A World Without Heros

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

      Alex Rider returns in the third installment of the Alex Rider series. For those of you who don't know the story so far, let me get you up to speed.
      Alex Rider lives in Great Britain in the modern age. He lived with his uncle, Ian Rider, due to his parents' death, and their housekeeper, Jack Starbright. Well, he used to. He still lives in Great Britain, but things have changed. Ian Rider was shot and killed, and up until his death, Alex had no idea that Ian worked for MI6, Britain's Intelligence agency. That explained the long trips that Ian always took. Ian had raised Alex teaching him skills he needed for spy work. Now, Alex works with MI6, though he despises doing it. He has definitely proved himself useful after saving the world - twice - from madmen.
      Now he must do it again. General Alexei Sarov, a Russian general, purchased uranium for a nuclear weapon, though no one knows for sure what he will use it for - or if he even HAS a nuclear weapon. Working with two CIA agents, Alex must pose with the agents as a family to enter Skeleton Key, a Cuban island where Sarov resides. Time is running thin as Sarov's plans with the nuclear weapon draw nearer to a conclusion...
      Stormbreaker, book 1, and Point Blank, book 2, were both far from a disappointment. Book 3 was better than both of them. Horowitz was able to quickly draw me into the story with a gripping introduction to the book. All the way through the book, every chapter except for the first 3, maybe, tensed, forcing me to keep reading. With some action packed in every chapter, how can you not continue? Horowitz's skill to build rising action is phenomenal. It very gradually built higher and higher until the book ended with a huge bang. The penultimate chapter ends leaving the reader hanging on a cliff, but brings them back up, so to speak, in the conclusion.
      There was one major flaw in the book, though. For the third time in a row, Horowitz has focused the theme on one person basically wanting to rule the world. Stormbreaker - it was a man who wanted revenge, and to be able to rule the world. Point Blank - Dr. Grief, doing something quite strange, in order to take over all of the large corporations of the world. And now, Skeleton Key, with Sarov ALSO wanting revenge on an entire country and the ability to rule the world. I sure hope that Eagle Strike, book 4, isn't like that...
      Despite its one flaw in the theme, the benefit, like previous Alex Rider book, far outweighs the negative. I'd give this book an A-, due to the repetetive theme. Otherwise, this book was fantastic, and I highly reccommend it to eager readers and not-so-eager readers alike. A job well done yet again. Nice, Horowitz!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

(warning! Possible spoilers!)

    This book is told from the point of view of Lena Haloway, a seventeen year old girl living in the town of Portland, Maine in the future United States. In the future, love is seen as a disease. They have named this disease "Amor Deliria Nervosa", but many people just call it the deliria. Lena is afraid of the disease, mainly because her mother committed suicide do to the affects of it. However, she is counting the days until she receives her cure, a surgery which can make you immune to the deliria, when she turns eighteen years old. Then, in a strange turn of events, Lena meets a boy by the name of Alex Sheathes, who is cured, while she and her friend Hana Tate are on a run. They have met once before, when Lena received her evaluation, which was disastrous. Lena then begins to fall in love with Alex, but she is blind to it because of her knowledge Alex is cured. But when Alex reveals to Lena he in fact not cured, and was born in The Wilds (where those who resist the cure live), she is terrified for her life. 

   Delirium is a wonderful book. I absolutely adored the idea and also the well development of characters in it as well. It is well written, adventurous, and romantic all in one. There is a lot of swearing in the book, including the mother of all curse words twice. There is also one love scene where it gets a little steamy, but nothing much really happens. Overall, Delirium was fabulous, but it did have a little short of an ending and some inappropriate scenes. In the end, I give this book and A-.

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

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz

 

    Point Blank is the second book of the Alex Rider series, following book 1, Stormbreaker.
     To recap, Alex Rider is a 14 year old boy who lives with his uncle, Ian Rider, and the housekeeper, Jack Starbright. However, Alex's uncle died in a suspected car crash and was found with his seat belt unbuckled - a precaution Ian always made sure to take. Alex had never known much about his uncle, and to satisfy his curiosities, he started to hunt down clues about Ian. All of what he uncovered eventually had him all tangled up in MI-6, Britain's top secret intelligence agency. After completing a mission that his uncle started, Alex has been called back from his normal life to complete another mission.
     One of the United States' most powerful man has died, and nobody knows the cause. Michael J. Roscoe was leaving his office for lunch, and when he stepped into his elevator, he disappeared, and was later found dead at the bottom of the elevator shaft. What's more, his son, Paul Roscoe, was sent to a finishing school for the sons of rich men and women, due to Paul's unsteady relationship with his father. However, MI-6 is suspicious and has decided to send Alex in as a student to investigate. After living with a rich family to get to know his environment, Alex is sent to the school where, right off the bat, meets the odd director.
     It took me a while to get fully hooked, assuming a day or two is a while. However, despite the slow beginning, the story picked up fairly quickly and kept me intrigued to the very end of the book, and then some, where you are left with a cliff hanger. I loved the action in the book, especially in the end (but then again, who doesn't love a good action novel?) where there was even action on the very last page.
     However, the theme of the book was a little cliche. There's a bad guy who wants to rule the world, but there is one person or group standing in their way that they have to get rid of first. This theme appears a lot in novels and even sometimes in real life, but there is only one solution that Horowitz also seems to agree on: good will always prevail over evil, or at least that is the solution in fiction. Sadly, the same is not always true in reality, but plenty of times it is. I think that despite the cliche theme and the other little downsides, anyone who gets their hands on this book ought to read it. This book deserves an A- grade - a grade that could be better, but not by much. I anticipate that the following books will be even better than this book was.

The Power Of Six

     The Power Of Six, is the second book in the young adult fiction series The Lorien Legacies. Written by Pittacus Lore. The Story is about alien children that look just like us that were sent from their planet Lorien after the attack by the Magadorians, to Earth. The Magodorians next target is Earth. The kids were numbered and sent to Earth with an individual guardian. Although, the problem is, there is a lot more of Magadorians, and they're more powerful. Yet, the kids are expected to fight, and defeat them, the kids are just starting to develop their legacies and learning to use them. Yet, using them is still foreign. That is to say, they aren't quit ready to fight the Magodorians yet. That's not exactly their decision to make though.

      The story is told by various members of the Garde: Number Four (John Smith), who is on the run with Sam, Six, and his dog Bernie Kosar, and Number Seven (Marina), who's hiding at Santa Teresa, a convent in Spain. While John, Number Six and Sam try to stay ahead of the Mogadorians while searching for the other surviving Loric, Number Seven searches for news of John after his heroic battle at the school that came at the end of I Am Number Four. They realize that sitting and waiting to be caught, or hiding, or running is not the solution to defeat the Magodorians. They must unite. John, Six, and Sam are on the run trying to find the others. On their way, John opens his Loric chest and gets tracked by the Magodorians without his knowledge. Sam convinces Six and John that they need to go back to Paradise, their home, because he believes that his, "abducted" father has left something for them. While in Paradise, John reunites with his love Sarah and she rats him out to the police. Sam and John get caught but Six helps them escape. Although, the Magodorians are still right on their tail. And they still have a goal to get to the others. Will they get caught? Or lead them to the rest of the Garde?

     This story is also told by Number Seven, Marina. She is stuck in a religious convent, and stuck with a denial guardian of any of their Lorien background. Seven is basically on her own. Except for her new and first friend that she has made at Santa Teresa, Ella. Like I said, her Guardian wont help her even though she knows that the Magodorian are right on her case. So she drugs Adelina to open her chest with her, only to get tracked just like John did. More people in her life know about Lorien then she would have ever expected. Now she needs to make decisions that are best for her, her friends, and Garde. While finding the others. 

     This book is constantly has more and more surprises and action in every chapter. It is very entertaining and sucks you right in. The second book is not as good as the first. But I still loved it! This series is definitely a memorable book. I loved the characters, the suspense, romance, and confusion even! I feel like I really got to know the characters and learned a lot from them. Also the book brings up and makes you think about the possibilities of aliens. Could they be out there and look just like us? Fighting for our lives? Peoples have theories out there, this book just helped settle mine. It constantly has you thinking and wondering. 

     All in all, I feel that the book was very good and fun to read. It had a lot of stuff going on, but it just made you keep thinking. I really got into it and enjoyed reading it. I would suggest this book to people interested in suspense and mystery and action. Truly I'm not that into the whole alien stuff, but this author did amazing at not making a weird alien book, but a GREAT non-weird alien book!

A-

Unwind

    What do you do with an unwanted pregnancy? Depending on your moral views, you would abort it. But what if that wasn't possible? What if abortion was illegal? What if the alternative was so shocking, so ghastly, so completely illogical and insane, yet it was totally ordinary and accepted in American society? Granted, most people wouldn't view it as that, because it was just so common. It's called unwinding. Unwinding is where between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, an unwanted child can retroactively be aborted by the parents. It is done so by practically dismembering the child, which all of their body parts are then given to those who need them (excluding the 'useless' body parts such as the appendix). However, since all of the parts are still alive, just with somebody else, the child is not technically 'dead', but in a 'divided state'. This shocking book tells what happens when the unthinkable is the norm, and when three teenagers scheduled to be unwound rebel.
    Connor is a sixteen year old who inadvertently discovered his unwind document in his parents' files. His parents view him as an out of control delinquent. Risa is a ward of the state, a very talented pianist, and is being unwound due to budget cuts. Lev is a tithe to his religion, being raised from birth to believe that his unwinding is a service to God. These three will accidentally cross paths (Lev under the impression that he is being kidnapped by the first two, and is probably the only one in the world that wants to be unwound) and the journey they take will forever change society as a whole.

    I absolutely loved this book, I have never been so intrigued by an idea which is absolutely mental, but everyday practice. During the first about five pages, I hated the characters of this book (I'm like that with every book). After that however, I started to gradually like him, and the others. What's interesting about the point of view in this particular novel, is every chapter, you follow another character around, it's still  told in third person, but you gain insight onto what the other characters think and feel. I actually felt terrible for Roland during his unwinding (It goes quite into detail on the process), who was one of the central antagonists of the book. It's actually pretty chilling to think about how this would actually be possible within the next couple of decades, if people were to get so uptight over a very dumb issue. For the record, I think abortion is okay up until around six weeks after conception. I do not however, condone it. Other than that, I think it's wrong to get one unless the mother's life or the baby's life were in danger. But I also believe that if you want one, get one. It's your life, not mine. I shouldn't have control over your choices. I give this book an A+ by far, it totally deserves it.

The Lost Hero by: Rick Riordan review: by Andrew Williams

Jason woke up on a bus holding hands with a girl named Piper, and talking to a boy named Leo. Apparently Piper was his girlfriend, and Leo was his best friend. Everyone else on the bus seemed to know him too, but Jason didn't know who these people were, he didn't even remember his past life. The only person who knew Jason didn't belong here was Coach Hedge, who later they find out he's a satyr. When they get off the bus, Annabeth and Butch (son of Iris) come in a flying chariots, Hera gave her a dream that she'd find her answer to where Percy Jackson was here, but she only found Jason, Piper, and Leo. She knew they were Half-Bloods and brought them to Camp Half-Blood. Right when they arrived, Leo got claimed by Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and fire. While Annabeth was giving Piper a tour around camp, Chiron was having a chat with Jason and found out Jason was Roman. Later at dinner, Jason finds out his dad is Zeus, or as Romans say it, Jupiter. Piper got claimed by Aphrodite, which she did not like at all. Piper has been getting weird dreams that her dad has been captured by a giant at Mount Diablo, but she didn't mention it. They find out that Hera has been captured and locked up, and Jason, Piper, and Leo were assigned to go on the quest. 

Spoiler Alert!    They freed Hera and Piper's dad. Piper has the ability to charmspeak, and Leo has the ability to create fire, and he's immune to it. When they come back to camp, they find out Percy's at the Roman camp, and he doesn't remember who he is.

I give this book an A, the first is a little slow but once it gets into the quest it is one of the best books. 

Rick Riordan also wrote the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and this is a little similar but I feel had a little more action and suspense, many times I was forced to put it down ,but I just couldn't. 

This is a wonderful book that I suggest everyone read! 

Delirium

  Love is a disease. Or at least in Lauren Oliver's Delirium it is. Delirium is a post apocalyptic, teen romance, dystopian, science fiction adventure. Wow! Now try saying that five times fast! In this book, Lena, the main character, is rebelling against the government, even if she doesn't in the beginning. She's in a world that everyone gets cured of amor deliria nervosa, or love.  She is terrified of the disease, because it is what killed her mother.
     Lena is counting down the days until it's her turn to get cured. She is trying to avoid the disease at all costs, until she meets Alex. This smart, nice, and most importantly CURED boy begins to capture Lena's attention. She keeps telling herself that what happened to her mother can’t happen to her, Alex is safe, Alex is cured. As time goes on, she begins seeing symptoms of the disease, but she doesn't think much of it. Then she finds out that Alex lied about being cured. Her mind tries to process this information, but she can’t take it in.  And there’s a good reason she doesn’t want to accept the consequence. She's in love. She's caught the disease, but now, she wants the disease. 
     This story held my interest throughout the entire book. It had a feeling like you were her thoughts, as if your were there firsthand when everything happened. Oliver was able to do something many books can’t, and that’s weave together multiple plots. If you look deeper into this extraordinary piece of literature, you find some amazing things. Of course, you see that love is a disease, and that she’s caught it. But you also see her struggle because her mother isn’t there, and then on top of that she is having trouble with her best friend, who is also rebelling. And then, an essential part of all teen books, you have her love life. Which, by the way, isn’t supposed to exist. It’s amazing how some authors can weave a web like this.
This book is similar to Uglies, another teen book. Both books express that some part of human nature is wrong. In Delirium, it is that they fall in love, while in Uglies, it’s the way that humans look. Lena and Tally, who is the heroine of Uglies, both want to be "fixed." They both want to fit in to society, start the perfect section of their life. The thing is, both have something happen that widens their perspective.  Lena and Tally both want to learn more, and neither of them want to go back.
     I think everyone should read this book. It makes you wonder, a little, what could happen to our world in the future. Is something truly wrong with simply humans? Lauren Oliver has created a wonderful book, which is to be part of a three book series. This book can appeal to everyone, because, as mentioned before, it fits in almost every category! Delirium is fascinating, because you watch as this girl goes against everything she's been taught, even though she has no idea what her future holds. A. 

The Maze Runner By James Dashner

     

      The Maze Runner is the very first book in a series of three. This book has a very strong resemblance to the Hunger Games. It's about a very large group of boys have been encased for the last two years between four high walls of stone and beyond the walls a maze. Unsolved and from what they know it is not solvable and there is no way out. This book is about how the boys struggle to solve the maze and their final escape.
      It all starts in the dark of the box, which is how they new boys, are delivered to the glade with a boy named Thomas inside. The glade is what the boys (known as gladers) call the place they have been sent to. With no recollection of their former life other than their first names they have set out and created their own community. Where they are staying alive while trying to find a way out of their confinement. Thomas arrives just as the new gladers normally do they get there and a bunch of boys faces are what they see. Thomas is greeted and comes to find out that he isn't the only one who has no recollection of his life before and that he is now living in an encased piece of a maze. That just happens to be guarded by awful creatures known as Grievers that can't be beat...or so they think.
      After two years the gladers know when things happen and they know new gladers always come on the same day of the month at the same time...until today. It's been one day since Thomas arrived and there are never two new Gladers in a month until now. The gladers are all startled with the sound of an alarm going off letting them know that the box is coming up with a new Glader on board. So the gladers then make their way to the box to see what is going on. To much of their surprise there is a new Glader in the box but this time it's...a girl. There has never been a girl in the glade! And this is not just a girl but a girl that seems to be dead. They pull her up out of the box and she then comes to long enough to tell the Gladers that, "everything is going to change." This was no lie everything was going to change...
      This book is an amazing book. I am not really a reader but once I started reading this book I could not get myself to put it down! With every page turn there was more suspense you never know what is going to happen. From the strange happenings in the Glade to the escape of the thought to be an unsolvable maze they keep the suspense running high. And with its extreme resemblance to The Hunger Games with the way they are put into an "arena" of sorts because they live in a very askew society and it is practically a death sentence to sorts. With many obstacles they must pass to get out of the maze. This book is one you will pick up and not put down till you have finished it!

      


      

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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


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

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

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

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

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

The Lightning Thief by: Rick Riordan

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

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

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

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: PG-13

Score: A- (kinda slow at times).

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz

Point Blank, the second of the Alex Rider series, was written by Anthony Horowitz.  Anthony Horowitz has also written many books that include: Evil Star, House of Silk, and obviously The Alex Rider series.

Point Blanc is and academy in the SWISS Alps.  Point Blanc is also where rich parents send their mischievous teenage sons to change and take responsibility.  Point Blanc is also, most importantly, where Alex Rider is sent.  No, Alex is not rich.  No, Alex is not mischievous.  No, Alex is not a regular teenager.  

Now you might be wondering what is someone like Alex Rider doing in a place like Point Blanc.  Well, the thing is, Alex works as a spy for Britain's intelligence agency, also know as MI6.  He was sent their to investigate after two wealthy men are killed.  These two men have one thing in common.  Their sons.  Both of these men's sons attend Point Blanc.  So, MI6 send Alex Rider, their youngest spy and the only person that could play the part, to investigate.  When Alex investigates, he is in awe as to what he finds out.  Will Alex find out what is wrong before it is too late?

This sci-fiction book was uniquely interesting and entertaining.  In this book, Alex Rider is a teenage spy...A TEENAGE SPY!!!  Because he is a teenage spy, this book contains tons and tons of action, suspense, and mysteriousness.  Action, suspense, and mysteries.  If you combine these 3 things into a book.  Well, let's just say this.  You will be entertained for the whole time from the first 5 sentences you read to the very last word of the very last page.

In this book, something goes horribly wrong and Alex is left thinking that he is by himself without the help from the people who sent him to do this mission.  He assumed that MI6 did not care or forgot about him.  Later in the book, Alex yells at the people telling them how he felt.  Then, he discovers that they trusted him and were with him the whole time.  He just didn't know that they were alongside with him the whole entire time.  After reading this book, I was taught that I should not assume what I do not know.  Like Alex, I tend to assume things about people that I didn't know the whole story about.  This book is not only filled to the brim with action, suspense, and mysteriousness, but also has a great lesson to offer to its' readers.

One of Horowitz's opinions that I do not agree with is that you should just let things fall were they may.  Or in other words, just wing-it.  I do not think that it was very wise of Alex or MI6 just to "wing-it."  I think at least they should have a plan.  Even though they did not know anything accept that bad boys were going in and good  men were coming out.  They should have at least had a plan even for the unknown.  It just seems that MI6, Britain's top intelligence agency, would have a plan for their missions.

This is some dialogue from Mr. Blunt( MI6 President) to Mrs. Jones( MI6 Vice).

"And if Alex contacts us again?"

"Then we'll go in."

"We may be too late."

"For Alex?  I'm sure you don't need to worry about him, Mrs. Jones.  He can look after himself."

(Horowitz, Anthony. New York: the Penguin Group, 2002. 191. Print.)

If you are interested in reading this rather awesome book, pay attention  to ALL of the details because it will all come into play in the last few chapters.

Fang- James Patterson

Fang is the sixth book in the Maximum Ride series. There is a little bit of background information I should give you before you read the rest of the review. Maximum and her six best friends, pretty much her family have been running from a megalomaniac for a few months. Before that they were running from a different insane corporation. A few things you need to know about the flock as they're called.

Gazzy at age 8 can make anything you give him into an explosive and is also known as the gasman. You can probably guess why. Angel at age 6 can read minds and "persuade" people or a better way of saying it is, control minds.Nudge at age 11 can hack into almost anything and can pull metal to her body without touching it. Iggy at age 14 is blind but he can see colors. Fang at age 14 can sneak up on anyone and also breathe underwater. Max at age 14 has a voice in her head that tells her what choices to make. It mainly tells her that she has to save the world. Also, they all have wings.

They were all raised in dog crates and escaped with a man named Jeb. Jeb left them to their own devices when Max turned 12. Max ended up taking control and raising the other kids. She became a sort of mother to them and in return they all trust and follow her orders.

Max and her flock are on their way to help the starving children in Chad, Africa. As they fly in they get shot at by men on camels. That's just the usual routine for these kids. In Chad they meet a maniacal scientist named Dr. Gunter-Hagen. Who wants Max to subject herself and her flock to more tests and terrible treatment. Of course Max's first priority is the flock so she absolutely has to say no. Little Angel has been trying to steal the leadership of the flock, and she wants to be "improved". However, Max can't let that happen. Max escapes the crazy doctor by leaving Africa altogether. She settles down in Colorado but that results in even more problems. Like the reappearance of erasers. (Erasers are large wolf like creatures. Like werewolves. They are one of the retired or failed experiments and were all supposedly killed off.) Dealing with fighting is easy for Max she knows how to act in that situation. When it comes to solving the problems of her emotions, she is completely useless. Max has been pining after her best friend and second in command for awhile, so when she finally gets him you'd think that everything would be all fine and dandy. Well, for Max of course it can't end like that. Max slowly finds herself focusing more and more on Fang and less on the well being of her flock. The two of them are always trying to get alone time and the flock can't handle the disappearance of their leader and mother. Max and Fang can't be together and focus at the same time, so how will they make their relationship work? When Angel realizes that the flock may be in need of a new leader she is more than ready to step up for the job. Though Angel may think she knows everything, in reality she can't handle being a leader. The flock needs Max but in their hour of need, she might not be there for them.

This book is not only about saving the world but also about the experimentation aspect of the world. You may be thinking, "There are not any kids with wings running around as far as I know!" Well, that's true but that's also not the aspect that I feel the book really focused on. I think the book and series in general are about where genetic experimentation may go in the future. Sure, for now we can only take human genes out of and insert human genes into embryos. But what about when scientists decide they want to broaden their horizons? It may be blonde hair and blue eyes now, but all it takes is one scientist who thinks that creating a new kind of creature would be fun and bam! We suddenly have kids with wings that can read minds. Genetic experimentation may be helpful now but what if your child was the one that had to grow up in a dog crate? Change is good but changing too much can affect everything and not only in a positive way. I believe that is a deeper meaning within this book.

While you can read this book without reading any of the others I encourage you to read them in order. Everything you as a new reader need to know is explained in each book but it will make a lot more sense and be a more thrilling read if you read the other books first. I love this book. It is suspenseful and action packed, the romance is a side story compared to the action that goes on. I give this book an A+ rating.

Alex Rider: Eagle Strike

Alex Rider (main character) is a 14 year old boy who is, or was, an undercover spy for Britain's MI6. He has now decided that isn't so fond of them anymore after realizing he was only getting used. In the 4th installment of the Alex Rider series, Alex is on vacation with a friend in the South of France with nothing to think about but relaxation. Until, he sees the contract killer Yassen Gregorovitch standing on the pier. Yassen ends up severely injuring Alex's friend's dad in a house explosion. Alex goes to fight him but barley escapes with his life. He does find out  that pop star millionaire Damian Cray may of been involved in the planning of the explosion though. Alex goes to find out. He asks the MI6 to help, but they refuse because of how great a person Damion Cray appears to be to everyone. But Alex know that something is up, and he is going to find out what with or without the help of the MI6.

Eagle Strike may of been one of the best books I have ever read. This Sci-fi action book was written by Anthony Horowitz and is the fourth book in the Alex Rider series. I was blown away by how extremely well written this book is and how it really catches the reader's attention. The suspense is unbearable.

I thought that this book was entertaining and interesting. Mostly because of the action, but also because of how creative the author is with where the story goes. I mean, what author would decide to have some of the final suspenseful scenes of the book on Air Force One as it is taking off? Only Anthony Horowitz. The biggest reason of why it is entertaining is because of how Alex escapes from nearly certain death because of outwitting his opponents. This book will keep you up all night and will not let you down in the end like some books do.

One of the opinions that the author presents is that people aren't always as they appear to be. He does this by introducing a character like Damian Cray. On the outside he was an amazing singer who donated millions to charity. On the inside though, he has a warped sense of reality and doesn't care who he kills to get what he wants. I agree with this opinion. At my school in homeroom, we have been talking about people who are chameleons... or people who change who they are depending on who they are around. Damion Cray is exactly like this. To the public he is a very nice guy, but that is all an act. He is a serious chameleon because his true self is a bossy self obsessed guy who doesn't care about what he does to get what he wants.

Another person who wrote a book with an opinion like me and Mr. Horowitz was Wendelin Van Draanen in his book Flipped. One of the girl main characters is insanely in love with the other guy main character, but mostly because he is amazingly handsome. Throughout the this book she starts to realize that he really isn't all that nice of a person. In the same way, the guy thinks that the girl is a creep, but slowly starts to realize that she is an amazing person and soon falls in love with her just as she loses her love for him. They both judged each other wrong in the beginning before they really got to know one another. This is a lot like the Damian Cray character because if they would of saw past what they appeared to be to each other, then it may of worked out better.

"I will feel nothing; I will be dead instantly. But you will live with what you have done for the rest of your life. You will never forget it." Yassen Gregorovitch pg.43. This book was written extremely well and it easily deserves an A+. The action keeps you on the edge of your seat, but where the story heads will keep you constantly surprised and amazed because nothing is predictable.Thus it was entertaining and interesting. It even shows you to look deeper at someone before you judge them. I hope you decide to read this amazing book and series. You won't regret it if you do. A+

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is a dystopian novel full of mystery, danger, and a lot of romance. However, the romance in this novel may not be what you had in mind. In Delirium, a new disease called amor deliria nervosa, or in other words, love has spread throughout America, and is dangerous to everyone who hasn't gotten the cure.

As soon as the age of 18, all citizens are cured of the deliria and are assigned a life to live and a partner to be with. A life without love, they say, is a life without pain. What could go wrong?

Lena Holloway is a timid, unrebelious teen living in the city of Portland. She's just like any other teenage girl, counting down the days until her procedure will cure her of the deliria running through her veins. Lena's mother had gone through the procedure 3 times, and had never been cured. Lena knew she was different, even from a young age, but it was a shock to Lena and her whole family when her mother commited suicide. Ever since, Lena has been living with her aunt and cousins and has gone by the name, Lena Tiddle. She has always been worried that her family history of amor deliria nervosa would show up in her. But with just 95 days left until her procedure, she discovers her fear may be a reality. She falls in love.

Lena becomes obsessed with a Alex, a young boy who is not only off limits, but is an invalid. An orphan, who has been living in the wilds, away from society. Lena is scared, and thrilled. She is confused. Has everything she has been told wrong? She and Alex keep their love a secret from all but Lena's best friend, Hana. They establish a secret meeting place, experience new thrills, and even visit Alex's secret home. But when they are caught together, Lena is tied to her own bed, with little hope for her future with Alex.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is an amazing book, that raises many questions. It makes you think what a life without love might be like. Would it be worth in a catatonic like state, just to avoid the pain and heartbreak of love? Should we be scared of love, or celebrate it? Dilerium is a dramatic, romantic, and symbolic novel that won't let you down. I give it an A+, and reccomend it to everyone!

Catching fire By: Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is an absolutely stunning book. One thing you should know first, this is the second book in a series. If you want to understand it you have to read the Hunger Games beforehand. Once you read that and Catching Fire you can proceed to read Mockingjay. All three books are astounding and a good read. Ok, on to the book review!

To begin with, In Hunger Games there is 12 districts. Every year a boy and girl from the ages 12-18 from each district are chosen for the Hunger Games. The games are simple, all the kids (tributes) go into a giant arena that can be any climate, size or weather and fight to the death. The last person alive wins and is showered with rewards for the rest of their lives. Horrible right? Anyway, Katniss, the main character defies the Capital (the people who make the games) by having two people win the games instead of one. She doesn't meant to but the Capital takes this as a rebellion. This is what Catching Fire is.

Every 25th Hunger game they do something special/even more awful called the Quarter Quell. SPOILER ALERT!!!!! This Quarter Quell, previous winners of the games are going back in the arena to fight against each other. As you might guess, Katniss is chosen to go back in. The rest is kind of about her in the games and with the help of friends trying to rebel against the Capital. I'll leave the rest for you to read if you haven't already.END OF SPOILER.

I thought this book was written brilliantly. It has plenty of action with a little romance mixed in. I especially like the very, very ending. You would never see it coming in a million years but it happens anyway. I think kind of what the author is trying to say in this book for the most part is that authority is not always right. Just because they are in charge of everybody and they decide what you can and can't do they aren't always doing the best thing for everybody. I don't think putting kids in a fight to the death is exactly good for the people, you don't do you?

All in all I thought the book was great. There are no issues that I think the author should have done differently or changed. It was paced well and had a lot of surprises thrown at you. You never got very bored and it was hard to put it down. I would definitely recomend this to anybody that has read Hunger Games. I hereby declare this book as 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).