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