The Thief Lord By: Cornelia Funke

            This story starts out in Venice, Italy, with hidden canals, and crumbling rooftops, it makes an excellent place for children running away. This book is about Prosper, and Bo, who ran away from there cruel Aunt and Uncle, after their parents died. They live on the streets for awhile until they meet and 13 year old orphan who calls himself the Thief Lord, who leads a band of misfits running the streets, steaing things and causing mischief. Prosper and Bo enjoy their new family and a life of stealing but their Aunt and Uncle aren't going to give up that easy. They hire a detective to try to find them, when they hire him, he feels that they might have joined the Thief Lord's gang, so he tries to also bring them to justice. They try to steal from a Candy Store in a little alley when the detective first finds them. The whole gang is there and they book it, but The Thief Lord does not get away in time and is hiding in the store with Bo, who also didnt make it. But of course the Thief Lord is prepared and make home made flash grenades and flashed him. While the other kids came back with a moped they found on the street. they ride it down the alley and scare away the detective away. The Detective saw both of the kids and went back and told the Aunt that he saw them both. From there on he looks for the hideout. Prosper and Bo make a Mistake that will threaten the Gang and The Thief Lord has a Secret, that changes everything...but you will have to read the book!

          This is a very good book that I suggest everyone who wats to read a suspenceful thriller that has things you will not see coming. This is filled with Action that we keep you glued to the book. This book is almost never boring, so if you are not into reading very much then this is a good book for you! I give this a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. Also this is a great writer who wrote Inkheart and Dragon Rider, so you almost know that this is a good book! 

The Importance of Being Earnest

     The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde was a hilarious read. A play set in 1895, it is a comedy about two men who both pretend to be someone they're not. Jack Worthing lives in the country and has a over-imaginative, beautiful, young ward named Cecily. He also says that he has a poor sick brother named Earnest who lives in the city. He does this so that he can go to the city often, pretending to be Earnest, and court Miss Gwendolen Fairfax. He is about to propose to her when his best friend (in the city), Algernon Moncrieff (also Gwendolen's cousin), sees that his cigarrett case is labeled with the name "Jack". Algernon, being very protective over his cousin, refuses to give his permission of the proposal until Jack explains himself. When Jack reveals that his name is not actually Earnest and he has just invented his brother, Algernon gets an idea. After listening in on Gwendolen's and Jack's conversation (she does say yes), he gets Jack's country address and immediately leaves to help his "poor sick friend Bunbury".

     Confusion and comedy that follows as Algernon and Jack's ward, Cecily, fall in love (her thinking he's named Earnest), while Gwendolen comes to visit Jack (her thinking he's named Earnest), and Jack and Algernon really don't understand women at all. 

     This book/play was a really great read -- as Oscar Wilde himself put it: a trivial comedy for serious people. Since it was from the late 1800's, some of the language used is not lingo we use today, which made it a teeny bit difficult to understand. However, since it is all about love and comedy and mistakes, it really isn't that complicated of a book. There are some conversations between Jack and Algernon that would offend a really uptight feminist but it's really all just fun and games. 

     I really enjoyed this book because it was short, funny and clever. It was also pretty engaging and hard to put down. There was dramatic irony raining down over these peoples heads as they wandered around trying to find who they were proposed to. I would recommend this book to everyone and I give it an A.

City of Lost Souls by: Cassandra Clare is the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments series. *SPOILERS* It takes place three weeks after the previous book. Jace has mysteriously disappeared along with Clary’s brother Sebastian. The Clave is furious and believes that Jace is now in cahoots with Sebastian and are planning to take them down. After being confronted by the Seelie queen, Clary now knows that she must do everything in her power to find out her brother’s plan and stop him before the world of the Shadowhunters is destroyed.

            I personally have loved this entire series, but I felt like this book was a waste. Although it had some great plot twists and cliffhangers, it was like the entire book was just Clary dealing with her feelings of the “new” Jace. In my opinion there were too many heated make-out and sex scenes. It just got in the way of the story. Cassandra could have done so much better.

            This book really didn’t have much to say. Normally this series is meant to teach you more about the angels and demons of old and infeasible love but instead it was entirely about being a teenager.

            The only topic that this book really brings up is that love my not be real. The person that you love may not be the person you think you know. If you are truly in love, you’ll know when that person is no longer themselves and if you try hard enough it will always turn out right in the end.

            All in all, this wasn’t that great of a book but it did leave off with a massive cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the sixth book to come out. Between the forbidden love, Angelic powers, and amazing characters you just can’t stop reading. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book, City of Heavenly Fire.

THE LOST HERO

 If you are looking for an extremely suspenseful book that will keep you turning the pages until the very end, the lost hero is definitely the book to choose. From the very beginning it sucks you in and makes it indubitably hard to put down. 

     It all starts out with a boy named Jason who wakes up on a school bus holding hands with a girl named Piper who is supposedly his girlfriend. Next to him is a boy named Leo who is apparently his best friend. All three of them go to a place called "The Wilderness School" or a place for "bad kids" as Leo puts it. What Jason did to end up in the peculiar place with a bunch of weird people, he hasn't a clue. All he knows is things seem very, very wrong. This is all proven when he eventually ends up at a strange camp with a bunch of teenagers in orange t-shirts. Things get even more complicated for Jason when he finds out he is the child of a very important god. When he gets chosen for a quest the plot thickens and the three friends are faced with a lot of really hard trials. Jason has a memory problem. Piper has a very big secret. And Leo has a way with tools. Faced with trials and a quest that could ultimately demolish the earth, it comes down to a matter of hours to save it.

     What is really cool about this book is that we aren't just in one person's head the whole book. This book transfers back from Jason, to Piper, then Leo. It gives a lot more insight and a better understanding of the book to see the point of view from those three characters. Overall I would give this book an A+. I honestly have no complaints about this book and it ends in a cliff-hanger that leaves you pining to read the next book. This is a fantastic book for both boys and girls. It is packed full of action, suspense, and romance. It is a sure fire guarantee this book will keep you interested the whole time and leave you hungry for more.

Hideout

 

Hideout by Gordon Korman

             Hideout is the fifth book in the Swindle series. If you haven't read the first four books, then stop reading now, because there is a huge SPOILER ALERT. Hideout is about a team of teenagers that formed in the first book. There is Griffin Bing. He is the Man With the Plan, and the group leader. His best friend is Benjamin Slovak. He is the team's tight space specialist, and suffers from a sleep disorder called narcolepsy, hence the need for his pet Ferret Face. Ferret Face's job is to administer a wake-up nip to his master whenever Ben starts to nod off. The final boy on the team is Logan Kellerman. He is the teams actor, and just general sixth man. Savannah Drysdale is the team's animal whisperer. She has a giant black and tan doberman named Luthor. Luthor is the dog on the front cover of all of the books. Melissa Dukakis is a masterful hacker, and general team techie. She is also very shy, and the team are her only friends. The final team member is Antonia Benson, who goes by her climbing nickname Pitch. Pitch can tackle any crag, cliff, or rooftop with ease, and is well known for it. In the first book they brought down the comic shop owner; S. Wendell Palomino, a.k.a. Swindle, and chased him out of town, and Savannah adopted his guard dog, Luthor.

          Unfortunately, Swindle has returned, and he wants his dog back. In Showoff (the fourth book) Luthor almost won the National Globe Kennel Society Dog Show, but he lost so epically that he is way more famous than the dog that actually won. So Swindle wants Luthor for the money, and he has manipulated the law in a way that it is impossible for Savannah to keep Luthor. Also, he has promised that when he has squeezed every last cent out of Luthor, he will go back to Cedar City and devote his large fortune to making the team member's lives miserable. So the team needs a really, really good plan. Fortunately, the team members are splitting up into pairs and all go to different summer camps. So they decide to hide the dog. Six kids. Three hideouts. One extremely large dog. What could possibly go wrong?

          I really loved this book (just like all the rest of them) and suggest it to people that like action books. I would give it an A+. I have loved all of the Gordon Korman books that I have read and think that he is a great author.

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

     Heir Apparent is easily one of the funniest books I've read. Enough said.
     Giannine Bellisario wants to be a normal 14 year old like everyone else, but it's hard when your parents are divorced and you live with your grandmother because your father is working all day. Consequently, Giannine doesn't know her father very well, but still gets gifts from him. It's Giannine's birthday, and her father has sent her a $50 certificate to Rasmussem Enterprises, a popular gaming center.
     Rasmussem Enterprises is popular partially due to their total immersion virtual reality games. Giannine uses her certificate to play one virtual reality game called Heir Apparent. Unfortunately, the CPOC, or Citizens to Protect Our Children, were waiting outside Rasmussem in a riot against the gaming center stating that the video games were satanic. What's more, they raided Rasmussem and attacked the equipment - while Giannine was hooked up. Now Giannine only has so many tries until she's dead - both in the game and real life. Will she make it to the end of the game or die first?
     As I said before, this is one of the funniest books I have read, which largely improved my rating for the book. Giannine was very sarcastic at times and an overall likeable character - despite the occasional swearing. She interacted with the other characters well, and seeing as the game story made her a king, she kind of had to. Her choices added to the story, and to the theme, which I interpreted as mostly to make good choices; they can affect you in the long run.
     As for the grade I'd give the book, it would probably be an A easily. I mentioned more benefits than downgrades to the book, which should show that the benefit far outweighs the downgrades. I hope everyone gets the chance to read this book - it is seriously awesome.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is told by, and is about, a teenager in his junior year of high school at Pencey Prep. Throughout the story he is just telling you of his adventures around New York City. Now, one might begin to ponder at the fact that he is a junior in high school, and is wondering around New York City. Well, it is because although the main character, Holden Caulfield, is in a family of intellectual thinkers (his brother is a writer who lives in Hollywood), Holden is a rather lazy scholar, resulting in the fact that he was expelled. Holden does not want his parents to find out that he was expelled, so he waits until the Christmas break on the Wednesday of the next week to go home and visit family. At that time, when he arrived home he planned to either inform his parents of the tragic news, or run away and work somewhere else, visiting when able. He has a few days to spend in New York before Christmas break and he tells us of his crazy adventures, including the fun places he goes and the interesting people he meets and talks to.

This book perfectly outlines the basic thoughts and actions that the average teenager feels and experiences when alone, or when the chance comes up to make a decision. The writing is in a style that a teenager would most likely be speaking in, as a young adult in the 50’s- including using the same phrases over and over again, using slang and swearing to get his point across no matter what the case is and no matter who he is talking to. On multiple occasions, to get his point across, Holden mentions the fact that he is stupid. However, I do not think he is dumb. It is just that he does not care. Other than the fact that he doesn’t care, He seems to be quite smart and caring. For instance, he has this daydream of a bunch of children playing in a rye field, and it happens to be on the edge of a cliff, and he is to be the sole guardian of the children if they fall of the cliff, to catch them if they fall. To be the “Catcher in the Rye.” He thinks himself to be the sole protector of children, or to protect their innocence. When in an elementary school visiting, he sees graffiti which reads “f*** you”, and he is infuriated with it, wiping it off with his sleeve, knowing that if a child saw it they would be uncomfortable. He appreciates when a child like his sister, who is expected to be at a lower level of language, understands what he is saying. Throughout the book, Holden mentions how many people he thinks are good for nothing d*** phonies. This might be a result of the fact that very smart people constantly surround him, and his own brother is a genius writer in Hollywood. Being used to being around these kind of people, he seems to build up a high expectation about the entire society, looking down on them unless they are as good as his smart friends, or his smart brother. Leading him to opinions that are quite dreary and dull, showing that he is sort of a depressed person. In fact, when he gets home, he has a mental break down and gets sick, resulting in a stay in a mental help hospital to regain his well-being.

I give it an A! This book is a quite interesting read to say the least. If you get past the constant use of the same phrases, and constant swearing, it is a read that you wont forget. It has many things that really put your teenage thoughts into consideration. It also shows what a life for your first time without parents in a social environment can be very different indeed. I highly encourage someone to read this; it is an experience that will leave you pondering life for days. If you leave this suggestion behind you, and decide not to take the short time to read this book and gain new knowledge, then Holden Caulfield thinks that you are a big phony.

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

     This book is a sequel to Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans. Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen starts just after the previous book ends. Having escaped the Elgen Academy in Pasadena, and adding new friends and members, Michael Vey and the rest of the Electroclan are on their way back to Idaho. They succeeded in shutting down the academy, but they didn't find Michael's mother, who in fact wasn't being held at the academy. So, the Electroclan tries to find where she is being kept. Grace, one of the electric kids with the ability to download and store data like a flash drive, downloaded data from the Elgen's mainframe. The Electroclan hopes to find out where Michael's mother is, and they find out she is being kept in an Elgen facility in Peru. That's when they begin planning her rescue. Through most of this, Michael Vey and the Electroclan have been receiving help from an anonymous person calling them. The caller gives them transport to a place nearby the Elgen Starxource plant in Peru, where they execute the plan. Michael gets captured as the Electroclan escapes, but is freed when the rest of the Electroclan destroys the plant. The book ends as Michael Vey tries to find them.
     I enjoyed this book and I would give it an A-.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

     Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans is about a kid named Michael Vey. He is a 9th grader who is a little bit unique. He lives in Idaho. Besides that, not only does Michael have Tourette's syndrome, but he also has the ability to shock people when he is in contact with them. When Taylor Ridley, a cheerleader that Michael Vey has had a crush on since first seeing her, witnesses him using his ability on the school bully, he soon finds out that she also has a special ability. She can "reboot" people's minds, making them forget what they were doing. She can also read the minds of anyone she is touching. Taylor, Michael, and Michael's friend, Ostin, decide to make a club called the Electroclan. Not long after that, the Electroclan discovers that there are more electric kids. Later, Taylor and Michael find out that they got a scholarship to the Elgen Academy, a school where these electric kids are being kept. After that, Michael's mom gets kidnapped by the person running the Elgen Academy. Michael goes to rescue her, and stop the Elgen.

     This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the characters and plot. There was also a lot of humor in this book. I recommend that you read it. A.

    CITY OF ASHES BOOK REVIEW

    For the month of February I was fortunate enough to get transported into the world of Clarissa Fray. Because of the fact that in previous book review I did was the first book in the series called "The City of Bones' if you have not read that book do not read this blog post because it has *SPOILERS* from the first book.

   
     Clary just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you are a demon slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is is a magical coma, and you can suddenly see a whole bunch of Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left this magical and mysterious world behind it would definitely mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who is now becoming more than a friend... But there is no way she could do that it would mean leaving behind her handsome new found brother, Jace. Clary's only chance to save her mother is to find a rouge Shadowhunter named Valentine who is probably insane, absolutely crazy, and just so happens to be her father. To complicate matters more there have been a series of Downworlder killings in New York City. Is Valentine behind the killings? and if so why? Can Clary find out what is happening and stop it in time to save her mom? Or will she fail and be responsible for demons taking over the world?

     Overall this book would be an A. The one and only complaint I have is that it was slow in some parts just like the last book. However, in the end it all made sense as to why those "slow parts" were included. This book is full of action, adventure, and romance. It is perfect for everyone, and I strongly encourage you to give this book or the first one before it a shot.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare is an incredible book written for young adults. The main idea with not only this book but, most of the books in the Mortal Instrument series, is good intentions will lead to success. Many of the characters find this easier said than done.

     
          In brief, this starts out where City of Ashes left off; Valentine is currently in possession of two of the three Mortal instruments. With the Mortal Cup and the Mortal Sword he can now raise demons and plans to destroy any Nephilim, A.K.A. Shadowhunters, that have ever interacted or consorted with a Downworlder. Clary and the Lightwoods set off for Idiris to find a potion to save Jocelyn, although, Jace has other plans in mind. When Magnus opens the portal to Alicante, the Lightwoods and Simon are attacked by hordes of demons and are forced to jump through the portal without Clary. Now with no way of joining the group, Clary must use her newly found talent and create a portal rune to take her into Idiris. When Clary jumps through her makeshift portal with Luke close behind, she quickly finds that she can't get into Alicante without authorization and instead is thrown into Lake Lyn and forced to hike to the gates.

After several chapters of exploring the new city and meeting new people, Clary journeys to find the Book of White that Jocelyn has hidden in a brilliantly named book (that you will just have to read to find out) in the Wayland manor. She is now accompanied by the handsome Sebastian, who Clary seems drawn to in a way. So not only does Clary have to worry about her mixed feelings for Jace and Simon, but what has now become an odd love square between them and Sebastian.

As the Nephilim prepare for the oncoming war, Jace and Clary must journey into the past to find out their true heritage. Once Jace has gone in search of Valentine, Clary must find a way to lessen the tension between Downworlders and Shadowhunters and create an alliance rune so they can all truly fight as one.

Without spoiling too much, I have to say that the ending of this book was probably the best out of all three and I would definitely read it again. This book was my favorite so far and will always be memorable. Especially, Jace's and Simon's wise crack jokes. One of the big issues that this book brings up is that you should always know where you stand and even if you feel your intentions are good they may be looked down upon by the angels and other people and are not always for the benefit of others but for yourself instead. I am in total agreement with Cassandra that in order for change, everyone needs to come together and work as one. This book goes to show that there are people in the world like Valentine but that there are also people like Clary and Jace. One person can make a difference and change the world.

All in all, City of Glass is my new found favorite in the series. Don't worry; most of your questions from the previous books will be answered in this book. Even though this book didn't have a suspenseful cliff hanger, it is still compelling you to read the next. I do have to advise you that this book is mildly gory and will be slightly confusing during the process of tying everything together. Besides that, this book will make you want to sit in the corner with your blanket, teddy bear, and all the Jace you can handle. It's an excellent read and you should definitely consider cracking open this series.

(Re done feb.) Pillage, By: Obert Skye, Review by: Andrew Williams

Pillage, A Fiction Y.A. Book by: Obert Skye is about fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips is sent to live with his weird uncle he had never met when his mother dies, where he learns that his family has a curse that allows him to make plants grow on command and dragon eggs hatch. Shortly after he arrives there, he begins to noticed weird things happening. Plants move, ivy defends him and salad hurts people for him. That and the strange warnings to not go behind the house, Beck discovers his cool ability to command plants and wakes up eight dragons, without knowing it. When Beck arrives at his uncle’s mansion, an air of mystery greets him. While the house has seven floors and hundreds of rooms, Beck along with his uncles and a minimal house staff are the only occupants. As time goes on Beck learns dark secrets about his lost family. Secrets that include buried basements, forbidden gardens, an ancient book of weird family history, and most surprising of all dragons! On his long train ride, he meets Kate, who isn’t very friendly. She is his age, and is headed to Kingsplot too.

Beck wakes up from a 12 hour rest, and notices that they are the only ones left on the train. Beck thinks it’s strange, but Kate isn’t too worried about it. When he arrives, Beck meets Thomas, who drives him to his new house. Seven floors, with stables, and a huge garden. Right away, Beck is told to stay away from certain places for his own safety. Beck meets Milo who asks many questions about the house, mostly about the basement. But, there is no basement. And I thought this was like the rising action, the book started off slow but I felt after this happened this story was going somewhere. At school there are some boys who picked on Beck and Milo. Milo is new to Callowbrow, too. However, Beck can do some weird tricks with plants that makes his life easier. But, what happens with the secret is really exciting and page turning, I just kept on reading and couldn’t stop.

I really enjoyed this book. Full of exciting twists and surprises! I liked the history of Beck’s family a long the way too. A strange, but interesting history full of plants, stones, and pillaging!!

                

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery is a piece of realistic fiction written in the 1900's. When Matthew Cuthbert, a kind but painfully shy old man, goes to the train station to pick up the orphan boy that he and his spinster sister Marilla want to adopt, he finds Anne instead! Anne "with an e" is a eleven year old orphan who has a giant imagination and always has something to say. She is terribly excited to go and live with Matthew and Marilla at Green Gables -- their beautiful and spacious house -- but when she gets there, she finds out that there was a mistake. Matthew and Marilla wanted to adopt an orphan boy, not a girl. Marilla is determined to send Anne back but Matthew becomes attached to her and can't bear the thought of sending her away. Finally, Marilla gives in and Anne becomes Anne of Green Gables. She is smart, sassy, funny, odd, naughty, dreamy, and never stops talking! Anne of Green Gables is about Anne's adventures in Avonlea and is a fascinating book.

     I really enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down. Anne as a character is really funny and her interactions with everyone else are absolutely hilarious. One problem that people reading this book might have is that, because it was written in 1908, it uses old language and mentions things from the time period that could be a little hard to understand. Also, it is set in Prince Edward Island, Canada, so it also discusses some old Canadian politics that were a little confusing. But it was a really good book and, besides just being about Anne's adventures growing up, it had some deep stuff too. Throughout the story, Anne struggles to come to terms with her looks and peer pressure. Anne's red hair is a great trial to her. She mentions several times how she would trade all her brains to be pretty and even tries to dye her hair once (with awful results and a pretty short haircut). Also, Anne really likes to be "popular". If puffed sleeves on dresses are "in", she wants them. If frills and bows are fashionable, then by all means, restock the wardrobe. I think that this made the book relatable because, even though it is a hundred years old, these problems are still problems in the teenage girl population.

     In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book. It was really entertaining and I plan on reading on and finishing the series. I would recommend this book to everyone! A

     The world is coming to an end. Just another average day for Maximum Ride. In the final Maximum Ride book Nevermore by James Patterson; Max is faced, yet again, with the impending end of the world. Max and the rest of her flock of enhanced avian-humans must find and destroy the Doomsday group before it's to late. In a race against time Max encounters many obstacles in which she can either face head on or turn and run. You'd think that having the responsibility of saving the world was enough; Max is also stuck in the middle of a love triangle with two gorgeous teenage boys who will stop at nothing to win her over, even if it means killing each other. In the end, Max must choose between the drop-dead good looking Dylan who was made to be her perfect match or Fang who has been her best friend and go-to guy since the beggining of her very existance. With the end so close, Max must make a final stand with her flock at her side and either save the human race or begin a new generation of advanced humans.
     This book is thrilling, romantic, and, of course, sarcastic. It was definitely interesting, I especially loved the way James Patterson handled the pre-apocalypse and teenage romance. How can you not love a romantic dinner in a flaming treehouse? Patterson gives Max a choice to destroy the humans or save them. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that he handled it well and with great descretion. The main point of the book is that everything comes to an end eventually and whether you choose to accept it or change it is a choice that you must make alone.
     All in all, Nevermore was one of my all time favourite books and I definently recommend it to anyone but, I do caution you that it has mild profanity and some violence. Even though, I still loved it and it was an amazing book.

Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Worlds of Grayham

Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Worlds of Grayham

     Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Worlds of Grayham was written by Phillip E. Jones, With a very strange idea in mind. First, this book was re-written and now this book is now very rare to find. You are a spirit that was killed in a great war. A spirit explains to you the whole beginning. You start off with the 3 main characters, Sam, Shalee and George, who are living in earth and have regular lives. A demon takes their souls and brings them to Grayham to retrieve the crystal moon, and so the adventure begins!

    This book is a very well done. Even though it is not done, the book is very amazing for action lovers. If I had to choose between Hunger Games or this book, I think that this book would have more action. The characters were even very well thought. Each one of the books come with a picture of the characters in a 

3-D model. I had personally met the author and he had told me how he had thought up of this book. One day he had woken up from a very re-occuring dream. So one night while waking up from the nightmare, he had tried to write it all down. That is when he had found out that he was dreaming of a place he had called Grayham. In my opinion, this book is quite action packed. I have never read a book that had kept me going and it still is! By the way, this book is pretty graphic, so make sure you are used to that.

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!

How I Got This Way by Patrick McManus

The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is definitely not true for this gem of a book. Just look at the cover. You can tell right off that the book will be funny. How I Got This Way and all the other Patrick McManus books that I've read have all been the same; hilarious. This book starts out slow (for Patrick McManus) but there are certain stories that got me laughing so hard that I thought for sure I would get kicked out of the cafeteria during Patriot Time. Seriously.

 This book is a compilation of awesome stories that all talk about past adventures of the one and only Patrick McManus. He loves the outdoors so that is what he primarily writes about. Pat loved to fish, hunt, and do other crazy things in his childhood and even when he was an adult. Unlike most stories, these stories do not go in chronological order. They jump around from his childhood enterprises with Rancid Crabtree, Retch Sweeney and Crazy Eddie Muldoon to his adult mishaps (many) and his triumphs (few). But with Patrick McManus writing, he can turn a plain old, everyday story into an awesome tale that will bring many a tear to your eye from laughter. In this book, Pat writes about many things from what happens when you combine a powerful, homemade slingshot named Whopper with Rancid Crabtree and Gram's giant pumpkin, to how he became an outdoor humorist, all the way to telling the reader about his successes of creating a one mile radius between he and the deer he is hunting. The stories are all completely different but they all relate to outdoor adventures, his main form of fun.

This book is simply hilarious. Although it doesn't quite compare to the likes of some of his other books, I still really liked this book. If you haven't read any of Patrick McManus's other books, you will probably think this is one of the funniest books that you have ever read. It was entertaining and I got lots of weird looks from different people as I just laughed my head off. Surprisingly, Pat isn't just a funny guy. He is an extremely talented writer because he paints a vivid picture of what he talks about in his books. The whole book was like watching a movie. It was cool how much you could visualize the story.

If the author is trying to pass along an opinion or bring up issues, they are as follows: enjoy yourself, have a little fun here or there, take risks (as in take dangerous roads in the woods), go on plenty of camping trips, go hunting and fishing often, and do crazy stuff as a kid. I agree with his philosophies, especially the fishing part but I'm still not all the way there on the dangerous, mountainous roads. You should probably live life with a more serious outlook than Patrick McManus or his pal Rancid Crabtree, but some people live life too seriously so this is a good reminder not to make life too stressful. I totally agree. Just reading this book helped me to have a little fun, relax and laugh my cares away. This collection of tales clearly had a purpose and that was to make people laugh. I laughed. If you read this book you will also laugh. Patrick McManus shows the world the importance of laughter. He shows how sad life is without laughter by making you laugh. Sounds kind of weird but trust me, it works.

Overall, I thought How I Got This Way by Patrick McManus was really good. It doesn't have the action or suspense that most books these days have but it sure has the right amount of humor.  I would recommend this book to all, but some of Patrick McManus's other books were much better. If you would like to know some of his better books, just ask.

The Help

The Help by Katheryn Stockett, is a very inspiring and hopeful book of how whites treat blacks on their color. But of course, this treatment is a very, very harsh one. In the little town of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, Miss Skeeter a white woman, who wants nothing more than to be a writer and publisher, and with the wasted hope of getting her a husband by her mother, she soon makes two very good friends, Aibileen and her best friend Minny. Aibileen has taken care of 19 white mothers babies, and Minny the best cook has the sassiest mouth in Jackson. Until one day Skeeter has this marvelous idea to write a novel about the help and the families they have taken care of.  But she needs the help to help her.  With much difficulty she succeeds!!! While time ticks fast, Skeeter Phelan manges to write the novel before crunch time. With much humor, a little bit of romance, and don't forget the hilarious parts with Celia Foote and Minny! This book is absolutely amazing! I loved every part of it, and it was so cleverly written, to show how each character talked and acted. I wouldn't change a thing about this book.

The Lightning Thief

This thrilling story starts off with a boy named Percy Jackson. Percy has been kicked out of every single boarding school he has ever been to. He only sees his mom in the summer and has never met his dad since he was a baby. This year at Yancy Academy he is going to do whatever it takes to not get kicked out. When he goes on a field trip with his class to an art museum to look at Greek and Roman stuff, wierd things start happening. First, he somehow caused a wave to form out of a fountain and hit his arch enemy, Nancy, during lunch. Then, his math teacher Mrs. Dodds, turns into a monster when she and Percy are  alone and tries to kill him. Everyone acts like they never even had a teacher named Mrs. Dodds. But Percy knew that something was up.

A couple of weeks later he got out of school and could finally go see his mom again. To celebrate his return, his mom surprises him by taking him to a beach house. The weather started getting horrible there. It looked as if a hurricane was about to start when Grover, Percy's best friend from Yancy Academy, barges in and tells them that they need to leave immediately. So much for Percy's greatest surprise present ever.

The three of them hop in the Camaro and after many crazy events, such as Percy's mom DYING, Percy ends up in a summer camp. But this camp isn't just any ordinary summer camp, it is a summer camp full of half-bloods. At this camp, Percy learns that his dad is a god. He also learns how to fight off monsters. The campers are seperated into cabins according to their parent. There are twelve cabins to represent the twelve main gods. Percy doesn't know who his father is yet so he went in Herme's cabin becuase Herme's is the god of travelers.

Just like the museum, wierd things start happening at the camp too. Ares' kids were bullying him the first day and took him to the bathroom to dump his head in the toilet. When he was about to get dumped, there was a wierd tug in his stomach and water shot out of the toilet and into their faces. How did he do that?? Later, when the camp had finished their game of capture the flag, a monster came and attacked Percy. He would've died but as he was attacked, he fell into the river. Instantly, Percy felt better and wounds of his body started to heal. There was the sign of a trident above his head. Percy was the son of Poseidon.

Lately, there has been a fight in Mount Olympus becuase someone took Zues' master lightning bolt. Zues blamed Poseidon but Poseidon refused to admit it was him that took it. A war was stirring up. Zues said if the bolt wasn't returned by Summer Solstice, a very bad war would start.

Right when Percy is starting to fit in, he's called on a quest to find the master bolt before the summer solstice. It's up to him to help his dad prove it wasn't him who took it. He asks his best friend Grover and a girl named Annabeth to help him on the quest.

This is an awesome book. Rick Riordan creates very likable characters. He gives great detail of each character's personality and physical description. There are many funny jokes throughout the book. You can skip over lots of these jokes if you don't have enough background knowledge on Greek Mythology. So, it really helps to know a little about greek mythology before reading it.  Knowing more on the subject would help understanding some of the jokes as I said before, and, even more important, what they are even talking about. Even if you know nothing at all about greek mythology, I would still read this book if I were you. You would really like the suspense and adventure of the book. However, if you like funny books, you should get some knowledge. Rick Riordan explains what is going on very well. I didn't know too much about greek mythology, but after I read this book, I felt I knew a lot more than what I started with. Throughout the book, you learn many interesting facts about Greek Mythology. It never is boring and can keep you up all night. I can tell this series is going to be a good one! I would recommend this book to anyone!!

The Zombie Survival Guide

My book review is on The Zombie Survival Guide, written by the creative genius Max Brooks. This book is most certainly fantasy, adult, seeing as it's a guide to survive a zombie apocalypse, and Humor, because of the stunning creativity and the fact that the author created it to be humors.

As for the summary, it explains ten basic lessons for surviving a Zombie attack: Organize before they rise! They feel no fear, why should you? Use your head: cut off theirs. Blades don’t need reloading. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair. Get up the staircase, and then destroy it. Get out of the car, get onto the bike. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, and keep alert! No place is safe, only safer. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.  It is also divided into seven sections: The Undead: Myths and realities, Weapons and combat techniques, on the defense, on the run, on the attack, Living in an undead world, and Recorded attacks.

 

This book is absolutely memorable. To be completely honest, I still have most of the book memorized after reading it once! And what really blew me away was that it seems like every zombie movie or video game follows the guide lines set by this book. Meaning this book completely altered the stereo-type zombie, which I find to be pretty amazing.

All in all, this book is likely my favorite book that I've read, if not for the solid fact that Max Brooks not only created the stereo-typical zombie, he created the guidelines for just about every hero in a zombie apocalypse to follow, and he made a memorable book all at once! A+