nerd. To liking the charachter because he was just being who was and people liked that and respected it.

Overall I loved this book. Because the author did such a good job of making me feel connected to the charachter. Even to the piont of me feeling incredibely sad when the book was over. This is a must read if your in the mood for a book that makes you feel like you have a new friend when the book is over.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Uglies


Scott Westerfeld creates an amazing adventure in the book Uglies, the first book in a series of four.



Tally Youngblood, and fifteen-year-old "ugly", sneaks away to find her friend that had already been turned pretty only weeks before. But she finds out that he doesn't want to see her again until she has become pretty. When she's running away from the other pretties that are chasing her, she meets another ugly named Shay.

They find out that they have the same birthday, they become good friends, and Shay teaches Tally how to hoverboard.

But the night before they're both about to have to operation, Shay comes to Tally's window. Tally thinks that Shay wants to do one last ugly trick before they become pretty, but that's no the plan. Shay wants to run away to the Smoke, where there are uglies who have never had the operation. Tally doesn't like the idea, so she doesn't go. But Shay leaves directions, just in case Tally wanted to join her.

The next day, Tally gets ready to go to New Pretty Town to get her operation. but when she gets there, a doctor comes out and says that there's something wrong with her operation. Dr. Cable, head of Special Circumstances, tells her that she Tally needs to find Shay and all the other people that have escaped to the Smoke. But they'll only give her the operation if she helps them. Dr. Cable gives her a pendant that she can open and scan her eye with when she gets there, and Special Circunstances would be there in a few hours.

So she hops onto her hoverboard and follows Shay's legible but confusing directions, conquers challenging tasks, and fnally makes it to the Smoke.

When she gets there, she finds Shay and all the people who had been runing away for all these years. But she doesn't want to betray Shay but bringing in Special Circumstances.

Later, Tally falls in love with the son of the founders of the Smoke, David, and doesn't want to leave the Smoke. But when Special Circumstances arrives, the Smoke is in big trouble. They're all taking them back to their original hometowns to be made pretty!



I really liked this book. It's full of action, adventure, suspence, and some romance. But the best part is that it shows the true meaning of friendship. Tally really cared about Shay, and didn't want to turn her back on her and ruin their friendship. I really think they should turn this into a movie. It would be awesome! Anyways, I really liked this book, and I hope you'll all read it over the summer...including the rest of the series. A