Book Review: WELCOME TO THE ARK

Author: Stephanie S. Tolan
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 1996

This book is about four very gifted kids named Miranda, Taryn, Doug and Elijah. They are all sent to a mental instituion for individual reasons- Miranda's parents think she's going crazy, Doug commited many crimes and then tried to kill himself, Elijah is found abandoned and is thought to have autism, and Taryn is said to have special powers. Two therapists at the institution select these fours individuals for a new experiment in which all six of them live in a cabin together as a 'family', separated from the outside world until they've all had a chance to heal. But shortly after this experiment begins the four kids discover that together they can do extraordinary things- they might even be able to end the world war of global violence.

Welcome to the Ark was a touching, suspenseful book. I loved how it switched points of view between the four main characters. It kept it interesting and moving forward. I also really liked how each character was so different, yet they all related to each other in some way. This book deals with many issues- discrimination, violence, mental health- and it deals with them in a very realistic way. The ending was very good- it tied everything together really well. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was slow in some parts. Overall, it was a great book.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Hugs,
Aceba

Book Review: BEAUTY QUEENS

Author: Libba Bray
Number of Pages: 390
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: May 24, 2011


You always hear stories about planes crashing and people being stuck on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Well, have you ever heard of this happening to 50 beauty pageant queens? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, 50 teenage girls- one from every state in the USA- are stuck on an island by themselves, with no adults there to help them and no way to get in touch with anybody. How will they survive without food, without shelter- without makeup?!?!?! The only way to find out is to read this book!!!
As soon as I heard that Libba Bray had written this book I knew that I just had to read it. I finally checked it out of my town's public library. The plot of this book was totally original and funny. It had me laughing out loud so hard that my mom was like, "Are you ok?" Seriously. Also, even though some of the events in this book might seem random, when you finish reading it you realize that they are all connected and that it all makes sense. I had high expectations for this book, and they were pretty much met. The only thing I did not like about this book was the fact that in some parts it seemed to drag on a little bit. I think the book could have been a bit shorter- I mean, I absolutely love long books, but I don't think this one needed to be as long as it was. Overall, this was a great read.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely!

Hugs,
Aceba

I'm Back!!!!

Hello everybody!!!! I'm really sorry that I haven't posted in a while- I have been so busy with school work that I haven't had much time for anything lately. Why must teachers give so much homework??? Seriously. I've been spending 10 plus hours every week on science homework alone. That much science isn't healthy for anyone. :)

Anyways, I promise that I will make a bigger effort to post more often this week. I have been reading- don't you worry about that! I have plenty of books that I have to review, so you should be seeing those soon. Thanks!

Happy September!
Aceba

Book Review: THE MIDNIGHTERS

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Number of Pages:
- The Secret Hour : 297 pages
- Touching Darkness : 439 pages
- Blue Noon : 505 pages
Publisher: Eos

When Jessica Day moves to Bixby, Oklahoma, her life becomes suddenly more complicated. One night she wakes up at midnight and the whole town is bathed in a strange blue light, and everything is still- everything, that is, except for Rex, Jonathan, Melissa, Dess, and the evil darklings. She learns that she is one out of five people in Bixby that was born at the stroke of midnight, therefore she is able to live in the 25th hour of the day, when everyone else is asleep. The darklings are after Jessica because she has a power that could, if used properly, save Bixby from impending doom. But will these five unique teenagers be too late?

I absolutely loved this trilogy!!! It was totally unlike anything I have ever read. The characters are all different and there personalities and morals really change and develope by the end of the third book. Dess was my favorite character- her sarcastic voice made me laugh and her love of numbers made me think about my own relationship with math. My least favorite character was Jonathan- he was just too selfish and he seemed like he didn't care about anyone other than Jessica. As I was reading I really felt like I was in the blue time with them.

I also loved the whole concept of having a secret extra hour in the day, an hour where only you and a few other people were able to roam the streets and do whatever you wanted. Overall, this was a fantastic series and I am so glad that I decided to read it!!!
Rating:
Individually, this is how I rate the books:
- The Secret Hour ~ :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys
- Touching Darkness ~  :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys
- Blue Noon ~ :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys

As a whole trilogy, I rate this series 5 out of 5 smileys!!!!

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely!!!!

Yours,
Aceba

Quote of the Week #13

Here is this week's quote:

"Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live."
                                                     ~  Gustave Flaubert

Hope you like it!!!!!

Yours,
Aceba

School is here

It's that time of year again!!! Make sure you have plenty of pencils and pens, because you're gonna need 'em!

Ugh. So, normally I enjoy school- I'm not going to lie. I'm a huge nerd. But lately there has been one thing that's been holding my love of school at bay.

Homework.

Yeah, I kind of get the concept of homework. You know, reinforcing what we've learned and practicing some more. But I don't get the need for hours and hours of homework at a time. We have lives!!!!

How much homework do you guys get??? I hope it's less than I receive!

Anyways, I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a little bit. I've been busy with school and stuff, and I just haven't gotten the chance. I promise that I will post again sometime this week!

Hugs,
Aceba