Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Sea of Monsters

The sea of monsters is the second book in the series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is the son of Poseidon, the sea god, and since he is the son of a god and a human he is called a half-blood. There is a camp that is called camp half-blood that the half-bloods go to stay safe and train to become heroes.

So Percy has been to camp half-blood and when he goes for his second summer he finds out that it isn't safe anymore. So he goes out on a quest because someone has poisoned the tree, also know as Thalia daughter of Zeus, which has been keeping the camp safe and he knows where to find the cure. The cure for the poisoned tree is a Golden Fleece that is somewhere in the Sea of Monsters. Percy, Tyson (Percy's cyclops brother), and Annabeth (Percy's friend) all set out on their journey to find the Golden Fleece and bring back their friend Grover as well. As they are on their journey they run into some problems with monsters, Luke an old friend that has turned evil, temptations and more. They have to work together and put away their differences to defeat these trials to get their camp restored to the safe place it used to be.

I really liked this book and I give it an A. It was full of action and it was intense. I think one of the points the author was trying to get at was that we should be accepting of everyone, and we shouldn't judge people right away, because they can turn out to be really good people. This book was fun to read and so far the series has been good. I would really recommend this book if you like cliffhangers, because it has that, and it just makes you want to get the next book right away and keep reading.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012



Shade

by Jeri Smith-Read


Aura Lives in a world full of death. After an event called the shift children born after it could see, hear and talk to ghosts. They're called post-shifters and kids born even a minute before are called pre-shifters. When Aura's boyfriend Logan dies on his birthday she is glad for the first time that she is a post-shifter. Her and Logan sort of pick up where they left off except he can't touch her...at all. 

Aura has been trying to figure out the mystery of the shift her whole life. What caused it? How did it happen? She may have found some of those answers when she meets Zachary, a pre-shifter that holds some of the biggest keys to unlocking the mystery of the shift. She befriends him but things get interesting when they become a little more then friends.

Shade is a good book with a compelling story and interesting characters. I would give this book 3 stars. It was a lot more romance then I expected. I wish it had stuck more to the ghost and mystery of the book instead of the love triangle. Also it was extremely predictable. Other then that it was a good book. It did not, if your wondering, break into my top 20 book list though.It wasn't that good.

This book can relate to girls who have ever broken up with a guy but still had feeling for him. Even though they never actually break up. Also It relates to people who have lost loved ones because she lost her mom. Pretty normal teen stuff for the rest of the book. Except for the ghosts.

I would not recommend this book to you if you do not like romance. Otherwise...all yours!

Monday, May 28, 2012

The City of Ember

In an attempt to save the human race, scientists prepared and built an underground city called Ember. They sent people to go live in the city, and establish its grounds. Along with the city, they gave instructions on how to return above ground 200 years later, once all the turmoil of the world had ended. The current citizens of Ember lost the instructions, and therefore were oblivious to the world above.

This story is about Lina, a young citizen of Ember.  She lives with her grandmother and her younger sister, Poppy. One day, she comes across a strange case, containing mysterious instructions. But her little sister chews them up when she is away, so she has to try to piece them back together. They turn out to be the lost instructions on how to get out of Ember! Lina and her new friend, Doon, try to decipher what the instructions mean. They explore the pipeworks, and search for the exit. Eventually, they translate the instructions, and their journey out of Ember begins.

Author, Jeanne DuPrau, does a wonderful job of entertaining and hooking the audience in the first book of The City of Ember series. But she's really trying to get us to step back and look at the bigger picture. DuPrau brings up interesting points about our world. Could things ever get so bad that building an underground city could possibly be the best option for survival? Perhaps she's stressing the fact that if we don't change something, our world will get so awful that there is no way for escape.

Personally, I loved The City of Ember. From the first page, to the last sentence, I was entertained by the suspense of the book. This book is written beautifully and it makes me want to read the rest of the series. If you're looking for a suspenseful, amazing book, The City of Ember is a good read. A

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, Kristine Brennan

Are you curious? About disaster? About a human error that ended in the death of hundreds and counting? That is exactly what this book is about, The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster of 1986. It is really a reality check. It is so interesting to hear about how the stupidity of a few people who break the rules can cause a mass plague of sorts. A plague of radiation. I couldn't put it down. Period. It was fascinating. I myself was turned on to this book by the upcoming movie Chernobyl Diaries. The movie doesn't come out until the 25th so I thought to myself, "Hmm I wish I knew more about what happened at Chernobyl." So I made it my mission to find a book that would satisfy my ever growing thirst for that nuclear knowledge. Off to the library I went and I stumbled upon Kristine Brennan's little slice of nonfictional genius.  And yes, it did quench my undying need to know. This book deservingly gets a B+.

It's starts with April 26, 1986. We are thrown into the small town of Pripyat in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant as Reactor 4 blows its top. We are riding with the first response team as they arrive and die. Kristine also goes on to explain how fission, the splitting of atoms, works. We go on to learn what the health effects of the Chernobyl disaster were and how generations are still being affected today.

This book made me really think about how dangerous nuclear power is. With that big of a risk is it really worth it? I mean look what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and what almost happened at Three Mile Island! And that was in Pennsylvania. The closest nuclear power plant to Utah is in Arizona, Palo Verde 1. If something like Chernobyl were to happen there we would die. So I ask you is Nuclear Power really worth it?
Palo Verde is the closest Nuclear Power Plant to us.
It's only about 700 miles away. Not far at all.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Shiver : Maggie Stiefvater

          Grace has been in love with the wolvesever since they attacked her.  Every winter she watches the most important wolf of all. The whole town is against her love of the wolves because they killed Jack Culpeper, but she can't resist. Especially on one winter day.

         When Grace gets home one night she sees a boy on her porch who has been shot! On the way to the hospital she reconized his burning yellow eyes. Her wolf! But, he was human?  Confused she asked his name. Sam. Her wolf was an actual person! For how long?  In the hospital she found out he was different. His wounds heal quickly, he turns in to a wolf in the winter, human in the summer no big deal. What!  He was a wolf, how could she like a wolf?

         What should she do? What could she do? She can't leave him there. So, the takes him home, and he secrelty lives in her bedroom. other then hiding in her house, and fighting the could. Grace and Sam enjoy each others company. They enjoy it so much that they start dating! AWW!

          In Graces' eyes everyting is perfect until a wolf appears at her school. It was Jack! But, Jacks dead? WRONG! jacks a wolf, and he's mad! He wants a cure. didnt Grace get bitten? She didn't turn into a wolf,  she must have the cure!

          So, Jack tries the get Grace and ends up with Sam.  Grace needs to find a cure before Jack dies or bites anymore people, and Sam becomes a wolf  forever!

          I LOVED this book. Oh My Gosh, it was amazing i finished it in three days. That's how good it is! It was an Action packed romance book. My favorite! If you don't like romance you might want to close your eyes because there is a lot of kissing. Also, I usually write about the bigger issue, but this book is about werewolves so. . .  One thing I can give you is the two other books in the series. The second one is Linger, and the third is Forever.

        This URL is not a movie  about Shiver, but this is how I picture Shiver would be if it became a movie or television show. ( Yes it is a trailer for the MTV Series Teen Wolf.)


Rate the Book: A+
Rate the Trailer: PG-13

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Beyonders By Brandon Mull

       This book is a good book if you like fantasy and adventure books. This is a really fun book and I enjoyed reading it. I like fantasy books and I have read other books by Brandon Mull and thought that I could give this one a try.
       Just like any other fanasty books this books is magical. It starts out one day with any other teenagers average day. Jason Walker is a normal teenager who goes through what every other teenager goes through. Today he is at the zoo when he sees something odd in the hippo tank. He is helping out at the zoo, so he decides to get in and see if there is something that someone has thrown in at the bottom of the tank. He climbs in to find that it is just a door. But a door to what? It is a door to a magical kingdom, Lyrian. While he is there he meets a girl named Rachel, also from our world. Lyrian has many problems, and everyone there is living ther lives being afraid of their leader, Maldor.
       While they were in Lyrian they go through many trials trying to get out. Jason figures a way out, but Rachel is inable to come with him. So, she stays in Lyrian while Jason figures things out. For Jason it becomes a daily routine going in and out of Lyrian. While he is in Lyrian they figure things out. Find peices to the puzzle. They try to figure out how they can destroy the emporer, try to find the best way out while saving Lyrian.
       This book shows lots of friendship and team work. As Jason and Rachel become friends they can work together to accomplish more than they thought they could. It is a really fun book and follows a really good story line. I recommend it and think it would be a fun book for everyone to read. A

The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars

by Frank Beddor

Oh Lewis Carol, how could you get it all so horribly, horribly wrong. First of all her name is spelled A-L-Y-S-S not A-L-I-C-E. Wonderland is real, everything is real(except maybe the white rabbit). It's all real and Princess Alyss heart of Wonderland, with the strongest white imagination ever known was supposed to be queen. She would have been too is her wicked aunt Redd and her assassin the Cat hadn't stormed in and murdered her parents and forced her to retreat to Earth through the pool of tears. Yes sir it's all true and The Looking Glass Wars tells the true story, the whole story, Alyss's real story.

The Looking Glass wars is the first book in Frank Beddor's amazing trilogy in which we follow Alyss as she grows, changes and prepares to fight Redd. We see her struggle to keep the spirit of white imagination alive and fight off black imagination We see her face the hardships of being alone on Earth after she looses her bodygaurd Hatter Madigan in the pool of tears. As you read her story you feel what she feels. Scared, alone, sad and hopelessly confused. On Earth Everyone tells her that wonderland isn't real. Just a figment of her imagination. She eventually stops talking about it to everyone but Charles Dodgson...otherwise known as Lewis Carol. 

I Really liked this book. The author was very creative and really knew how to draw you in. He knew how to make little twists in the story but still stay true to his inspiration. This book is now a new member on my top 20 books list. Right next to The Mysterious Benedict Society and Flipped. Beddor really thought of everything in this book. It was so complex it was like it's real.

Though this book wasn't as straight forward about it as others you can still see some things in it that relate to the real world. For example, when Alyss goes to Earth she's always really sad. Lot's of kids these days are depressed. Be it because they just watched their parents get killed or their dog dies. We all have to get out of that place and try and get better for the sake of our family and friends if not for our self. That's what Alyss learns through her experience on Earth. 

Overall this book was Amazing. I recommend it to anyone out there who loves fantasy but is not a big fan of the romance. Check this book out or buy it it's worth it!

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Before I say anything else, there are a couple of things you need to know about The Throne of Fire. First off, this book (and the book before it, The Red Pyramid) are written by Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series and the newer Heroes of Olympus series. Both of these are all about Greek and Roman mythology. So, in this set of books Riordan decided to mix it up a little bit by basing these books, the Kane Chronicles, on Egyptian mythology. So, before you read these books I would highly suggest getting a bit of background info on Egyptian legend and myths. Sure, the book does a pretty good job letting you know what gods are which, but in my opinion it is helpful and makes the story that much more enjoyable knowing about Egypt’s ancient gods.

This story begins in the Brooklyn House, the headquarters for Carter and Sadie Kane along with their uncle, Amos Kane. It is also home to about twenty new recruits that Carter, Sadie, and Amos are training. In their world, there are magicians who practice the magic that was once commonplace in ancient Egypt. They can use this magic by saying spells, writing hieroglyphs, and many other things. The people in the Brooklyn House are officially part of the House of Life, the order of magicians throughout the world, but they aren’t exactly popular. The Chief Lector, the leader of the House of Life and about everyone else who belongs to it, think of the Kane’s as criminals. Because of this, they are constantly being hunted by other magicians. Now here is the real problem:  Apophis, the master of Chaos and arch-nemesis of the King Ra, King of the Gods and the Sun (who is currently missing), is about to rise from his prison in 3 days and swallow the sun and all the other gods and plunge the world into darkness and Chaos. The only way to stop him is for Carter and Sadie to collect the three parts of the Book of Ra and bring Ra back to take up his throne again, all in 3 days.

From there is where their journey begins. They go from London, to Russia, and to Egypt to try and find the pieces of the Book. They fight creatures of darkness and even at one point have to run away from a god and a goddess that took over the bodies of Carter and Sadie’s grandparents. On their way they find Bes, the god of dwarfs, who is sent to help them and is a big and important part of their quest.
            This is a book I very much enjoyed. It had great and likeable characters, a good plot-line, and it picked up from where the last book left off pretty nicely. I would also like to hand it to the author, Rick Riordan. Every time I read one of his books, he continues to impress me. I really like the way he adds so much character and humor into his stories, making it seem as if you are right there with the characters of the book every step of the way. One thing that I really appreciate about The Throne of Fire is that it switches back and forth between Carter and Sadie, each taking one or two chapters. I like this because it is fun and interesting to see both of their personalities in the story. As I said before, this is a great book that I would definitely recommend to anybody. A!

Monday, May 14, 2012

The Sea of Monsters


The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan, is the second book in The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series. The entire book was a very fast paced exciting. The book is fictional and it's all built around Greek mythology and stories and characters from legends. Percy the main character that we follow around is a teenager with some very exceptional abilities like being half god and being able to control water/sea. 

As the story begins it lets you know that Percy came home from Camp Half Blood, which is a place where other Demi gods or half gods go to train and learn in safety from evil monsters that regularly attack them. Most campers come home or back to the real world after summer. Percy is one of those cases and came home for the school year. Throughout the entire year Percy has been able to not get expelled for the first time in his whole life. Then the last day of school comes and mythical creatures called Laistrygonians decide to pay Percy a visit and blow up the gym. 

Then next thing Percy realizes is that he has to go on another life threatening quest almost as bad as the last one to save his best friend Grover who happens to be a satyr. As the story progresses Percy finds out one of his good friends he met at school is actually his half brother and a Cyclops. One might expect a little shock when they find out there father Poseidon is also the father of most Cyclops and your half brother. Anyways the group starts to be challenged on their quest by an evil boy named Luke. We know that Luke betrayed them the summer before by hosting Kronos and tried to kill them, once again this kid tries to take them out.

The story has some really good themes like family and acceptance, for example Percy's reaction to his new brother. Most people would be really angry when they found out that they have a brother who's a Cyclops, but Percy just accepts it for what it is. That is a perfect example of how Percy cares about others judges character 
more than anything else. I really liked this book and am also enjoying the entire series. The book is fast paced and packed with adventure and action; it's appropriate for everyone also. I think that this book for sure deserves an A-.

The Maze Runner

I read "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner. This book takes place in giant maze and the Glade. The Book follows a boy named Thomas, who mysteriously lost his memory. Now, if there's one quality that found in this book, it was that this book is FULL of suspense. I really enjoyed the level of suspense, but there's such thing as too much suspense.
            The book begins when a boy by the name of Thomas wakes in a pitch black room, and he remembers absolutely nothing. He is soon greeted by other kids, who share his same fate: living in the Maze. Though they don't dare sleep in the maze itself, because of Grievers, which are poisonous robot animals, so instead they sleep in an area known as the Glade. About two days in, they meet a girl by the name of Teresa, who strangely enough, has a telepathic connection with Thomas. She tells him "WICKED is good", and that the maze they are in is a puzzle!
One of the issues I had with this book is that I thought that there was too much suspense. Almost everything you read is just suspense, and solving the puzzle. This leaves almost no room for character development. Because of this, I never really became attached to the characters, which kind of deteriorated the overall suspense.
But, if there was one thing I wanted to change about the book, it's that the "End" of the book wasn't even close to being an ending. It leaves you with just about as many questions as when you began the book. Fortunately, there is a series to the book.
Now, don't get me wrong, this was truly an amazing book. Though I feel the book has too much suspense, that doesn't mean I was practically shaking the entire time I read the book. One amazing aspect of Dashner's writing is that he can hook you on a book. I would come home from school, pick up the book, and read till dinner. Another great part about the book is that the characters are very likable. Though you don't necessarily feel for them much, you enjoy reading what they have to say. When I was reading the book, the characters almost felt like a friend, someone who I look forward to listening to.
I simply loved this book, though it had its faults, it honestly deserves to be read by more. I recommend this book to anybody who likes a post-apocalyptic book, or a VERY suspenseful book, I definitely advise reading it. A-


Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Lightning Thief by: Rick Riordan

This fascinating book "The Lightning Thief" is a great fiction/Greek Mythology/fantasy type of book. Rick Riordan (the author) in my opinion is one of the best authors ever. This book is is so intriguing and entertaining.

Oh no! Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen! Who would steal it??? Of course they would choose the poor innocent guy who doesn't know the first thing about Greek Mythology... Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon (Poseidon is the god of the sea and the brother of Zeus). Percy Jackson is just a regular guy, besides the fact that he is a delinquent, until the day he is told that he is the son of Poseidon, Zeus including all of Mount Olympus thinks he stole Zeus' master lightning bolt, and that he has ten days to bring it back and find out who did it. Pretty tough for a guy who probably didn't believe what they were saying at first. Anyway, he and his best friend Grover (which he met at a regular school and Percy just found out that he is a saytr) get sent to a place called "Camp Half-Blood" to train for the mission ahead. So to shorten things up he leaves and goes on this crazy adventure that includes chopping of Medusa's head, eating burgers with Ares, and fighting Hades. Its not looking good for him and his friends but Percy's life pretty much depends on finding this lightning bolt. Can they find out who actually stole Zeus' bolt? Can they do it in ten days?

This is literally one of the best books I have ever read. It kept me up all night reading and reading and reading. It was so good. I don't think I would've changed anything in that book although you might want to study up on your Greek Mythology because it gets really hard to remember all of the names of the gods and goddesses. I really like how the author put this in modern day times instead of the 70s or 80s or something like that. I think that it was a great idea and it couldn't of been any better than it was. A+

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen


Dessen has done it yet again with such a beautifully written and amazing book. This one, like the others, is really focused on teen problems. After being abandoned by a drug and alcohol using mother, Ruby Cooper is forced to live with her quite and "much more normal" sister. But after living with her mother for so long, can she adapt to a perfect society?

Ruby is not your average 17-year old. Her mother, also named Ruby, had taught her many bad habits, that soon destroy her life. Not only would (mother) Ruby drink and get high, but some nights, she would force her own daughter out of the only bed in the house for disgusting reasons. Not only that, but they've been living in a little yellow house alone, when (mother) Ruby goes missing. She leaves her daughter in the yellow house alone, to pay the overdue rent, and feed herself on her own.

Now, Ruby doesn't mind. She feels like she only has one year to be of legal age, and so she could just stay there. Child services is having none of it though, and they make (daughter) Ruby live with her sister, Cora. At first you learn that Ruby thinks that Cora has been avoiding her, but as times go by, you see that she has been trying to protect her and take her from her unstable mother.

Ruby meets a boy (of course) named Nate, and they start dating. One night, Ruby gets high and drunk and finds herself in Nate's car going back home. When she arrives, Cora's husband is furious with her and says that she is abusing his and Cora's love and care. Determined to not be like her mother, she tries flipping her life around, but will it be easy?

There are so much things to discuss. I didn't mention this above, but even though Ruby didn't live at the yellow house anymore, she still kept the key to it around her neck. This just shows how loyal someone can be to family members, and how hard it is to move on. Throughout the book, yes, her opinions change about her mother, but in general, there is just this sad mood and you know she misses her. She talks about going back to the yellow house a lot, too.

Okay, now for MY opinion. I LOVED Lock and Key. It is beautifully written, and so well written that it makes you feel Ruby's pain. Do I think that this is the best she's ever written? Yes. But was it boring at times? Well, obviously. No book can be front to back amazing and filled with excitement. This book is kind of a slow read, but hey, it's about rehabilitation; what do you expect?

Overall, it brought tears in my eyes and really showed me the truth; even though someone looks happy, it doesn't necessarily mean they are. I lived what Ruby lived, and I felt what she felt. Cheesy? Yes. Should you read this book? Yes (unless you're a male, I don't think you'll like it).

Rating: PG-13
Score: A- (kinda slow at times).

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Wizard of Oz


 
The first thing you need to know about the Wizard of Oz book is that it is much different than the movie. Instead of a cheesy, classic with musical numbers. The book is more a fairytale like adventure. The story begins with Dorothy and her trusty dog Toto living a dull life on a Kansas farm. When a cyclone takes her and Toto away, they arrive in a strange land known as Oz. When her house accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East she meets the Munchkins, the good witch of the North, and takes the dead witch's silver shoes. She is directly by the Munchkins to go to see the Great Oz in the emerald city. On her journey she meets a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion who come with her on her journey. When they reach they Emerald City, they plead the Great Oz for their desires. He says that if they slay the Wicked Witch of The West they may have their wishes granted. The companions go to the West and are taking prisoners by the witch. Dorothy manages to destroy her and free the land of the West. They travel back to the Emerald City have their wishes granted (somewhat). Only Dorothy's wish is not granted. So she travels to the South to find the good witch that lives there. With the witch's help, Dorothy returns to Kansas.

I thought that this book was great! Its a lot different from the movie and some of the characters are brilliant. It is a classic book and the author himself said that he wanted this book to be a modern fantasy like the Grimm fairy tales. Also the details in this book are incredible my personal favorite is when the dreary landscape of Kansas is being described.