Book Blog #8

City of Bones

By

Cassandra Clare

This book was a none stop, energetic, mind-bottle, epic, crazy book. Not only does it keep you reading like crazy but there are four books now. I started reading this book and didn’t want to put it down. It is my kind of book, I love books where people find out that they aren’t normal and they have something more to them. I believe that’s how we really are as people if we see it or not. There is something more powerful inside all of us, we just have to be put in the right situation and make the right, strong, good choices to make it come out. So I really liked all the action in this book, it had a few slow spots but once you got past them the book was fantastic. This book has so many twist and turns and keeps in interested all the way through. It leaves you hanging for more with how it ends and I went out and bought City of Ashes ( which is the second book) as soon as I finished with City of Bones. The only dislikes I had about it was that it had a few slow parts and that just when you were really getting into it the book ended and you have to go get the 2nd book and start reading it right away. This book has action, romance, mystery, and comedy all bundled up inside it. You really can’t say that for most books. This book was kind of like Twilight, it had everything from Shadow hunters to vampires to werewolves. So if you are looking for a more action packed and extremely more complexed love triangle, then this book is defiantly for you.

This setting is unique because it has to do with today’s world. It’s not the future or the past, just a different version of what people wished today’s world was like. It’s full of mystery and suspense. Not to mention if we were magical people we would have some pretty rocking parties. All the twist and turns in the book really add to the effect on how you feel about all the events going on in the story. Then at the end you find out some major secrets that totally shocks and surprises you. I think that since the book is set in the modern day that it makes things in the book seem like they could actually happen in real like. It would be really cool if this book actually took place and there were secretly creatures walking around that we couldn’t see being beat up but Shadow Hunters. Better yet it would be cool if you were one of them. So not only do you get crazy powers, you can also kick butt, and live in a secret awesome mansion. How awesome would that be? I’m thinking pretty awesome. Even though I can’t relate to the characters, I wish I could. That would defiantly be a win. It would be just like being a super hero, but crazier threats and harder monster/ bad guys to beat up. All in all this book was one of the best books I have ever read and I really enjoyed it. It was different and extreme. I would have to say this year my favorite books would be this one and Impulse. They are 2 completely different books, but they are both upbeat, energetic, and keep you on your toes because you never know what is going to happen next. You never know who is an enemy, who is your friend, or who could even be your sibling. It makes you guess about your own life and what your family hasn’t told you. Who knows you could have 3 other siblings in 3 different states and you all could be quadruplets.

Word Count: 643

Book Blog #7

Breathe: A Ghost Story

By

Cliff McNish

This book is for people that like scary stories but don’t like to be to scared. It many have it’s chills and thrills, but its not a book that will scare you and not make you want to sleep for a week. Breathe has a lot to do with ghost and about the past of some of the ghost. It explains why they are still there and how just because they are ghost doesn’t mean they aren’t scared of things to. I think it is a very interesting book, it kept me interested and it was a change of book for me. I don’t typically read ghost books or books dealing with paranormal activity. I would recommend this book to people that have never found a ghost book that they actually like and will read through all the way. Or people that like semi-scary stories or just people that have time to read a pretty good book. I liked that I could see what was going on in this book, it described everything fairly well and I kind of connected with the main character Jack because my sister and I’ve pretty much grown up seeing Kimmy have bad asthma. The little boy in the story has asthma pretty bad and has had 3 horrible acts. So I know and have seen the experiences of people with asthma pretty bad, so I connected there with he’s problem. But the boy, Jack, can also read memories from objects and I thought that was a pretty cool twist to the story. So I really liked that. I think the book would have been better if it was longer or was told through the “Ghost Mother’s” eyes instead of just Jack’s and the ghost children’s.

What was unique about the setting of the book was that it was in an old farmhouse. So you could only imagine the things that could have happened in that house before Jack and he’s mom moved in there. It really makes it interesting because there are so many rooms in the house and so many things happened. Since the setting was in a old farmhouse, it made me thing of dark and mystery things. Like I imagined the house being old, creaky, and semi falling apart. I don’t really find the characters believable because I don’t believe in the supernatural. I believe in God and there are no such things as ghost. But it is still interesting to read about it and see what people can come up with. Even though I don’t believe doesn’t mean that other people don’, so other people might like this book even more because it is about something that they believe in and want to read more stories about. I don’t really relate to any of the characters, but Kimmy and my sister Rachel, like I said both have asthma pretty bad. So I know the kid has it hard. But I figured he’s asthma would get set of worst because usually old farmhouses are filled with dirt and dust. So I was surprised when he didn’t have another attack, but then again it’s a story so that’s pretty much voided out if the author doesn’t put it in there. Over all this was a pretty interesting book.

Word count: 553

Book Blog #6

Burned

By

Ellen Hopkins

This is another book like Impulse, I finished it in a day. I couldn’t put it down. Even thought I liked the theme of Impulse better, Burned is still a great book. I liked how it talks about how it is hard to be an adult while you are still a kid, and how if you are considered an adult then how come you can’t make your own decisions. The main character in the book is put their many tough situations. Her dad is a strict religious man that tends to be best friends with the bottle. He is a drunk that beats he’s wife and she can’t say anything about it because of the strong religious situation they have put themselves in. Like Impulse this book also doesn’t have a happy fairy tale ending, it has a hard bitter ending that pretty much breaks your heart for the girl. I like how the author doesn’t hold anything back about how bad things can be and how life isn’t always a happy ending. Don’t get me wrong or anything about not liking happy fairy tale endings, I do like them. But it is nice to see the real version of the things that tend to happen in life. The hard cold bitter sweet truth that many people live everyday. As it goes for dislikes of the book there is nothing I dislike about it, it was an interesting book that I wanted to read continuously. Even though I wished that the girl had her happy ending with her fiancé and baby, it’s interesting to me to see the twist the author always puts on her books. The monsters that the author shows in her books.

Through out the book the young girl beings to change and evolve into a young woman that wants to be herself and not live in a strict religious way of life that keeps her from speaking her mind because she is a woman. She starts out as a well behaved young girl that beings to have strong feelings for speaking her mind and is curious about living how she wants. In the book she ends up meeting a guy that tells her everything she wants to hear, and gives her the attention that she desires. Along the way in their relationship the girl’s father finds out from the concerned leader of the religious community that she is dating a boy that isn’t the same religion as her and is a boy that is considered trouble. The girl gets in trouble and then is lead into the world of teenage drama. The harassment of other kids at school pushed her over the limit making her break a window and hit a girl. So her dad sends her to her aunt’s house in the middle of no where, were she can’t get in trouble. Which leads her to find a new boyfriend that is the perfect guy. When the girls mom is almost due with another child the father tells the girl to come home. Which is when she says that her dad has stopped beating he’s wife because of the child and started beating her younger sister. After all this happens the girl finds out she is pregnant and her boyfriend/fiancé comes and picks her up so she can run away with him because she is pregnant with he’s child. Which is when bad things really happen and the girl ends up being way worst of making her depressed and knows she can never go back to the life she had. The girl becomes a very strong smart young woman. It was fascinating seeing the incident young girl grow into a strong young woman.

Word Count: 622

Book Blog #5

Impulse

By

Ellen Hopkins

This book is for people that can deal with hard situations, and actually feel sympathy for people going through hard times. Thanks to the way society is now days not many people care about anyone else besides themselves or even think about how their actions may effect other people. Impulse is one of those books you can’t put down, I read it in one day. I really liked that it was a book that didn’t show a happy fairy tale with a happy ending. It was a book that actually made you feel for the characters and want to help them out. Also, it makes you want to go out into the world and talk to people you wouldn’t talk to, talk to people that are excluded from the “popular” or “normal” kids. The people that are put down so much by the over dramatic teenagers of today. But what’s even more interesting about Impulse to me is that it doesn’t just expose the cruelty of young teenagers but also the lack of love children receive from their parents. Growing up I was always loved on by my family, especially my mom and dad. When I broke something on accident or spilled something, yeah they were mad but they didn’t care more about if an object was broken or scratched, they cared about my well being. It’s hard seeing parents not love or really even care for one of their children because another out shines them or because they always do something wrong. Even though this book wasn’t about happy situations or happy endings, there is always a silver lining and a experience to learn. I loved everything about this book it was fast paced book that kept you wanting more. There was nothing I disliked about it besides their not being more. Impulse is an unique book that really gives you the taste of hardship in life.

The characters in this book seem real and believable. So real that I’m sure I could go to the local teen help center or look at the statistics of the suicide hot line. Many people are depressed, don’t feel comfortable with themselves, or are confused on who they are. There isn’t a high school that you can go to and their not be a person that is depressed, has cut, thought about overdosing, overdosed, or is gay/lesbian. Most people will not openly admit any of those things but it exists. 37% of high school students globally have admitted/attempted to trying to kill themselves. 28% of high school students globally are gay/lesbian. Not that the percentage matters, it just shows that compared to years ago not as many people were as open/done the things teenagers do now. I can’t relate to the characters in the book but some people I know can. They weren’t admitted into rehab because of anything they done but this book really opens up to how suicidal/depressed, gay/lesbians, overdosers, druggies, and children who are unloved by their parents feel. How they go through life after all the harassment, negativity, shut out feelings get to them. there are 3 main characters in the book 2 boys and 1 girl. The girl is bipolar and she cuts. One of the boys is one of the looks like he has everything good type of guys that tried committing suicide by shooting himself, and the other boy is a druggy that is gay. Through out the book each character has their struggles and find having each other is the best. Even though there what ends up happening is tragic, it shows how much we as humans needed each other for the positive reinforcement to make each day worth while and to never give up.

Word count: 625

Book Blog #4

Playing with the Boys
A pretty tough novel
By
Liz Tigelaar

If you like books that show girl power, then this one is defiantly for you. I would recommend this book to you if you like to read books or really anything about girls being tougher and better then boys, then this book is right up your ally. There isn’t a moment in this book were Lucy Malone isn’t showing up guys, and get this she’s showing up guys on a boys varsity football team. How great is that! I really liked this book, it has just about everything I like in a book. It has to do with my favorite sport soccer, about a girl that can kick better and more accurate then another guy, its got all the gossip, its full of drama, and it’s actually a pretty entertaining book. I really haven’t read a book like this. Not many books seem to be about a girl that can play football. It is also about the determination one girl must have to deal with multiply complications. Such as losing their mother, moving across the country, going to a new school in California your sophomore year, not having your best friend in the whole entire universe around anymore, an over protective dad, a team that doesn’t want you, not making the soccer team which is your life, drama, boy troubles, crushing on the hottest guy in school that just happens to be on the same team as you, and so much more. This book is just loaded full with the type of stuff every high school girl can’t get enough of, drama!
Throughout the novel the author was trying to get the point a crossed that anything guys can do girls can do better! She does that by telling a story of a girl that just moved a crossed the country, motherless, with an over protective dad that will not let her do much. First the girl Lucy tries out for the soccer team but since the team has been playing together for a very long time and they are a really skilled group of girl, Lucy didn’t make the team. But the coach and a couple of the other girls talk Lucy into trying out for the football team because she has a very accurate and strong kick. Beings that the football team just lost their starting kicker because he torn he’s ACL. Lucy finally gave in and tried out. Guess what! Looks like girls are just as good at football as guys are because she made the team and is the starting kicker for the Beachwood high school boys varsity football team. Throughout the story Lucy is tested and tried by her new teammates that don’t really like her, and by her father that thinks she is on the cheer leading squad now. Lucy has her ups and downs but in the end she made it through with her girl power and pulled it through for the team to win their biggest game ever in school history, and those jerk face guys that were so mean to her finally came around to take a liking to her. I really thought this was a good book and kept me interested the whole time. It had some slow parts but besides that I loved the fact it was about a girl being on the same level as guys and doing just as good as they are even when they kept being mean and shutting her down.

Word count: 587 words

Book blog #3

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness:
Wolf Brother
By
Michelle Paver

I actually really liked this book to. My aunt recommended to me because I like to read books about wildlife and weird ways people can twist the world to make it dark, magical, happy but yet sad, enchanting, and I love to see the good bonds between humans and wildlife. Also native tribes are really fascinating to me because of how they used everything and all the rituals they did were beyond anything I could think of. This book really showed how much the Earth and nature meant to Native Americans. Even though it wasn’t displayed in a real life world it still showed the passion and love the Indians had for the land. I really liked how the book is based about a boy named Torak and how he finds he’s guide that he hates at first but then loves with every bit of he’s heart. He’s guide or better known as he’s pack brother wolf (which is a real wolf, he finds as a cub after he’s family drowns) he’s Torak along he’s journey to find the mountain of the world spirit to stop a demonic bear from destroying the world. I don’t know about you but I really liked the whole entire story and can’t wait to read the rest of the books. This book is the first of a series of 4. I can’t wait to read what adventures Torak and wolf go onto next. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves animals, nature, stories of the Native Americans, mysteries of the wilderness, strong bonds between animals and humans, and to who ever just loves an absolute fantastic book. Its defiantly a book that you can’t put down, its that amazing.

Throughout the story Torak evolves into a brilliant young man while the keen skills of a wolf, with the help of he’s pack brother wolf and a few other people he meets along the way. The first key event that really changes Torak is the death of he’s father. Before he’s father was killed by the bear Torak was just a kid that was a loner like he’s father. He didn’t have a true tribe but he belonged to the wolf clan. After he’s father died he was completely alone in the woods and he was forced to grow up. At first it was extremely difficult for Torak to survive on he’s own. Then he found wolf, at first he was going to kill him because he needed food, but something wouldn’t let him do it. Torak blamed it on the rule were you can’t kill your clan animal unless it was an absolute must, but really some where deep inside him wouldn’t let him do it because it knew this was he’s guide. Those were 2 of the major changes in Torak’s life that really made him evolve into who he is to become later and that was basically just the first 3 chapters. Then when Torak gets captured by another tribe he starts to realize who he is and what he is meant to do. Some where deep inside of him he was changing and becoming a man with special gifts that are yet unseen. He is the chosen who, the only one that can stop the bear from destroying the lands they live on. I think this is a very good book and I hope the rest of the series is as good as this one.

Word count: 585 words

Book Blog #2

The Scarlet Letter
By

Nathaniel Hawthorne

I found this book to be very interesting. Even though I am not really into old time books, but I did have an interest in how people use to view each other. I also found that people have pretty wild and crazy imaginations back in the old days. While reading, the movie "Easy A" was released into theaters. The book wasn’t difficult to understand, however watching the movie helped me put the story into modern day and age. In the book some times it was hard to understand the old time writing that they tend to use in books like this. The story line was way off from that of the book, but it was a good example to show how people in this day and society would react too the same situation. This book was very interesting to me and every time I read, I wanted to know more. So you could say that I actually took a liking to this book as well as my other book, which really surprises me.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone in high school. It is a well written piece of challenging literature. Because it is a classic, most students will read it or at least hear of it through out their high school career. Now, don’t get the wrong impression of me saying "you need to read this book because its a classic and its really old" My point is, the book can be connected to very easily, especially to high school students today. With all of the drama that teenagers bring around today it and accusing others of being uncalled for names, that tend to really hurt people.
Most students are worried about their reputation. What I liked most about this book is just that. As a reader you get to see what every one thinks of Hester and the priest, her lover. Because she has a child after being away from her husband for nearly two years, Hester is accused of adultery. Because of this accusation, she is forced to wear a scarlet A on all of her wardrobe. Now, the community and everyone who sees will know exactly what she’s done. I find that is pretty unique. In today’s society, you don’t tend to see people walking around with “A’s” on their clothes to tell you that they committed adultery. Most people try to hide things like that to themselves because they are embarrassed enough by it or find it as a daring game to play. I just really like that I can see today’s point of view and then read way back when’s view. I find that is unique and enhances a story like this.
I find the characters real and believable. I’m not sure if people were actually as extreme as they were in the book, but I do believe that things like this happen all the time from what I have learned in AP World History. I can’t relate to the characters in the book, but it fascinates me that people actually commit adultery. I grew up going to St. Paul Lutheran School and Church, so I have grown up learning the ways of the Bible and how god wants us to act. So it kind of shocks me when I read stories like this. Yeah now that I’m older I understand that this goes on all the time, but this book really made me question why people commit adultery. I know when you “love” some one, you’ll do anything to be with them. But when one person is already committed to another, how can you not feel wrong when they cheat on the one they supposedly “loved”. Even though I can’t relate to the main characters in the book, I can relate to the person that is being cheated on, and well I know how bad it hurts. So what happened to treat other likes you would want to be treated?