Stormbreaker.... By: Anthony Horowitz

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

Animal farm

In the book Animal farm by George Orwell the animals of the barnyard are tired of their owners treating them horribly so they decide to run it themselves. As the orginal leader Major, a thoughtful old boar who introduces their new way of life animalism. While the animals try the new way of governing  one pig, Napoleon, works to achieve power by driving out the leaders. The pig who challenges him is snowball a caring less deviant counterpart. The leaders fight but to no avail, the farm falls under Napoleon's control with help of his nine loyal attack dogs. while he governs them by the terms that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. With Napoleon as leader the farm plummets into a totalitarian government where their best horse boxer.
This book was a very thrilling play through of the early soviet union in WWII. It was very fun to learn about the soviet union in this book. Although i learned a lot I felt like it could have expanded more in detail on how it played out in the barnyard but instead it just ended. This is a very good read to learn about Russia back then but a little bit short. B.

...Her plans to Maximize fun, avoid distaster, and (possibly) save the world!!

    BEST BOOK EVER!! This book is written by: Katherine Hannigan. She is such an awesome children's author! She is really good at bringing real life situations that seem to be overlooked, to the readers realization. This book is a fictional and a realistic one. The main purpose of this book is to have you take a step back and really come to realize that terrible things really do happen in life and it can effect you in many ways.
     Alright, lets get to the good stuff! So this book is from a 1st person point-of-view. It follows the life of a girl named Ida B Applewood who claims that "There is never enough time for fun(pg 3)." Ida would be in the fourth grade, but she is home-schooled. Ida is home-schooled because she tried going to school in kindergarten and it just wasn't working for her, so her parents decided to try home-schooling. Ida has many "friends," her backyard is an orchard and so there are many trees and a stream that goes though it. So she talks to the trees, all of them have names, the stream even has a name. Those are her friends. She claims that they talk back and that if you're quiet you can feel them speak to you. Well a turn of events is making a change of plans, Ida's mom gets cancer and Ida has to start going back to school. Ida HATES school. So she decides that she is going to have a "bad" heart and completely rebel and shove everybody out of her life. Family, "friends", and all the people that she will come into contact with at school. Her policy is no friends, classmates, parents, or teachers. The question is, will she be able to pull out of this awful trance that she has gotten herself into? Will she continue to be mean and have a sad depressing life? Well that is up to you to go pick this amazing 246 page book with 32 chapters inside and read what this 4th grade girl has to go through.
     This book was definitely one that I will never put in the attic! It really helped me to really try and look out and try to help people that look like they are having a bad day, because you never know what that person is going through and they might just need someone consistent to check on them everyday. Maybe they don't have support at home, or they just need some lifting up. This book was definitely one that was a fun read and very exciting. It was exciting and fun because of the way Ida talks and just the funny things that she says and the way she thinks. I will give this book a big fat A+!

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,

Worlds of the Crystal Moon: Magic of Luvells

This is a complete follow up to my last blog here!:

In this book, we follow our hero's again through even more tasks. They are in Luvells now looking for the new piece of the crystal moon. The war is still raging between the gods, and it is getting very hectic. Also the main character, George, has been brainwashed into thinking he could become a god! So now he is also on his own journey to find the crystal pieces. Stay tuned for more !

Now with this book, I do have some things that I wish I could change. First, that they would switch to George more often then Sam and Shaylee. Usually it goes like this. Sam and Shaylee for like 2 chapters then George comes in for a single paragraph. That really does Peave me off...Also they should incorperate Sams magical sword. It can talk, magicaly go on fire, and when does he use it? Not very much. Well not until a gory chapter.

This book does also have amazing moments. THIS IS A SPOILER SO WATCH OUT! My main parts of the book is when one of the gods babies is in complete danger because of George. I don't know what happens next, but I heard it was amazing. Also at the end of the book, George completely tricks Shaylee into getting trapped inside a orb that George has. That completely made me want to read the next book.

So I would suggest that if you like adventure, fantasy, a little bit science fiction, and lots of epic battles, you should tottaly read this book. But there is a warning I should give right now. This book has some Dirty and/or very gory violence throughout the chapters. So if you are going to read this, then be warned. I would give this book an A.

Candle Wax

In a world where four kingdoms occupy the mysterious land of Lackanay, and a great evil waits for the right moment to emerge again, there must be corruption. C. Bailey Sims delivers this world of supernatural magic in this book shown to the left. The story starts with a sixteen year old girl named Catherine leaving her room and walking down a dark corridor in the middle of the night. She gets outside through a secret passageway in the kitchen. After that she heads to the vault, she gets the guards to open it and grabs some money and the Ancient Onyxes given to her by her grandmother. She leaves the vault, dresses as a boy to be able to leave her kingdom unnoticed, and rides a horse towards the bay of Portsland, where she will take a ship away from the mainland to start a new life. Along the way she is attacked by a 732 year old Farrier cat, a living legend. He eats her horse and she must go on a journey to help this Farrier cat, named Spelopokos, or Pokos. This is all because of the Onyxes. In the ancient land of Devona, a great evil awaits to awaken that can only be stopped by Farrier cats. Without a mate Pokos will die, and leave this great evil to take over all four kingdoms of Lackanay. They travel to a town to get Catherine new supplies where she is befriended by a kind lady who takes her in. Eventually, Catherine's father tries to locate her. She runs away from the village with the daughter of the kind woman who gave Catherine assistance, but they are then captured by the men of a power-loving ruler of one of the four kingdoms. With the help of Pokos they escape and are found by the king of Candle wax. The reason she ran away from home, she was to marry him. They group together and travel to Candle wax. Pokos and Catherine plan to run away to the land outside of Lackanay, called Cinna to find another Farrier cat as he is the only one left in Lackanay.
         They are stopped by the king of Candle wax named Cyril. Cyril and his advisor join them in their quest to find another Farrier cat. While in Cinna, they kill four Farrier cats in self-defense, encounter Cinnans and travel to their mountain fortress, join in a competition to earn their freedom, and chase after the corrupt rulers of Cinna. Pokos is shot by an arrow in the neck and almost dies. With the help of survivors of a shipwreck, they must take Pokos to his brthplace to heal, and Catherine must take the Farrier cats found in Cinna to Lackanay. When Pokos left Lackanay, the great evil awoke and started to march across the land. The other kingdoms soon start to hold back. Eventually Catherine makes it back to Lackanay, and they meet the traitor... The rest you will just have to read, because the rest of the story is too complicated and long to explain in this review. This book was really good and I recommend it to all who enjoy fantasy and made-up creatures. It was an excellent page turner. A+

FYI: If you were wondering, there will be a sequel.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is by far one of the best books that I have ever read in my entire life. I was slightly skeptical about reading it at first, as I've heard some say that it is a slower paced book, however I have absolutely no regrets after reading it. I highly recommend to anyone and everyone that enjoys classics.

The story begins in the summer of 1922, the start of the roaring twenties, where bootlegging and partying are habitual. Nick Carraway is just moving to the West Egg neighborhood of Long Island, New York from Minnesota. He quickly becomes aware of his neighbor, the rather mysterious Jay Gatsby, and about his grandiloquent parties which he holds every Saturday night at his gigantic Gothic mansion. Unlike most others in West Egg, Nick was educated at Yale and has a few social connections in the much more fashionable East egg. During a visit there, an old college friend and his wife, Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan, introduce him to Jordan Baker, whom he begins dating. He also learns from Jordan that Tom is having an affair behind Daisy's back.

A few months into the summer, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. Meeting Gatsby will forever change Nick's life in an extraordinary way, and will end another's.

I have honestly never been so engaged in a book. My love for this book is stronger than my hatred of Apple products. I did not know at all what to expect when I first started reading it, I had positively no idea what this book was about. Normally, when I don't know much about a book, I don't read it, because I feel like I might become disappointed. This was about the most fulfilling book I have ever encountered. I am glad that this book also is considered a classic. I definitely give this book an A+

Matched By: Ally Condie

 

Matched by: Ally Condie is a book that takes place in the future where society is meant to be controlled so it is perfect. In this society your job, what you eat, who you marry, and when you die is chosen for you. When you turn the age of seventeen you get to chose whether you want to be in the matching pool. Which means that government workers take your name and your personality and match you with your "soul mate", or you could chose to remain single.  If you choose to be matched you go to a matching banquet where you get to see a glimpse of your soul mate and then receive a card of information about them. 

This book focuses on a girl named Cassia. She has chosen to be matched and is getting ready to go to her matching banquet. She also happens to be going with her best friend, Xander, they have been best friends since they were little and are very much alike. They both turned seventeen and are going to their match banquet together. There is many people attending this banquet that will be matched. When it is finally Cassia's turn to know her match she stands up to look at the screen to see her future spouse, but after a few seconds of waiting nothing comes up on the screen.  The matching officials then tell her that her match is within the room with her. Xander then stands up and looks at his best friend. An official then says that she has been matched with Xander. Through out the rest of her banquet, all Cassia can think about is Xander. She is surprised and happy that she is matched to such a wonderful guy, but also thought about how she was unexpectedly matched with her best friend. After the banquet she receives the card of information about her match, but she knows that she already knows everything about her best friend and soul mate.

In the book when she looks at the card of information about her spouse, she plugs it in and Xander's face shows up. After his face appears for a few seconds another boys face shows up for just a split second. It's the face of her other friend, Ky. She freezes and doesn't know what to do. Ky's face is NOT suppose to be up there. She just thinks that the society made just a little mistake, but they never make mistakes. After, all she can think about is if Ky is suppose to be her match and she later starts to develop feelings for him. She doesn't tell anyone about what happened, afraid of what they might say.

Later, when summer arrives and Cassia is able to chose a summer activity, she chooses hiking. On her first day of hiking she gets to meet the other people who chose the activity as well. And who else would chose hiking other than Ky. When she has to spend this time with Ky, she doesn't know what to do. She can't decide whether to avoid him, in hope of hiding her feelings, or over come her feelings and be with him.
I liked this book a lot! It is cool to read about books that are in the future, because I always wonder if that is how it will be in the future. I thought the author made the book better by having it in the future and having the government so controlling. I also liked that a couple of the characters has secrets and I never wanted to stop reading it. I thought it was very well written and I'm glad there is two more! I give this book an A+  

Save Me By: Lisa Scottoline

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is an amazing realistic fiction and mystery book.  It is a book that I would recommend to everyone.  It may sound like a girl's book but I think that boys would also enjoy it.

In this book, the main character, Melly, has a birthmark on her cheek and many of the kids in her class tease her because of it.  When Melly and her family move to Reesburgh, the bullying continues.  One day, Amanda Gigot was teasing Melly by smearing jelly on her cheek.  Melly ran and locked herself in the handicapped bathroom.  Melly's mother, Rose McKenna, a volunteer lunch mom, goes and asks Amanda why she was teasing Melly.  Moments later, the cafeteria explodes into flames.  Rose is knocked unconcious.  When she awakens, she is faced with the choice of saving her own daughter or saving teh three girls in front of her. 

In a flash, Rose grabbed Amanda and her two friends and escorts them to the teacher at the door that leads to the playground.  Then, she runs back inside the cafeteria to save Melly.  The bathroom door is locked so Rose has to be creative in order to find a way inside.  She finally gets inside, grabs Melly adn runs outside in search of medical help.  When she arrives at the hospital, she learns that Amanda was never accounted for in her class and that Amanda's mother was planning to sue her.  Throughout the rest of the book, Rose is trying to prove that she did take care of Amanda before her own daughter and eventually solves a murder mystery.

This book is definitely a page-turner.  I absolutely loved it.  It was a really quick read and was a lot of fun to read.  I think that the author did an amazing job at portraying the character's feelings, emotions, and personality.  Just to let you know, this book ends in a way that leads you to think that there would be a second book.  It kind of leaves you hanging.  Before reading this book, I would have never thought taht someone would actually balme another person for harming a child when really that put their own child at risk while they saved the other child(ren).

Like I said, I absolutely loved this novel.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic fiction, murder mystery, and thriller stories.  I would rate this book an A+.

Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

Twice Upon a Marigold is written by Jean Ferris. This book embraces all sorts of genres including fantasy, Romance, Comedy, and tragedy. I loved this book for many reasons. Rather than a violent, horror book, Twice Upon a Marigold is enchanting. It is the sequel to Once Upon a Marigold.

In a little village, far, far away, a little old mayor found something unusual in the river while fishing. Why, it is a person, an actual person who is dressed in very fine clothes and jewelry. She cannot recall her name or where she came from, but despite her amnesia, she is very kind. Not for long! After the amnesia disappears, she discovers that she is actually Queen Olympia. She becomes a royal pain AGAIN!

Back in the kingdom where Olympia is from, everyone is quite happy. Nobody cares she is gone, because she was always so rude and selfish. All she cares about is power, and when she finally returns to the castle, a dark and evil feeling fills the air. OLYMPIA IS BACK!

Twice Upon a Marigold is an entertaining fairy tale. I was in California when I was reading this book, and to be honest, I was reading the book, rather than swimming in the pool with my friends. I was always up late waiting to see what was next. I love happy endings and that is what drove me to keep reading this book. I just hated Olympia and wanted it to end happy, so I HAD to keep reading. When I finished this book I was content and liked how it ended.

Evil is something horrible. I believe that the author portrayed this very well with Olympia. I felt a lot of anger toward her because she did so many horrible and selfish things. It made me wonder, how someone could be so cruel. The end of the book really hit home with me because it changed to something good, but I won't tell you what happens.

I compare this to those in the world who are totally clueless and don't ever think about others. That is why our world is so selfish at times. There is a lot of evil out there that is uncontrollable, all we can do is be kind back, which Marigold does very well. She is very kind and good always overrules evil.

I loved this book and the things it taught me. It was entertaining and fun to read. You should definitely consider reading Once Upon a Marigold first. I give this book an big magical A.

Infamous By: Sherilyn Kenyon

• Infamous is the third book in the Chronicles of Nick series. I have reviewed the first two in the series. Here's the first one and here's the second. This book is very inappropriate. The very first thing that happens in the book is that a bunch of fake photos are shown to students destroying someones reputation. Immediately after this another student's reputation is also ruined. After this a website is released that gives hurtful information on every student.

After this happens the main protagonist Nick sets out to stop it. So he immediately goes to Bubba's store to get help tracking down who registered the domain. There he gains the help of Mark Bubba's best friend. Despite bring a computer genius Mark cannot find the person who registered the domain as the used a company to register it. Just after making this discovery Nick sees a the future of the girl who's reputation is destroyed and rushes off to save her from this fate. On his way back he get's beaten because someone thought he was the one who gave away information.

This sends Nick to the hospital. Here he's put into a coma chemically. This was the worst thing to do to Nick as it sends him to Azmodea. A place where Nick was told never to go because it's pretty much the worst place for him to go. So everyone and there mom is trying to protect him. Everyone including Pestilence of the four horseman. That shows how important t is to get nick out of there. During his trip to Azmodea we learn many important plot points that if I told you the book would be spoiled for you.

In closing it's a very good book with a lot dramatic twists. It's well worth a read. I give it an A+. Show me what you think in he comments if you read it.

Twice Upon a Marigold

For those who have read "Once Upon a Marigold" will love this book, for several reasons too. First of all there are a lot of questions that are asked and that will be answered when you continue reading this book. For example, I thought she was dead? And, are they going to be together forever?

The kingdom seems to be a lovely place and everyone is getting along beautifully, so it seems. Until ... something happens that no one was expecting, not even the king himself, and when that person or thing comes, it is a shock to everyone.
Ever since that one person or thing came there has been chaos all over the kingdom, including chaos between Marigold and Christian. I bet you never thought that would ever happen.
Not only that, but it has King Swithbert, Ed, and Magnus thrown in the dungeon and put on trail.
You must be wondering how in the world this person or thing could cause so much trouble, I mean it has to be pretty big doesn't it, and well it is very huge, and I bet you weren't even expecting it?
Before I read this book, I wasn't expecting it either, in fact it never crossed my mind until a hint gave it away.
If you must know, the story ends happy and that one thing won't be bothering them.
But if you want to read this book it is best for you to read "Once Upon a Marigold" first. Happy Reading, and don't forget to put this book on your to read list.

Envy- Greg Olsen

       This story tells of the death of a girl called Katelyn, and the mystery of her death. The story is told by a narrator from multiple points of view. There are two twin sisters, Hayley and Taylor, who seek the truth behind a once close friends untimely death. The 15 year old girl's struggle to untangle the truth from the web of lies spun by the wicked Starla. Starla is the girl who "rules" the local high school, and she has more than a few secrets of her own. Secrets that she would do anything to protect.
     While Starla is busy keeping maintaing her popularity, the twins are busy trying to figure out the real cause of Katelyn's death. The coroner may have pronounced Katelyn's death an accident, Hayley and Taylor have a feeling that it was much more, and they intend to find out exactly what happened. What they don't know is that by unraveling what happened on the night of Katelyn's death, will also unravel the secrets that have been kept about themselves. For instance, the crash they survived while in girl scouts.
     There was once an accident that nobody in town wants to talk about. Four girls and an innocent bus driver died. Hayley, Taylor, and Katelyn's mother are the only survivors after Katelyn's death. A nosy reporter, Moira, wants to do a news article on the ten year anniversary of the accident. However, not a single soul in the town of port gamble will talk to her about it. Moira decides that some digging is required. What she uncovers is dangerous, and she should have left it alone. But she didn't.
By the end of the mystery, the twins discover more about themselves than what they had originally set out to do. While they solve the mystery of Katelyn's death, Secrets are told, prying and spying done, and new secrets sealed and shut.
     This book is based upon the story of a young girl who commit suicide because she was cyber-bullied. When two teenage girls created a fake myspace profile and began to make the girl believe the fake boy loved her, only to bring her down in the end. The girl who thought a boy was in love with her eventually commit suicide. The two girls were arrested but because cyber-bullying laws are fairly new the case was benched until further notice.
      This book brings up the big issue of cyber-bullying. It talks about how what began as a simple games can spiral out of control. What one person finds funny, or joking can be what another person sees as painful and mean. Just one comment can send someone into a downward spiral. A few negative or sarcastic comments can send someone over the edge, or cause a suicide.
      There is also a running theme of revenge in this book. Olsen tells of revenge at its worst. In this book the things the characters do for revenge are plain crazy. The lies and deception that ensues because of one little slip up or dressing weird or even simply saying the wrong thing. In the book you get to see revenge after revenge gotten. Olsen shows through his writing that revenge will never be an acceptable answer to a conflict, ever.
     I rate this book an A+. It was an amazing book. The twists in the plot kept me guessing. This is one mystery that I just couldn't figure out. There was always something going on and the big ideas of the story were easy to find and easy to relate to. This book was written fairly recently and has a lot of pop culture references. The references make the book more relatable, and entertaining. A few warnings that go along with this book. There are many inappropriate themes. Swearing does not occur often but there is some in the book. I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys suspense and mystery.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First of all, this historical fiction book is really slow. At least at the beginning. It isn't neccessarily a hard book to read it is just slow. Anyway, Leisel Meminger is a nine year old girl who has been through a LOT in her life. Just so you know this takes place during World War II in Germany 1939. Anyway, Her real mom got sent to a concentration camp so she had to send Liesel and her brother she has to send them to Hans and Rosa Hubermann. On the way her brother dies. It didn't really say how he died because "Death" was the narrator in that part. I will explain that later. So before they actually get there they have to obviously go bury him and as the two people are digging a book falls out of one of their pockets. She picks up The Grave Diggers Handbook and takes it... BUT she doesn't exactly know how to read and she is still scarred because her brother died right in front of her eyes. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. So she goes to the Hubermanns and every night she has a nightmare about her brother and every night Hans goes into her room and comforts her. Later Hans discovers the book and decides to teach her how to read. Then she starts to steal more books out of curiosity. Also Hitler is obviously their leader and so later on in the book they let a Jew stay in their basement... That was not a smart thing to do at that time if you know what I mean. It is pretty much just about this girls life during World War II...

I don't know about you but I LOVE learning about World War II and how it was like to live there. Surprisingly I learned some new stuff while reading this book. It was so weird how the could change people view of things that were bad so easily. I also think it was different than any other book I have read because "Death" was the narrator. It was a very interesting way to write a book.

In the back of the book somebody wrote to Mark Zusak and the person asked "How did you decide to make Death the narrator of the book?" and Mark Zusak replied, "With great difficulty! I thought, "Here's a book set during war. Everyone says war and death are best friends." Death is ever-present during war, so here was the perfect choice to narrate The Book Thief. At first, though, Death was too mean. He was supercilious, and enjoying his work too much. He'd say extremely creepy things and delight in all the souls he was picking up... and the book wasn't working. So I went to a first-person narration , a simple third-person narration... and six months later I came back to Death-- but this time , Death was to be exhausted from his eternal existence and his job. He was to be afraid of humans-- because, after all, he was there to see the obliteration we've perpetrated on each other throughout the ages--and he would now be telling this story to prove to himself that humans are actually worth it." I just thought that was a really cool idea.

Just so you know it is slow at the beggining but it does get a LOT better as the book goes on. If you don't like a sad ending this isn't really the book for you. I'm sorry but I didn't write the book I wish that he wouldn't have made the ending so sad. It is just almost unfair. Overall, it is a pretty good read. B+

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.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Most people that think of Wuthering Heights (that know of it) usually think of something along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, a pathetic book all about people that can't be together even though they love each other. This is far from the truth of this book. This book is about two wicked souls, that love each other. As many say, these people are horrible, horrible people. In this fiction book, we follow the sad story of the two, and the tragedy of their lives.

So the story starts out with a young and wealthy man, Mr. Lockwood, who rents out the Grange, which is part of Wuthering Heights. He goes and has a visit to his landlord, Heathcliff, at his house, Wuthering Heights. While he's there, he can't go home because of how snowy it is. He requests for either a room to stay at, or a guide to take him home. After much argument, Heathcliff decides that Mr. Lockwood is to stay at Wuthering Heights for the night. Mr. Lockwood gets attacked by dogs, and is escorted to a room (why he gets attacked, I have no idea). While in that room, he discovers graffiti and books about a woman, named Cathy. After very troubled sleep (he gets nightmares about Cathy's ghost trying to come in to the house, and other bloody parts that make me sick), he gets escorted back to the Grange by Heathcliff.

At home, he asks his maid, Nelly, who has worked at Wuthering heights in her past, what is up with the family. The rest of the book (250 pages) is explaining the sad tale. So what happened is that there is a dad, Mr. Earnshaw, that had two horid children, Hindley and Cathy. Heathcliff was adopted, and lived with them. Heathcliff was Mr. Earnshaw's favorite, because he wasn't a lunatic (yet) like the other two. As he gets older he gets to really like Cathy, a smart mouthed little girl, and starts to hate Hindley, a rude boy. I wish I could tell you more, but that would completely ruin the story.

This book is absolutely mind blowing. The way these people treat others is just crazy. Yes, their past was hard, but it doesn't mean they have to destroy everybody else's future! I love the deviousness of it, and how one minute, I'm sad and pitiful for the family, and the next, I want to smack them! Bronte really does an amazing job portraying two people who really are "bad seeds", and above all, love each other no matter what! I guess the saying is true. Love prevails.

This story is extremely hard to follow because of it's crazy English. It's also hard because of how many rude characters in it that make it hard to remember who is who. Overall though, this funny, romantic, and horribly tragic book made me cry, laugh, and never stop turning pages. A+ for you, Ms. Bronte!

The Amaranth Enchantment By Julie Berry

Lucinda Chapdelaine has live with her evil Aunt and kind Uncle, by marriage, since she was 5. She was orphaned when her parents left to the ball, and crashed in their carriage. She has had to clean, and be like a servant for her guardians gold smithy shop her whole life.

But one day, a women with very pretty eyes comes into the shop to get a new setting for the biggest jem Lucinda has ever seen. After a rude comment from Aunt about Lucinda, the young lady asks her if she would like to come and live with her. Her Aunt can't say a word, so the Lady, Beryl, leaves apologizing. Later that day, The prince comes to find a jewel for his new bride. Not recognizing him, she makes some rude remarks, and some very witty ones as well. Her Uncle saves her from embarrassment, and the prince leaves. The priest comes to tell the Montescue's shop to inform them that the young lady that was in their shop earlier that day, was actually a witch. Her aunt makes her take it back to the lady. Instead, she kept it with her, and told her Aunt that she indeed had given it back. In the morning she was going to tell her uncle about it to get some extra money. That night, a thieving boy makes his way into Lucinda's room, but not after they fight over him coming through the window.

That morning her Uncle sleeps through breakfast. Telling her Aunt she is going to straighten up, goes and gives the boy, Peter some breakfast. Then she kicks the boy out of her room. Her Aunt makes her do the chores she had already done yesterday. The last chore she has to do is clean the windows in her Aunt and Uncles room. She is not to wake her Uncle, who is sleeping in the bed. She notices that he is not breathing and runs to his side calling for her aunt. Her Aunt blames her for her husbands death and kicks her out saying never to come back again. So she goes to the witches house. She doesn't really believe that she is a witch, and arrives after a very long walk. She knocks on the front door, and the Beryl opens the door and asks if she has her stone. Lucinda reaches into her pocket and removes the stone, holding it out. But it isn't the stone, it is a pebble..."'Peter', I croaked." (page 53)

The rest of the story consist of Lucinda trying to get Beryl's stone, she has to team up with the thief, Peter to get it back. And guess who Peter sold it to? The Prince himself. She gets thrown in jail, and gets bailed out, her Aunt. It turns Beryl knows her Aunt, from when her Aunt was a little girl. And Beryl is from another world. But in the end, they will all live happily ever after... Except for Coxley, if they can catch him.

This was a great read, and the author did a great job on the explanations, it didn't take to long, like some books do. It was fun to read, and try to figure out what was going to happen next. I totally recommend reading this great book! Especially if you liked the book The Goose Girl, the two books are really similar! This was totally is a A+ book!