THE RISE OF NINE

     This book is the start of the end where all numbers have been found but five and a number ten has showed up. Numbers 4-10 are alive and the bad dudes are trying to kill the rest of the numbers so that their race can't come back. The numbers are called Loriens and the bad dudes are called mogadorians or mogs for short. They are trying to regroup and then go fight the mog leader Setrakus Ra so they can go back and save the planet the mogs have almost destroyed. 

     This is a great work done by the mysterious author Pittacus Lore. It is very good at emphasizing the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall." I really liked this book for its morals but it also has a great story line and is written amazingly. 

     This is a book I would read any time and it was probably my favorite. I would recommend it to anyone but my dad. I can't wait for the last one to come out and I will definitely be reading it. If anyone finds out who the real author is it would be great to know.

The Brotherband Chronicles : The Outcasts

   This book is based on a group called the skandians. Many of you will not know what a skandian is but some of you might especially if you have read The Ranger Apprentice series. A skandian is one the fiercest warriors in the whole world. Their barbaric ways frighten many people. They go raiding all of the time. it is not uncommon to be raided for all the gold, silver, or/and other precious materials kept in your city. Skandians can fight and defeat any enemy even if they are outnumbered 5 to 1. The skandians mos t treasured weapon is a battle ax. when they go into battle with battle axes their enemy will will cower in fear. Their favorite tactic is to charge into battle screaming and swinging their axes around.
   This book starts with the normal skandian raid. They go and plunder the city and take everything. But in the process one skandian is killed, and another skandian vows to take care of his son and wife. About 16 years later Brotherband Training begins. The brotherband is where 16 year old boys train t become real skandians. Hal and his friends are the underdogs. All of his team mates, including him, are outcasts. On his team he has a thief, a kid that has a really bad temper, a class clown, a regular kid with nothing really special, and other kids with nothing that special to mention. Although they are nothing special Hal is. Hal is a natural born leader and inventor. he takes these kids and turns them into believers. In short they end up winning the Brotherband training course. With the winning Hal and his team are given the chance to watch over the Andomal. The Andomal is skandias most prized treasure. While they are on watch it gets stolen by pirates. Hal and his crew are now hated by all of Skandia. SO, he decides to go after the Andomal.
\    This is a very intereting book with lots of adventure and action in it. It makes the book better if you read at least some of the Ranger Apprentice series just to know what a real skandian is. This is a very exciting, interesting, suspenseful book. I would recommend it to anyone. A.

Beyonders Chasing the Prophecy

 

By: Lincoln Robbins

          This book is the third book in the series the Beyonders. This fiction book takes place in a different world called Lyrian. A beyonder is a person from a different world like the two main characters Jason and  Rachel. Jason enters Lyrian through the mouth of hippopotamus that swallowed him. Rachel entered Lyrian by walking under an arch on a family vacation with her parents. This book wraps up the adventures Rachel and Jason have in Lyrian. One of the main ideas in this book I believe is that 

         

           At the end of the last book they received a prophecy from one of the few prophesiers in the land Rachel and Jason find out that they have to part ways on separate quests. Rachel has to go to one of the big towns with the heir to throne and raise an army, while Jason has to find a prophecy of his own. Jason has to fight the Maumet one of the most feared creatures in all of Lyrian. Rachel has to muster enough Edomic power to be able to defeat Maldor the most powerful Edomic wizard in all of Lyrian. Will they be able to complete this challenging quest?

         

          This book is very, very entertaining. I enjoyed it the entire time. Heck, I even enjoyed the whole series as much as I liked this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Its one of those underdog stories and everyone likes an underdog. I don’t know what it is about Brandon Mull that gets me thinking so hard after everyone of his books. There’s just something about all of them that I just love. Candy Shop War 2 kept me thinking and so did Fablehaven and Beyonders 3 was no different. It gets me thinking that like I could be just like Jason and get sent to another world and be critical there. It’s also super creative. Most people wouldn’t think of getting swallowed by a hippo and being sent to another universe but Brandon Mull is different. Also the characters and races he makes up in that book are amazing! There are these things called displacers and they have body parts that when they are cut off or taken off they can just be put right back on. Although most of the displacers work for Maldor they are still pretty cool. There are also these things called the Amar Kabal or seed people. They have these seeds in the back of their neck and when they die someone just has to plant the seed in the ground and the person grows back.

                  

          Overall, I would give this book an A. As I mentioned I loved everything about it and it kept me entertained the whole time I would seriously consider reading it.

Killing Lincoln

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      History is one of my favorite subjects. If you are like me, then this book will keep you interested. Even if you don’t, there is no way this book wont catch our attention. This book is a historical novel that goes into detail about the shocking assassination that changed America forever. Written by Bill O' Reilly, and Martin Dugard. It starts off being in the middle of the civil war, and goes day by day till the day that one of our most amazing Presidents; John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. It tells about his life, his wife, the war, the country, and the way he did things.

     The way that this book is written is so good. Their choice of wording, and the way they tell it keeps you on your toes. It seems like it would be like reading a history book, but its not at all. Its like you are actually there. In the head of the crazy person and the President. I loved that I learned so much more beyond just the assassination too. But in a way that kept me interested in actually learning them. 

      This book opens your eyes to a lot of things that has happened in history and possibly happens today. We all know that not everyone likes our current president. How on earth can we be sure something like this won't happen again? Luckily we are not going through the same things that they were back then such as the civil war. The main idea of this book was obviously Lincoln’s assassination. But it goes far beyond that and into more depth. I loved this book and highly suggest that people read it. It is one that is constant suspense, and action, and yes it does include a lot of things to learn from. But I LOVED it. A

Stormbreaker.... By: Anthony Horowitz

     What a great book! I have now learned why they say you can't judge a book by it's cover. When I first picked this book up I thought, nah this is going to be some weird space alien book.... Um, totally not a space alien book! I am so excited to read all the other books in this series! Anthony Horowitz is an amazing author. He really knows how to pull in his readers and keep the suspense going!
      This book is about a boy named Alex Rider. He lives with his Uncle... Well, did live with his uncle. Due to a tragedy that occurred, his uncle died. From what Alex had always known, his uncle was a bank manager. After his uncle dies, Alex finds that he is nothing close to a bank manager. The next thing Alex knows, he is at a training camp for spies. He is supposed to go out and deal with a man named Herod Sayle. He has decided to be a "great man" and donate new computers known as the Stormbreakers to every schoolhouse. Whether this turns out to be a good or bad thing, Alex puts himself in danger and Sayle thinks it's all just a game and that he will win because Alex is just a boy. What will happen? Find out! Sit down, relax and open the pages of this wonderful book!!
     This book has a really good moral in it. I got out of it that even though kids may be less mature and not as smart as adults, they still can do just as much! For the most part, when kids set their minds to things, it will happen and they will achieve it! Us kids have just as much potential to do something and achieve it as adults do!
   In the end, this book was really good! I enjoyed it and at some points it was really hard to put down! I would highly recommend it to everybody! If you are interested in a great suspenseful read, then this is the book for you!

The Sea of Monsters

    The Sea of Monsters is written by Rick Riordan. Riordan is famous for his ability to write Greek Mythology books while also relating to the teen audience. He has written The Lost Hero, The Red Pyramid, and The 39 Clues series. The Sea of Monsters is the second book in the series of Percy Jackson. There are five books in total. Reading the first book before the second would help you understand the storyline better.

   Percy Jackson is finishing his seventh grade year. This year had been weird...he hadn't had any monsters attack him . Just when he thought luck was on his side and the monsters were gone they decided to join his dodge-ball game. Percy thinks he is doomed and that the monsters have him this time… Then his best friend Tyson, turns into a Cyclops, and saves him.

   Percy knows that he needs to get to Camp Half-blood in order to be safe but he also decides it would be a good idea to bring Tyson with him. When they get to camp they learn that Thalia's tree has been poisoned, Chiron has been replaced with Mr. D, and that Tyson is actually Percy's step-brother.

   Percy tries to locate his Buddy Grover. He is told that Grover hasn’t been seen or heard from in a long time.  Percy and Grover have an empathy link that allows them to communicate even if they are not by each other. Grover tells Percy that he is trapped in The Sea of monsters. Percy wakes up and tells the leaders that Grover is trapped and just maybe the Golden Fleece that is needed to cure Thalias’s Tree could be with Grover.

   Percy sets out on a quest with Annabeth and Tyson to try and rescue Grover while also obtaining the Golden Fleece. Just like any other Rick Riordan book they run into problems. There old Camp Half-blood friend Luke tries to stop them. He believes that the Titans should be the ones to rule the world. Then they run into the six headed monster, Scylla, Tyson gets lost and Annabeth and Percy are left to believe that he has died. There are a lot more thrilling moments in this book but you will have to read the book to see if Percy can successfully finish his quest.

Overall, this book was fascination because it isn’t just a fantasy book. It is a book that has themes that even the teenagers who aren't totally into Greek Mythology would enjoy. This book also follows the Hero's Journey step by step. Therefore, even though the book was predictable it was still a good read. A.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

            The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, is a coming of age novel, written in the form of many letters by the teenager ‘Charlie’ (his alias), in the early 1990’s. Charlie is the ‘wallflower’ in the book. For those that don’t know, a wallflower is a shy and unpopular person who doesn't socialize with others very well.

            The story begins as Charlie is entering his freshman year in high school without any friends. His only friend Michael had committed suicide several months before. Charlie began writing letters to an anonymous stranger, which is what the book is. He doesn't feel like his parents or relatives understand him, and the only relative he had trusted was his aunt Helen, who was killed in a car crash on his seventh birthday.

The rest is just a summary with spoilers. It’s optional to read this.

            Charlie becomes friends with two other students at his school, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. Charlie develops a crush on Sam, but he feels he has no chance with her. His two friends begin taking him to parties with some of their friends, on many adventures through Pittsburgh, and even some drug use. There was one party where Charlie had taken LSD and was found unconscious in the snow by the police.

            Even though he still likes Sam, he begins dating Mary Elizabeth, another girl in the friend group. They go on a few dates and to a school dance. At one party, everyone is playing Truth or Dare, and Charlie is dared to kiss the prettiest girl in the room. He kisses Sam, which results in Mary Elizabeth breaking up with him. Sam also begins dating Craig, who Charlie doesn't like, because he thinks that Craig doesn't really care about Sam. Sam later breaks up with Craig after she learns that he has been cheating on her with multiple other women.

            Charlie begins writing about Patrick and Brad’s relationship, the later is the school quarterback who is secretly gay. One day, Brad’s father finds the two kissing in Brad’s basement. He then beats Brad in front of Patrick. About a week later, Brad goes back to school and begins a fight with Patrick, which climaxes with both groups of friends beating each other up in the cafeteria. Charlie comes into the fight to help Patrick, seriously injuring some of Brad’s friends, ending the fight.

            After learning a frightening family secret about his aunt Helen, Charlie has a mental breakdown and is rushed to the hospital. However, his final letters give a feeling of hope, and that he will be able to move on from the past and focus on the future.

The summary is over.

            I loved this book so much; it really brought me to tears in the end. I should warn you though, there is some adult content in the book, so I don’t recommend reading it if you don’t find that suitable. It is a very challenged book, which is specifically why I decided to read it. It also reminded me greatly of The Catcher in the Rye, which I haven’t read all the way through, but I still know pretty much the gist of it. I also could greatly relate to Charlie, because in the seventh grade and about first half of eighth grade, I was a huge introvert. But I have learned not to dwell on things from the past, because it distracts me from the now (I've been watching a lot of Disney lately). It’s incredible how much this book has affected me, this is seriously one of those life changing books. One thing that greatly surprised me was that MTV had published the book, a channel whose current viewer demographics find Beavis and Butthead to be far too inquisitive and intellectual for them, which is why they canceled the reboot in less than a year. Anyway, without one second of hesitation I give this book an A+, and I highly recommend considering reading it. You won’t regret it in the slightest.

A World Without Heros

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes is written by the author Brandon Mull. Each book has a different story that makes for a new adventure. Some of the books he has written are The Candy Shop War and the famous Fablehaven series. A World Without Heroes takes kids from the world that we live in and puts them in a new one. A world without heroes…

Jason Walker was just a normal boy like you and I. Except, Jason is always looking for more; he is curious about everything. One day while working at the zoo, Jason heard music coming from the hippo. He leaned closer to the music, and fell into the hippo's mouth. Jason realized that the hippo wasn’t eating him, but transporting him to a new world.

Jason lands in the middle of a wooded forest.  He quickly gets himself acquainted with the new world he is in.  Jason sees a group of musician's that look like they are going to fall off of a waterfall. Jason thinks that they are in need of help, and  saves them. He ends up having to flee from the waterfall because the musician's aren't happy about being saved.  The musician's live in a world without heroes.

After wandering around the new world, Jason meets the Lore Master. He gives Jason a place to stay, and takes him to the library. Jason comes across a book that "shows" him a syllable to the infamous 6 syllable word. When the Lore Master finds out that Jason has acquired this information, he sends him to the Blind King.

When Jason meets the Blind King, he learns that this person is not really a King or blind. He is a hero that failed at the same quest Jason is now on. Jason is introduced to Rachel, a girl his age that is also from earth. The Blind King tells them that it is their job to collect all 6 syllables.

Jason and Rachel go through many different adventures to try and obtain the 6 syllables. Each adventure is definitely challenging. Along the way they meet allies that assist them in completing the quest of destroying the Evil Emperor. The question is will they find all of the syllables? And if they can, will the secret word actually work?

Brandon Mull has a writing skill that keeps his books fresh and new. I enjoyed this book. The story is fast paced with intriguing characters.  I am excited to read the next book. I hope it will be as good as the first! A+

 

 

The Throne of Fire

    Rick Riordan has again outdone himself with this addition to the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire. After reading the first book I wasn't sure he would be able to pull off a book as good as the first, but he definitely proved me wrong. This fiction and action-packed book left me wanting more after every chapter. This is a sequel as I mentioned before and you will definitely need to read the first book to understand this one. This book is about a brother and sister named Carter and Sadie Kane who are very powerful Egyptian magicians. They work together to fight the forces of Chaos and have to do a lot of it on their own. It is definitely a very fun and exciting book!

    As I said before, Carter and Sadie are young Egyptian magicians who study their magic at their uncle's home. Being blood of the Pharaohs, Sadie and Carter are very powerful but because of that power they are often in extreme danger. Carter receives a vision that the world will be destroyed in just 4 days because the overall master of Chaos Apophis is rising. If Carter and Sadie can't awaken the long rested king of the gods Ra soon, the entire world will be destroyed by the evil serpent Apophis and his forces of Chaos. 

    Carter and Sadie are challenged with this very dangerous quest and accept it knowing that they could easily die and fail. In order to awaken Ra they must first find the heavily protected sections of the Book of Ra. Without much knowledge on where to find the sections, Carter and Sadie travel with a new friend named Bes. Bes is the god of dwarfs and helps Carter and Sadie on their quest and he helps them search for the sections of the Book of Ra. Throughout the quest the Kanes are tested and pushed to their limits. They battle demons and even gods who side with the forces of chaos. Carter and Sadie face some of their hardest challenges, and it definitely makes this book very intriguing. 

    This book is definitely one of the most interesting books I've read. Learning about the Egyptian mythology and the many different things their culture had is one of my favorite parts about reading this series. I love how Riordan uses real events that have happened on this earth and has given reasons of how magic forces caused them and that what we think is completely wrong. That great imagination is really one of the reasons I think I like this book so much. It is very entertaining and the humor that Riordan adds just makes the book that much better. 

    I seriously enjoyed reading this book and it was very entertaining. The great mythology and crazy magic is such an interesting thing and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun book to read. Just remember to read the first book in the series before you read this one!

    

Ruby Red

By: Kerstin Gier

           Gweneth Shepard's family has never been normal.  Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared through out her life to travel in time.  Now as Charlotte turns sixteen she is expected to make her first journey into the past.  Everything changes when Gweneth (not Charlotte) unexpectedly travels into the past in the middle of class.  As it turns out Gweneth's mother lied about her birth date, making her the one with the ability to travel in time.           

           

            Once this fact is revealed Gweneth is thrown into an entirely different world of secrets and magic.  She meets the only other time traveler, eighteen-year-old Gideon de Villiers.  She now is able to control where she travels in time, and must work to uncover the secrets that have been following her through this whole experience.

I really love this book.  The way it is written is just brilliant.  Most books I have read that involve time travel just go way too deep into the subject and the “laws” of time travel, which ends up just confusing me.  Also, the character development and pacing is just phenomenal.  The way you see the characters and their differences in the whole situation couldn’t be written better.          

This book brings up the big idea of time travel in today’s world.  Set in present day London it suggest that their might actually be people or technology that is able to travel in time.  I have always been fascinated by the thought of time travel and to hear other people’s ideas on the subject was just amazing.    

In short, this book is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.  Although, be aware this book was originally written in German then translated into English so there are a few lines that don’t sound quite right but for the most part it is absolutely flawless.  I’ll give it an A+ any day.

Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien is the first book in the Lord of the Rings series. This book is about a hobbit named Frodo. Frodo's uncle before he leaves gives Frodo a gold ring. At first Frodo doesn't think much about the ring but he soon finds out how important the ring is. The ring is the last ring made by the legendary elf smiths and it is the key to destroying the evil Lord Sauron. If Sauron gets the ring he will be unstoppable.

Now armed with this information, Frodo starts off on a quest to destroy the ring. He and his friends decide to walk all the way across the world. On the way they are faced with many challenges, mostly coming from the Black Riders. The Black Riders follow them everywhere and cause tons of problems for them. All three books are about Frodo and his friends walking to their destination.

This book wasn't very good. Almost all of the book was talking or walking. For example, there are whole chapters or pages where side characters talk about what happened in their area. This is extremely boring. When this book has action it's great, but there isn't enough action to keep anybody entertained for any amount of time. So if this book had more action and less walking and talking it would have been one of my all time favorites. So for these reasons I'm giving this book a c+.

I do need to mention that this book was written a long time ago so it uses some phrases and words that we don't use anymore. So be ready to have to look up some words.

The Cupcake Queen

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler is a young adult novel about life, love, and creativity. The main theme of the book is life, and learning to deal with whatever it throws at you.

14 year old Penny Lane has grown up in the big city her whole life. But when Penny's mother tells her that she will be opening a bakery in Hog's Hollow, Penny is forced to leave her home in Manhattan and move out to Hog's Hollow with her mother and Grandmother. Penny has to start at a brand new school where Little Miss Popular, Charity, constantly bullies and makes fun of Penny. Charity and her other stuck up followers spend each and every day planning new ways to ruin Penny's life. But Hog's Hollow isn't all that bad. She soon meets two new friends, Tally and Blake, and they try to find ways to get revenge on Charity and her friends. Plus there's Marcus. A boy with a dramatic past who also seems to be taking an interest in Penny. On the flip side though, Penny is crushed when she finds out that she will have to make a life changing decision between staying in Hog's Hollow with her mother or moving back to Manhattan with her Father.

This book really had nothing special about it. In fact, I thought it was rather boring. The story is very slowly paced and the more you read, the more you want to stop. This book is very confusing. You have to do a lot of infering which I do not like. Serioiusly, they don't explain ANYTHING! Also, most books I read seem to drag on, however, this book didn't do that at all. Instead, I felt like the story ended too early! On the other hand, there were things about this book that I did like. First of all, I LOVED all of the characters in this book. The characterization was done very well. Charity for example, is made out to be a snooty, mean, brat and she does so many things that make me just want to reach into the book and strangle her. AND I LOVE THAT!!! I love it when the characters come to life. Also, I have a particular interest in baking and culinary arts (haha, I wanna be a chef when I grow up) and since this book focuses a lot about creativity, baking, and decorating, I was definately interested in it. This book has no swear words, bad scenes, or anything bad. One last good thing about this book, is that I liked how a lot of kids can relate to Penny and her problems. Divorce, moving, bullying, and fitting in are all major issues that Penny has to deal with. I like being able to actually relate to the characters.

All in all, I felt like this book deserved a C+. There were many things I liked about the book, but I'm sorry, I just cannot deal with all the infering and confusion that comes with this story. But if you can handle having to guess what's going on every 10 pages, then you might like this book.

The Jungle

    The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, begins with the wedding of two Lithuanian immigrants, Ona Luzoskiate and Jurgis Rukdus (I probably butchered their names, no pun intended), near the meatpacking district of Chicago in 1906. Many of the guests gorge themselves with food without paying. Ona becomes concerned about how much the wedding will cost them, and Jurgis vows to pick up another job to make extra cash. However, the jobs in the meatpacking district of Chicago pay far below any reasonable minimum wage, and the workers suffer from horrible conditions, as the companies put profit ahead of worker safety.
    Jurgis and his family go on a tour of the meatpacking district, and even the shocking images there of the animals suffering and being slaughtered in the abattoirs were enough to dwindle Jurgis' optimism. It is revealed that the government inspector that is supposed to supervise the carcasses and check for diseases, such as tuberculosis, often lets several of them go unchecked, out of sheer laziness. The spoiled meat is doctored in secret before it is sent to the canning department.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY BE SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC IN CERTAIN PARTS, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE
     Jurgis' first job is sweeping the entrails of slaughtered cattle and pigs through trapdoors. Although the stench is horrendous, he earns just over two dollars for every twelve hour work shift. Jurgis even ends up enjoying his job, and he doesn't understand how the other workers hate their jobs and bosses. He does not join the labor union, which is lobbying for a reduction in the fast work pace. He believes the other workers are quite simply lazy. Jurgis also discovers that a lot of unfit meat, including calf fetuses and animals that had died of disease, were slaughtered and packed along with the rest of the meat.

    As winter approaches, many of the workers in Packingtown die from hypothermia on the meatpacking production line, literally, their bodies right next to the bodies of slaughtered cattle. The companies failed to provide the workers with adequate heating. Many of the workers also die from disease on the production line. So imagine that, dead people with diseases in their body in an abattoir. There were also some people whose limbs and phalanges fell in to some of the meat... and it was canned with the meat...

    The real estate company has also trapped the family in a scheme involving a house that was advertised as a for sale, but given to them as a rental. Their wedding has also put them over one hundred dollars in debt. The house they were given was also not in the condition in which it was advertised, and is somewhat overpriced.

    Okay, I-I'm sorry, but I can't write the summmary anymore. The book was just so... informative... I honestly believe that it was necessary, because had it not been published, there would be no FDA. There would also be no laws about worker conditions. But it also made me physically ill to read, I'm not exaggerating. Even writing this is making my hands shake. I also did some research on the book, and the president, Theodore Roosevelt, called Sinclair a 'crackpot' for his socialist point of view. I also was surprised at how the immigrants were treated, and it is somewhat sad, because even though we don't do THIS (all of the above) to immigrants today, we still often treat them as second class citizens, which is wrong no matter who you are. I would have to give this book an A+ for informing the public, but also a B+ for making me sick. So that averages out to about an A- I think. I definitely recommend it if you have a strong stomach.

The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune

   The son of Neptune is a sequel I've been waiting for ever since I flipped through the last pages of The Lost Hero. It is the second book in the series by Rick Riordan, who writes several different series involving different mythological gods from different cultures. This book stars Percy, the hero from the lightning thief, and the following books in the series, and his two new friends Hazel and Frank. Last time we saw Percy in a Rick Riordan book, he was intertwined with Greek mythology. However, Percy's memory is almost completely wiped clean. While fleeing gorgons, he wonders into a new camp, Camp Jupiter. This is a new and exciting place with more than one major twist to Percy's previous camp. This place worships Roman gods, and houses are divided in military divisions instead of different houses. Soon, however our three young heroes depart on a quest that I found to be the main enjoyment of the book. 

   I loved the Roman Mythology from The Lost Hero, and this sequel helps to really combine the two series' worlds. I'm sure most of the people who read this book would agree that the myths and gods are what help to make this series special and that, coupled with astounding characters, really make this book come alive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates an author's ability to combine real history(as some believed it to be) with a fictional story line.

   One important thing to note is that if you enjoyed this book and haven't read the original series with Percy, you can't feel as attached to him as you would be if you would have read the other books. But that's just my personal opinion because this still is a great book in a standalone series that should really be loved for what it is on its own.

Review by: Alex Schneider

Golden

    Golden

 Cameron Dokey

    This is the story of Rapunzel. She is kind, gentle, meek, and bald. Yep, you read right... she's completely bald. Her mother craved the herb rapunzel when she was pregnant, so her father stole some from the sorceresses garden. The sorceres of course caught him, and asked for something in return. The deal was that the mother could have as much  rapunzel as she wanted until she gave birth, but when she did give birth she must swear to love her just as the baby is and what she becomes. If not then the sorceress would claim the child as payment for stealing the rapunzel from her garden. Of course her mother gave birth to a bald child and said that she couldn't love her because she wasn't beautiful. The sorceress, Melisande, took the child away to live with her.

       Now I know what your thinking, "Oh no, this child is going to have an awful life, she's living with a sorceress..." but that is not true in any sense. Melisande was a wonderful guardien. The child she took she named Rapunzel, (fancy that) and she never grew any hair. Ever.  Rapunzel grew up kind, gentle, meek, and yes. bald.

       One day, a tinker comes to visit Melisande and Rapunzel. With him, he brought a boy. This boy was the same age as Rapunzel and  named Harry. (I promise that you will learn to like Harry as a character. He is so cool.) Rapunzel catches Harry trying to escape one night and confronts him. He tells her that he was trying to get back to a normal life and that the Tinker took him away from his dead parents. Rapunzel convinced hime to stay and they became fast and good friends.

       So the story continues and Rupunzel and Harry grow up and became close. (No, Rapunzel still has not grown any hair.) Then the story tilts and a huge dramatic scene takes place between Rapunzel and Melisande. Melisande evidently has another daughter. She is trapped in a tall tower and has to wait for someone to come and rescue her. (sound familiar?). Melisande's daughter, Rue, has to wait for true love to set her free. Rapunzel agrees to help her, and calls out to Rue. "One so fair, let down your hair and let me go from here to there." All of a sudden this huge long braid comes down from the top of the tower and Melisande and Rapunzel climbe up.
       So if I say anymore, I will spoil the story. You'll just have to read it for yourself. This book is not like your stereo typical Rapunzel story. For one thing, she's bald, and another, there is a purpose behind the writing of this book which I thought was interesting. Many members in Cameron Dokey's, the author, family suffer from alopecia atreata, an autoimmune skin disease which can result in the loss of all hair on the body. Her brother's daughters both had this disease and aksed Dokey if she could do a version of Rapunzel where she doesn't have any hair. Dokey obviously accepted, and it turned out to be a hit. So this book is a great read, but it also has sentimental value to it which is awesome.
       I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was creative, entertaining, up beat, and enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who loves romance, fairy tales, values, and hair :). I would give this book an A-. It was very good, and was written well.

The Season

The Season

By Sarah MacLean

    

    This amazing book was written for all those who love Jane Austen and the entire period in history she has come to represent. The season is all about the hardships of a Season in 1815. (Season: the time when girls "came out" of the schoolroom and into society to find a suitable husband.) Although for those who are easily bored with a plot, this is not the book for you. 

    The story begins as the Season is opening and our main character, Alex, is coming out. Alex is a headstrong and witty girl with a taste for adventure. This is unfortunate for her because in London at this time, women are to be quiet and there for men to "cultivate into the bloom of their choice," as Alex says. Needless to say Alex is not thrilled about the idea of being "married off." Until she gets to know Blackmoor a little more. 

    A friend of the family, Lord Blackmoor, has just returned for the Season to London, and out of mourning the death of his father. His fathers death was said to be and accident but he thinks otherwise, and so does Alex. As she begins to find out more and more she uncovers clues as to who committed the murder, and wishes to kill Blackmoor as well. With the help of her best friends, Vivi and Ella, she must solve the mystery to save Blackmoor. Also she must keep it all a secret so she is not ruined, and unfit to be married. 

    Overall this book talks a lot about being true to yourself, not letting society change you. Alex is like a precursor to the women's rights movement, as she is often complaining that men give no notice to women's opinions. Loyalty is another big idea in this book. Alex is always loyal even if it means being ruined. Vivi and Ella are also always loyal and looking out for Alex. Over all this was a very well written book. It is perfect for those who wish they could have their own season. I give it a solid A.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini fiction, Adventure, dragons, mythology, swords

Brisingr
by Christopher Paolini
This book is about a young Dragon Rider named Eragon. Eragon lives in a land called Alagaesia which is the home to People, Elves, Dwarves, Dragons, and Horned guys called Urgals. In the previous books Eragon found an egg that hatched into a dragon. Soon two bad guys called the Ra'zac ,who were sent by the evil king Galbatorix, came to find Eragon and the dragon. They then ran to the Varden, a bunch of guys who oppose Galbatorix, who then trained Eragon so he could fight and defeat the Evil king on his dragon. But his friend Murtagh became enslaved by Galbatorix, who gave him a red dragon, and was commanded to capture Eragon. They had a battle and Eragon got away but almost got captured.

This book which is the third book in the series begins when Eragon and his long lost cousin Roran are at the lair of the Ra,zac so they can ambush them and get revenge on them for killing their Dad (who is Eragon's foster dad and Roran's actual dad) and to save Roran's wife. After finally defeating the Ra,zac, Eragon had to walk back home, cause he had to get rid of the bad guy Sloan. When he finally got back his cousin was about to officially get married when The Varden were attacked again by Murtagh and a bunch of Crazy bad guys who don't feel pain.

This time Eragon defeated Murtagh with the help of some Elf magicians, but he escaped. Afterward Eragon had to go to the Dwarves mountain place of Farthen Dur where he had to try to get the dwarves to announce a new king who was in favor of the Varden. After a few weeks of enduring the dwarves sluggish politics they finally announced Orik, Eragons friend who is a dwarf, to be king.

After that Eragon flew up to the Elves capitol city of Elesmera to receive more training. There he learns a secret about his real dad and he learns about a way to be able to finally defeat Galbatorix. He also gets a new sword (cause Murtagh stole his old one) which catches on fire every time he says its name. Then he goes to Feinster to help the Varden capture it. Then he has to fight a shade.

This book is was very intriguing. This is my first time reading the series and I actually think that it is one of my favorites. I really like how much depth the book has and how creative it is. It really is one of those books you cant put down.

The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

This is a book about cancer, but it's not a cancer book, because according to Hazel, "Cancer books suck." They're all about starting charities and finding hope.

Hazel is our main character. Hazel Grace. She has thyroid cancer, and "he lungs stink at being lungs," they have too much fluid in them, so she has to carry oxygen with her. Unwillingly, she goes to a cancer support group where people share their story, but there she meets Augustus (Gus) Waters, who lost a leg because of osteosarcoma. He asks her to come over and watch a movie with him. At Gus's house they exchange their favorite books. Hazel's is An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten (which is not a real book. I know, I really wanted to read it.) Hazel says that Van Houten seems to understand her, and what it feels like to be dying slowly. It is a book about cancer, but also not a "cancer book". It's about a girl living with it and about her divorced mother and a tulip man. An Imperial Affliction ends mid sentence, suggesting that the girl passed away. Gus reads this book and really really enjoys it. The cliff hanger ending kills him, so he writes to the author asking what happens. Peter Van Houten wont tell him. Then Hazel emails him. He won't tell her either, but he personally invites her to visit him in Amsterdam to talk about it. Hazel and Gus have some difficult times trying to find a way to get to Amsterdam. How would they pay? How would they get there? And with the unpredictability of cancer, will they be okay going?

To start off, I really like John Green's YouTube channels. They're very informative, and they just make me happy because John Green is like an older, more intelligent, male version of me. It was strange to know the author before you read the book, and then he writes a book from a teenage girl's point of view. However, this book sounded just like him! There was some swearing throughout the book, which bothers me a little. It also uses a lot of big words that I did not understand, but the way he puts all his words together is really really special. It's touching. It's funny. It's sad. I could feel this book. Everything that Hazel was feeling, I could feel it too. There was just perfect word choice.

I loved the characters so much! Hazel acts like most teenagers, not the annoying type, but the funny, sarcastic type. It was hard for me to feel the connection between her and Gus until one part about a third of the way through the book. They flirted a lot, but it didn't feel like they were in love until Hazel is crying in her backyard near her old swing set that she played with as a healthy, happy child. So Gus comes over to help her sell it and he makes her less sad.

To sum up, I really enjoyed this book. The characters had great personalities that made me laugh. But being inside Hazel's head, and feeling her pain, and hearing her thoughts, made me legitimately cry. The Fault in Our Stars is also one of those books that just makes you think. It sparks questions to ask yourself, and there is just some deep dialogue that sticks with you. Once I finished, I wanted to start the book over again. A+

The Fantastic Eddie Fanta

     The book I read was Eddie Fantastic by Chris Heimerdinger. This book was fiction. This book is about a finding your true purpose, even through trials. This book is in modern times, and takes place right where we live, The Salt Lake Valley.

    In the book, Eddie Fanta, a young man in high school, moves with his alcoholic mother to the Salt Lake Valley after his parents get divorced. In the neighborhood he lives in, there is a rumor of a lizard man. It is said that instead of skin he has scales and he has never left his house. Eddie learns more about the Lizard man and finds out he is really just a man who got in a plane accident and is covered in burns. One day, Eddie has a nagging thought to go see this Lizard man. At first, Eddie thinks it's ridiculous. After a while, the nagging thought becomes so strong he has to see him. He visits the Lizard man, actually named Louis Koffrinkoff, and finds out that Louis is using a scientific invention to call him. Eddie finds out Mr. Koffrinkoff is a scientist. He has created all sorts of impossible inventions. However, Mr. Koffrinkoff wants Eddie to take the inventions and use them to help others. Eddie takes the inventions but instead of using it only for good, he has his own selfish purposes in mind.

     This book is so good. It talked about all sorts of themes that gave you new insights. One of these was that things aren't as they seem. In this society, different is bad and Louis Koffrinkoff was definitely different. However, this doesn't make him bad. Who's fault was it that he got in a plane crash. We don't know but it definitely wasn't him. He is actually a kind and wise man. Louis Kofrinkoff is not who he seems to be to society today.The author also brought up many thoughts to ponder on. For instance, what if this actually happened? Think about the cool inventions that could be. It's interesting to read a book and know it could happen, even if it probably won't. Lastly is that this book has changed my opinion on not judging. Just like the author showed in his book, you can never get to know someone until you know all your secrets. The thing is, no one knows everybody's secrets so you can never truly judge someone.

    In a nutshell, this book was really amazing and really inspiring. I advise you to definitely read it. I give this book an A plus. I know you will like it too and all the insight it gives you.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, is probably one of the best books ever written. This review doesn’t do it justice. It has wonderful insight on Hazel’s life, and many teenagers can relate too. (Even if you don’t have cancer.) It’s a young adult, realistic fiction novel, and it is definitely realistic fiction. The main theme of this book is that life happens, and you can’t predict it.

                                                                                                                                     

Hazel Grace Lancaster is 16, and has thyroid cancer. She was diagnosed when she was 13, and was taken out of school for treatment. She hasn’t gone back to school, and her only real contact with people outside of her family is her cancer support group. She goes to the support group, and only has one true friend there, Isaac. Isaac brings his friend, Augustus, to the support group with him. Augustus has osteosarcoma, another form of cancer, and he lost his leg because of it. Hazel and Augustus get to talking, and she ends up going over to his house and watching a movie. While there, Hazel tells Augustus that she really likes a book called An Imperial Affliction, by Peter van Houten. This might seem like a random tidbit, but it will become more important later.

As time goes on, they become closer and closer, but Hazel keeps trying to resist getting attached. She doesn’t want to hurt him when she dies, which she knows is going to happen, but Gus won’t give up. Hazel becomes even more worried about hurting him, and her family, when she is hospitalized for pneumonia. While she is in the hospital, she realizes she does deeply care for Gus, and he admits to her that he feels the same way. Now, Gus wants to do something special for Hazel. He still has a wish from “The Genies,” or the Make a Wish Foundation. He uses his wish to bring Hazel, her mother and himself to Germany to meet Peter van Houten and to learn more about An Imperial Affliction. They go to Van Houten’s apartment, and learn that, unlike Gus, he is not a stand up guy. He never opens fan mail, he doesn’t care about his book, and he is just an old drunk that doesn’t do anything with his life anymore. The book still has much more in store, but I don’t want to spoil it for you!

Usually when I get to this part of my review, I talk about what the author put in the book and what I think it means. This time, I’ll be pulling some information out of interviews that John Green has done, and talk about his opinions there, instead of infer what he meant. In The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel believes that people can hurt the world just as easily as they can help it. That becomes bigger in the end of the book, though I can’t tell you why. When John Green was commenting on this, he said, “Trying to do good is not the same thing as doing good. Many, many people have tried to do good and in the process done harm.” This is incorporated in The Fault in Our Stars, and is directly mentioned by Gus in the end of the book. I think this is completely true. People too often try to help, and they make a bigger mess then there already was. This is only one example of the wonderful things Green put into his book.

I can’t tell you my feelings about this book. I feel like if I choose the wrong word, then this book wouldn’t be given the attention it deserves. Hazel mentions that there are no accurate cancer books in the world, and that authors portray their characters differently then what is true, and it makes it so she can’t read those books. Although I don’t have cancer, I feel like this might be one of the best cancer books now. If Hazel was a real person, I think she would love this book almost as much as she love An Imperial Affliction. This book shows people like me, who don’t have cancer, how difficult it is. It makes you think about how difficult life is for people. You don’t know what everyone else is going through. Keep that in mind before you judge someone.

I love this book. I could read it over and over again without it getting boring. It is clearly on its way to becoming a classic for teens and adults. Everyone needs to read this book, because it appeals to everyone. It’s not just a sappy love story. It’s adventurous, and is heart-wrenching at times. I give this book an A+.