5 stars
Magic, Undead, Battle, Fantasy, Adventure, Necromancy
Sabriel is the new Abhorsen, sworn to keep the dead from crossing back into Life. She now has to face an evil that has been growing in power for 200 years and finally escaped from Death. Nix does a great job of building a complicated new world of magic, history, and undead creatures. An awesome start to a trilogy that will leave you wanting more.
(Sequels: Lirael, Abhorsen)
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
1 star
Dystopian Society, Teenagers, Authority Problems, Travel, Friendship
Told in alternating chapters between Ky and Cassia, half of Crossed is the the two teenagers looking for each other and the other half is them looking for the Rising (I don’t think this counts as a spoiler because literally nothing happens the entire book). The only vaguely exciting thing is Ky’s secret-keeping: you find out a secret about Xander and then Ky tries to burn the map to the Rising so that he won’t have to go, which is terribly exciting until Cassia is mad at him for about two seconds and then forgives him because she is too weak of a character to seek out the rebellion on her own and she needs company or something. The side characters would be interesting in their own right except for the fact that they appear to exist only to fill pages because Cassia and Ky have yet to have a real conversation or actually seem to care about each other. It’s a romance poorly disguised as dystopian fiction. This would be perfectly fine if there was actual romance (it would be even better if there was actual adventure).
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
2 star
Caribbean, Islands, Hurricane, Shipwreck, Pirates, Language, Cultural Differences
Quebrado is a slave on a pirate ship, but when a hurricane destroys the vessel he escapes and befriends the people of a secluded island village. When his former master and his equally evil captive wash up on shore, their fates rest in Quebrado’s hands; a responsibility he would rather avoid in favor of running off with his new friends, the young lovers Caucubu and Narido. The subject matter is exciting: pirates and shipwrecks and language barriers and evil and love! Yet somehow this verse book falls flat: it is more a chronicle of events than a character-driven or adventure-filled story. It lacks emotion and suspense and it is nearly impossible to connect with the characters.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
5 star
Fifth graders, Friendship, Life, Teachers, Tragedy, Meaning
Narated alternately by seven different students, Because of Mr. Terupt is a powerful and honest look at people: why they do what they do and the consequences of an unplanned moment. Each character is so unique that you don’t even need the chapter headings to tell them apart, and it is fascinating to get to know Mr. Terupt through the eyes of his students. Buyea uses his characters to carefully build up to poignant moments and unexpected truths. This book will make you think. I cannot recommend this story enough.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
5 star
Based on a True Story, Animals, Bears, WWII, Poland, Soldiers
Voytek the bear was found by five Polish soldiers in 1942. He was made a private in the Polish army and served as a mascot for the people, giving them strength to keep on serving and making them laugh during hard times. This beautiful story expertly weaves heartfelt emotion and the humor of a troublemaking bear’s antics. There is sadness and pain within the pages of the story, but the soldiers who care for Voytek do not serve on the front lines, so the story remains focused on their relationship with the bear and their experiences in war time far from their homes. A touching and well-told story.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
3 star
Suspense, Optical Illusions, Otherworldly Communication, Hospitals
Isaac has a sick mother and no friends—unless you count the dead boy who communicates with him via an old-fashioned mirror box he finds in his grandfather’s attic. The possibilities of death and dismemberment grow closer as Isaac struggles to understand the messages from the box so that he can save his own mother from a killer. The suspense is well crafted and the villain truly evil and well devised. However, too many plot elements are beyond the realm of suspending disbelief and distract the reader from the story at hand. I would recommend this to William Sleator fans or a middle grade reader who loves suspense.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
4 star
Words, Theater, Shakespeare, Plays, Friendship, Family
Bertie may be maturing but her problems are definitely growing right along with her. Sedna the Sea Goddess, her separated parents, the Theatre itself, her own feelings, and a crazy queen make for a lot of turmoil—but her spunky fairy friends and Bertie’s wordplay result in a perfect balance between danger and humor. This book manages to tie up loose ends while still introducing new adventures and characters. A perfect end to the trilogy (you might even shed a tear or two).
The third in the Théâtre Illuminata trilogy that includes Eyes Like Stars and Perchance to Dream.
4 star
Theater, Shakespeare, Plays, Friendship, Self-Sufficiency, Family, Love
In act two, Bertie ventures forth into the world to find her kidnapped comrade and discover the truth about her family—but along the way she finds a lot more than she bargained for. A story full of humor and heart, Perchance to Dream is almost as good as the first book, though the constant switching between magic and reality can make your eyes cross after a while. Mantchev does a great job of blending Bertie’s strength and willpower with her love for her friends, and the strange company that she travels with are a quirky and complicated bunch. A fun, suspenseful, and magic-filled romp.
The second in the Théâtre Illuminata trilogy that includes Eyes Like Stars and So Silver Bright.
4 star
Theater, Shakespeare, Plays, Friendship, Self-Sufficiency, Belonging
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith lives in a magical theater where the building itself comes to life and all of the players are really their characters. She has no idea how she arrived there but now, after one too many hijinks, the Theater Manager wants to throw her out: she must gather her wits and her friends and put on a show the likes of which the Theater Manager has never seen—all while preventing one of the characters from destroying the theater itself. Beatrice is a saucy heroine with a plethora of fun sidekicks (the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and her relationships with the other characters are realistic and fascinating—particularly her romantic feelings for the pirate and the air spirit. The pace is quick and the cast of players will be sure to delight fans of Shakespeare.
The first in the Théâtre Illuminata trilogy that includes Perchance to Dream and So Silver Bright.
1 star
Early 1900s Life, Medical Science, Research, Bacteriology, Obsession, Marriage
This book follows Martin Arrowsmith from his humble beginnings through medical school, marriage, his blind obedience to a rotating array of scientists whom he believes he should be more like, and, above all else, his obsession with research. Martin is unlikable: stubborn, sexist, foolish, obsessive, and oftentimes cruel. The book fails at creating a single compelling moment as Martin never endures true problems: each unlucky incident leads him to something better and he fails to learn a single lesson. Lewis has a rather trying habit of writing whole chapters about various characters that do nothing to move the story along. The book lacks an emotional connection that it sorely needs to justify the tedium of its prose.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
2 stars
Fairy Tales, Love, Competition
A retelling of the Princess and the Pea fairy tale where the princess falls in love with a prince, is not a delicate flower like princesses are expected to be, and winds up in a competition against other princesses to prove herself worthy of marrying the prince. A big problem I have with this is that the king and queen put the princesses through a series of tests that are meant to prove various strengths of character but tend to involve inflicting various kinds of physical pain on the fragile princesses. It seems really off for the rulers of a kingdom to request the most delicate and sensitive princesses in the land only to inflict physical pain upon them in weird tests to see if they will make decent queens. The king and queen are also completely fine with the fact that their son helped our main princess, Violet, cheat in a few of the tests and actually endorsed it since she cheated to get something she really wanted. Additionally, the love between Violet and the prince is not well developed and neither character has any particularly remarkable or memorable qualities.
(This is part of the “Once Upon A Time” series of lengthened and retold fairy tales written by several different authors)
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
4 stars
Egypt, Rome, Politics, Historical Fiction, Slavery
Following the conquest of Egypt by Emperor Octavian of Rome, Marc Antony and Cleopatra VII lie dead and their children are taken away and raised in Rome. Selene has to find a way to survive Roman politics, prove her worth as an architect, and face the issue of slavery that is inciting rebellion throughout Rome. The world of ancient Rome feels realistic and the harsh events that take place are not sugarcoated or avoided. Moran has managed to bring ancient Rome to life through the eyes of Selene and provide an honest picture of the time period and the historical figures that lived through it. Great for anyone who is interested in seeing Rome as it was in the time of Caesar, Cleopatra, and Augustus.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
2 star
Los Angeles, Eighties Culture, Growing Up, Relationships
Weetzie Bat lives a crazy life in L.A. where she gains a genie who grants her three wishes: a Secret Agent Lover Man for herself, a Duck for her best gay friend Dirk, and a fairy tale house. Together they make movies, have babies, raise dogs, and realize that life can end at anytime but it must be enjoyed for all it is worth. Block writes in a bland tone and with almost no style (unless one counts run-on sentences about sparkles). It is hard to determine what the conflict is in the story because everything is resolved without Weetzie’s action. It manages to be an interesting description of L. A. in the late eighties.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
5 star
Mermaids, High School, Relationships, Love, Family, Surfing, Regret, Choice
Tempest is nearing seventeen—the age when she must choose whether to be a mermaid or stay on land—but as if that decision isn’t bad enough, she must come face to face with problems of the heart and an evil she barely knew existed. Fast-paced and compelling, Tempest Rising iscompletely impossible to put down. The feisty (and aptly named) Tempest is a believable and sympathetic character even as she struggles with growing gills; her love interests and family are well-rounded and easy to care for. The book is full of action and romance. The ending is perfect but I’m itching for the sequel!
(The first in a trilogy but the other two aren’t out yet.)
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
4 star
Technology, Robots, Human Interaction, Teenagers, Sex
Rose is a robot, purchased to be a Companion to David to help him learn to interact more fully with other human beings. But when David rejects her, Rose and Charlie help each other realize how to interact and how to be alone. A funny and fresh take on teenagers growing up in an increasingly tech-heavy society. All of the characters are given enough space to let you understand them, even if you don’t always like them; it is fast paced and believable. An interesting study of what it means to be human in a world where so much—even a friend—is composed of programmable parts.
(Source: ihopetheyhavebooksinhell)
