Book Review: WHERE THINGS COME BACK

Author: John Corey Whaley
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Release Date: May 3, 2011

It is the summer before Cullen Witter's senior year of high school when his life suddenly turns upside-down. One day Cullen's intelligent and utterly unique fifteen year old brother, Gabriel, disappears. At the same time, Cullen's small hometown of Lily, Arkansas begins to obsess about an extinct woodpecker that has apparently somehow reappeared. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a young missionary named Benton Sage spreads his faith to the people of a small town in Africa in an attempt to feel happy with his life. When these two stories come together it will be a moment that stirs your soul and that will linger in your mind for days afterward.

When I first picked up this book at my local Barnes and Noble, I expected it to be yet another average story about a teenager's life during that legendary summer before their senior year of high school. Well, Where Things Come Back completely blew that expectation out of the water. I am absolutely shocked that this is John Corey Whaley's first novel, because the story is written in such a way that hints at the author having a lot of experience.

My favorite thing about this book was the way the two stories really began to come together at the end. It's such a good feeling to be reading along and suddenly realize that everything makes sense, and that's exactly the feeling I experienced towards the end of this novel. Also, I really liked Gabriel, Cullen's younger brother. He's just one of those characters that you want to keep reading about. The way he viewed life and how he listened to off-beat music and always read The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger) is just really refreshing to me. I wish more authors put that much detail, thought, and depth into their characters.

Overall, this was an awesome book. I hope John Corey Whaley writes another one soon!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.
Would I recommend it to a friend?: YES.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Homer H. Hickam Jr.

This week's quote is:

"It seemed as if all through grade school I was reading two books, one for me and one for my teachers."

 - October Sky by Homer H. Hickam Jr. (pages 13-14)

 

I really like this quote because it's true. My English teachers always make us read and analyze certain books, when if they just let me pick my own book I would get so much more out of it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm complaining about having to read classics all the time- I think it is very important to be exposed to different kinds of writing. However, I think that being able to pick the book you want to read every once in while is important, too. So yes, Mr. Hickam Jr, over fifty years later teachers are still forcing their students to read books that they cannot connect to, or that are well below their reading level, or even a mixture of the two reasons. Wouldn't it be wonderful if English teachers actually communicated with their students and took an interest in the books that they found enjoyable to read?

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: CITY OF GLASS

Author: Cassandra Clare
Number of Pages: 541
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: March 24, 2009

"To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments."
                                                                                                      - Goodreads.com

Whenever I finish one of these books I feel so satisfied, like I just ate a huge plate of pasta and now my stomach is completely full. Seriously, that's what it's like. Cassandra Clare really is a fantastic story teller, and the way she creates her plots and develops her characters is truly amazing. This is the third book in The Mortal Instruments series, and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed. I honestly have nothing bad at all to say about this book, so I'm just going to ramble on about how purely awesome it was.

One thing I really liked about this book was the fact that it is very action-packed and the plot is always moving forward towards that big moment at the end. However, even though it has a lot of action it never seems choppy or like it's moving too quickly. Everything flows nicely and I never have to do a double-take and reread parts that are too confusing or that just don't make sense, because there are not parts like that. Cassandra Clare really is an excellent writer.

Another thing I adore about this book- well, the whole series, really- is the huge abundance of plot twists. I'll be happily reading along when all of a sudden: OH MY GOSH THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN. And then I spend several minutes reassuring myself that yes, it did  just happen. These books keep you on your toes like a ballet dancer, and that's saying something.

I loved this book. Really, that's all I can say. I have no complaints about it whatsoever.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys. Obviously.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: ABSOLUTELY. But read the beginning of the series first. Even if you think you don't like fantasy/paranormal/vampires/werewolves, this isn't your typical series of that genre. Seriously, you won't be disappointed!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: John Green

Since John Green is one of my most favorite authors ever, I've decided it's about time that I featured one of his quotes on this blog. So without further ado, this week's quote is:

"What a treacherous thing it is to believe that a person is more than a person."

- John Green

 

This quote is from John Green's amazing novel Paper Towns. I love this quote because it really is true. How many times do people look at another person with such awe and respect that the person they admire becomes more of a character to them than an actual human being? I myself am guilty of doing this a lot. I convince myself that this certain person is perfect, only to be proven wrong time and time again that they are indeed a human with as many flaws as the person standing next to them. The "relate-ability"of this quote really stood out to me when I first read Papers Towns a while back, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. This is one of the many, many reasons why I adore John Green.

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: OCTOBER SKY

Author: Homer H. Hickam Jr.
Number of Pages: 448
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: 1998

Originally published with the title Rocket Boys, this memoir by Homer H. Hickam Jr. recounts his experience as a son of a coal mine superintendent living in Coalwood, West Virginia. The year was 1957, and Homer was inspired by the flight of Sputnik, the Russian satellite, to start building his own mini rockets. He hoped someday that his hard work would get him and his friends all the way to Cape Canaveral, where scientists were working on a way to build rockets that would fly higher and higher.

I remember watching this movie in elementary school, and until recently I had no idea that it was based off of an actual book, never mind a memoir! I had never read a memoir before this, so I was very excited to dive into it.

I loved this book! Hickam's writing style is the perfect balance between description, action, and dialogue, and it makes reading it very enjoyable. I felt like I was there with Homer and his friends building rockets and watching the workers trudge their way to the mine. The story itself is so wonderful that it's hard to believe that it actually occurred in real life. It takes place in such an interesting time in American history, when everyone is both hopeful and a bit sad at the same time. Hickam really incorporates the culture and lifestyle of what it was like to live in a coal mining town in 1950's America, which gives the book a lot more depth and meaning.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book. It was 448 pages of awesomeness! I'm definitely going to watch the movie again soon!

Later,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE LOST HERO

Author: Rick Riordan
Number of Pages: 557
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Release Date: October 12, 2010

Jason is utterly confused when he wakes up on a school bus headed to who-knows-where, next to a girl he is convinced he has never seen before in his life. He doesn't remember anything about his past, and he doesn't even know who he is. Even more perplexing is the fact that the girl-her name is Piper- and a boy named Leo claim that they are all best friends attending the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "troubled" or "bad" kids. Things get even wackier when the trio is attacked during a school field trip by strange creatures they have never seen before. Jason, Leo, and Piper end up getting sent to Camp Half-Blood, a place where the children of gods and goddesses can stay in safety- for the most part. This unique trio then embarks on a quest to make things okay again, if that is even possible.

After reading the Percy Jackson series (also by Rick Riordan) I had very high hopes for this book. I really liked how Riordan incorporated mythology into a contemporary story in a way that was both clever and easy to understand. I hoped that he would not lose that skill when writing this companion-like series, and I was not disappointed! This story has plenty of gods and goddesses woven through it, and not just the Greek ones- you get a taste of Roman ones as well. The gods and goddesses focused on in this novel are different from the ones highlighted in the Percy Jackson series, which I appreciated very much. It seems like this book goes more in depth into the cabins of the gods and goddesses that weren't mentioned a lot previously, which gives you a fuller vision of Camp Half-Blood.

This book was written from perspectives that changed between Piper, Jason, and Leo. This was very different from the way the Percy Jackson series was written (with it being told entirely from Percy's point of view) but I really do think that in this case it worked. I don't think that the story was hindered at all by this. In fact, I think it added a lot more depth to not only the book as a whole but the characters as well.

My favorite character was probably Leo. I felt bad for him sometimes, because he was constantly the odd one out where the trio was concerned, mainly due to the fact that Jason and Piper had a little thing going on. However, he was determined nonetheless, and he always made funny comments and cracked jokes to lighten the mood. To me, he seemed like the most realistic character personality-wise.

While I didn't love this novel quite as much as I loved the Percy Jackson series, it was still a great book! I can't wait to read the next one!

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Francois Rabelais

"I GO TO SEEK A GREAT PERHAPS."

- Francois Rabelais (poet)

 

This week's quote is a simple one, but it is one of my ultimate favorites. In John Green's novel Looking for Alaska, the main character is obsessed with famous last words, and this is one that he likes. This quote contains the last words of the poet Francois Rabelais. I love this quote because it can apply to so many things and almost everyone can relate to it. It also begs the question: What is the "great perhaps" that you seek? Leave it to the amazing John Green to include such a wonderful quote in one of his books!

 

Enjoy!

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE SECRET LIFE OF PRINCE CHARMING

Author: Deb Caletti
Number of Pages: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: April 7, 2009

"Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist -- after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there really are no good men.
It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth."
                                                                                              - Goodreads.com

I've read many books by Deb Caletti, and this one was pretty good. I like how all of the characters have a lot of depth to them, and how there's always more than one story going on while the main plot progresses. I think the idea of what Quinn's dad did is odd, but it is original and therefore really sparked my interest most of the way through. Some parts dragged on a bit and were less exciting than other parts, but overall it was quite good.

Another thing I really liked about this novel was how all of the female characters would give excerpts at random times about their past love experiences. It added a lot more "oomph" to the story, and towards the end you realized some connections between many of the women. Some of the stories of the older women were pretty funny, and actually had me laughing out loud. Deb Caletti's writing is so detailed and real that it makes you believe, if only for a moment, that Quinn's mother and grandmother and aunt are all real women, and that there experiences are ones that actually happened in the actual world. And then you look up from the book and remember that the stories are just words on a page, words that have the power to change the way you think. That's the way I look at it, anyways.

Overall, this book was great, but not as good as some of Deb Caletti's other books.

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: SALT: A WORLD HISTORY

Author: Mark Kurlansky
Number of Pages: 484
Publisher: Penguin Books
Release Date: January 2002

In his book Salt: A World History, Mark Kurlansky tells the tale of the only rock humans eat as it goes through time. He recounts how salt fluctuates in value, means completely different things to different people and cultures, and how it ultimately changes history time and time again.

First of all, let me start out by saying how impressed I was that someone actually wrote an entire, substantially sized book about SALT. I mean, who has the time- or the motivation- to do that? Apparently Mark Kurlansky had both, because this was actually a pretty enjoyable book to read. I learned so much about salt from this novel (too much about salt? Maybe.) and it forced me to look at such a common, everyday item from a different perspective. Who knew that salt influenced history so drastically? It makes me wonder about the vast histories of other items that I use every day.

However, while I did enjoy this book, there are also some negative aspects to it. I mean, let's be frank: reading about a rock for upwards of four hundred pages can get sort of boring after a while. But I don't think that is necessarily the fault of Mark Kurlansky- I think that no matter who wrote about salt, the book would always be a bit boring. (Well.... except maybe if John Green wrote it. :))
Anyways, other than the fact that this book was boring in some parts and dragged on a bit, it was quite entertaining.

It is to my understanding that Mark Kurlansky has written other books pertaining to world history.... I'm still deciding if I want to read them or not, though. Overall, this was a great book!

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, if they enjoyed reading non-fiction books or had some obsession or love of salt. Otherwise they probably wouldn't enjoy this book much.

Later,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Mark Twain

Remember a long time ago when I used to do a weekly quote? Well, I want to start doing that again. So this week's quote is:

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

- Mark Twain

 

I like this quote because it makes you think about the difference between schooling and getting an education. Society today is so focused on going to school and going to college and getting a degree, that it makes you believe that that is the only type of education we can receive. But really, what is education? Is school really the most important type?

 

Enjoy!

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Yay words!

The man down the street updated his sign again! The new word is:

ECRU

really light brown in color, off-white

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Author: Stephen Chbosky
Number of Pages: 213
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: January 1, 1999

This is the story of Charlie, a fifteen-year-old freshman in high school who is lost without a friend- that is, until he meets Patrick and Sam (step-siblings, both seniors) and they take him in as one of their group. This is the story of Charlie, who is still grieving over the death of his beloved aunt, who seemed to understand him in a way that no one else did. This is the story of Charlie, who goes through so much that at times he just doesn't know what to say. But most importantly, this is the story of Charlie, who seems to be both a wallflower and the star of the show at the same time.

I have wanted to read this book for the longest time, but I just haven't gotten around to it. When I heard this book was going to be a movie I was like "Okay, I have to read it before I go see the movie," because of course I'm going to go see the movie- Emma Watson is in it! And for all of you who don't know who Emma Watson is, I have two words for you: HERMIONE GRANGER.

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book. Mostly the reviews I've read or heard are from people who either love this book or hate it. I would say I'm somewhere in the middle. This book reminded me a lot of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, which is sort of funny because it mentions it in the story quite a bit. The main character, Charlie, is lonely and likes to think a lot and has a family that isn't very supportive. But I would say that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is more positive and hopeful in a way than The Catcher in the Rye, because Charlie eventually finds his niche and seems to have a sense of belonging, even if that feeling is small.

I have this thing for books that are set in the 90's, so this was quite enjoyable for me to read. I like how much more simple everything was a decade or so ago, when instead of texting people or looking them up on Facebook you would get their number and call them or actually talk to them face to face. I also liked this book because it was relatable, even to me, being the type of person who doesn't do drugs or hang out with those type of people or have a family who isn't supportive. I was still able to connect with it despite all these things, because I think that deep down inside we all feel like a wallflower sometimes. And that's something that makes this book so utterly relatable.

However, there were some things that I didn't like about the book. Parts of it felt exaggerated to me, like how Charlie would break down crying in public all the time over the littlest of things. I can't really imagine a fifteen year old boy doing that. Also, some parts were dragged on a lot, and were sort of slow. But other than that, this book was really good.

I can't wait to see the movie, because it will be interesting to see which parts they keep and which parts they leave out. This is one of those books that makes you think. It's also one of those books that lingers there in the back of your mind for days after you finish reading it. At least, that's what this book is for me.

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Always,
NutFreeNerd