Book Review: DEAD END

Author: Jason Myers
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 14, 2011

"All Dru and his girlfriend Gina want to do is get out of their small town of Marshall, Nebraska. With the promise of scholarships and college soon in their future, they are determined to rise above their troubled pasts and make fresh starts. But everything begins to crumble when Gina is raped by the son of the town's richest and most powerful man. The aftermath of this tragedy sends Dru and Gina into a downward spiral of secrets, corruption, and a fight for their lives. All they have left is each other--but sometimes, even that's not enough...."
                                                 - Goodreads.com

This book left me with extremely mixed feelings. The writing style is so easy to comprehend that I whipped through it in about half the time it usually takes me to read a book this size. The writing was almost too simple, like it was written for a middleschooler instead of a teenager in high school. But let's get back to the story- that's what I really wanted to talk about here.

Now, the plot of the story was fairly decent. Although I thought that the ending was a little far-fetched, the basic storyline was good- I'll give Jason Myers that much. HOWEVER, you could hardly even see the plot line because of all of the unnecessary swearing going on. I mean, it wasn't just when characters were speaking. Even the narration had an abundance of swears in it! If you're going to write with an easy writing style, at least refrain from the vulgar language.

Also, I couldn't stand how Dru and Gina called each other "baby" all of the time. Seriously. After everything they said to each other they felt the need to tack on that annoying pet name. A conversation between them was like:

"Hey, baby."
"How you doing, baby?"
"Want some pizza, baby?
"Sure, baby."
"Alright, here's a slice, baby."

Now, that conversation is clearly made up by yours truly, but isn't that annoying? Especially after over three hundred pages.

Overall, this book was merely okay. It had the potential to be a great book, but the excessive swearing and the annoying habits of Dru and Gina got in the way of me being able to fully like this novel.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Not really, no.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE KILL ORDER

Author: James Dashner
Number of Pages: 336
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 14, 2012

"The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.
Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.
Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.
Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive."
                                                                                             - Goodreads.com

I'm really at a loss for words. I don't know how to convey my disappointment in not only this novel, the entire series as a whole. This series started out great- The Maze Runner is a fantastic book- but it just went downhill from there. When I first heard that James Dashner was writing a prequel to the series to clear up some confusion and answer some questions I was excited. I though it was a great idea. However, after actually reading the book, I am SO DISAPPOINTED.

Let me start off by saying that by itself, The Kill Order actually wouldn't have been that bad. In other words, if it wasn't associated with the Maze Runner series and if it wasn't the prequel to that series, it would have been a very mediocre book. Okay, so the ending cut off so abruptly that it left my head spinning, and you never really find out who lives and who doesn't, but despite those things it would have been a very average novel. The thing that makes me so upset is that THIS ANSWERED HARDLY ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAZE RUNNER GANG BEFORE THEY LOST THEIR MEMORIES!!! The only time they even mentioned them was in the too short prologue and the even shorter epilogue, but that's it. It's hard to say if James Dashner even knows the answer to these questions, or if he was just making it up as he wrote the series and he actually has no clue at all.

I think it's obvious that I am very angry. The only reason I'm not giving this book a horrific rating is because it was a good book by itself, if you forget that it's supposed to answer questions and clarify things that happened in the series that it is a prequel to. Honestly, it makes me sad that this series ended up the way it did. The Maze Runner was an awesome book, and the series had so much potential. I really don't know what was running through James Dashner's mind when he wrote the rest of the series.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Hmmm....I would recommend this to them if they had already read the series... might as well finish it up, right? But otherwise, no. Probably not.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL

Author: Jared Diamond
Number of Pages: 494
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Release Date: 1997

"Life isn't fair--here's why: Since 1500, Europeans have, for better & worse, called the tune that the world has danced to. In Guns, Germs & Steel, Jared Diamond explains the reasons why things worked out that way. It's an elemental question. Diamond is certainly not the 1st to ask it. However, he performs a singular service by relying on scientific fact rather than specious theories of European genetic superiority. Diamond, a UCLA physiologist, suggests that the geography of Eurasia was best suited to farming, the domestication of animals & the free flow of information. The more populous cultures that developed as a result had more complex forms of government & communication, & increased resistance to disease. Finally, fragmented Europe harnessed the power of competitive innovation in ways that China didn't. (For example, the Europeans used the Chinese invention of gunpowder to create guns & subjugate the New World.) Diamond's book is complex & a bit overwhelming. But the thesis he methodically puts forth--examining the "positive feedback loop" of farming, then domestication, then population density, then innovation etc.--makes sense. Written without bias, Guns, Germs & Steel is good global history."
                                                                                                                  - Goodreads.com

Let me start off by saying that I have very mixed feelings about this novel. I read this for summer work for my AP World History class, so I knew that it was going to be different from what I usually read (seeing as how I usually read YA, this would be VERY different). The truth is that there are some parts of this book that I really liked, and then there were parts that I couldn't wait to be over with.

For example, I found that I was very interested in the way writing systems progressed over time. Back when writing systems were first developed, they were mainly only used by scribes to record taxes and such. They way we use writing today is so incredibly different from that that it's sort of amazing.Today, anyone can write as long as they are capable of learning. That just fascinated me.
However, I didn't enjoy reading about the geography of things, or about the societies that used to live in Africa but now don't. To be honest, I found that all kind of boring.

Yet looking back, the writing was excellent, the organization of the book was easy to follow, and I learned a lot of knew vocab words. So I guess the only thing I'm complaining about is some of the content. Maybe after I take this class I'll have a different view of it.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. So it definitely wasn't the worst book ever, but it wasn't the best. But for a book that I wouldn't normally choose to read, it honestly wasn't that bad.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Only if they enjoyed reading about history and some science. If not, they probably wouldn't like this book very much.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: NEVERMORE

Author: James Patterson
Number of Pages: 368
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Release Date: August 6, 2012

In this eighth and final installment in the Maximum Ride series, Max is struggling with a lot of things on her plate. How do you juggle saving the world, wondering if part of your flock is dead or alive, and trying to get a grasp on your feelings for both Fang and Dylan? On top of it all, time is running out before the end comes. Who will come out on top? Will it be the end of all life on Earth, or will the new advanced species of humans conquer all?

Okay. So even though I read this book a few weeks ago I'm still trying to sort out my opinion of it. Everything seemed to happen so quickly in this novel that by the end my head was spinning and I was like WHAT? THAT'S IT???? I won't go into depth about the specific events of this book because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to read it, as it is the last book in the series so the outcome is pretty important.

As always, I enjoyed Max's snarky and sarcastic humor, even if it is a little over the top sometimes. I mean, no teenage girl really talks that way all the time in real life, right? But it adds a little fun to her character, which I like. And of course I loved Fang. In my opinion, FANG + MAX = LOVE AND AWESOMENESS, so I was happy with the abundance of Fang in this book. The roller coaster-like twists and turns kept me alert and curious throughout the entire book, right to the very end. James Patterson's writing is quick and fast-paced in this series, so it's easy to get caught up and keep reading and reading and reading and reading- which is exactly what I did.

However, I have to say that the ending of this book was disappointing. It left so many questions unanswered that I was left wondering about even more than when I started the book. I know that endings aren't supposed to answer everything, but I don't think that they should leave everything to the reader's imagination either. When I read the ending of a book- especially the ending of a series- I expect to feel a sense of finality and, to some extent, satisfaction that everything is coming to a close. Because this series is so long (eight books!) I thought that the author would have more than enough time to write a well thought out ending that makes sense and that is a balance between leaving questions unanswered and leaking out some information. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Nevermore. While I did enjoy the depth of the characters and their constant changes in relationships, the ending left me feeling like another whole book could be written.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: I would. But they would have to read the rest of the series first, because it would be way too confusing. Despite my disappointment in this last book, I do think that Maximum Ride is a series worth reading.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: GEEK FANTASY NOVEL

Author: E. Archer
Number of Pages: 320
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: March 29, 2011

"What happens when a science geek and magic collide?

Be careful what you wish for. Really. Because wishes are bad. Very bad. They can get you trapped in fantasy worlds full of killer bunny rabbits, evil aunts, and bothersome bacteria, for example. Or at least that's Ralph's experience. He's been asked to spend the summer with his strange British relatives at their old manor house in order to set up their Wi-Fi network. But there's much more to it than that, of course. It's just that nobody told Ralph. He's a gamer, sure. But this game is much stranger--and funnier--than anything to be found on his xbox."
                                                           - Goodreads.com

I saw this at my town library and thought that it looked like a mildly funny/entertaining book, so I grabbed it. However, I was slightly disappointed when I finished reading it. It's not that it wasn't mildly entertaining, because it was. This novel just sort of fell flat for me. I could see the potential it had to be a really funny, really enjoyable book, but it just didn't play out right. Sometimes the plot was too random, yet at other times I was correctly predicting what would happen next. It was sort of all over the place.

Although I do have to say that the characters were very likable. They all had their own personalities (my favorite was Cecil), which made the story a bit more interesting. I also really liked how the narrator would interrupt the story at times and interact with the reader a bit. And the twist at the end of the book with the narrator was really clever.

Overall, there were good things and bad things about this novel. The framework for a great story and an awesome book were there, but it just didn't happen.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Maybe. Probably not, though.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: EPIC FAIL

Author: Claire LaZebnik
Number of Pages:
Publisher:
Release Date:

"At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Cast in point:

- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school - not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long."
                                                                                                - Goodreads.com

I think the only way I can describe this book is with the word OKAY. It wasn't an amazing book, but it wasn't terrible either. I found it more enjoyable to read as it progressed, but it was slow and sort of boring. This book was your average romance novel, only shorter. I probably could have read this in one sitting if I had wanted to.

There was a twist that took me by surprise in the middle-ish of the story, which I liked, but other than that the plot was kind of predictable. I knew who would end up with who because I figured it would be a happy ending like most of the stories in this genre, and I was right. Overall, this was simply an okay read.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. So you might have noticed that the book in my last post, Please Don't Be True, was also rated 3 out of 5 smileys, but I appeared to like it a lot less than this one. That is true, but I feel like this doesn't deserve a four, and it doesn't deserve a two either. So I'm sticking with a three. The same goes for the other book.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Maybe. If they were a big fan of romance novels I might mention this book to them, but otherwise I probably wouldn't.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: PLEASE DON'T BE TRUE

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Number of Pages:768
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 8, 2011

In Please Don't Be True, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor continues her account of the life of Alice. Alice is your average girl going through high school. In this novel, the reader will read about Alice hanging out with her friends Liz, Pamela, and Gwen. Hardships will have an impact on everyone, but happy events will bring joy as well. Alice is a junior in high school in this novel.

After reading I Like Him, He Likes Her and It's Not Like I Planned It This Way, I had mixed expectations for this book. The first two were good, but there were a lot of things that annoyed me. I figured that this would be the make it or break it book. The things that irritated me could start to go away in this novel, or they could exponentially increase. Well, guess what? They increased.

I was disappointed with this novel. Alice and her friends grew more boy-crazy than ever, and Alice seems to have no common sense. For example, she doesn't see that the senior who asks her to the school dance is a creeper and just wants to use her. No, she thinks he's a great guy. WHY???? Because she's blind and oblivious to all bad guys.

Next, Alice is whiny and complains constantly about not understanding anything. And by anything, I mean that she mostly understand herself. I think that feeling is common among teenagers- I for one, certainly feel that way from time to time- but she talks about it as though she is the only one in the world going through it. She's like: OH MY GOSH I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE! I THOUGH I DID BUT NOW I DON'T AND MY BOYFRIEND WON'T EMAIL ME AND NO ONE IS CALLING ME AND BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!!! Seriously.

Normally, I love long books. But I have learned through this experience that long books are only good if the story inside of them is good. Otherwise, they are pure torture.

Maybe you might find this book enjoyable. Maybe you might even love it. I'm just saying that for me, it wasn't my favorite book. But then again, I have read books that are a lot worse than this was, so at least that's something positive to say.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. Not the worst book I've ever read, but still not good.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Ummmm.... probably not.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

Author: David Yoo
Number of Pages: 386
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: September 30, 2008

Albert Kim has been the "intentional loser" of Bern High School for years. He quickly gave up on trying to fit in a be popular and decided to go the less painful route- don't talk to anyone, don't make eye contact with anyone, don't be friends with anyone. So when he gets a job one summer and finds himself working with Mia Stone, one of the most popular girls at Bern High, he doesn't know what to do. Will Albert Kim stay invisible forever, or will Mia finally get him to shine?

This book was okay, but definitely not one of my favorites. Albert Kim, the main character, just seemed so whiny to me, and I couldn't really relate to him at all. Some of his actions were extremely idiotic, especially towards the end. The ending itself was sort of rushed and thrown together, and I thought it was too cliche. This book was funny in some parts, and then weird in others.My favorite part of the book was probably the first hundred pages when Albert and Mia were working together during the summer. Then The House (Mia's ex-boyfriend) came along and ruined everything. Overall, this book was an okay read, but not something I would pick up again.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Honestly, not really.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: ROMEO AND JULIET

Written by: William Shakespeare

"Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families.

It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet and Macbeth, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers."
                                           - Goodreads.com

I read this play with my English class recently. It was my first Shakespeare experience, and I have to say that I was sadly disappointed. *WARNING: SPOILER ALERT* I am about to rant about this play, so if you do not want to know what happens, do not read any further.

Okay, so first off, it annoyed me how stupid Romeo and Juliet were. Romeo was like, "I have a feeling something will happen at this party that will ultimately lead to my death. Oh well! I'll go anyways!" And then he goes from being depressed about one girl to being totally in love with Juliet all in a day... that's a little quick, don't you think? And then Juliet was like, "I'm not going to marry Paris, a nice guy that my family adores! No! I'll marry Romeo, some strange dude that I met at a party! He's perfect for me, even though I know nothing about him other than that he's a Montague!" The whole thing was unrealistic and fake to me, and it just got so irritating after a while.

I know that they were supposed to be blinded by love or whatever, but honestly, Romeo and Juliet were total idiots. Romeo went and got himself banished from Verona for fighting in the streets, and then cried about it to the Friar. He didn't even realize that if it weren't for the mercy of the Prince he would be dead! Then Juliet was ready to kill herself over a guy she just met not even a week ago, and then she did, which was a horribly rash thing to do. Seriously, what relationship is like this?

However, this play wasn't all bad. I liked the language and the use of clever puns throughout the play. I also liked how when Romeo and Juliet first met, their conversation took the form of a sonnet.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Honestly? It's hard to say. I might, depending on who it was.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: INTO THE DARK

Author: Peter Abrahams
Number of Pages: 304
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books
Release Date: April 1, 2008

"In Echo Falls, secrets buried in the past don't always stay there.
An idyllic day of snowshoeing on Grampy's land with Joey Strade turns out to be less than idyllic when thirteen-year-old super sleuth Ingrid Levin-Hill stumbles upon a body lying in the snow. This discovery sends the town of Echo Falls into a tailspin in which secrets long hidden are revealed and Grampy gets sent to jail. While Ingrid works to clear Grampy's name and uncover what really happened to the man in the snow, she discovers even more secrets she wishes she never knew. Just like the character Gretel, whom Ingid is playing in the Prescott Players' production of Hansel and Gretel, Ingrid must go deep into the darkness to find the truth.
In the third book in the Edgar Award–nominated and national bestselling Echo Falls series, Peter Abrahams's talent for building suspense shines as Ingrid embarks on her most harrowing adventure yet."
                                                                                                                  - Goodreads.com

This book was a great quick and easy read. The Echo Falls Mystery series is more geared towards preteens I think, which accounts for some of the reasons this isn't a five-smiley books for me. It was a good book, I think everything ended up a little to happily-ever-after for me. There really were no consequences, and Ingrid gets away with nearly everything. It was well-written, though, which is always a bonus. Overall, this was an okay book.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, but probably one who is 12 years old or younger. I think they would enjoy it the most.

Hugs,
Aceba

Book Review: THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

Author: J.D. Salinger
Number of Pages: 277
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: 1951

Holden Caulfield is a sixteen year old boy who has been kicked out of several private boarding schools. This is the story of how he gets through an emotional time in his life, one that he goes through mostly alone.

I read this book with my English class last month. I have mixed feelings about this classic. Parts of this book made me want to rip my hair out, especially when all Holden did was ramble on and on about how depressed he was and how he hated watching movies and how he couldn't stand people who were 'phony' and blah blah blah.... I think you get the point. As the book went on I grew to like Holden more, though. However, I particularly liked the ending. It was actually on of the best endings to a book I've ever read. I never expected it.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. Like I said, I have mixed feelings about this book. It was okay, but definitely not the best book I've ever read.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes. Even though I did not absolutely LOVE it, I would still recommend it to people. I have to say, reading it as a group in my English class did help me understand it a lot more than I would have than if I just read it on my own. So I suggest either getting some friends to read it with you, or ask your English teacher if you can read it as a class.

Hugs,
Aceba

Book Review: CLOAKED

Author: Alex Flinn
Number of Pages: 341
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 8, 2011

Johnny works in the shop his family has own for generations as a shoe-repairer. He has to work double shifts every day to keep most of the bills sort of payed. His life is at a standstill, and all he wants is some adventure. So when a Princess stays at the hotel where his shop is and asks him to complete a mission to save her brother- who has been turned into a frog by an evil witch- he jumps on the opportunity for a change in scenery. In this mash up of many fairy tales, Johnny embarks on an unusual quest that will keep readers on their toes.

I have seen many of Flinn's books- Cloaked, Beastly, and A Kiss in Time just to name a few- and I loved the idea of twisting classic fairy tales with the modern world as we know it today. When I checked out this book at my town library I originally thought that it was about Red Riding Hood, because she wears a cloak. However, the fairy tales that this novel references to aren't that common (at least, not for where I live), so I was confused quite a lot. There is an explanation in the back of the book that describes all of the fairy tales mentioned, but of course I didn't read this until after because it was in the very back.

As for the story itself, I thought it was lacking something. It seemed somewhat unorganized, though the twist at the end was very clever. It was an okay story, and I'll probably read another of Flinn's novels, but this won't be on my list of best-books-ever. Overall it was an okay read.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Only if they enjoy reading fantasy. If they didn't, they probably wouldn't like this book very much.

Later,
Aceba

Book Review: HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE

Author: Dana Reinhardt
Number of Pages: 240
Release Date: May 27, 2008

Harper's home life is falling apart. Her mother died when Harper was only two years old. Her dad and step-mom are getting divorced. Tess, Harper's step-sister and best friend, no longer wishes to talk to her. So when Harper hears about a summer program for teens in which they build houses, she thinks it is the perfect opportunity to get away from her crazy life at home. She travels to Tennessee to with a bunch of other teenagers from all over the country to build a house for a family who's previous home was destroyed by a tornado. While working alongside Teddy, the son of the family the new house is for, she realizes that maybe love can exist.

Let me start off by saying all of the things that I liked about this novel. First, the general idea of the story was unique and one that I hadn't read about before. Next, I thought that the Harper-Teddy relationship was really cute. Also, it was cool how the author went back and forth between Harper's past and the present.

Now for the stuff that I didn't like about this book. To start, it was really short. I think that an increase in the length would really benefit the story. And there really wasn't a whole lot of detail about the building of the house itself; it was really more about the relationships that grew between all of the teenagers. Another thing: no matter what bad things the teenagers did while in this program (sneaking in a midnight swim, girls bunking in guys' room and vice versa, going out to a pub in the middle of the night when they were supposed to be sleeping) they never got in trouble. Now, I'm not saying that I wanted them to get in trouble, it just doesn't seem very realistic to me.

Overall, I was kind of disappointed with this book. I was really excited to read it, but it just didn't Wow! me.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Probably. I mean, it wasn't a horrible book, just not one of my favorites.

Peace,
Aceba

Book Review: GOING BOVINE

Author: Libba Bray
Number of Pages: 480
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 22, 2009

Cameron is a sixteen year old guy who could really care less about life. All he wants is to survive high school without having to put too much effort in. His easy-going attitude changes, however, when his is diagnosed with the incurable Mad Cow Disease. It's only when he is told that he is going to die that he realizes something: he really wants to live.

One day in the hospital Cam is visited by Dulcie, a punk angel who tells him that has been chosen to go on a mission that will save the world. But here's the catch: if the mission is completed in the two weeks available, Cam will survive his illness. So, with hope in his heart and his newest friend Gonzo in tow, Cam embarks on a road trip that will- hopefully- save the world.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the positive side, it was very funny, the characters were interesting and unique, and there were life lessons weaved in throughout the book. On the negative side, the plot seemed totally random and spontaneous, it seemed very slow and boring in many parts, and the ending was totally confusing- I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened during the last fifty pages or so. Overall, it was an okay read.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. I was really looking forward to reading this book because it was written by Libba Bray, but once I finished I was sort of disappointed.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: That depends. Personally, I would not recommend it to any of my friends, knowing the sort of books that they like to read. But just because I didn't like this book doesn't mean that you won't! If the description I wrote interests you, don't be afraid to pick this book up and give it a try.

Yours,
Aceba

Book Review: A CURSE DARK AS GOLD

Author: Elizabeth C. Bunce
Pages: 396
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Charlotte Miller is left to run her family's wool mill when her father dies. Sure, she has her younger sister to help her out and the town of Shearing backing her up, but it's still a lot on her shoulders. Making enough money to pay off her father's debts, dealing with her grief- not to mention the bad luck that seems to always be present at the mill. Stirwaters, the mill the Miller family has owned for generations, is said to be cursed. And on top of all that, she has to try to understand her feelings towards the friendly, irresistible banker named Randall Woodstone.

Then, one day the mysterious Jack Spinner shows up. He offers Charlotte and her younger sister Rosy an amazing deal: he will turn a whole room of straw into golden thread as long as Charlotte gives him her mom's ring. The two sisters agree, and with that one decision their lives will never be the same. Think you know that old fairy tale "Rumplestiltskin"? Think again.

This book started out extremely slowly. The pace didn't really pick up until about a third of the way in. There was nothing in this book that made me go WOW! If you know the story of 'Rumplestiltskin', you basically know the gist of the book. I guessed what was going to happen and sure enough, it did. It was a cute book, but not really my thing.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Maybe. It depends what age they are. I would say 12 and below is a good age level, and they have to like fantasy.

Hugs,
Aceba

Book Review: FREAKY GREEN EYES

Today I finished Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates.

Franky's dad is a former football player and is now a celebrity sports TV commentator person. He has a short temper and wants everything in his life to be perfect. When Franky's mom, Krista, tries to embrace her love of art, her husband yells at her. He often beats and abuses his family, but they don't tell anyone. One day Krista is reported as missing, and the investigation starts. What happened to Krista? Who is responsible? Will she be found alive?

This book was okay. I guessed what had happened to Krista when it first said she was missing, and my suspicion was correct. Franky blames her mom for her dad's temper and anger, but she is just trying to be herself. I found myself getting frustrated with Franky, and I wanted to yell, Can't you see that your dad is a terrible person?!? This book has left me with mixed feelings. It was an okay book, just not really the book for me.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: I have to admit, this wouldn't be the first thing I would tell a friend to read. But if there was nothing else, I would probably mention it.

Always,

Aceba

Book Review: LORD OF THE FLIES

Last night I finished reading a classic called Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

When a plane crashes and a big group of boys get stranded on an island, chaos erupts. The boys range in age from toddlers to teenagers. Together they have to find a way to get rescued and survive on the island. They are afraid of 'The Beast', which they are convinced lurks on top of the mountain on the island. Slowly, the group begins to grow apart. If you thought they had problems in the beginning, you'll be surprised when you discover what happens at the end of the book.

If anyone has read this book, there are some things I am confused about, such as:
What time period does this story take place in?
Why was their plane bombed in the first place?
Where were they going when their plane crashed?
Why aren't there any girls on the island?

This book was slow in the beginning, but it did get better as I turned the pages. It used a lot of vocabulary that I wasn't familiar with, but I guess that's to be expected of a classic. Overall, this was an okay book.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: That depends. This book is graphic and violent in some parts, so I wouldn't recommend that, say, a third grader reads it. Also, it isn't the easiest book to read.

Later,
Aceba

Book Review: CITY OF THE BEASTS

Last week I finished City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende.

This book was about a boy named Alexander Cold, who goes to live with his adventurous grandmother, Kate. He can't stay at home with his family, because his mother is sick with cancer. Kate is hired to go to the Amazon and write an article about The Beast, a legendary Yeti. Alex meets a girl and they soon become friends, and then the group sets out for their journey.

I found this book to be very.....um....unique. It seemed very unrealistic, and it wasn't at all what I thought it would be. Some parts were suspenseful and interesting, while other moments were just dull and boring. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book...just not one of the best.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) Sorry, but I have to give it 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Well, that depends. I would probably give it to someone younger than me, but not TOO young, because there are some violent parts....hmm.....

Sorta disappointed,

Aceba