I Think I'm a Clone Now

     I read the book Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This book is definitely fiction and is wondeful. It is a modern day book with a twist that seems far fetched, but can be realistic. For all we know, this book could be true.

     In Double Identity, Bethany Cole is rised by the most overprotective and spoiling parents. She is never left alone and always has a watchful eye on her. Bethany never wants for anything and is raised with care and concern. However, by the age of 12, Bethany's parents go a little wacko. Her Dad is always serious and her mom spends the days balling away and is pretty much emotionally unstable. One day, her parents get especially weird and take an overnight trip to her grandparents she didn't even know she have. Her parents leave her there and her only connection to them is a phone call a day. The even weirder thing is, everyone keeps on mentioning another person named Elizabeth, and Bethany doesn't know who she is. You find out that it's Bethany's sister that was killed years before in a car accident. However, there's another piece of the puzzle. Sorry, but you're going to have to read the book to find out what happens.

     This book was really interesting and hard to put down. It was so great and this author has written so many great books before. I thought that the book brought about one main issue. It's that people are prejudged because of their relations, such as brothers or sisters. So say you go into middle school and your brother was a terrible student. Now, all teachers assume you're just as bad and you never even made a first impression. Another author who thinks like this is Betsy Love, who wrote a book called Identity. Her book is all about finding your identity and becoming who you actually are, instead of who you're told to be. I agree with both the author's opinion most definitely. Being judged because of other people isn't your fault, but you still have to deal with. Be yourself and you will earn other's respect.

In a nutshell, the book was really great. In all, I give it an A. It teaches you not to judge others beforehand, especially if your judging is based on an unreliable source. I would definitely recommend others to read it as well.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner is the final book in the Maze Runner Trilogy.  Like the other books, this is a work of fiction, and it continues to follow Thomas and the Gladers.  At this point in the trilogy, WICKED says they are done testing the Gladers, and that the 'time for lies is over.'  However, Thomas knows he can't trust WICKED.  This book follows him in his efforts to stop them.

At the beginning of the book, Thomas and his friends are told they are done being tested.  Along with this, they are given some shocking news.  Not only are Thomas and the Gladers smart, most of them are immune to the Flare, the horrible virus threatening to destroy the human race.  WICKED has been testing the Gladers because of the fact they are immune.  They've been mapping their brains in a desperate attempt to find a cure to the Flare and return the world to its former glory.

Despite this news, Thomas knows he can't trust WICKED.  He has remembered far too much already.  The next day, WICKED tells the Gladers they are going to get all their memories back.  They are going to remember everything before the Maze.  Thomas doesn't want to get his memories back.  He is scared of WICKED and what he might remember.  Thomas, along with a few other friends, decide to do something about this, and before long, they break out of WICKED.

Shortly after fleeing WICKED headquarters, Thomas and his friends find themselves in Denver, which is considered one of the few "safe" cities left in the world.  Although they've escaped WICKED, Thomas and his friends aren't free from what is out in the real world.  Are they really safe, or were they better off staying with WICKED?  Thomas can only guess.

This book was absolutely incredible.  I have to admit, at first it went really slow.  I didn't really get into it until the end.  However, the end was amazing.  It completely won me over and made me really like the book.  Last book review, I mentioned that at the end of the series, I would have to decide if the ends justified the means.  And, to be completely honest, I'm torn.  Essentially, WICKED failed their ultimate mission: to find a cure for the Flare.  However, at the end of the book, Thomas and his friends are given a new life, giving us hope that the human race will continue on.  At the end of the book, WICKED themselves say things similar to what I've said.  They explain that they failed, but also succeeded in a sense.  They also can't decide whether they will be viewed as good or evil by people in the future.  I'd imagine Thomas is pretty torn up over this whole situation.  Several times, he says that even if WICKED did find a cure, it wouldn't be worth it, considering all he and his friends had to go through.  Because WICKED failed, he's probably mad about all he lost for nothing.  But, I believe he will be able to find happiness in his new life.  Although there are many ways to interpret the end of this book, I believe it depends on how the reader views it.

This book was fantastic.  It was interesting and attention-grabbing.  I think everyone should read it.  A

The Scorch Trials By James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner is the sequel to The Maze Runner.  It is a fiction book, and like The Maze Runner, is similar to The Hunger Games.  In this book, the Gladers have escaped the Maze, and have been taken away to "safety" by people who claim to have rescued them.  The Gladers think they are safe, but in reality, they're not.  This book is about their continuing struggles.

Since escaping the Maze, the Gladers have learned many things.  First, they've learned they are under the control of a group called WICKED.  Although the Gladers viewed the Maze as an unspeakable horror, WICKED claims that all the challenges they face the Gladers with have a purpose.  Also, after escaping the Maze, the Gladers are exposed to the real world, which isn't looking too great.  The climate has become brutally hot, and with the climate has come a new disease known as the Flare.  People infected with the disease have gone completely insane, and the world looks like it is about to fall apart.

After being "rescued", the Gladers relax, thinking their troubles are over.  The next day however, things begin to go terribly wrong.  At first, they wake up to see the dead bodies of their "rescuers" hanging from the ceiling.  What's more, Teresa, the girl from the Maze, is missing.  Instead, they find a boy in her room.  The boy's name is Aris, and he explains to the Gladers that he was also from the Maze.  But his Maze had all girls and only one boy, the complete opposite of the Gladers' Maze.  Thomas and the other Gladers begin to realize that things are going to get very interesting.

A few days later, a man comes, bearing news for the Gladers.  He explains that he is from WICKED.  After reassuring them that WICKED is "good", he tells them about their next task.  They are told they must cross the Scorch, the most burned and dried-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven within two weeks.  The next day, the Gladers begin their journey.  And, right from the very beginning, Thomas knows that whatever WICKED has planned this time, it's not going to be easy.

This book was incredible.  James Dashner really knows how to make a book grab your attention from the very start and keep you on edge until the end.  There is still one more book in this series, and then a couple of prequels.  By the end of the series, I believe the question I'll be asking myself is whether or not the ends justified the means.  WICKED claims that all the challenges they inflict upon the Gladers have a purpose.  In fact, they believe they might even save the world by doing what they are.  I have no doubt that they will accomplish the ultimate goal they have set in mind.  However, by doing these things, they are putting these young boys through a lot.  They have exposed them to unthinkable horrors and have drained them both physically and mentally.  These boys will never be able to forget or fully recover from the things they have experienced.  So, by the end of the book, I'll have to determine whether or not the ends justified the means.  I'll have to decide whether or not putting these boys through all these things was really worth it in the long run.  This book has made me really excited to read the next ones and find out what happens.

In short, this book was amazing.  I encourage everyone to read it!  A

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a work of fiction comparable to The Hunger Games.  This book is about a group of boys stuck in a large expanse surrounded by immense walls.  Behind those walls is a vast maze.  This book is about their struggle to solve the maze and escape.


The book begins with a boy who is moving upward in what he classifies as a sort of elevator.  Much to the boy's bewilderment, the only thing he can remember about his life is his name, Thomas.  When the "elevator" reaches its endpoint, it opens up, and Thomas is introduced to a large group of boys who call themselves the Gladers.  Much like Thomas, the Gladers don't know where they are or how they got there, and the only thing they can remember about themselves are their first names.

Through the next little while, Thomas is introduced to his new home, a place the Gladers call the Glade.  He learns that they are surrounded by a huge maze.  The Gladers seem sure that if they escape the maze, they will be able to go home, wherever that is.  However, the maze is looking more like it is impossible to solve each day.  Thomas also learns that each month, a new boy is sent up.  No girls have ever come.

The next day, however, the Gladers here an alarm going off.  This is the signal that a new person is coming up.  Stunned, the Gladers rush over to the elevator.  A few minutes later, it opens up and the Gladers look down to see a girl.  Not only this, she looks to be dead.  The Gladers hoist her out and lay her on the ground.  Suddenly, the girl's eyes open and she says, "Everything is going to change."  And I can tell you firsthand that everything did change.

This book was amazing.  Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.  It has so many twists and turns in it that it's nearly impossible not to feel constant suspense.  I compare this book to The Hunger Games for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is that both books have an "arena."  We all know what that is in The Hunger Games, and in this book, it's the Glade.  Also, later in this book, you will realize that these boys were sent to the Glade because of their society, just like how in The Hunger Games the society is responsible for the games.  By the end of the book, it is quite clear to see that it is only the first in a series.  There are still a ton of unanswered questions that make me want to read all of the other books.

In conclusion, this book was incredible.  Just a fair warning, though, it did freak me out a little bit.  I hope everyone will read this awesome book!  A
  

Demon Thief by Darren Shan

Kernel Fleck isn't a normal child. He sees light patches in the air. These lights are like "puzzle pieces" that he can manipulate with his mind and hands and, if put together, make a door, which open to the Demonata, a demon world. When a demon steals his brother, Art, and takes him to the Demonata, Kernel decides to do anything to get him back.

The book starts out explaining Kernel's life. You learn that Kernel is an outcast; a loner. Nobody likes him, and people push him away. His brother, Art, is the only reason why he doesn't ALWAYS feel lonely. He loves Art, and Art loves him, but when Cadaver (a demon) steals Art and takes him to the demon world (and slaughters about 30 kids), Kernel isn't having it.

Once in the Demon world, he sees that he is not the only human. There are people called the "Disciplines". They protect the human world from the Demonata and are trying to destroy the demon world. Beranabus, the oldest, and leader of the Disciplines, shows him that Kernel is also a Discipline. So technically, he's a magician. Not only does he have to rescue Art and fight demons, but he also has to figure out his new powers.

This book is absolutely horrid. Horrid as in swearing, very gory scenes that are TOO descriptive, and overall just a very poor written book. No offense to Shan, but I felt like half the time I was reading Demon Thief, I was asking myself if it had been written by a 4 year old. The sentences are choppy and confusing, and I get that he was trying to add voice, but it didn't work.

You know, when you really think about it, you see that kids are absolutely horrible to this kid. They push him in corners and laugh at him. One thing that made me want to cry, is that he's never had a friend. Also, that people would tell him to, "Go play with the lights, freak!". Do you know how sad it would be to live in a world where no one, not even your parents, wanted you? Throughout the book I found myself pitying the poor kid. He just wants a friend.

CAUTION! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE A QUEASY STOMACH. I'm warning you now. These scenes are absolutely disgusting for some (I actually thought it added to the story, and I have a demented mind as it is, so it didn't really bother me) with stuff like the Disciplines sliding in blood and guts and puking then sliding in that, monsters slaughtering children and giving PRISTINE description of how it happened, and even a witch exploding in front of children, which soaks them in her blood and guts. Overall though, I actually liked this book. Creepy? Yes. Adventurous? Yes. Totally wicked awesome? Yes.

Score: B+ (For stupid writing)
Rating: There is not a rating that goes high enough. :)

Project 17- Laurie Faria Stolarz

    Danvers State Hospital stands alone on Hathorne hill. An abandoned mental institution due for demolition. A place rumored to be the birthplace of the labotomy. A place where patients were treated like dirt, crammed into small prisonlike rooms and given medication that increased insanity. A place that all the locals believe to be haunted.

     Six points of view are told in this story. Each person that tells the story goes into the abandoned institution for their own reasons. For Derick it's his only chance to get away from working in his parents bum diner for the rest of his life. For Mimi it's a chance to find out about her grandmother. A woman institutionalized for being an alcoholic, who never saw the light of day afterwards. All Tony wants to do is take control of Dericks production. Greta, Ashley, wants a chance to make it onto a real tv show and hit it big. Liza needs some extracurricular activities in order to get into Harvard. Chet only wants to get away from his alcoholic father for a night. All of them go for different reasons but they all end up being a part of Derricks film.

For the six teens the risks of sneaking into Danvers the eve of its demolition are well worth it. Due to the heightened security the teens take a backroute. They break into a wing of the asylum that is far off the path of where they want to film. Danvers State is connected by miles of tunnels. The teens head into the tunnels after hearing a banging noise. They find everything lying where it was left leaving an eerie feeling around the whole place. There are files and remnants scattered all over the place. However, the teens find more than just files inside the huanted hospital. Most of what they find revolves around a certain person, Christine Belle, and the number 17.

     Throughout the book the six teenagers find out more and more about Christine Belle. A ghost who wants her story told. While they help Christine to rest at peace they learn more and more about who they are, what they should do and what to do with themselves.

     This book touches on many different themes. One of the most reoccuring ones is finding yourself. At the begining of the book there is an overall sense of anomity and having to be who your parents want you to be. Throughout the rest of the book the feeling slowly changes to knowing who you are and distinquishing what YOU want to do and what others expect you to do. The book really shows that you dont have to be who your parents want you to be.

     The book also brings up the awful treatment of mentally unstable people. The book talks about the horror that people living in mental institutions lived. It talks about things that people are uncomfortable talking about and many know nothing about. It educates you about the horrors of being a part of a mental institution if you are willing to look for it. It talks about the nurses who didnt care, doctors who experimented on patients, solitary confinement. They would strip you down and throw you into a room. The different forms of "therapy" used on the poor people that lived there. It was like a prison for the mentally insane. The book talks about things that not everyone wants to hear, but everyone should be aware of.

     Overall I loved this book. Some warnings I have for you are swearing, ghosts, and quesy stomachs. Swearing, this book has a lot of it. If you are opposed to swearing you should not read this book. Ghosts, if they scare you a whole lot you should not read this book. It is a horror story so it was created to scare you. If you hate scary things, then this is not a good book for you. Finally, queasy stomachs. If you are easily sickened by gore, poor living conditions or abuse, dont read this book. It goes into detail about many things that may make you want to be sick.

     I love this book. It was entertaining, thrilling and suspenseful. The book was incredible. It gave me information about things I had no idea about before and also gave me a thrill I havent had in awhile. I encourage all people to read this book.

MIDNIGHTERS!!!

Imagine your life being completely normal. Except one thing... you were born at midnight, and you live in Bixby Oklahoma! No? That doesn't mean anything to you? Well, looks like you need some Midnighters 101.
1) All Midnighterss are born at midnight.
2) At midnight each night, the world freezes for an hour.
3) The couple people in Bixby, Oklahoma that have the ability to move around during this time are Midnighters.
4) During Midnight, evil creatures caled darklings and their minions take over.
5) They are scared of three things. A) Math, escpecialy the number 13. B) Heat, Light, or Fire. C) Technology.

Now that you know about Midnight, let's get started. Jessica Day, or Jess, was born at midnight. When she moved to Bixby for her mom's new job, things get complicated. The first night there, she wakes up at midnight. Everthing, even the rain, is frozen. She thinks that it's a dream. Some of the other midnighters help her find out who she is. The next night, she meets up with some Darklings. Not good company. Luckily, Dess, Rex, and Melissa save her. One more thing, Midnighters have special powers, that work at Midnight. Rex can reasd Lore (What old Midnighters wrote), Dess is extremely good at math, and Melissa can sense things presence.
The plot in this book is about Jess discovering who she truly is. This is the first in a trilogy, so it doesn't tell you everythingl. This book was great, but confusing and a little spooky. I would recomend it to people though. This book teaches you a lot about teamwork, because that is the only way that they can survive at Midnight. It made me wonder if there are any supernatural events going on right now, but they just fly over our heads. This book, "Midnighters", by Scott Westerfeld was a great read that made me think a lot. I cannot wait to read the next one! B+!

Unwind

What if your parents didn't want you? What would they do to get rid of you? Well in this post apocalyptic book parents who did not want their child would just simply sign a form and agree to getting their child unwound.
Unwinding is the process where you are alive and your body parts are getting taken out one by one. Wouldn't it be scary knowing when you would die and i mean the exact day and maybe time you were going to die.
The book unwind is about three kids Connor, Risa and Lev who's parents signed the form that kids desperately want to run away from. Well... Connor, Risa and Lev are one of the many lucky unwinds out in the world. All three manage to escape and find themselves along with other unwinds around their age in the graveyard.
The graveyard is where most run away unwinds find themselves at, it is a place to keep safe and also to help unwinds reach the age of 18 without getting caught. You see, you can only get unwound between the ages 13-18, after that you cannot get unwound anymore. But before Connor, Risa and Lev find themselves in the graveyard they have to go through many challenges to make sure they do not get caught and most of all do not get unwound.
After they reach the graveyard they are pretty much safe, even though they have to work to help keep the place satisfactory for the admiral who is the boss of the graveyard. He made the graveyard what it is and what it will probably always be, unless the government of the world decides to stop unwinding all together.
All though the graveyard might seem a wonderful place for unwinds to stay, it is not. While Connor, Risa and Lev are in the graveyard there is a lot of mystery that goes on. I won't give away the mysteries that go on because i don't want to ruin a few chapters for you, if you ever decide to read this book.
Anyway the story does end up to be a happy ending for Connor, Risa and Lev but it also has a few unhappy endings for some other characters in the book.
If you decide to read this book you will most likely love it, until you read another book that completely blows your mind away so you won't be thinking about Unwind anymore, unless someone brings something up that reminds you of the book Unwind. So, there you go another fantastic book that i love, you will love if you read it and the author probably loved while he was writing it. But wait, what is that book called, well it is simply Unwind.

The Death Cure

The flare is a disease that attacks the mind and will turn countless humans into a mindless monster. It will eventually kill the human race if not stopped. WICKED is and organization that has been trying to find a cure. To accomplish this hey took the best teens in the world, and wiped their memories. Then they tested them in extreme situations to see how they reacted. Then they took the results and tried to create a cure. Thomas (the main character) and his friends were one of the groups that went through these tests. Now WICKED may have good intentions, but they are willing to go to almost any ends to find this cure. Because of this Thomas, and his friends go through multiple deaths and betrayals. After the tests are over, most of them don't trust wicked in the slightest. Thomas and his friends are willing to fight WICKED to make sure that they go no further.

This is a great book that was very exciting. It is a post-apocalyptic fiction book that I thought was interesting, exciting, and scary. If you like the types of books that are like the Hunger Games, then this book is for you. It was a book that was a little sad, but it had a very good ending that made it a good book. I also think that the sensory details in the action scenes were amazing.One thing to be warned about though is that the violence and the graphic scenes in this book wouldn't exactly be G rated. I personally like that better, but you might have a different opinion.

This book had many opinions that had to do with trust. One of them was that once someone has done something horrible to you, you will never trust them again. I do agree that this is a valid opinion. If someone does something so horrible to you that it gives you nightmares every night, then I could easily see how someone could never trust someone again. Especially if it is a murder of a friend or family member.


The last thing that this book brings up is that rebellion against authority is a good thing when authority is corrupt. This is perhaps one of the best lessons this book taught. It was also taught in the Hunger Games in pretty much the same way. It shows that sacrifice for something that is right is necessary. But at the same time it shows that too much sacrifice can be bad, especially if the sacrifice isn't helping.


Even though this book has some negative sides, it is still an amazing book. It teaches some good life lessons that would help a lot of people. It was an amazing book with tons of action that could challenge a Star Wars movie. Also, don't get discouraged because of how sad this book gets in the middle, it gets really good at the end. I really hope that you read this series and book.