Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

I chose this book for a number of reasons.  First, I realised that all the books I have reviewed for the blog so far have female protagonists and I thought perhaps I should review something written from a male perspective.  Second, I thought the bright orange cover was clever (orange is the colour worn by prisoners in American gaols, including Gauntanomo Bay) and the pun in the title was also appealing.  And third, I got sick of waiting for Haydn to review it!!

The main character Khaled is a fifteen-year-old boy of Pakistani and Turkish descent living in England.  Although his family is Muslim, he is not particularly religious.  He is a normal teenage boy who likes nothing better than playing football (soccer) with his mates and playing computer games with his cousin Tariq in Pakistan.  However, what happens to Khaled is far from normal.  When he and his family go to Pakistan to visit relatives, he is kidnapped and tortured until in desperation he signs a statement admitting that he is a terrorist.  After this, he whisked away to Guantanamo Bay, where more horror awaits him.  (For those who don't know, Gauntanamo Bay is an infamous American prison in Cuba)

This is a serious book about serious issues.  It shows very clearly why innocent people would admit to crimes that they never commited and the effects of imprisonment upon a person's sense of identity and self-esteem.  Ironically, Khaled's experience leads him to explore and become more commited to his Muslim faith.

The pace  of this book is quite slow and a lot of the "action" takes place inside the main character's head.  For this reason it is a book that requires some patience and persistence.  I would give this book 7/10. 

THE WORLD AT HER FINGER TIPS the story of Hellen Keller by Joan Dash

Now I read this book 2 years ago so this review is written from memory. Reason why I didn't write about my most recent book from the library is because it wasn't really interesting and didn't have time to finish it. Head was caught up in family issues.

So The World at her Finger tips is Helen Keller's biography, a woman who was a healthy born baby "The beginning of my life was simple, I conquered, as the first baby in the family always does" [Quote by Helen]. But when she was 19 months (1 year 7 months hehe just incase) she was hit with a horrible fever called 'acute congestion of the stomach and the brain'. It left as suddenly as it came. You think that's the end of it but then Helen's eyesight slowly fades. They realize that she is deaf too. After this dreadful time in her life she never experiences a simple life.
Helen grows up doing things the way she wanted to do them. For example, one thing that has never left my mind, is that when Helen would eat her meals, instead of using a knife and fork, she used her hands and would make a mess by sticking her hands into other peoples plates. She lived the first few years of her life like a savage, having touch as her only way to communicate, for that was all she knew. Her family thought it would be 'cruel' to discipline her.
Helen knew that other people had the ability to talk to one another, something she couldn't do. This thought made her furious and this side of her was uncontrollable because she was physically strong and wild. Helen's family hires a teacher in the hope to stop this behavior. A girl named Annie Sulliven is sent over. Annie teaches Helen what a word is and that everything has a name. Annie opens the world up to Helen and this is just the beginning of a wonderful relationship. This book is about Helen's birth, death and everything in between.

This story is about her growing up trapped in her own world but being able to do everyday things in life. Every time she learnt something new it was challenging. Every time we learn something new its a challenge but of course for us it isn't always much of a hill to climb. For Helen Keller everything was a steep hill that she strives to get over. This book bought tears to my eyes, simply because Joan Dash's explanation of Helen Keller's life growing up, makes you think how the hell someone survived like that. Trapped in their own little world with nothing to sway or bob your head to and nothing to gaze at with wonder and amazement.
Helen Keller inspires me to keep doing things that your determined to do and don't let the fact that you're incapable in someway bring you down, because you will always find a way to conquer that steep hill.
Would give this book 8/10

Samurai Kids Owl Ninja by Sandy Fussell

I got this book because the cover was purple so it stood out. Samurai Kids Owl Ninja is the second book in the series. The book was set in Japan when they still had ninjas and samurais. This book is mostly about friendship and discipline. Even though I haven't read the first book, I enjoyed it and it was pretty straightforward. The story is told from a one legged boy called Niya who has the spirit of the White Crane.

The Cockroach ryu is on a quest to stop the drum beat before the tenth day so a war between the mountain ryus would be prevented. The only problem in their quest is that the Sensie of the Cockroach ryu was once the Emperors protector and he protected the Emperor from this ninja assassin. The Sensie killed the ninja but the Emperor was angry because the ninja was the Emperor's brother and killing a person that belongs in the royal family is a very serious offence. Now Niya and his friends are worried because the emperor might kill their Sensie if they meet again.

I really enjoyed the friendship between the ryu students and how they've got each other to lean on.

I would give this 8 out of 10..

And there's a vocabulary list on the back of the book. :D

MERIDIAN BY Amber Kizer

First things first, this book was simply one word; AMAZING. I literally could not put this book down. All her life Meridian Sozu has been an outcast and loser. Why do people think she is strange? Animals have always died around her. She never knew why, but they did. She just grew up assuming there is something wrong with her and that she is a freak. Her whole life changes on her sixteenth birthday. After a major accident her parents, knowing she is a danger to herself as well as them, put her on a bus and send her off to an Aunt’s home she has never met face to face. After a long and dangerous journey she finally makes it to her one hundred-six-year old Auntie’s home in Revelation, Colorado. There she mets Tens, a handsome teenager, who lives at the home taking care of her Aunite, as well as Custos, Tens’ wolf/pet who immediately has a liking for Meridian.

Meridian soon learns that she, as well as her Auntie, are Fenestras; a half-angel, half-human who is the “window” between the living and the dead. Tens, her protector by fate, goes from disliking her in the beginning to blooming to something else as the story goes on.

There is nothing I love more than a story that jumps right into action. So naturally Meridian instantly caught my attention. Not ten pages in did I have to wait for the action to start.
Meridian isn't a slow paced book, but not entirely fast passed either but I found the speed just right. Fast enough to keep you turning the pages as fast as you can and slow enough that you understand everything and you don't have to re-read a paragraph to make sure you understood.

This story was definitely nothing close to a cliche romance. There was danger, action, and a plot that represents good vs. evil. The first main issue of the story is the small town they are in, Revelations, Colorado. This whole town is practically a religious style cult . Everything seems perfect in the town thanks to Reverend Perimo, a man who showed up out of nowhere and turned the town into “perfection”. However he may not be exactly what everyone thinks he is and is slowly turning the town against Meridian and her Auntie. The second issue is of the Aternocti who are the evil forms of Fenestra’s with higher strength and numbers due to the low numbers of Fenestra’s left. They have targeted Meridian and want her to be one of them.

What I loved most about this book was its originality. It was nowhere like any other paranormal book I have ever read. Another thing I loved was how Meridian could take care of herself if she wanted to. She was not a weak helpless female main character, however at times she needed a little assistance from Tens. It was overall one of the best books I have read in a while, and I would suggest it to anyone. Normally, I ask friends and I listen to what they are reading and if they say they enjoyed something I check it out or if they say that something wasn't quiet their cup of tea.. Well, I get curious and check that out too. When I heard from a friend that she felt it was on okay book but not quiet her thing, I was worried. Thinking I might not enjoy it or I might find something missing. Just the opposite! I LOVED it! It had everything I was looking for and even though it talks about such serious stuff and subjects that can be really hard to write about, it did it with such amazing ease and grace and keeps everything with just the right balance of emotion. I could understand what was happening and put together pieces without getting completely CONFUSSLED (sorry, I mean confused) It was just beautiful and something I am so happy I decided to read. I think I am officially an Amber Kizer fan. I can hardly wait for book two "Wildcat Fireflies" set to come out next year! =D

P.S. 9 and 3 quarters out of ten!!!

Hacker by Malorie Blackman

Having been bored to death by the previous book I read, i tried choosing a more interesting fast-paced book. The main character and point of view of the story is from a teenage girl named Vicky. The start of the book grabbed my attention beacause Vicky got in big trouble in school for something she didn't do, which I can relate to well. Then suddenly another Exciting but sad thing happened, her father gets blamed for stealing one million dollars from the bank! I coudn't put the book down, untill I got up to the part where they try looking for clues but gathering minimal information about the person who hacked into the bank's computer system. But then, Bam! they finally found out who it was and I coudn't believe who did it. It was so shocking and interesting to know that I read around one quarter of the book straight without paying attention to anything else. This book didn't really have much action in it (apart from Vicky and Gibs continous fighting). Their relationship grew throughout the story from Gib saying Vicky wasn't wanted in the family to Gib calling her his big sister. I would give this book a 8 out of 10 because it wasn't as fast paced as I thought but was satisfying enough to keep me entertained.

The New Heroes: The Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll

I came across this book by chance coz i was really trying hard to find an action book and eventually found this one. This is the first book of three in the whole series and I really enjoyed this book . :D The book's beggining is kinda confusing but exciting at the same time. I found it really confusing mainly coz the book starts with the sentence "Ten years earlier" , now what kind of book starts with that ?? I thought to myself. So i decided to keep on reading and i eventually figured out the real reason for the really confusing start and it also lead me to the plot of the story. :D I found the plot of the story really interesting as it links the past to the present AND the future which i thought was a really good touch by the author in terms of making the book exciting. Anyway, moving on this book is about superheroes (as you already know) and super villains (of course there has to be some villains :P) The story starts off in the past with ALL the superheroes and super villains' powers getting drained by a WMD and they all mysteriously disappear but the people think they just retired (which is what really happened) But a superhero named Renata Soliz a.k.a Diamond survived who actually retains her powers. She plays a MAJOR part in this book later on. In the present day, it follows the adventures of three best friends Colin Wagner, Danny Cooper and Brian (i really hate that name . LoL) however, the story focuses more on Danny and Colin. So one day Danny accidentally discovers his powers by saving Colin's little sister by getting run over by a bus and YES, Danny's power is super speed as you might think. BUT no , his power is actually slowing time down so it LOOKS like he moves faster but he's actually moving at normal speed (very interesting power) Typical best friend Colin, thinks about Danny's heroic move and realizes he has powers too which he finds out while lying down on his bed and figures out he has super hearing (yes, he can hear things up to like 10 km away . :D). When this happened i thought that that was over , like "is that it?" i know their powers now soo is that the end of the book ?? which i thought was realllyyyyy GAY !! . BUT , the author introduces another twist that made me keep reading the book . He immediately re-introduces the "past day" plot to LINK with the "present day" plot which i thought was VERY clever. :D So the best friends get into trouble which again, i thought was gay coz that's kinda expected in every superhero book movie . However, he has another way of making it interesting, he "splits" one plot into half !! which i have never heard before !! So by "split" the plot, he splits the "present day" plot into two; Colin's side and Danny's side . And yes , Colin did escape from the bad guys . :PP I found both "split" halves of the plot very interesting because it had very fast-paced action and mystery. BUT, the main reason why i LOVED this book is because the author introduces TWO plots , then SPLITS one in half AND MERGES them ALL back together !!!! isn't that awesome ????? . Colin's side of the story kinda fades away in the middle of the book coz Renata's plot is put into action. She meets Danny and Colin's parents (which were also kidnapped) and the two work as an alliance to find a way out of the "prison" they are in. Again, the author MERGES the two plots together to make a new, improvised one . :D Moving on, you're probably wondering about Colin now... Don't worry he finds help from ex-heroes who happen to be friends with his dad (yes, both his parents are ex-heroes). They eventually get to Danny and his parents. And NOW you're probably saying that this is the end of the book because help is ont the way !! YAY !! NOT !!!! Turns out, the help that Colin had was actually a trap , one of the ex-heroes was working for the enemy . i was like " yeyah !!! more action !!" when i read that part of the book . And that's pretty much it ... well i realy cant tell you guys the end coz i will reallllyyyyy ruin it . just read it guys . you will love it !! especialliii if u love action and suspense books full of twists . :D I loved this book because of not really the plot. well yeah but in my opinion, the plot is only about 10% of what i liked . The other 90% is how the author actually constructs the book . How he introduces new ideas and believe me , he introduced MANY ideas in this book . I especially liked the bit on how he introduces TWo plots, SPLITS one in half, MERGES one plot with half of the other one AND PUTS ALL OF THEM TOGETHER AGAIN !!!! i found this reeallliiii smart and awesome !!! :D :D :D comment please !! :D Vince Exconde

Blue Blood by Ken Catran

I got this book by chance and I'm glad that I did. Blue Blood is a mystery murder/thriller book. It is the third book of the Blue trilogy written by Ken Catran, a New Zealand author. I really enjoyed the book, despite the fact I've never read the first and second book, Talking to Blue and Blue Murder respectively. Oddly, I  found out that it had two books before it when I was half way through. xD 

But even so, I understood the story pretty well since it's pretty straight forward and it explains what happened in the first two books. But I would still recommend reading the first two books if you plan on understanding the story anyway.

Sheril's boyfriend,  Mike, aka 'Blue, the killer' is dead. The story starts a few months after the events of Blue Murder, and is told from Sheril's point of view ( The first two books were told from Mike's perspective). It is shown that after the death of 'Blue' ( His victims wore blue before they got killed), things were starting to go back to normal for Sheril, aside from all the reporters that want to get an inside scoop of 'Blue's girl'. Then suddenly, a murder happened.. and another.. and Sheril is the suspect. The police thinks that her boyfriend, Mike, had corrupted her and she was 'continuing the deed'. Someone is framing Sheril. Someone is trying to get her to jail. But who? Is Mike back from the dead? Or is some copycat killer on the loose? It just shows that even if Blue is dead, his homicidal influence still lingers..

The book kept me at the edge of my seat and it was hard to stop reading. I give this book an 8.5 out of 10 because it had a really nice story and I kind of like mysteries. I would totally recommend the Blue series to anyone who likes suspense/mystery murder. ;D

-Joseph

I Bloody Liggie by Ken Catran

Liggie Tanner, with an axe,
Gave her step-mum forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done ,

She gave her dad forty-one...

-Fourteen-year-old Liggie Tanner kills her parents and escapes from prison, disappearing amid the media frenzy surrounding her case. Two years after the murders, at a nearby high school, Danny is intrigued by an attractive and aloof new girl who challenges a bully on his behalf. His attempts to become better acquainted with Sigourney are rebuffed and he can't help but speculate that she and Liggie are one and the same. He secretly follows her and researches details about the crime while being paired with her on a school project.

This book is epic. Its set in Wanaka in New Zealand(?). I'd give it a 9 out of 10. The book's too short but it's good.

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles

This is one of those books that I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon. Though some parts of the book are kind of cliche, it was expressed in quite an interesting way. This book was amazing and I would totally recommend it to people. I give it a 9 and a half for being really interesting.

I think this is the first book I have read that was set in Israel, so I found it quite interesting. Amy Nelson; a 16 year old girl that is sent there by her mother to visit her father. She is a very stubborn girl and she is very hesitant on going to Israel because she thinks her father left her and her mother. It was surprising when her father tried to ignore all her attempts at making him feel bad which ticked Amy off even more. Towards the end of the book, their relationship began to grow, in the most unexpected way ever !.

She is half Jewish, but she doesn't really appreciate that side of her heritage until she meets Avi; an Israeli hottie(in her words) whom I wouldn't mind meeting ;) . Amy's attitude causes people around her to dislike her as much as she dislikes being in Israel. For example, She doesn't get along with Avi very well but towards the end of the story she begins to grow feelings for him. There's just one problem, she has a boyfriend back in America which made it even harder for her to date Avi.

I liked the turn of events that occured in the story which made it much more interesting to read. It was literally hard to put the book down, so I just stayed up till 3am JUST to finish it. That's how much I liked it. The relationship between Avi and Amy was really sweet(even the parts when they were going off at each other).

Simone Elkeles is an awesome writer expressed Amy's feelings really well and clear so that it would be easy to picture the scenes in our heads. This is not the only book in this series, there are 2 more books which I have read and completely fell in love with.

I would recommend this book for people who basically want a good book to read. Maybe it's more of a girl book, but thats just what I think. :D This is a book that won't get out of your mind for long, TRUST ME !.

Ps, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

So while it's not exactly hard for a book to make me cry, this was definitely an exception. I absolutely loooooved it ~~ I didn't really expect it to be such a good book but it is. So uhm. Here's how it goes.

This story's about a woman named Holly and her husband, Gerry. They're perfect for each other - got together at a young age, married and having a nice and simple life. Everything was going fine when, at some point, Gerry gets a brain tumour and dies a few months later. The book starts after he's died already, actually. So for the first month after or so after his death, Holly is a WRECK. She found it hard to socialize, go out or even clean herself up. Then, one day, going to her parent's house, she found a large envelope, containing letters from Gerry, all written before he died. Each letter is to be opened on the first of every month, and tells her what she has to do - every one of them signed, Ps, I love you. And, with the help of her friends and family, she learns to be happy and move on with her life.

This is a SUPER sad and bittersweet story which talks about how you can still learn to smile although someone close to you, or even someone you loved, goes away. And even when they do pass away, they'll still be watching over you, reminding you that your life is still there to live. It actually got me crying within the first 4 or so chapters -.- ..

I really loved everything about this book. The plotline makes the book such a page turner, mostly because you end up wanting to know what it is the Gerry wants Holly to do next. I also loved the characters - Holly's such an innocent woman, Gerry seemed like such an awesome guy and Holly's friends, Sharon and Denise, had very fun personalities which just makes you love the book so much more. And the way that the author made humour, grief and romance all work in the same book was amazing.
And yeah. His last letter to Holly made me cry so much :/ ..

Anyway. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a slightly romantic novel with a lot of humour in it, and anyone who's keen on reading a real tear jerker of a book. I'd give it a 9 and a half out of 10. So yeah. Read it :3

♥

Paper Towns by John Green

this book was just one of those books that you see and go that looks like a good book. any way i started reading it and then i decided it was boring so i put it down. then the next week i was bored and cos i love reading i needed a book so i got this one and started reading it again.

          a paper town is a place put on a map so that map writers can know if its just been copied and said to be someone elses.

          margo roth spiegelman is the girl next door to Q. she is the girl everyone wants to be and the girl everyone wants to date. margo has a little black diary that she writes in but what she is writingis her planning on leaving and running away.

          one day when margo dissappears Q decides to find her. margos parents said she sometimes left random clues to abotu where she went. Q follows these with his mates.

          Q discovers all these things he didnt know about the girl he loves and goes through a trumatic time thinking margo was dead.

          with graduation luming will Q find margo and bring her back?????????

i absolutely love this book and love this author. i would give it an 8/10 because of the writing style and way it makes you question everything you think you know. recommened for people who love a good mystery and romance. people who want to get revenge cos it has some great ideas in it. and anyone who needs a time wasting story.

                  'i Believe in random Capitalisation'.   -margo Roth Spiegelman

by jacqui turner

Mixed Bags By Melody Carlson

MIXED BAGS is the first book in the Carter House Girls series. It is an excellent beginning to a fun-filled, teen-driven lifestyle that highlights the rich and famous...with all their peculiar habits and prejudices. I would rate it a 8/10 and recommend it to people who like stories that they can relate to in some way.

This book is about a girl called DJ (Desiree Jeanette) Lane. After her mother's death, DJ tried living with her dad, his new wife and their infant twins, only to feel like she was being used as a full-time babysitter. So she jumped at the chance to live with her grandmother, internationally famous '60s fashion model Katherine Carter. Now Mrs. Carter has opened up her large Victorian home to five other girls in hopes of turning them all into debutantes.

DJ is more of a no make-up, hair tucked up in a baseball cap kind of girl, and is completely ignorant of designer labels, to her they are a whole other language and she simply dosen't see the need. So sharing her home and even a room with girls who look like they stepped off of the pages of Vogue doesn’t do wonders for her self-esteem.

The Girls: Taylor, Eliza and Kriti are beautifully dressed and self-assured and Rhiannon is Grandmothers charity case. Then there’s Casey who used to be DJ’s best friend but has undergone a makeover of her own and her parents believe she's in need of an intervention with the safety pins through her eyebrows and Goth style make-up.

Throwing all of these girls into one house unavoidablely causes plenty of drama with the clashing personalities. Some of these girls break the rules and each other without a second thought. We see events mainly though DJ's eyes, as she struggles with figuring out who she is and want she really wants, just like every other real world teen. With the six girls sharing bedrooms and closet space, there are soon arguments, tantrums, backbiting and power plays --- all of which DJ is no match for.

Then theres Connor, who DJ used to play basketball with occasionally. He has started to become more than her friend, and the conniving Taylor, who is set on destroying DJ's chances with Connor as well as her reputation is just around the conner. DJ soon realizes that she is out of her depth and makes external and internal changes that have Connor and the girls noticing.

Mishaps By Nansi Kunze

I found this book in the library a couple of months ago and after a quick scan of the blurb I put it back on the shelf where I found it. After a couple other visits to the library I kept seeing it all around the place and even heard about it through a friend and it seemed like I should actually read this book, and I'm glad I did because it was a amazing read.

This book is about a 16 year old girl; Pen O'Connell; who seems to have everything going against her. From having her dog literally eat her homework, to the millions of times a day she falls over her feet. She just considers herself really unlucky. Until a chance meeting with Sebastian Meyers, a boy genius and genetics expert, leads her to question weather all her 'mishaps' are just unluckiness on her part or some random coincidence.

Sebastian's theory really out there being; if you do good thing you get some good luck out of it; and the same the other way round; if you do bad things you in turn get bad luck thrown your way. This theory goes with most people; all except Pen; so from there they go on their own secret 'mission' so to speak. To see what the actual problem is with all of Pen's bad luck; if it just bad luck and Sebastian's theory is wrong or if there is something wrong with the way Pen's luck works and Sebastian's theory is right after all.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book to read with a lot of twists and turns and with a really unpredictable ending. I give this book a 9/10.

Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I had seen this book everywhere, so one day I decided to get it out..
This book only keeps you reading up until the middle. The ending for me was too sudden and lacked a lot of depth.

Winter Girls is a story about Lia and her best friend Cassie who are in a deadly competition with each other, to see who can be the thinnest. But what happens when you reach your goal weight of 98 pounds? You must keep going. On and on, an endless cycle of self destruction, Lia also self harms. Cassie ends up dead in a mysterious hotel room one night and Lia gets haunted by her.


"I breathe in slowly. Food is life. I exhale, take another breath. Food is life. And that's the problem. When you're alive, people can hurt you. It's easier to crawl into a bone cage or a snowdrift of confusion. It's easier to lock everybody out.
But it's a lie."

This book does not seem like fiction at all, more like a first hand account of what it is like to be anorexic.
I have spoken to some people about this book and they found it too gruesome and disturbing, I actually thought it was fine but if you are easily grossed out, this book might not be the one for you.

I would say this book is still worth a read, again if you don't mind the detailed accounts of cutting and anorexia, it was interesting to find out how Lia feels throughout the story. 
7 out of 10.




End.

Desert Crossing by Elise Broach

I grabbed this book at random off the library shelf last week and was hooked very quickly so I took it home and finished it off.  The story is narrated by 14-year-old Lucy.  The story begins in a car, with Lucy, her older brother, Jamie, and Jamie's best friend Kit, travelling across the New Mexico desert.  As night approaches, a storm arrives suddenly and in the poor driving conditions the car hits something.  Assuming they have hit a coyote, they go back to investigate, only to find the body of a young woman lying beside the road.  She is dead.

This is a book about how a single moment can change your life.  After the accident, the characters and the relationships between them are all thrown into turmoil.  The dead girl has no identification on her and Lucy becomes obsessed with discovering who she was. This leads her to make some dangerous decisions and choices.  Meanwhile, she develops romantic feelings for Kit, the annoying best friend of her older brother.  (Personally, I thought Kit was a real creep and can't see the attraction!)  Although it gets off to a start quickly, the book becomes a bit bogged down in the relationships between Lucy and Kit, and between Jamie and the alluring "older woman", Beth, who takes them in after the accident.

If you enjoy a fast-paced story, this probably isn't it, but if you don't mind a story about characters facing a challenging situation and the way this affects their relationships you might enjoy it.  I would give it a 6/7 out of 10.

Return of the Indian by Lynne Reid Banks

Return Of the Indian is the second book of Lynne Reid Banks' sequel of The Indian in the Cupboard.

This book is about a boy named Omri and his little plastic friends. Omri has a magical cupboard that can give life into any plastic toy and so he used that to make little plastic friends, their names are Little Bull, Twin Stars, Boone, Matron and Fickets.

The story starts when he won a writing competition. His story was about Little Bull's adventures as being a Native American Indian. He was very pleased with himself so he wanted to bring back Little Bull to life and tell him the good news. But as Omri opened the door of his magical cupboard, he saw Little Bull on the ground wounded.

I chose this book because it was the first book I saw on my desk and I wanted to know what happened to the characters after the first book. This book was pretty interesting and had its ups and downs. I found this book interesting because it showed that anyone can be friends, for example Little Bull and Boone. Both from different groups but they managed to get along and be friends with each other.

I recommend this book for reader who likes fantasy. I would give this 8 out of 10.

~ >.<

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Maze of Bones is a mystery/adventure book. It is the first book of the 39 clues series.It is written by Rick Riordan, the same writer of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I also like. It 's also the reason I chose this book. Plus the cover looked kinda cool with all the skulls and bones and stuff.. anyway, I give it an 8 out of 10 because I find it interesting.

The Cahill family is a large family and has included some of the most influential people and greatest thinkers of the last 300 years. Apparently the Cahills have a great legacy, that has led these people to greatness.

In the first book we are introduced to Amy and Dan, two siblings that are the main characters of the series. At their grandmothers funeral they are given the choice between 1,000,000 dollars each or the first clue that could lead them to the Cahill family legacy.

Amy and Dan must follow in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin to find the first clue, and find out what these clues are all about..

(I better not spoil you because it's a good book.) 

The book is very well written, and I felt very excited while reading it. It is both highly entertaining and informative. It took a few days for me to finish this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery or adventure books.

Thanks for reading. :D

-Joseph

Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

Sup, miss. I kinda got bored and didn't feel like doing a boring summary. So I decided to do something different. I dont like summaries and homework. So I kinda rushed this. :D

The narrative outlines the events surrounding the murder of Santiago Nasar, a young man who is thought to have taken the virginity of Angela Vicario. On her wedding night, after discovering that she was not a virgin, Angela's husband, Bayardo San Roman, returns her to her house. Angela's twin brothers, Pedro Vicario and Pablo Vicario, ask her who took her virginity, and she tells them that Santiago Nasar did. The brothers find Santiago and kill him.

The narrative is non-linear. The narrator begins the story by telling us about Santiago Nasar's household the morning he was murdered. In the course of the chapter, we learn that Santiago lived with his mother, Placida Linero; their cook, Victoria Guzman; and her daughter, Divina Flor. Santiago's father, Ibrahim Nasar, has died three years previously. After his father died, Santiago took over the family ranch, which has been very successful; the Nasars are wealthy in their community.

The day that Santiago is murdered was a significant day in town because the Bishop was coming by boat to bless the marriage of Angela Vicario and Bayardo San Roman. Many people were heading over to the dock to see the boats. Pedro and Pablo Vicario were sitting in the local milk-shop, which was en route to the dock, so that they could see Santiago Nasar either going or returning in order to track him down and kill him. The narrator's sister learns that Angela Vicario was returned home on the night of her wedding.

Bayardo San Roman had come to town to find a bride. After deciding on Angela, the courtship was short. Because Bayardo came from a prestigious, wealthy family, and the Vicarios were relatively poor, Angela did not really have a choice, even though she did not love Bayardo at the time they were wed.

The night before the murder, there had been lots of wedding revelry that had continued into the early morning at a local whorehouse run by Maria Alejandrina Cervantes, where Santiago Nasar had been carousing with the twins and the narrator until early in the morning. After returning home and finding their sister in disgrace, the Vicario brothers set out to avenge her honor by murdering Santiago Nasar. Even though they repeatedly announced their intent to murder him, the butcher, the police officer, and the Colonel all thought that the Vicarios are largely bluffing. Clothilde Armenta, the proprietor of the milk shop, even told the local priest about what the Vicario twins were threatening to do. However, in the excitement surrounding the arrival of the bishop, he forgot about her warning.

After the murder, the entire Vicario family left town because of the disgrace the combination of events had brought upon their family. A week after the murder, Bayardo San Roman left with his family; they came and retrieved him by boat. The Vicario brothers were imprisoned for three years. After their release from prison, Pablo proceeded to marry his betrothed, Prudencia Cotes, and Pedro went back into the armed forces.

After Bayardo returned Angela to her home on their wedding night, she fell in love with him. After she moved away from the town where she was disgraced, she wrote him letters every week for seventeen years, and eventually he returned to her.

For years after the crime, it was all anyone in the town spoke of. The narrator tells how his friend Cristo Bedoya searched frantically for Santiago the morning of the murder in order to warn him of the Vicario brothers' plan, but failed to find Santiago because he did not realize that Santiago had gone to the house of his fiance, Flora Miguel. Her father was the first to warn Santiago of the murder. At this point, there were crowds of people outside who had come to see the Bishop but had lingered because they had heard the rumor that Santiago was to be killed.

When he left Flora Miguel's house, Santiago was very confused. Clothilde Armenta yelled at him to run, and he ran the fifty yards to his front door. The Vicario brothers easily caught up with him, and stabbed him to death right outside of Santiago's front door.

The end, bro. Harhar

GIRL, STOLEN By April Henry

the day we had our mid term break i went to the onehunga library just as it happened to be Zoe and Amanda were there too. we were all choosing and recomending books for each other i dont know if they gave it to me or i picked it but im really glad i got it out.
        sixteen year old cheyenne wilder (daughter of the president of nike) is sleeping in the back of her stepmoms car while her mum gets her perscription for antibiotics.before cheyenne relises whats happening the car is being stolen. 
         griffins dad runs a 'automobile shop' and griffin takes the cars he sees the keys dangling in the car and takes the car cheyenne is in.
         cheyenne keeps begging to be let go she keeps saying please let me go i wont tell
         griffin is falling in love with cheyenne andhas to prtect her form the evil men around griffin.
cheyenne doesnt know how she will survive not only is she sick with pneunomia, doesnt have her dog or no way to escape her biggest problem is that she is blind.
          i would recommend this book to many and all who want a drama and a bit of romance. really nice way of a kidnapper hero i give it a four and a half stars (out of 5) 
from jacqui

Thieves Till We Die by Stephen Cole

I tried really hard to find this book in the school library and I eventually found it. I really wanted to find this coz this is the sequel to the first book I wrote a review about and I really like the story flow and the fast paced action. :D

The story still follows the journey of Jonah Wish, an 18 yr old ex-convict committed of cyber fraud and his companions and now best friends Tye, Con, Motti and Patch. And of course they all still work for the same man that goes by the name of Coldhartdt. The gang continue to do what they do best, steal priceless artifacts. However, it is very predictable in a sequel that it will have double the action, double the suspense, double the mind-boggling twists and turns and double the romance. :3

I think the beginning of the story is kinda starts out good when the gang look for the Sword Of Cortes, an ancient Mayan sword that is believed to have some spiritual power. Of course the gang don't really care about the power as long as they can sell it and make a fortune which I thought was a really nice start. However, the twist doubles after a few chapters when the gang's whole plot goes downhill with Jonah's long time major crush Tye being kidnapped (which really sucks for Jonah coz he really likes her . LoL) Good thing Jonah was at the scene of the crime so the group at least have a bit of lead evidence (of course, Jonah took a beating from the kidnappers. :P) Anyways, this sends the whole group even Coldhardt insane as they have lost their best driver and a very good friend and they immediately investigate and they found evidence that it might be another group of master thieves that go by the name of Sixth Sun(kinda gay for Coldhardt's gang coz they have a name XD) and a man like Coldhardt, wise and a master thief. A man that is known as Kabacra. Both parties being major suspects for Tye's kidnapping.

Moving on .... I honestly thought that the story would be all about Tye and her kidnapping but as i kept on reading, i as the reader and the characters in the book, started to notice something... Could the kidnapping of Tye be related to their journey of the Lost Sword of Cortes? Or perhaps the kidnapping of Tye is for another reason? ..... This part really got me thinking that's what made me keep reading this book and im sure you guys will feel the intensity when you read it too. hopefully :D

I really liked this book because of how the author described the fast paced action in words (after all, it is easier to do in the movies) and it gave me the feeling as if i was part of the gang, a character in the book, a hero. I also liked the fact how the author introduced the double plot in a very interesting way almost writing it in diary form, separating Tye's story from Jonah's. This book is not all about action because even i felt heart-touching moments throughout which i think is a good thing about a novel being balanced in terms of genre. As i said before, i strongly recommend this book to people who love high-octane action that will NEVER make you stop reading and the bit about romance is a very nice touch . :D

I rate this book a 9.5/10 as I really like action books myself and not romance :P However, after reading this book, i think giving books a touch of romance makes a big difference in terms of excitement and story-flow . Hope this review is good . Comment please !!! :D :D

Vince Exconde

Teachers pet By Morris Gleitzman

This is a great tale of how a girl named ginger, walks to school one day and realizes that she has her little sisters cat in her bag.

The one thing that she didn't expect, was that a stray dog would start following her. This started a long journey through having to face being transferred to a new school, a new principal and a dog that no one understands, but Ginger.

Her friends Isabel and Ned find more stray dogs, and they care for them and love them. the only problem was, they couldn't show their new friends off, because their new acting principal had made the dog out to be something that they weren't.

This was a great book that i just could not put down, great read, 9/10, recommended for ages 9-15, maybe only 13, but still!!

The Last of the Warrior Kings by Sarah Mussi

The Last of the Warrior Kings was i think a sort of a thriller/mystery book and is targetted to teenage readers. The story is about Max , a young teenager who lives in London. While i was reading , i was easily drawn into the story with max and his twin brother Angelo as they were running away from a hooded gang. The gang were chasing a famous rapper , Mogul King who gives a package to Max which contained an ancient sacrificial dagger before he was killed. Withing a few hours Angelo also died , and Max realises that his brother was involved in the dangerous "mission" to send the Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria where they were looted years ago. Max and his friends Sapphire and Roland sort of pieced the whole puzzle together while being "commanded" "threathened" by the More Dread Crew , who were out to retrieve the ancient sacrificial dagger which Max possessed and to hide the truth about it. Max and his friends had a plan to free the ancient treasures of Benin and reveal the More Dread Crew to the rest of the world and all the secrets they hid.

In my opinion , the plot was a bit too predictable for a thriller , usually when you read a thriller book you'd be suspicious of what would happen next but as for this book , i kinda knew what would happen after reading half of the book. If you're into thriller/mysterious books then i recommend this to you. But the plot is a bit predictible and dull ._. I'd give it a .. 6-7 out of 10 i think :O

If I have wicked stepmother....where's my prince? By Melissa Kantor

CINDERELLA and LUCY: 1. They both have a dead mother. 2. A wicked stepmother. 3. Two Evil stepsisters. and 4. Are friendless.

Happily Ever After, the endings of fairy tales, where there is always a prince to save you from your unhappiness, but apparently..... it can’t happen in the real world. Lucy Norton just moved from San Francisco, California to Long Island, New York because of her father remarrying. She now has to live in the basement of her stepmother’s house and accompanied with two bratty stepsisters.

Don't try and deny the fact that when something bad happens to us we often do question ourselves where's our 'prince'. She has a stepmother and two stepsisters. But just because she makes them out to be evil doesn't actually mean that they are and just because you're dating the popular jock he's your 'prince'. Sometimes to find everything you have to look a little harder because everything really is in front of you.
Altogether is book was a very quick read and I guess for being such a book I found it really shocking that I wanted to find out what was going to take place in the next chapters. Plus I got this feeling when Sam was introduced that he was the one for Lucy. I don't know why but i get that feeling quite a lot when reading books. I find out pretty fast who the main character is going to end up with.

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? is now one of my favorite books. The author's understanding of the life of a teenage girl is brilliant and accurate in so many ways. The writing is more than just PHENOMENAL!! it’s … the best. The ending was predictable, but at the same time, surprising. The plot and characters were simple and developed throughout the story. Filled with humor and pretty good references, this book is on the bottom of my recommendation List, well top 20 list. If you’re 13 and want to read something fun or.... lets say 30? and want to relax with a good read, pick up this book. I guarantee you’ll love it. :D

LORD OF THE FLIES . By William Golding

Didn't get this book from the school library (though i think they have a copy), its actually my sisters that she received from high school when she was in the yr11 ADVANCED class (she didn't want to give it back hehe).

This book is a COMPLEX book. I really enjoyed this book because it challenged my understanding to the point where I had thoughts of closing the book. Because of this reason I would rate this book a 9/10 (coming from someone who has a limited imagination).

MAIN CHARACTERS :

RALPH - a twelve year old boy who is elected leader of a group. RALPH REPRESENTS the rational and civilized side of humanity (brains and limbs of a person, being the leader).

PIGGY - an overweight outsider, who because of his intelligent way of thinking is instantly considered as RALPHS "wing-man". He is known as a "LOSER" and because of these reasons and his appearance (weight and glasses), he is CONTINUOUSLY mocked. (PIGGY REPRESENTS the heart of a person, being the most caring and understanding person on the island)

JACK - one of the older boys who is the leader of the choir and thinks he is "TOP GUN". He is a bully that is jealous of RALPHS position as a leader. JACK REPRESENTS the animal in all of us which quickly turns into savagery. (the muscles of a person, being the one who just wants to DO without thinking).

SIMON - like PIGGY, SIMON is JACKS "wing-man".


LORD OF THE FLIES opens with a plane, full of British school boys who are fleeing from war, that has crashed on a deserted tropical island. With no adults surviving the crash, the boys are put to the test of survival, not only with their surroundings but with each other. RALPH is immediately elected leader and he lays down some objectives and rules. Being rescued is the most important thing until they realise there is no sign of rescue. JACK having a different way of being leader, splits the tribe into two, the HUNTERS (JACKS group) and those who want to get off the island (RALPHS group). Eventually, RALPHS group seems the better option to the HUNTERS, and the boys fall deeper and deeper into a life of VIOLENCE.

William Golding had an amazing perspective on man kinds violence and self destruction. He is an icon because of the way he portrayed this. I would recommend this book to those who are willing to extend their imagination.

The Summer Of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguié

I choose this book because i had nothing else to read.. but I ended up liking it. I would give it a 7/10 because even though at first I thought I wasn't going to finish it it kept me hooked with a new twist in almost every chapter. So now i can't wait to read the series and I would definitely recommend this book anyone my age.

This book is about a girl called Candace who has to involuntarily get a summer job because of her father who refuses to pay for her all the time. The problem is its way too late to get a decent job and even if she did get one her whole summer would be wasted away leaving her no time to spend her newly earned money, not to mention how low her energy levels would be.

At the start of the story Candace only has one real friend 'Tamara' who just happens to really rich. Tamara tries to talk Candace out of getting a job offering to pay for her summer but Candace knows her father won't allow this so she reluctantly declines.

When Candace tries to get a job at The Zone (a local amusement park where she's been going to for years) she is left with only two options; a janitor, and a cotton candy operator. After this point things start to go downhill for her from her name tag being "Candy" seeming more like a cruel joke rather than a mistake to the crazy train driver who tries to kill people. Staring off she has a lot of bad luck, and swears she would never come back if she survived this summer. However there are a few things she likes about the job, like finding true friendship... and love.

Of course because Tamara is rich she only sees that Candace is not around and stops supporting her decision to stay with her first job. There are many ups and downs but Candace never gives up and in the end she finds herself singing up for next summer... in advance.

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

I mainly picked up the book because the title was interesting and I also liked the size and font. Some people judge books by the cover, but I judge books by the font and size of the writing.

This book is about a group of cheerleaders that are also a group of friends, busting all the cheating boyfriends. Tessa, the main character, is the leader of the cheer-leading squad and their 'out of school activities'. They are known as the 'Smitten Kittens' . Requests are taken from girlfriends that suspect their boyfriends for cheating. Unfortunately, every single suspect that they have come across have been found guilty.

Tessa is the only girl on the squad that actually has a boyfriend. Over time, the others dumped their boyfriends because they found out that they were cheating. She is shocked when she finds her boyfriends name on the suspect list. With the 100% rate with the cheating, Tessa and Aiden's relationship isn't looking really good. Then again, Aiden is a good guy. Could he be the first boyfriend to be cleared of all charges?

'The Naughty List' had a slow start, which put me off for a few days, before I picked it up again and started reading. As the story progresses you'll find yourself wanting more. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book with; girls spying on guys and romance.

I would rate this book 7/10 because if I had another book to read, i would've left this book and never given it a second glance.

*There are other books in the series- #2- So Many Boys #3- A Good Boy Is Hard to Find

:)

It's kind of a funny story by Ned Vizzini

I picked this book up by chance and I'm glad I did.

Craig is a 16 year old boy living in Brooklyn. He however is not your as average '16 year old boy' as he attends the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School which places a lot of pressure on him, academically. He suffers from depression, anxiety attacks, an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts. One day everything becomes too much for Craig and he admits himself into a psychiatric hospital. Whilst in the hospital, Craig meets a girl, Noel, who helps him address his anxiety issues and basically is just a friend to him.

This book is amazing, Ned Vizzini addresses depression and other disorders extremely sensitively without being the book being depressing itself. After all, it wouldn't be easy to write a book on these issues and still retain ( as the title suggests ) a funny story.

I was disappointed to find there was a movie made last year, because I give the book a 9.5 out of ten.
Read this book if you like John Green, Stephen Chbosky, Jerry Spinelli or just a general good read.
You won't be disappointed.

The Undys by Michael Wagner

I chose this book the same way as I chose the previous book, by strolling around the library looking for a book that would stand out and catch my attention. And I must say this book really did get my attention. The books title, 'The Undys' sounded similar to 'undies' and the letter 'U' in the title was in a shape of underwear, this gave me the impression that it would be a humorous book.
The strong bond between that the boy had with his father was heart warming and made me feel more appreciative of my father and what he does to me. The illustration throughout the book was also great as it had a cartoony style to it and it was quite creative as it gave you a 'award' at the end of each chapter. I would like to say that the good points would list on....but it doesn't that is basically all for me. It might be beacause the book was aimed at a much younger age than mine. The plot was too straight-forward with Josh and his Father playing various father and son games throughout the book.
I would rate this book 5-6 out of ten for me as i couldn't enjoy the book very much as it is for younger children. The drawings was entertaining and I probably paid more attention to it more than the story! So in conclusion unless you are around 8 years old or would like a very easy book to read with a predictable plot i would recommend you to not grab this book despite its attractive cover.

The Hunger Games Catching Fire

Well, I have finally finished the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  And the question everyone wants to know the answer to is: is it as good as the first one?  To be honest, I would say probably not, but it is still worth reading.

Katniss and Peeta are back in District 12 after their victory in the Hunger Games in the previous book.  Katniss is struggling to adjust to her new life.  She is still confused about her feelings for Gale and Peeta.  The story gets off to a slow start until the powers in the Capitol announce that the next Hunger Games will be fought only by survivors of previous games and yes, you guessed it, it's back into the arena for Katniss and Peeta.  At first I felt a bit annoyed by this because it seemed as if the author was just writing the same story again but I changed my mind once some interesting new characters such as Finnick were introduced and the action heated up.  The author does a great job of conveying Katniss's ongoing struggle to know who, if anyone, to trust as it gradually becomes clear that things are not quite what they seem ...

I did think the end of the book was a bit disappointing.  It seemed as if the author was in a hurry to wind it up so she could start writing the next one!!  Yes, I know there's another book that will pick up the story but I still think any book (including one with a sequel) should have a satisfying ending.  Despite this, I would give it 7 out of 10.  Give it a try, but only if you have already read the first one.

Findin Violet Park By Jenny Vanlentine

A friend of mine came across this book in the library and after seeing it I thought I might give the book a go before she did. After seeing the cover I was instantly drawn to the book and just had to read it; it was the two sentences on the cover page that got my attention straight away; "I met Violet after she died. But it didn't stop me from getting to know her."

This is the story of a 16 year old boy named Lucas Swain, he lives with his Mum, older sister Mercy and younger brother Jed at their grandparents house. His grandparents had given them this house because they felt sorry for them because his Father (their son) had abandoned them five years earlier when his Mum was eight months pregnant with his younger brother. No one knows if his dad is alive or dead and if he is alive then no one knows where he is. All any one knows is that his dad is just gone.

Lucas spends most of his time wondering what has happen to his dad and trying to remember how he was so he could be just like him. This is until he stumbles across an urn with the ashes of Violet Park's; an old lady who he feels instantly connected to. As he slowly starts to unravel the mystery of Violet Park's, he starts to see the strange connection she has with his dad. He then realise that his life and all he thought he knew was to be true is in reality false.

This is an awesome book just waiting for you to read it; so just give it a chance and you'll have an amazing time reading it no matter who you are or what your into. If I was to rate this book I would give it a 8/10.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

'All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time'.
This is definitely one of my favourite books - END. OF. STORY. It has such a touching plot; a real page turner, with messages that make you think about what you've done and will do in life, and about the afterlife. I'd give this a 9 and a half out of 1O.

This book is about a lonely war veteran named Eddie, who works at an amusement park. Ironically, the story starts 5Ominutes before his death, an accident while trying to save a little girl's life. After his journey into heaven, he is to then meet five people, loved ones or strangers, who have significantly affected his life on earth, and each of them have something vital about his life to teach Eddie. "This is the greatest gift God can give you: To understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for", was one of the many things Eddie learned during his time in heaven. Revealing different parts of his life, it's sure to keep you reading, and completely intrigues you with a rather unexpected ending.

I thought this story was extremely heart-wrenching and bittersweet, with many moments which made me think about the people in my life. Eddie, the main character, really makes you feel sympathetic towards him. I loved how the author created an image of heaven - an abstract image with so much eerieness which leaves you totally intrigued. I also loved the many messages this book offers. There were quite a few quotes which were significant to me, like;

"No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone."

"Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from the inside.We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves. Forgive ... because no one is born with anger."

"Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter moves home to take care of her sick father ... Sometimes when you sacrifice something, you're not reallly losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

This book is soo inspriational and eye-opening. It makes you think about the little things people have done which have changed your life, and how you've been affecting other people's lives. Whether they're close friends or total strangers, you never know what you've done to make your mark on their life .. "Strangers are just family you have yet come to know".

It isn't just for religious people, so I'd recommend this book to just about anyone, especially if they're looking for something to really think about. Honestly, it's a reeeaally good book.
READ IT. YOU'LL LOVE IT. :3