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 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! 

Dreamland- Sarah Dessen

     This book 'DreamLand' is a hard book to really find a main theme behind, so if I, personally had to decided I would say its probably about family, and never giving up on trying to see them even if things tear you apart.
     This book shows you "around" through Caitlin's eyes, one of the main characters. The book starts out with Caitlin's older sister running away, and the whole family ( her mom, and dad ) go absolutely bonkers. But what her mom and dad don't realize is the day Cass left ( the older sister ) they forgot it was Caitlin's birthday. The book carries on and it turns out that Cass left a note on Caitlin's bed, which read, "Caitlin, I'll see you in Dreamland". So I don't ruin the book for you all I will tell you is that Dreamland is a place where, Cass, Caitlin, and their mom all meet up. Dreamland is a land that once you fall asleep you can be with whoever else traveled their in their sleep, but its only the people you want to see there that you see. Although you can't just plan on going to sleep and going to Dreamland, you're lucky if you can make it there, it's not technically hard you just have to really want it.
     I personally didn't enjoy this book, but that's just me. The reason why is because I feel almost as if it drags on with a little to much unimportant things throughout the book, it adds way to much detail and thoughts in my opinion.. Although I would recommend it to others. Dreamland, although does sound very interesting to me. I mean if I wanted to go to another place of my dreams, and see people I didn't get to see everyday I would absolutely try and go every single day. If there were an actual Dreamland, I would be in awe.
      I suggest that if you take a long time to get into a book that you don't read this one, it took me about to the middle of the book to really get hooked on it. But if you like stories with a lot of back story then this is the perfect book. Happy reading

This book is full of Uglies.

     This book is called Uglies by Scott Westerfield. This book is Fiction and is really good. The main themes are that what is on the inside is what counts, and that your perspective on beauty can change.

     A girl named Tally lives in a society where once you turn 16, you become beautiful. Nice, full lips. Large, vulnerable eyes. This creates a false sense of beauty. Tally's Best Friend has already become pretty and she longs to be with him. He lives over in New Pretty town, a town only for pretties, completely separated from the small town for the Uglies. Pretties are allowed to do anything, but becoming pretty comes with a price. Small lesions are inserted into your brain that make you easier to control and make you into a bubblehead. While Tally is waiting to turn 16 and be with her best friend, she meets a new friend, Shay. Shay is outrageous and much a rebel. Shay understands how her society has messed with their perspective of beauty and longs to escape the operation that turns her pretty. She had an opportunity to escape the city before but she was too scared to leave. This time, she is sure she wants to leave. She leaves the day before she turns 16 and runs away. Tally still yearns to become pretty and her day for the operation comes. She is whisked to the hospital and waits in the waiting room for an hour. Her operation never happens. She is then taken to a building on the outskirts of town. The Special Circumstances building. Special Circumstances is a cruel kind of pretty with razor sharp fingernails and teeth, bones made of airplane material and light as a feather, and reflexes like none other. As the name applies, Special Circumstances deal with Special Circumstances. They want information from Tally as to the whereabouts of Shay or she won't be turned Pretty. Lucky for her, Shay left Cryptic directions to the Smoke, a city for run aways escaping the operation. She gives the directions to Special Circumstances but they don't want directions. They want her to travel to the Smoke with a necklace that will send a signal once activated so that Special Circumstances (SC) can take over and destroy the smoke. Tally is unsure what to do. To find out what she does, read the book.
 
  This book was really interesting and memorable. Interesting because it has many twists and turns and gives you a good sense of how the government can be cruel sometimes. Scott Westerfield's opinion, as you can tell from the book, is that a society can mess with your minds and give you different opinions on subject than opinions of people in our society. For one thing, Tally believes she is totally ugly when she is probably beautiful in out society. There is only one kind of beauty in Tally's world. I agree with Scott Westerfield. Even in our society, the definition of beauty has changed. At first, long ago, being larger was beauty because it was said you had  more money. Now, being skinny as a pole and having big butts is the new beauty and lots of people are struggling. Also, this book relates to larger issues our society has. For one thing, the whole point of the operation is to make the city easier to control. Instead of one million opinions to consider, pretties will go along with anything so only one opinion is followed. If our society was like that, our lives would be better. I agree it is still wrong, but the city still had the right idea. In addition, beauty comes wth a price in their society as well as in ours. Although ours is as not great a price, beauty in our society comes with stress, hunger, and a need to always look perfect. No body is perfect, so why try? 

     Altogether, the book was wonderful. There was many details, great pacing, and tons of foreshadowing. I would give this book a definite A. The issues brought up in the book were great points and gave lots of insight in the problems of our society today as well. There are 4 books in the series and all are great, They're called Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras.  If you want to read the series, I advise strongly. All are great and Scott Westerfield is a terrific author,

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler

Wolves were once extinct in the United States. Ranchers killed them off because they would eat their livestock. In 1995, 41 wolves were taken from Canada and brought down to Yellowstone. 

KJ lives in a small town near Yellowstone. Wolves didn't really cross her mind, except for when she's guiding tourists around the park. But then a wolf biologist and her son, Virgil move in. The crazyness starts when KJ is asked to write a section in the school newspaper about wolves, with Virgil as the photographer. Everyone reads the newspaper, from ranchers to wolf enthusiasts, which of course sparks some arguments among the folks of this small town. Okay, HUGE arguments. To the point of burning buildings and shooting at things. While KJ is caught in the middle of this, she finds herself falling for Virgil. That doesn't get a good reaction from her dad. To make matters even worse, there is a petition being signed to get rid of wolves in Yellowstone. KJ and Virgil do everything a couple of teenagers can to save wolves, before Virgil moves at the end of the school year. 

This is one of those books where every once in a while it gets so intense you have to catch your breath, but it's not fighting monsters type intense, it's real. The author doesn't try to personify wolves or make them into something they are not, which makes it feel so real. Plus, this is an actual political issue as far as I know. It's admirable how KJ tries to protect these creatures. She's just like any awkward teenage girl, and proves that we can do more than we think, for better or for worse. 

So, has reintroduction of wolves helped Yellowstone? Tourists come to Yellowstone to see wolves all the time, helping the park raise millions of dollars a year. Other animals survive with the help of wolves, like bears that eat remains of wolf kill. Elk were once overpopulated until wolves came back. But hunters are angry, because now they can't kill as many elk. Ranchers will never get along with these predators, which took an estimate of 4,000 cattle in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana in 2010. (these could be just dumb rancher stories though...) Last fall, wolves were taken off the endangered species list in Wyoming, which allows them to be hunted legally within Yellowstone Park borders. Tragically last December, the alpha female of a popular pack was shot by a hunter. Wolf enthusiasts were devastated, and thus, the debate on wolves continues.

To sum up, this book was AMAZING! I loved it! I learned a lot about wolves from reading it, and it led me to research wolves in Yellowstone a little bit, because it is such an interesting topic. The author did their research too, the information she put in this book is correct. The main character is super likable, and the plot is great. A

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

     Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli is a realistic fiction book. This story tells the reader to treasure time and moments with others. The main character, Will Tuppence, is a science geek that questions the world around him once there is a scientific breakthrough that a proton has actually died. He realizes from this that one day, everything is going to disappear.
      9th grader Will Tuppence and his best friend, Mi-Su, love to attend star parties (events where people meet to stargaze). When he is forced to take his annoying little sister, Tabby, to one of these parties, he finds his other best friend, BT, and Mi-Su kissing! Through his feelings of anger, he begins to realize that he likes Mi-Su. While spending so much time thinking about her, he doesn't realize how important his family is.
      Smiles to Go was a very sweet and memorable book because of how Will changed throughout the book. Also, the lesson I learned will stick with me. Smiles to Go affected me a lot because it taught me to savor moments with others, because you never know when everything can be ripped out of your hands. I always knew that time was important, but now I understand what could happen if I don't use my time wisely.
      I really liked the point that this book was putting across, but the writing style was confusing, and the beginning didn't make very much sense. Also, if you like books filled with suspense and drama, I do not recommend this book. Although, I think that the lesson in this book is one that everyone should learn. Overall, it is a great read.

Keep Holding On

Written by Susane Colasanti, Keep Holding On is a realistic-fiction young adult romance. Keep Holding On is about an average every day teenage girl (how many times have you heard that before?) named Noelle. Noelle's horrible home life often interferes with her school life as she is constantly bullied. The main theme of this book is to think before you act, because you don't know what everyone is going through and to "Keep holding on" and stay strong.

At school, Noelle can do nothing but try to fly below the radar. She considers herself to be the second most bullied kid in school, next to Ali. Noelle is constantly verbally and physically bullied by a couple groups of bullies at her school. She doesn't fight them and just let's herself get beaten up. However, the bullies don't know about her mortifying home life. She lives with only her mom. Her father left when she was young and her wonderful stepfather died of cancer and left nothing for her and her mother to live on. Noelle's mother is constantly complaining about her life and does virtually nothing for her daughter. Noelle is completely neglected. Her only friend, Sherea, who holds a dark secret, and her secret boyfriend, Matt, are the only people she has. But recently, Julian has started talking to her and she starts to fall for him. She doesn't feel like she is good enough for him and just keeps going on with her miserable life. Keep Holding On will keep you going on a steady pace with an extremely shocking twist that changes EVERYONE.

 This book is definitely meant for teens (mostly because anyone younger wouldn't understand) but there isn't anything TOO horrible. There is a little bit of language and some people may feel uncomfortable or sensitive at some scenes. All in all, I thought that this book was pretty good. It is definitely among some of my favorite books. I mean, it was so good, I read it all day and finished it. That's how good it was. This book really keeps you going. You do not want to stop reading. Although some scenes may seem repetitive, they all make sense and add to the story in the end. One thing that keeps you going in this book, is the way the author will kind of hint that something happened, but doesn't just come out and say it until later, so you are sitting there wondering if what you think happened really happened. For example, at one part Noelle says, "Sherea still has nightmares" and Sherea says later, "Maybe I should have told someone about it." Also, my absolute favorite part in this book is that I was just reading this one basic chapter. It was nothing special. And then the very next page, I got punched in the stomach with a suprise that I did not expect at all. (can't tell you what it is, sorry!)

In conclusion, I thought that Keep Holding On was a very good book. I would defintely recomend it to others. It was very interesting and entertaining. I really loved the moral of the story, which was to "Keep holding on" and don't give up no matter how hard things get. I love this book and I give it a solid A.

     

     

   The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins takes place in, Panem, built in the ruins of future America ruled by a controlling government. Every year each district of Panem (12 districts) sends two tributes to participate in the hunger games (one boy and one girl) to fight to the death in an arena. These tributes are chosen by a big bowl of names of all between the ages of twelve and eighteen and as you get older the more times your name is entered.  

     The book begins when Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the games when her younger sister, Prim, was chosen as a tribute. Katniss and baker's son, Peeta are the two tributes chosen from district 12 to compete in the 74th annual Hunger Games. As soon as they are chosen they have just a short amount of time before they begin their journey to the Capitol where the games will be held. The two are coached by Haymitch (a previous winner of the Hunger Games) and assistant Effie. Katniss also meets her designer Cinna and his team of stylists. Haymitch helps prepare the two tributes for the games and creates a strategy that Katniss and Peeta have to use in the arena to impress people and get extra sponsorship.  After weeks of hard training, Katniss and Peeta were ready to fight in the games. 

     In the arena there are of all sorts of challenges that these tributes are faced with created by the game makers who oversee the whole game. The lack of food, survival supplies,  knowledge of their surroundings, and who they can trust are just a few problems that the tributes face.

     I really enjoyed how the book was constantly able to hold on to my attention. I loved how detailed Collins described everything including what future America might be like. I also enjoyed how the districts were all different and each had their own characteristics. It was interesting how the environment between each district was just like how our country has separate social classes. For example rich, high class capitol people and the poor people of district 12. It was also interesting how severe the conditions were that they had to fight to the death in order to survive.

     Although, I do need to warn the reader that there is a lot of violence and should be something considered before reading the book. I would also like to suggest watching the movie to see how the story was presented differently.

This Book Was SO Good, It Almost Killed Me

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me, by Kristen Chandler, is about KJ Carson, the only daughter of a widowed fishing guide and a junior in the tiny Montana town of West End, near Yellowstone. When Virgil moves in so his mom can study the local wolf packs, KJ is enchanted at first glance. Soon she and Virgil start spending a lot of time wolf-watching together, and KJ finds herself falling in love with the wolves (...and *SPOILER ALERT* one especially attractive boy whose name may or may not start with the letter "V"). The residents of West End, many of whom are ranchers whose animals occasionally supply the wolves' dinner, don't exactly feel the same way, though, and it's up to KJ to stand up for her wild friends or say good-bye to them. 

I know, I know. It sounds SO cheesy, but it's a wonderful book, and I really came to care about KJ as the story progressed. I think that was one of the things that really made Chandler's story memorable- the characterization was fantastic. The dialogue in particular, in addition to KJ's witty narration, helped me to understand and relate to the characters, and this really added to the story. I thought it was fascinating to see how ranchers and fishing guides in Montana are not really very different than anyone else; West End has brats and lunatics and grumpy teenagers just like any other town, and we all have feelings. 

The one political issue that this story brought up, though it's fiction, was whether wolves should be left in Yellowstone or taken away. The book was published only three years ago, but this was a huge controversial issue around 1997. And while her story is purely narrative, Chandler clearly sided with the wolves. I have to say that I completely agree. I totally can understand why people might have felt differently when this was an issue, but as I learned about the wolves and how similar in nature they are to humans, I couldn't help but agree with KJ. 

I should warn any boys that the narrator is a grumpy, love-sick and hormonal teenage girl, and the general public that there are a few swear words in here, though they are in places where they work and there aren't too many. Altogether, I thought this was a splendiferous book (I like big words- so sue me). KJ's wit, sarcasm and personality make it fun and readable. I look forward to Chandler's next novel, especially if it is anything like this one. A.

Shadowland by Meg Cabot

  

   Shadowland is the first book in the series, The Mediator, by Meg Cabot.  It is a fictional book with just a touch of romance, but it also does deal with some real-life situations.  Moving to a new state is one of those situations.  Susannah Simon's mom remarried after her father's death.  Her mom moves her from New York, all the way to Carmel, California.  

   Suze is what we call a mediator.  A mediator is someone who can speak, touch, and help ghosts.  She has been seeing these ghost since she was 2.  These ghosts usually show up at times she really doesn't want them there.  When Suze moves out to California, she is expecting a whole new start.  But when she gets to California, there happens to be a very attractive cowboy in her room.  This is definitely going to cause a ruckus in her life.  When she goes to her new school, she finally meets another mediator, Father Dominic.  But what happens when a ghost wants to kill her ex-boyfriend?


   The main theme of Shadowland would have to be family.  Susannah moves to California with no complaint what so ever.  She just wants her mom to be happy for once.  She has been living as a single parent, living in an apartment for years.  Suze just wants her mom to be happy, and she is finally happy for her when she falls for Andy.  This gives a good example about how much family should mean to a person.


   This book is filled with family, friends, and especially ghosts.  My favorite part of the book would have to be how she describes the surroundings, she goes into a lot of detail to tell us what it looks like.  This book is definitely for girls/young adult.  The whole book takes place in 1st person view from Suze's point of view.  This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!  I give this book an A+.

Fly Trap

     Mosca Mye's adventures are full of twists and turns, battles and diplomatic fights. Action and adventure, mystery and suspense fill every nook and cranny. Truly a spectacular story, one of my favorite books by far. Seriously, it seems that you come to the end of the book, just to find that there's more to be had.
     Mosca was born with something that no one achieved easily; the ability to read. She was a quiet girl, who like to hid and listen in on people with her guardian goose Saracen. After she found and followed the sometimes-loyal companion Eponymous Clent, and burned down her uncle's mill, her life spiraled into a life of running, hiding, and the occasional rescuing of cities and people.
     This is the second book of the series, and the reason that I'm writing a review is because I read the first book so many times. The second book was released not a long time ago, but the first book was out a long time ago. Hardinge is a wonderful author, and... I just noticed that I say that lot of authors are amazing or wonderful. Well, it just so happens that they are! I'd always give this book, and the first book an A+!

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.

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Ever wondered what it would be like to soar through the skies on a giant blimp, or pilot a massive, destructive machine? If so, then Goliath by Scott Westerfeld is the book for you!

Now that we're done with that cliche beginning, I can tell you a bit more about this book. The entire Leviathan series is based around World War I, with its own little twists, of course. Anyways, earth is divided up into two main powers: Darwinists and Clankers. Darwinists use animals for everything; they even mess with their DNA to make them more efficient. Clankers are the exact opposite. They live in an extremely mechanical world, where machines do all the work, and people simply pilot and maintenance them. As you can imagine, neither of these powers exactly agree with the 0ther.

The whole war that they face in this book started when one of Austria's noble families were assassinated. Their son made it out alive, however, with a few trusted servants. This boy's name was Alek. He traveled across the Clanker country, avoiding enemies and waiting for the war to stop so he could claim the Austrian throne. the reason he couldn't in the first place is because his mother was not of royal blood. However, Alek's parents were able to get a scroll that ultimately gave him the throne of Austria, provided people believed it.

Now we switch gears and focus on the other main character in this story: Deryn. Deryn was a girl living in Britain, a Darwinist country. Girls weren't allowed to serve in the army; especially not in the sky. Deryn, with her tomboy characteristics, wanted to serve in the military and fly through the skies, just like when she was younger. Her dad was killed in an air accident, and that fueled her love of the air. Remembering this event pushed her to do something insanely reckless: pretend to be a boy. She did so very easily, claiming her name was Dylan, and soon becamepart of the crew of the Leviathan, the most powerful ship in the British army. Deryn's ship crashed in the alps, unfortunatley, putting the crew in a dire situation.

Just when all hope was lost, Alek showed up, stocked with enough food to nurse the dying Leviathan back to health. Eventually, Deryn and Alek became friends, despite the fact that Deryn was a girl. They continued to have many exciting adventures, revealing many secrets to each other, and basically strengthening their bond. Before long, Deryn came to a disurbing conclusion: she was in love with Alek. Goliath focuses on that relationship.

The book starts with Deryn and Alek flying on the Leviathan. The ship receives a special mission: deliver a mysterious package to a man living in Siberia, and take him and his crew on board. They recieve the package and find something curious in it. There's a huge amount of meat, and a dismantled metal contraption. Alek and his small crew put the machine together, and find that is a primitive metal detector of sorts. Nobody knows why this machine is important to the enigmatic man. When they reach Siberia, they find that every single tree is knocked down, all facing the same direction. Bones are scattered everywhere, yet another sign that a fearsome weapon was here. Eventually, they find the crew they are looking for. There are bears around, so the ship lures them away by dropping meat far away from the crew's camp. Meanwile, Deryn and a few other officers drop down and help the man and his crew prepare to board the Leviathan. During this time, Deryn learns the mysterious man's name: Mr. Tesla. He claims that he has a weapon that is powerful enough to stop the war in its tracks. Is he trustworthy? What about the machine in the package? What exactly does Mr. Tesla have in store for the world? These questions are all answered in Goliath.

I found this book very memorable for many reasons. It ends and extremely compelling series, for one. All three books are tied together flawlessly, each story leading into the next. Nothing that happened in this book would have occurred if the previous events hadn't played out exactly as they had. Another reason is that this book doesn't hurry anything. Everything feels very natural. Deryn and Alek don't even meet until the first book is halfway over. When they do, Deryn feels nothing for him. It's not until the end of the second book that Deryn actually begins to like Alek. From then on, their relationship increases until Alek finally discovers that she's a girl.

As far as the opinions of the author goes, I have mixed feelings. I strongly agree with one of his main beliefs that women should have the same opportunities as men. Deryn pretends to be a boy the entire series just so she can serve her country. Nobody should have to do that just to fufill their dreams, especially when they're helping their country at the same time. One major thing that I disagree with is destiny. Alek believes that everything that happens to him is for a reason, and that he can't change what destiny has in store for him. Deryn thinks that's a load of garbage. I'm on Deryn's side. While there may be some sentient being watching over Alek (or us, for that matter), it certainly isn't controlling our actions, or making things happen to us that forces us to take a certain path.

**SPOILERS**
Beyond this point, I talk about what happens at the end of this book. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor and skip this part.

A very big issue in this book is love. Deryn and Alek love each other in the later half of the book. In the end, each of them sacrifices something major in their lives in order to stay together. While this is very touching, it doesn't really take into account everything that it should. For one, they're both only fifteen when they decide that they should abandon their lives and live together forever. I know, there really aren't many books that don't end with the protagonist falling for another main character. However, this book is much more extreme. Alek throws the scroll claiming him as the heir to Austria into the ocean, basically letting that country fall victim to its neighbors. Plus, Deryn ditches her family and the ship to follow Alek, when they have no idea what will happen to them. That's the only time I felt that this story was weak.

**END OF SPOILERS**

I can't argue that this book is bad. I just can't. It's excellently written, with a strong plot full of twists. It has a plethora of likeable and charming characters, and some good ideas to boot. It may have a weak ending, but it does leave quite the impression, and you'll think about it for a while. There's simply no way to say "no" to this book. It certainly fills the shoes of the previous books, and you can't help but feel satisfied by it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who asks about it, although I would warn them of the weak ending. Because of that, I'm forced to give this book at least an A.

The Clockwork Angel

The Clockwork Angel Infernal Instrument
is written by Cassandra Clare. This book has an unpredictable storyline. The Clockwork Angel is a prequel in the Mortal Instruments series. The main characters names are Tessa, James, and Will. For Tessa’s back story, at first Tessa didn’t know why she was special. She has a rare ability, she can shape shift at will into another person.
Wills back story is he left his family at age 12, and wouldn’t see them again. Will has lived in the Institute ever since. He acts unfriendly and rude around the Institute for his own personal reasons.
Whereas, James is a different story, when he was younger he lived in Shanghai. His parents died by a demon named Yanluo.
Eventually, Yanluo escaped in his home, and kept his family as
prisoners. Yanluo tortured James with demon poison. After, he was rescued; he was healed with one exception. The one exclusion was an addiction to demon poison, which is slowly killing him, everyone tried to wean him off the drug, but it didn’t work. Consequently, James is slowly dying and is dependent on the drug.
Her brother Nate left Tessa to travel to London and get a job. Tessa stays with her Aunt, until she died unexpectedly. Hope arrives by Nate inviting Tessa to travel to London and meet him. However, Tessa arrives only to get kidnapped by the Dark Sisters.
There is a world full of shadow hunters, vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural creatures. Shadow hunters are people who are trained to kill demons, and protect the human race. Some of these Down Worlders are part of a secret organization known as the Pandemonium
Club. Their leader is known as the Magister. The Dark Sisters plan was to have the Magister marry Tessa, not out of love but for her ability. The plan is ruined because Tessa gets rescued from a shadow hunter named Will.
Tessa goes to the shadow hunters London Institute; she is staying to be part of an investigation to find her brother Nate. In exchange for what she knows, the shadow hunters will find Tessa’s brother. The villain, also known as the Magister, is on the loose with
a goal to marry Tessa. It’s hard for Tessa to recognize, because the
Magister will do anything in his power to get his hands on Tessa.
Tessa is torn between two shadow hunters James and Will. Even though Will is arrogant and rude, Tessa sees those deep blue eyes behind his beautiful face. While James is sympathetic, kind, and gentleman like. The plot goes on to show as Tessa goes after her brother or help her
friends James and Will to save the world. Tessa is at the institute because the enforcement group, Clave is at war with De Quincy, who is a leader of his vampire clan. Tessa decides to stay at the institute and take care of her brother. In the end her friends survive a
terrifying journey through the Dark Sisters house, along with her brother. Ever
since that day, she hasn’t had the same relationship with him ever since.
I enjoyed this book because the characters are
described with personality; they jump out of the page. In addition, you also receive a strong
emotion for the characters. The plot itself is suspenseful. It is hard to put
the book down. You develop a sense of equality and a twinge of sympathy. This
book enhances how lucky you are to have family that loves you. You must learn from your experiences and learn from your hate and sorrow experiences. This book is entertaining and
makes you want to know more about your inner self. This book may affect you by
knowing that you are unique and every talent is a gift, no matter how horrible
it seems. This book allows you to realize your inner self and beauty, to
realize whatever world you live in, no person is completely honest.

Eighth Grade Bites By Heather Brewer

Eighth Grade Bites is the first of a set of books called The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. It was a pretty easy read. It was only a couple hundred pages, and it incorporated fantasy with real life. I think that is the main reason why I finished it so fast.

The story starts out with a chase scene. Mr. John Craig is running from a hungry vampire who is searching for Vladimir Tod. Mr. Craig gets caught, tormented, and eaten. Mr. Craig was, however, successful in keeping Vladimir safe from harm, for now.

Vladimir Tod, or Vlad, is a typical eighth grader, right? Of course not! Vlad is a vampire, or at least part vampire. His dad was a vampire, and his mom was human. His parents died a few years back in a house fire. Now Vlad lives with his Aunt Nelly. It turns out she's not even his aunt, but his mother's best friend. Anyways, Vlad has one friend, Henry, the most popular kid in school. Even that doesn't stop him from being bullied every day.

One afternoon, a new substitute for Language Arts comes in his name is Mr. Otis Otis. With the help of Otis later out in the book, Vlad is able to discover who he really is. He also discovers a hidden vampire world that his dad hid him from.

I honestly thought this is one of the best books I've ever read. It's filled with action, suspense, and a few jokes here and there. It mixes fantasy with every day life to create a truly unique story. I highly suggest this book to anyone that likes vampires(not the sparkly kind).

Fallen by Lauren Kate

  

   Fallen is the first book in Lauren Kate's series.  It is a fictional book that deals with real life situations such as relationships.  Luce Price is a troubled teen, and has not always been like that.  Her boyfriend caught on fire when she kissed him and she can't explain why.

   Luce Price has just showed up for her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah, Georgia for troubled teens.  At this school, you can't have your cell phone and there are security cameras watching you all the time.  Luce just wants to be accepted.  But when she meets Daniel Grigori, she starts to think that she will never fit in.  Daniel makes it very clear that he wants nothing do with her at all.  Luce is now determined to find out why he doesn't like her.


   Lauren Kate has many real life situations in this book.  She incorporates relationships and teenage emotional problems.  The main theme of this book would probably be how fate/destiny can't be changed.  No matter what Luce does in this book, she is destined to keep meeting up with Daniel.  Nothing is as it seems. Everywhere she goes, Daniel shows up. Even though he appears to hate her, he always shows up and the right moment and keeps saving her life. This shows the reader, that no matter what we do, there is always someone there that we will meet up with.


   This book is mostly filled with relationships and friendships, and maybe a little love.  My favorite character/part of the book would have to be Daniel.  He is a tan guy with blonde hair.  And he has gray-violet eyes.  Amazing, I know.  He's quiet, but he stands up for himself, and his friends, when he needs to.  He isn't afraid to do what he needs to.  Daniel is a laid-back character, but he keeps you on the edge of your seat.  I give this book an A.

Eve

Eve by Anna Carey is one of those cheesy teen romance books. I was surprised by some of the material that was involved. The setting is an all girls school set in a post-apocalyptic time. These girls, brought to this school from ages 5 to 18, were taught their whole lives the dangers of men and how evil and mean they are. The teachers are really strict about their health and about rules. Eve soon finds out what happens to the girls when they reach 18. Its very surprising and gross. But I don't want to tell you because I will spoil it for you if you want to read it. She realizes the danger she is put in, and she tries to decide what to do. Until one of her teachers (the nice one) helps her escape her school and she has to leave her friends behind. When she does leave, she is in like a whole different world and of course, she meets a boy. They eventually fall in love, they get in a fight, he leaves, she cries, they make up again and soon realize they cant be together. Its all very tragic.
But there are many moments that I just couldn't put the book down. There was a lot of action and scary parts that were very interesting. The idea of this book was very clever but I think it could be written without the....certain chapters. Some of the chapters didn't make sense to me. But the chapters that I did understand were very good and had really good action. The way the author describes things in the book is very cheesy and weird. There is lots of death, minor blood, and very little swearing. But overall this book is exciting, descriptive but most of all strange and confusing. I would suggest reading this book if your in a strange mood and are willing cheesiness.

Everlost

Are you ever about to say something, but you forget what you are about to say? That's probably just because a skinjacker from an alternate universe was possessing you. You don't know what I am talking about? Well then, young locust, let me tell you.
Everlost- The world where people are half living, like ghosts
Afterlight- One of the ghosts
Skinjacker- Somebody who can posses the living
Vapor... Oh, this will take to long to tell you! Just google it!
In this story, Allie and Nick get in a car crash. They then get to Everlost. Once in Everlost, they find Mary Hightower. From her, they learn about Everlost. They leave after a while, and find a monster get captured, so on, so on.
I really liked this book. It was probably my favorite book by Neal Shusterman. It talked about many, many, things. In the book, they have to adapt to the situation. They also have to make friends of enemies. You need to learn to not judge a book by its cover, or else it might hang you upside down for 100 years! This book is very confusing at first, but you catch on quickly. Also, there is a bit of romance. I would recomend it to just about anybody. A

UnEnchanted

     UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn was one of the best fantasy books I have read in a long time! The book showed that everyone is faced with challenges but we all need to find a way to overcome it.

     Mina Grime is a high school student. She is very shy and she like to go unnoticed. Her father died when she was little and her other family members are her little brother and mother. She has a major crush on the school's jock, Brody Charmicheal. She has never talked to him ever in her entire life. Until the day when she is on a field trip with him. They are at Babushka's Bakery on the catwalk that towers the entire bakery. Mina accidentally drops her pencil. Luckily no one else sees it. She goes to get it and realizes it is right next to Brody's foot. He slips on the pencil and almost falls off the catwalk. Mina jumps and saves him!

     Mina starts getting a ton of attention. More than she has had in her entire life. Brody not only starts talking to Mina but also taking a love interest in her. One day she is at the library with Brody. And she gets attacked by a crazy man asking for a book! She tells her mother and soon finds out her real last name is Grimm. She finds out she has to go thought all the stories in the Grimm books to survive and keep the curse away from her little brother! The library incident was just a little part of what faces her in the future.

     This book was very intense and interesting, but way too predictable. I also thought the book was too comparable to the Twilight Saga. I thought the the author could have done a better job describing important details and describing the setting. At times in the book I couldn't visualize exactly where or what was happening. The book hints that even if you start out as a no one anything can happen. Also, it demonstrates that challenges will come but we can always figure them out.

     If you are interested in a fantasy book with romance this is the book for you! Also, if you enjoyed the Twilight series this is a book for you too. It has its flaws but I still enjoyed it quite a bit!

The Hunger Games~ Suzanne Collins

" I take his hand, holding it tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go." Although used as the last sentence in The Hunger Games, I guess I might as well use it as a start to my book review. If you couldn't tell, I read The Hunger Games; and one word... AMAZING! At the start, I only read it to stop the amazed looks I'd get when I said I hadn't read it, but in the end I totally LOVED it. It is hard to explain it, but I would say if I had to describe it I would probably say it is exciting, romantic, and epic. It's exciting because it moves at a fast pace and is definitely a page turner. Also, it is romantic because, well all adventures are. In this case, it is all the mush with Katniss and Peeta. And lastly it is epic because... it just is okay!? Katniss is amazing and just the whole idea is crazy. And the adventure these kids are forced to go on is one word.. epic. So, there you go. Now, that pretty much sums up my opinion. So, unto the story behind it.

Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old girl who grew up and country called Panem, in district 12. She was just like any other girl in the Seam, hungry and helpless, only one thing set her apart- she hunted. Once her father died, she found food was hard to get on the table and that hunting was the only way, although it was totally illegal. This did not matter it Katniss. She and Gale would go almost everyday to get food on their tables and make a few extra dimes.

It was that time of year again; that time every child between the ages of 12 and 18 dreads and families fear. It was time for the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is more or less the Capitol's way of saying they are still the boss and just to show their power- or at least that is what Katniss says. In my opinion, these 'games' should not be games at all! I think the Hunger Massacre would be a more appropriate title. This is how the games works: 1. A male and female 'tribute' are picked from each district to represent their district in the games. 2. They get sent to the fancy Capitol to be feed and given training (They need to know at least kinda what they are doing or the games would be no fun to watch.) 3. Place all 24 tributes in an arena and watch them slay each other until there is only one tribute left. Simple as that. Three easy steps. This is the Hunger Games. The time for choosing the tributes is now and shock spreads over the citizens of district 12 as Prim Everdeen is chosen. Prim. She had one slip. She is 12. She is too young to die. Again the audience is dumbfounded as Katniss gladly steps in for her younger sister. Then Peeta Mullek is chosen as the male tribute and simple as that- the games begin.

As you go through the book you watch the games as they are 'played' and witness as the tributes one by one die off. This is why the book got an A instead of an A+, at some parts it got a little gory, which does not tickle my fancy. Anyway, there are lots of twist and turns you would never see coming and that is what makes it interesting.

In this book, there could be hundreds of themes. I think one may be that when you work together you both get farther; as displayed with both Katniss and Reu and Katniss and Peeta. It also may be trying to say that kindness always pays off; like with Katniss's run-in with Thresh. Another theme may be that people shouldn't be treated like raved dogs and made to do things most would never want to do. Peeta says that he wants to go and be more then just a piece in their game. I think by this the author is saying that people should be valued and cherished and life should be lived to the fullest, not to be lived in fear and used for others entertainment. I have to agree. Life is so amazing and no one should take away someone else's just for the entrainment of those watching. Each person is an individual and is special and we are not just merely pieces moving through the game board of life but we are real live people that need to be treated that way. On a different note, another one may be that winning is not always as good a deal as it seems and may sometimes include giving up something you love. These are only a few, but these may be what the book is trying to get at.

In a nutshell, this book was the simple definition of extraordinary. It had a little bit of everything to thrill every kind of audience. I would tell anyone to read it and if I had to say one bad thing about this book, it would be that I took so flippen' long to read it. Don't make the same mistake I did.

*Fun Fact! They are coming out with a movie of this ever so amazing book and in only a few short week it is coming to theatures!!! Here is to get you excited. But yet again I still am yet to figure out how to post a trailer... So click on this big long thing

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgssLmsOa2s ) to get in on the action.