Walk In My Shoes by Alwyn Evans

Hi guys ., :D

I chose to read this book because it was different in a way that most books i read are from a guy's perspective (like Percy Jackson !! woohhoooo !!) so yeah ., and this one is told from a girl's point of view and i could honestly say there is a HUGE difference and i find it very interesting. Anyways, since our topic this term is social justice, i will talk about this book's social justice issue and how it is seen in our world today and i'll also talk about this book in general. :D

So, to begin with, this book's social justice issue is very common in our world today. It is about refugees. Im assuming we all know what refugees are. hehehe. It is about this girl called Gulnessa and her family which is made up of her mum (name not mentioned), her older brother Hassan and her two youngest siblings Zahra and Zainullah (girl and boy respectively). Abdul, who is a friend of Gulnessa (or Nessa as she is mostly called) is also a refugee who escaped with Nessa and her family. Nessa's dad is mentioned in the story and he is apparently in the mountains looking for something but does not escape with Nessa. They all come from a war-torn Afghanistan and with some connections, they managed to make their way to Australia where they plan to settle. However, when they arrive, their doubts start coming true with some shocking results. That's all i'll tell you guys, coz its gonna ruin it for you. so just read the book. :D

Okayy, so with the book's social justice issue, as i said before it is about refugees. This is a very uncommon issue in our world today and it is slowly getting worse. People come from all over the world where war and famine have stricken and go to a different country to settle. In my opinion, this book depicts the story very well in terms if the plot and it actually taught me what they do to refugees when they arrive. In the book, Nessa and her family are put into a refugee camp with other Afghani refugees which they refer to as Camp in the story. There, they are fed and have somewhere to sleep. However, their living conditions in there are just enough to keep them alive. They find it very new in Australia because it is nothing like Afghanistan, they do not know what a bed is, they do not know what cordial is and a really awkward onee ., they do not know what a tampon is. This shows the reader how refugees feel when they arrive to a foreign place and of course, there is always the language barrier that is always hard to overcome. In the book, Nessa and her family struggle to communicate with the Australians and often need an interpreter to properly interact with them. This book really emphasises the struggles that refugees face in all aspects of their everyday lives. It makes the reader feel how hard it is to be in the refugee's position hence the title WALK IN MY SHOES and after reading this book, even I feel happy for Nessa and her family when they _____________________ ___________ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _____ (READ THE BOOK GUYS!! :D)

This book taught me that I should be grateful for what I have because most people in the world dont even have half of what I have. This also taught me that I should be grateful that I still live another day without having to worry about getting shot, getting kidnapped, having no food or no home. Another thing that it taught me is that thinking of others before myself is important because if we wanna be children of God then regardless of the person's sex, religion, culture, I should accpet them for who they are because in the end of the day, we are all equal.

Read this book guys, it's heart warming, and it will teach you a thing or two abbout life. :D

Please comment!! :D
Vince Exconde

P.S: the book starts out kinda boring so yeahh ., but the pace eventually picks up which is good ., loLzz ., xD

nineteen eighty-four by george orwell

this book is set in the year 1984 (funny that), and it is about a totalitarian agenda ruling over the city of london. it is , just like the book animal farm, about the russian revolution that ended up going sour. the main character winston smith. he is a man that is following big brother and the party, but at the same time is sick of all of it and he starts writing in a journal about how he hates the party and what it stands for. he is constantly under surveillance, as is everyone else, because in every room of every building there is a two way telescreen that watches your every move. he meets a woman named julia whom he has a love affair with and then ends up getting caught with here in a room by a secret telescreen. they are taken in by the ministry of love and interrogated. winston gets tortured and is taken into a room where he is to face his biggest fear and he there admits to all of his thoughtcrime. he at the same time of admitting this, betrays julia. he pretty much just gives up and thinks that big brother is just wonderful by the end. its a long, hard read. but totally worth it :)

The Book Theif by Markus Zusak

This is a book narrated by Death set during the Second World War in the town of Molching.

It shows the story of liesal meminger a small German girl who must live with her foster parents after her parents are taken away and her brother dies of a sickness while on a train.

this book deals with the oppressive reign of the fuhrer and the discrimination of the Jews.while liesal along with the majority of the populace live in poverty.

being a Jew in Germany during the time of WWII was worse than being dead, you were the scum of the earth believed to be not even worth the carbon atoms that sustained you.

simply knowing a jew could put you is danger and we won't mention what you would suffer if you were helping them as Hans Hubermann was willing to do.

in this society discrimination run rampant and justice was a mere concept not a reality with people being looked down on because they did not have a strong belief in their leader.

this book gives us a taste of what life was like and how constant the fear of accusation was.

The Power of ONE by Bryce Courtenay

well i have to say this book is definetely different from the ones i usuallly read.
recomended by miss and by pretty much everyone i know the 'Power of ONE' well
caught me!!!

it has a lot to do with social justice. placed in south africa 'peekay' a rooinek which mean a southafrican of englich descent has to go through a lot of mental and physical struggle when his dear mother goes into some type of depression and is sent to boarding school at a very young age (5). he was the youngest by two years and was picked on for being a englishman. the kids in the boarding school bullied him, beat him up inspite of being so young!!
but peekay the smarter one learns the few tricks of the trade of getting out of trouble. born with a beautiful smart mind he moved his way to the top of class!! and helped the oldest bully into passing his exams. and many more...
then after a year of boarding school in the end of the year his gradfather send him money to catch a train to his gradfathers home instead of his usuall place. on the journey he meets hoppie an appointed man to look after him introduces the art of 'boxing' this catches peekays eye and he falls in love with the sport.
this story talks about the relationship between the roineks, boers (southafrican of dutch descent) and the africans. how the blacks are treated as dirt and how the two white races always end up fighting each other. this sory talks about where ever you go you will always find trouble but you should use your brain not your heart to get out of it.
the story also talks about peekay meeting other people once he gets to his gradfathers house with his mum. how he finally gets the boxing lessons and the death of his dear friends.
how he is so smart he gets a schilar to highschool at age twelve!
i dont want to write any more or ill ruin it!
but i give this book and ten out of ten
an absolute awesome book recommend this for a class who is doing social justice!
boys mights like it a bit more due to the long boxing related topics!!!
but overall an outstanding novel! well done to the author a very thoughtful book!

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Uglies is a book written by Scott Westerfield. It is about a girl named Tally who lives in a fictional world in which everyone is made "pretty" through cosmetic surgery when they turn 16. 

Basically It's about a girl named Tally who wants to become "pretty" and live in a paradise known as New Pretty Town and leave Uglyville once and for all. There's a lot of twists in events and Tally is forced to make decisions if she really wants to become a pretty or not.. you should just read the book to know the story.

anyway, the story is set in a fictional world where all the not so good looking people live in Uglyville and all the good looking ones live in a high-tech utopia called New Pretty Town. Also, everyone gets a surgery to make them good looking when they turn 16.

The book also indicates many social justice issues such as body image and peer pressure. 

Body image is perception of the looks and attractiveness of their own body. the book demonstrates this many times and is a major theme in the plot. In my opinion, looks aren't everything, and i hate how most people use person's physical features as a prior basis to a person. anyway, moving on, Peer Pressure is the influence from members of one's peer group.This, too, is an important theme in the book. many of Tally's decisions in the story are usually influenced by her peers, thus having a great effect in her life. peer pressure, to me, is also a big thing in life. as i am a fourteen year old boy, my actions are also influenced by my peers and i understand the reason's for Tally's actions and decisions.

aand, that is all i can say now. sorry i couldnt write that much, it's passed my bedtime.

good night.

-jØseph

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Errmm like Maria I picked my book from the pile in the library with my very effective method of eenie-meeny-miney-mo. I reckon the cover of this book stood out from the rest with its gold-ish green camouflage and weird title of Milkweed.

"I am running. Thats the first thing I remember. Running. I carry something, my arm curled around it, hugging it to my chest Bread of course.Someone is chasing me. "Stop! Thief!" "

from the beginning this story had me hooked, I made sure it wasn't a racism based novel because Ive read too many of those. It is a novel about life in the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of a little boy, who looks 8 years old, who has no real identity and doesn't really know whats going on around him or has any education and social skills. He has absolutely no memory of his past, only that he was given the yellow stone he wears around his neck by his papa and that he is a gypsy. What helps him survive is his petite size and quick feet when it comes to stealing food and finding shelter.

A redheaded older boy named Uri finds Stop-thief and takes him under his wing, introducing him to a whole group of young thieves.They look out for one another like family, and share both the bad and the good. Without parents and no real demonstration of LOVE they show it to each other and are civil in an uncivilized world. Uri gives Stop-thief a new name and made up his background, telling him his name is Misha and he comes from a large Russian gypsy family and was kidnapped and brought to Warsaw. Also to remember that he's not a Jew. Misha’s small body, quickness, and experience stealing comes in handy for him and his friends.sneaking out through a two-brick hole to get food, he saves his friends from dying of starvation.

Surprisingly Uri becomes a soldier and makes sure Misha doesn't get on the trains headed for the concentration camps. Young and naive at the time with all this was going on, Misha does not understand the danger of the situation. His version of the Holocaust is innocent, cute, and horrifying at the same time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about history or the holocaust. There are definitely violent, morbid, and disgusting parts to the story, which I think is fitting. I think it is wonderful that authors are writing these kinds of novels. Youth should be able to get a good picture of what happened during the Holocaust so that it never occurs again, even on a smaller scale. After this book I hope people will try to treat each other a little bit better, I mean same thing applies with everyone else's books. I recommend this book to any-one who reads this book review and isn't afraid of violence and well holocaust. A.... 8/10 for me.
=D

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Kyra is thirteen years old.
She lives in an isolated community.
She lives with her father, her 20 siblings and his three wives.
She cannot leave. They will beat her.

Kyra is not allowed to meet with the boy of her dreams Joshua.
Not allowed to read. Not allowed to question the 'prophets'.
She is being forced to marry her 60 year old uncle.
She will be a seventh wife. Not if she can help it.

This is an amazing book, so nice to read and it really makes you think.It's kind of scary to see what she had to go through.There is, in my view, a lot of social injustice in this book.The community is, also in my view, being oppressed. This book is like the blood of the lamb trilogy but better.

I don't want to spoil the whole book, I give it a 9/10.

The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This book is about a fourteen year old girl, Lily, who lives with her father, T-Ray, and a black housekeeper, Rosaleen in South Carolina. Her mother, Deborah, died when she was four and she thinks she shot her when her parents were fighting. She runs away with Rosaleen
to find answers about her mother, Deborah.
When I finished reading this i didn't really understand what the social justice. All I got is it is about black rights in America back in the day.

Forged in the Fire by Ann Turnbull

Uhm. yeah. just picked this book out from the pile that Miss got for us. it was alright really ~

It's an epic love story. The story's set in 1665, London, and is about Susanna and Will - a couple very much in love and very eager to get married. it starts off with a letter from Will to Susanna that he's cool with getting married, but somehow Will gets jailed and gets infected by the plague - the Black Death. she doesn't know at first if he's even still alive, but travels to London once she finds out that Will is there. they then get married in a meeting of Quakers - Christians. another large disaster then happens after, making their relationship so much harder, but they eventually prevail in the end.

The social justice issue in this book is the persecution and discrimination against the Christian religion, and is quite evident during the whole book. especially at the start, where, in Susanna's point of view, she talks about how it's illegal to get married to Will as a 'Quaker', but she goes ahead with it anyway.

I did like this book, it's so hard not to feel sorry for Will and Susanna, since they hadn't seen each other for so long and met again, only to meet such disasters. it's a heartwarming story, but i think it could've been more tragic and gripping. i like how the author used appropriate langage throughout the book though, like "thee", "thy", "mayhap".

 i'd give it a 6 and a half out of 10. it's a good read but probably not the most HOMGSH THIS IS AMAAAZINGGG BOOK I'VE EVER READ kinda book.

yeah. :3

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

So I was going to Christchurch one year ago and my flight was delayed. Jetstar. Gosh. Anyway so I bought a book at whitcoulls in the airport. I had been recommended it by many friends and so I deemed it suitable to get. I read for roughly 2 hours waiting for my flight. I was in love with Chinese Cinderella.

This is a real story about a real girl how was oppressed because she survived but not her mother.

Yen Jun-ling lived her whole life being told she was bad luck and feeling unwanted only because her mother died when giving birth to Jun-ling. She was one when her father remarried to a young European, Niang. Her name was then changed to Adeline.

Aunt Baba looked after Adeline for as long as she could protect her from the loneliness and from feeling unwanted. Adeline always knew it was her fault mama was dead but being in constant reminder that she was gone by Lydia (her elder sister) and her brothers made life hard. She was used like a servant being given nothing in comparison to her siblings and especially her half brother and sister. Niang's children.

So pretty much the story goes like this: Adeline was in primary at St. Josephs and she was very good. She never told anyone about what her life was like at home. She was told to keep up the façade of the perfect family. One day her friend invites her to a birthday party and everything is broken. She is disgraced in front of her friends and her parents don’t care they well endorse this type of injustice. They move away and life gets harder. Outsiders see what they want to see and even though they know they sit with it. It’s sick. Adeline stood up for her half sister and was punished no one ever stood her. One day a friend brings ducklings and all the children get one. Adeline’s is called precious little thing. Plt for short. She loves her duckling and it’s her only friend. One day her father says their dog is doing well in obedience classes and they should test it out with a duckling. Her older brother chooses Plt because he knows if anything happens to Plt it will not be at fault. Plt was attacked and soon died.

There was some sort of war going on. I’m not really sure but Adeline was left in a convent school all alone, forgotten in the heart of it. Luckily her aunt remembered and she was taken back to her family. Even though this sounds like a happy ending it wasn’t. Adeline was still shunned and was treated like an outcast.

This is a heart touching story and for anyone who reads it will feel the pain that Adeline felt. I give this book a 10/10 because it was so amazing, the pain comes alive and you feel like you are with her being treated unjustly. At this time many children were also left in convents because they were simply worth nothing to their parents.   Amazing absolutely amazing just the horrific unjustness people gave because of superstition and belief that wasn’t even justified.

OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU by Hanna Jansen

Hutus killing Tutsis in Rwanda. The Rwandan genocide. Two different tribes, both from Rwanda, turn against each other.
When Belgians went over to Rwanda they chose those with better features and named them the Tutsis (12%) who were 'upper class' with the Hutus(82%) being 'lower class'. Hutus were looked down on and they (not all) wanted to wipe out the Tutsis.


.. This book is about an 8 year old girl named Jeanne, who survives the Rwandan genocide and is the only one in her family that survived..

Jeanne 'aka' Dede, and her family - Florence (mother), Ananie (father), older brother Jando (11) and younger sister Teya (6) - are Tutsis.
Like many Tutsis, they are wealthy and live a good life.
After news breaks out that the president of Rwandas plane was shot down by Tutsi rebels on the journey to sign a peace treaty with them, hell slowly breaks loose.
Hutus then start hunting down Tutsis. They are on the run along with many other Tutsis, and start seeking safety.
Not knowing exactly what was happening, Dede grabs everything she can and leaves with her family.

There isn't a destination in mind but anywhere away from the war is where they are heading, and that happens to be the community center where other Tutsis are staying. Soldiers attack the center and Dede looses every member of her family, one by one. Firstly is her mother, who is taken away by soldiers. Second is her father who she doesn't see after he locks the children into a room and leaves to look for help. Little Teya gets trapped in a building that gets blown up and Dede watches Jando get beaten to death.
She watches people die in front of her, running in every direction. She hears people yelling, crying, calling for loved ones, explosions and guns being fired, but mourning for her loss is the last thing on her mind, all she wants to do is escape.

During this slow and painful journey Dede has to adapt to a new way of living. Coming by food or anything edible was a blessing, having a shower with a cloth and bucket was how you were cleaned (if you got lucky) and realising that every man was for himself.

The author Hanna Jansen took Dede in after the Rwandan genocide. Dede helped Hanna write the book which to me, makes it more real. In the beginning of every chapter Hanna includes a few paragraphs about Dede after the war.. eg ..
'For days you've been wandering sleepless all night, you say. Because of horrible pictures from your memory that assault you in your dreams.
You don't want them. You resist. You weep. You sink ever deeper while you try to survive the night. The next day. While you try to act as if nothing were wrong.
Today, finally, you called me.
You should call me. Always, whenever things get to this point again'

Before I read this book I had no information on the Rwandan genocide. Now I feel like I know to much. I was taken on a journey with Dede and it was like an inside view of the genocide. Not only was Dede effected by this event, but many more were and weren't as lucky to be able to get back on their feet.

Would recommend this book to those who are interested in the Rwandan genocide or those who want to learn more. Would give this book an 8/10 :)

Out of Bounds by Beverley Naidoo

This book doesn't contain one, but seven short stories of people living during and after the apartheid. The seven stories are in chronological order from 1948-2000, one story in each decade. They are seperate stories from one another but each are told in a young persons point of view on a traumatising moment in ther life during or after the apartheid. The main social justice issue in all of the stories is the racism and segregation towards the black people in Africa, for example how the boy's family in the second story 'The Noose' were forced to move far away from Johanesburg to Coronationville because the Boers wanted the city to be 'all whites'. The issues oppressed the black people to live seperate lives from the whites and the coloureds just because of skin colour and race. There was a timeline at the back of the book which summarises the apartheid and which I enjoyed very much because I don't really know much about the apartheid. The stories made me feel quite sad but the characters made me feel more determined to seek social justice and peace. The authors purpose in writing the stories is to inform young readers about the lives of people in Africa and what they suffered. I enjoyed this book very much because I learned a lot about the apartheid, South Africa and because it made me think about young people who are less fortunate than me. I would give this book an eight out of ten and would recommend it to an age level but especially teenagers.

Krystyna's Story By Halina Ogonowska-Coates

'As a child I loved my mother but she seemed different from other mothers. She didn't know how old she was. She couldn't remember where she was born. I wondered what had happened to her that she could have forgotten such important things. It had something to do with the Second World War...'


Krystyna is one of 732 Polish children who survived forced deportation to the Soviet Union. Her story begins in a peaceful Polish village and follows her family's journey to a labour camp in Siberia, one by one, Krystyna saw her family die around her (excluding her father who had already been set off to fight in the war).

This book took me into the reality of warfare. There were so many brutal events that took place , that it has made me realise how cruel some people can be, and how lucky we are to have the things we take for granted. Also i felt really sorry for Krystyna and how she had to face things alone. I don't think I could have survived what she went through. I got the impression her mother was going crazy, and she kind of abandoned her daughter. It was really heartbreaking to read how all she wanted was for her mother to hold her and tell her it would be okay, she always tried to please her and help her, but was always kept at a distance and shown no love.

I give this book a 7.5/10, i think it was a really well written book, but do not recommend it to anyone who does not like a sad book or something that might make them tear up.

Ties the Bind, Ties that Break by Lensey Namioka

This book was pretty good. At first I thought I wouldn't like it, because it wasn't about romance. And to be honest, I had no other better choices of books that had to do with social justice. I would give this a 7/10 because it was pretty good and kind of inspirational.

It is basically about a girl named Ailin who is in an upper-class Chinese family. The book starts when Ailin is around 5 years old and she still hasn't gotten her feet bound. At first I didn't get what it meant by 'bound feet' and I always had to refer back to the start to see if I forgot anything that made the story not make sense. Well anyway, 'bound feet' is like having white cloth bound around your feet(tightly) so it won't grow way to big. 'Bound feet' is what only GIRLS get because they are thought to be the ones to stay home, cook , clean and look after children. So Ailin rebels against it at age 5. Which only leads to bad consequences. Her marriage proposal to Hanwei is broken off by his family because of her 'unbound feet' but Hanwei actually likes Ailin which I find sad because the children have no say in anything. Ailin's only support is her Father ; who allows her to have 'unbound feet' and also lets her goes to a public school with the "Big Noses" (The foreign people) . But after her Father dies, her uncle is now the head of the family and he is the more strict one. He stops Ailin from going to the public school, which makes her sad. 'Big Uncle' annouces that his intentions are to give her to another family as the second son's concubine(his two wives have not given birth to a son). Ailin rejects this future and goes to work as a nanny for American missionaries. At the age of 16, she takes the missionarie's offer to take her to America with them to look after their children. On the way to America she meets a Chinese-American man who greatly admires her courage and independence. She marries him shortly after her arrival and they open a restaurant in Chinatown (A restaurant that succeeds partly due to the hard work she does while standing on her "two big feet"

This story strikes me as sexism. Mainly because females are the ones that have the most rules to follow, while the males just go to school, get a good job and get married. In my opinion I don't like how girls have to get their feet bound just because they're the ones that 'stay home'. Ailin is an inspirational character because she rebels against something she actually doesn't want to do and at such a young age which makes it even better and makes me feel like she's a strong minded girl. Ailin makes me think that I can go for what I believe in, even though I'm hated for it because one day I might be as strong as Ailin. I also don't like how the children's choice is totally neglected just because the girl's feet aren't 'bound' . I understand how it is culture and everything, but sometimes, culture can be very harsh and there will obviously be people that want to stand up for their rights; which is what Ailin did. I mean, what's wrong with having 'big feet'? . Many people have big feet, but they are great people today and I don't see what the big fuss is about. Please don't get me wrong. I respect what they have to say, but this is just my opinion. So NO HATE .

Yeah, I'd recommend this book to any around the ages 12-15 . Not a very big book, would probably be read in a few hours.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

This book is not one that I would normally read or even like for that matter, but after receiving it from a friend I couldn't put it down. And when I found out that we would have to review a book dealing with social justice I immediately thought of this book, as I was in the middle of it.
Well this book is about 13 year old Kyra Leigh Carlson, who is told she is to marry her 60 year old uncle, (who already has six wives) because God has said so. She lives with her Father, her three Mothers and 20 siblings (with 2 more on the way) in a small compound, with the Chosen ones, a polygamous group, 50 miles from the nearest town. Their lives are controlled by the prophet and his “visions” from God. In the past they all could visit the town as much as they liked, but since the new prophet came into power, everything has changed and they have become more and more secluded from the rest of the world; from Satan. They have not only been banned from the outside world other than essential needs but they have also been banned from reading about it. Yeah, that’s right; books there have been banned and burned in a fire called the cleansing. They can’t read anything but the Bible. And they have been getting deeper and deeper in a twisted religion with violence taking center stage. Where to get to heaven men had to marry and have a minimum of three wives and women have no rights, other than to marry the men chosen for them and bear children.
But Kyra has been sneaking out at night and meeting Joshua, the boy she has fallen in love with and then there’s also her weekly visits to the local bookmobile. Through these visits she starts to see the world outside her own and wonders how the whole world could be wrong, and just the 100 or so people inside her world be right. Slowly she starts to realize that things in their little compound is changing and not for the better. And any of the young adults who stand up and do anything about it are punished (beat up, sent away or killed) and set as examples to others who think of doing the same.
With her life and the ones she loves at risk, what should she do? Marry her uncle or escape her destiny? But how can she hurt the ones she loves? She has to make a choice and follow through as there are no second chances and the repercussions are deadly.
The whole time while reading this book I couldn't put it down. But at the same time I want to throw this book across the room and just scream at the characters (the prophet mostly). This book is amazing, powerfully chilling, and like I said earlier; hard to put down. I’m sure it will stay with me throughout my life, as the story weather true or not showed me a whole new side of things. Because at the end of the day there are small groups like this all around the world, and there are hundreds of girls who have been through the the same thing and many more who are dealing with things like this today. I would recommend this book to anyone and I give this book a 10/10. This book is definitely one of my favorites.

the braided path: the weavers of saramyr by chris wooding

in this story society is ruled by a blood emperor or empress who is elected by all other noble families to rule saramyr. the nobles all communicate and command with the use of the weavers strange masked beings that have the power to manipulate the fabric of reality.

the weavers declare that the growing blight upon the land is a threat and any child who is born twisted or develops magical abilities is an aberration and must die.

this book makes use of many brilliant ideas that tell us what politics of the past must have been like because even though it is a fiction story behind every lie is a grain of truth and this book shows how ruthless people become when they are afraid of an on coming threat.

through the eyes of kaiku the main character who is an aberrant we see just how far people in charge can go when the pressure is on as she evades imperial guards, scared peasants and even monstrous demons sent by the weavers to exterminate her as she uncovers there secrets one by one.

this book had many twists and turns as the viewpoint quickly changes from kaiku to the nobles and from rebels to the weavers. the descriptive sentencing and explanation of the world around them is what sold this book to me. i recommend it from the library if you are looking for a challenge as all three books are there as one but be warned that it is an adult fiction book and less experienced readers may be overwhelmed.

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

People SPEAK of love at first sight but don't necessarily know what it is unless they have felt it.......well I know the feeling. I was totally drawn to this book at first sight, the cover was just..well...shiny? It was an ugly cover in my opinion but i guess you could say a unique look and no doubt was the content.

I've always loved English accents! and admit to imitating/ mimicking them when I'm really bored or just for fun...pretty awesome that the dialogue is written in the accent. So anyway this tale is based in 1838 London and is a historical, half fiction and non-fiction story. I find it incredibly amazing how I loved this story although I don't quite fancy HISTORY-even the word sounds boring -.-

I’ve never really read anything about Queen Victoria and I really don’t know much about her, so I was intrigued with the story. After the book I did a little research on Queen Vicky :) and felt pretty cool in a nerdy way of-course.

Anyway... Liza, a 16 year old girl whose parents die in a crushing accident and don't leave her any inheritance, is in a rough Europe where girls like her only have one way to go. Even though she is classed a lady, to pay off her debts she takes the position at Kensington Palace as Victoria’s personal maid. Or rather, she is the Nancy Drew spy on the Duchess (her idiot mother) and the evil sir John. Liza is thrown from the life of high society she is used to, to the world unnoticed/ghetto world of the servants. Learning to keep ahead of her employers and determine her own fate. She acts the part and does what she is told, but she is really....actually looking out for herself and Victoria.

I thought Liza’s character was AwEsOmE. In the beginning she's a complete big headed SNOB!!!, you can’t really blame her... some might say?? she was used to being a lady not a maid. The girl grows up and figures out that life doesn't always go your way...ya know?? so wake up and smell the....well not so much roses. She secretly hopes to earn Victoria’s favor so that one day Victoria might renew her to being a proper lady. She’s clever and headstrong and has a clear head on her shoulders or neck?. Though some of her actions were undeniably selfish , it only errrm mystified her more. She did regret stuff and it just made her more human. She genuinely cared for people and tried her best to do right by them. To help ensure information for Victoria (I swear she’s like a quadruple spy) she enlists the help of Inside Boy and a young newspaper printer Will. If I’m not wrong I believe that Inside Boy is actually based on an actual person, and I found his character very WACKY and funny.

And Will......ahhhh Will. I just loooove the name Will. Probably one of my all time favorite guy names (unless of course you like Will Smith…a little too old though) He’s a working guy/man or whatever making a living with what he loves, complete with inky fingers, messy blonde hair and a rough on the edges and easy going personality. Typical case of OPPOSITES ATTRACT . they are very different from each other, but find they both share the same values and really connect. Plus there is the fact that there was almost a whole year between their first meeting and when their romance actually blossomed. For once a REAL believable time line for two people falling in love! HURRAY!!! They met, they got to know each other, they sorted out their true feelings, didn't rush into anything, and when it was clear they both felt the same for each other then it all came nicely together. Just PERFECT! Made me so happy but jealous!

How about DEARY Vicky??? I thought she was sooo gall-able and um hello? stupid?? A spoilt princess is more fitting now isn't it?? and pretty ideal too. I just did not under stand how someone could be that demanding and just NOT CARE! well I couldn't stand her at first but realised it was the influence of her greedy mother instead who just wanted her money and to please the evil man she was...I think the word was smitten with? Victoria did mature in the end and smartened up with the help of Liza. Her feisty Baroness ( more mother like nanny) always looked out for her and that truth hit Victoria later on in the story.

So much in this story is AWE-SPIRING (by the way...for those who don't know Awesome and Inspiring) The thing this book does that I love is, that it has made me want to learn more about Queen Victoria. I think that is a sign of a successful book because its rare for me to WANT to do that. LOVE, hate, LIKE, dislike: reading or history, whether you cant or don't read please give this book a shot!! so much more hidden in the story so READ it!! I rate this book a 9.9 and anyone can read it. =D

Stanley Yelnats Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake by Louis Sachar

Great and unique book! But before I carry on on how awesome this book is can someone please tell me why some peoples post on this blog doesn't show anything?O.O? Thanks.

Ok so as the title says, this book is a survival guide on how to survive in Camp Green Lake, it doesn't have one basic story that it focuses on, it's about Camp Green Lake in general and many different things and topics in Camp green Lake and how to survive in it. This book is very closely related to the book 'Holes' which many of my friends and teacher praises and talks about frequently and tells me to read it. I really should have read Holes before this book because it would give me background and information on what Camp Green Lake really is and the story behind the character that wrote the survival guide, Stanley Yelnats. I highly recommend reading Holes first before this book but if you are like me who is stubborn, you would still understand the setting of the camp and woudn't get confused. So Stanley (as Jan and Dj have told me), is a teenager who was in Camp Green Lake, which is a concentration camp in Texas where young boys would have to dig holes daily for some reason, the first thing that Stanley told me is to not to ask too many questions(so I guess I have to read Holes to find out why they have to dig these holes). This book is set out like a real survival guide and talks about different people and their personalities, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, lizards and many other things you need to know to survive through Stanleys eyes. But it is still set out in chapeters. It has a slight humour, which I enjoy very much and has questions once in a while which tests you about everyday things that happen in Camp Green Lake such as what to do if you see a tarantula or what are you supposed to do if your water bottle gets punctured. This is a very fun way to entertain readers.

This book was very interesting and different to most books. As I said, you would still understand the book even if you havn't read Holes because the author did a very good job in not getting you confused but at the same time not telling you too much so that you would crave to read holes. The survival guide was made by Stanley after the happenings in Holes so it would probably be better off to read Holes first. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10 and would reccomend it to almost every age level (8 and up) and would highly recommend it to those who have read Holes.

Villain.net- Counsel Of Evil By Andy Briggs

Now this is a four book series, and this is book number one. But there is another series that is sort of like he enemy to this series called 'Hero.com' and is also a four book series.
Okay this book is basically about a bully, Jake Hunter, who no one want to get on his way except for Pete from 'Hero.com'. He gets asked if he wants to conquer the world through an email. It invites him to join Villain.net, he accepts and a whole new world opens up to him, a world full of villains that is. He is then meets a fiend Basilisk, who with Tempest (a friend from Hero.com) wants to bring down 'The Counsel Of Evil' who is behind the notorious Villain.net.
So I have to tell you to read this book (and the rest of the series of course =p) (and Hero.com as well) and I think if you enjoyed this little summary thing, then the real thing will definitely be absolutely much better. ENJOY!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

CLARITY by Kim Harrington

Horrendo's Curse by Anna Fienberg

Soo i've had this book since i was in year 5, after getting an award. hehe. at first i thought i'd hate it, but it's such an entertaining read. i've read it about 3 or 4 times now.

Mmkay so the story's about Horrendo - a boy who is cursed at birth, only being able to say kind words to other people. the thing is, he is raised up in a seaside town where people manners were completely horrendous, no one bothered to say "please" or "thank you", and kids at school were taught curses and oar throwing. reason being ? every autumn, a ship full of horrible, thieving pirates would invade the town to loot whatever they could, and took twelve year old boys with them to do their dirty shipwork for them.

So whenever a boy would turn twelve, it was pretty much a funeral for them, and the boys would have almost no hope. all but one - Horrendo. being such a nice boy who had never thrown an insult at anyone, he was optimistic and thought of a way to escape his fate. (hahaha Escape the Fate ...) he made his very first friend when he announced his plan, but when the pirates came and his plan was just about to work for him, his friend gets captured and he has no choice but to get to the ship and try to save him. obviously that doesn't work, so he ends up being taken away by the pirates, along with the other twelve year old boys.

There's soo much more that happens in the story but i don't wanna ruin anything. that was basically just the start of it so yeaah.

I loved this book, the plot got intense and funny and heartbreaking at so many parts. it's just such an entertaining read, reason being why i've re-read it quite a few times.
The characters are pretty awesome too. Horrendo's got such a loveable personality, the boys he was captured with were quite funny, as were the pirates on board. except the captain. he was just ew.

So yeah i'd give this an 8 and a half out of 1O, and i'd recommend it to just about anyone looking for a good read and an awesome storyline.


Churr :3

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

I really enjoyed reading this book as it gave me a whole new perspective on life itself. I learnt many things through the amazing characters in this book, who I grew to love and even seemed to miss after reading the book. I give this book a 9/10 and would recommend it to anyone our age.
This book is about the story of a girl named Terra Rose Cooper, who has the most amazing body anyone, can imagine, but that's not why people always give her a second look. She has a port wine stain that takes up the whole left side of her face (that’s basically a large birth mark on her face). She has had her life completely mapped out from a young age. She's going to finish high school go to a far away college and then get a job as far as possible from home, away from her family and where no one knows her story. That's until she meets Jacob (and his adoptive family) through him she finds her voice, she finds herself, she finds the meaning of true beauty, and in the end she finds love...

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse

Hi guys ., :D
So this is the third book in the Percy Jackson series and as I have said before, its an awesome series and this book emphasizes it more!

So the book still follows Percy Jackson (son of Poseidon), Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena), Grover Underwood (satyr) and Percy's cousin Thalia (daughter of Zeus) whom the gang met at the last page of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. But this time., a new twist is added, Percy makes 4 new friends. Nico and Bianca di Angelo(siblings), I'd watch out for Nico if i were you., he's tricky., loLzz ., Zoe Nightshade(lieutenant to Artemis), and of course, Artemis herself(goddess of the Hunt). So i thought this was a good start since they all met in one chapter but i also found this kinda borign coz well, mainly, they've already met! so i thought the book was over but noooo. The author introduces the biggest twist so far. Annabeth gets KIDNAPPED and Artemis gets loast.

I was so shocked at this point coz a heroine and a goddess getting kidnapped? wow! but it just gave the reader something to look forward to and this marks the beginning of Percy's adventure. So the everyone back in Cmap Half-Blood go haywire and decide that the heroes go on a quest but unfortunately, Percy does not originally get picked for the quest while Grover, Thalia, Zoe, Bianca and Phoebe(Hunter). However, something "happened" to Phoebe therefore Percy goes by default. xD
I won't tell anymore of the plot coz its gonna ruin it but thats where their adventure starts and let me tell you., theres MORE twists and turns as you read on. :D

So this book, i really liked coz of many reasons:
First- how the author ends off each chapter. Its so cool and how it always leaves the reader shocked or leaves them thinking which makes me read on. hehehe. its a very unique feature in all the books so far even the fourth one(which im one)., xD

Second- its like Harry Potter(but i like Percy Jackson waaayyy betteerrr though) in a way that the adventures flow together. What i mean by this is unlike the Alex Rider series, he goes on a new adventure each time and sometimes it doesnt link back to the other book which is kinda gay because its good in a sequel to refresh the reader of what happened in the last book and this series does exactly just that. Especially in this book coz theres heaps of stuff thats happened in the past two books so it would be pretty hard to summarise the first two but somehow, this book actually refreshed me of what happened in the first two which in my opinion i found a very good feature because it helps the book flow from one adventure to the next. I also liked how the author summarised the book through a few chapters and not just crammed it into one. Coz i imagine its going to be really confusing when youre reading about the first two books in the third one so yeahhh.

In terms of plot, its really exciting coz Percy's former friend Luke, is growing stronger and building a huge evil army of demons and monsters which gives Percy 3 adventures in one book. He has to save Annabeth, Artemis AND defeat Luke !! awesome right ?!!?!?! trust me guys ., this series is AWESOME !!! read them in order though ., otherwise you wont get it., hehehehe.,

Please comment :D
Vince Exconde

The Hardy boys 'Dead on target' by Franklin.W.Dixon

this is one action thriller packed book!!!

it is awesome azzzz!! yes i know the hardy boys a classic old book but you have to give credit to the author for a super cool book.

Frank and Joe hardy are with their girlfriends and some mates in the mall helping in a political campaign. when Joe Hardy's girlfriend goes to the car park and gets blown up, her and the car. the Hardy's start questioning. and to their help a secret agent named"the gray man" who tells them this was an attack intended for the boys to give a warning to their detective father Fenton hardy. this is the work of the 'assassins"!!! yes i know assassin creed the video game into a book. even better. the book talks about how traitors and disguised cops as assassins and going overseas and working with an organisation called the 'network' who continuously helps them by their agent "gray man". having to be involved with gangs and all that!!

this book however is alright but i recommend this to people who loves an action, thriller and obviously mystery book. and a person who is interested in assassin Creed the video game.

plot rating 10/10

character rating 8/10

overall rating 9/10

this book i have

ranked as the third best not as good as the hunger games and hobbit but this classic should fill up a mind any day!!

The Hardy boys 'Dead on target' by Franklin.W.Dixon

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

I found this book in the library and was instantly carious, seeing the title and front page. So I then read the blurb and I was completely hooked.
Well this story has six main characters (the story is told through all of them), who, in turn are thrown together and are facing many different things when it comes to Love. They all have to attend a month long seminar on one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Romeo and Juliet. In no other place but where the star crossed lovers supposedly met. So “In fair Verona where we lay our scene. . .” These six teens meet, three are from America, and the other three are from Italy.
(The Americans:) Kate: she is a very practical and sensible person who has recently got her heart broken and has sworn of off love forever. She comes to the seminar looking to immerse herself in studies and explore this beautiful city (she’s there with her dad who is a Shakespeare scholar and who is the enemy of the woman running the seminar).
Lucy: she is a charming, cheerful Southern girl who is completely swept away by the fact that she is in Italy!
Tom: He is not much of a scholar–his main interest is soccer. He is mostly there so that he can have a chance to play football in Italy.
(The Italians:) Giacomo: He is the handsome type all the girls fall for, but he never really cares about any of the girls. He flirts, has fun, breaks their hearts, and moves on. He is less than thrilled about having to study Shakespeare all summer, but his mother insists (his mother is the one running this seminar).
Benno: He is short, friendly, and a hard worker who always has to dash off to run an errand for whoever pays him.
Silvia: She is an intense, beautiful, and lashing out at the world for various reasons that we find out throughout the story. She is the one who starts everything off in the story, as she is just looking for trouble.
Arriving on the first day of class they expect to spend their summer studying the play, but to their surprise they are told they have each been signed up to become volunteers in the Juliet Club, a group that receives letters from people of all ages, from all over the world asking Juliet advice about LOVE.
And of course spending the summer in a city as beautiful as Verona, romances will bloom, opposites will attract and all six of them will learn that the course of true love is never one, which runs smoothly.

I think this book is a really good book but in saying that, considering the story line, could have been an amazing read if only it was described in a lot more dept. like I said at the start the story is told through all six of them and because there are so many of them it's almost like the story isn’t completely finished and the characters are real, because if it had maybe focused on one them, instead of jumping from one person to another it would have been better. But if you find the book interesting from what I have said, I would encourage you to give it a go because at the end of the day it is still a really good book to read. I would give this book a 9/10.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I just really loved reading this book.



Charlie first appears to be a quiet, strange and unpopular boy. He is left friendless as a result of his best friend committing suicide a year earlier. One day he befriends two seniors called Sam and Patrick and they, along with their friends, introduce him to a whole new life. They expose him to new music, true friendship, drugs, sex and more complicated relationships.

This story is told through a series of letters that Charlie writes to an anonymous person. This helps us really see his way of thinking. This is a coming of age story, however it is unlike any I've ever read. I believe this is because Charlie seems so real, so likable and I think he is also really sweet.

It took me less than two hours to read. Despite the fact that it was a fairly short book, I have remembered it long since the first time I read it.

10/10 - It's everything I want in a book.

Beach Blondes by Katherine Applegate

I think this is a really good book and I'd give it a 10/10. This has got to be one of the biggest books I've read(721 pages). At first I thought I would be put off by the size of the book and the cover(you'll know if you see it). Well yeah, but then I read the blurb and I was instantly hooked. It's as if I was meant to be at the library just to find THAT book. Well, enough of my cheesy entrances, lets get on to the actual book.

Okay so this book is basically about a girl named Summer having her summer vacation with her cousin at Crab Claw Key. The thing is, Summer's cousin (Diana) doesn't like Summer. To be honest I thought it'd be some cheesy story about girls in bikinis and topless buffed up guys(Well it is, but in a good way :D ). So anyways before coming to Crab Claw Key Summer meets a tarot lady in the plane that tells her that she'll meet 3 guys.

-One that is mysterious

-One that is dangerous

-One that seems like he's the one.

Well Summer doesn't seem to believe the tarot lady. After her flight she runs into this guy(Seth) and out of the blue he kisses her :O

On her vacation she meets this other guy(Diver) who is a bit crazy and lives on her roof(Oh yeah, Diana hates summer so much that she makes Summer sleep in the Stilt house) and apparently he's goodlooking. She also meets Adam; the rich senator's son. They go out for a while. The thing is Seth is also staying at Crab Claw for vacation so Summer sees more of him which is gonna be hard for Summer because she has to choose 1 guy which isn't too hard to figure out when you read the book. Anyway some stuff happen which leads to more drama but if I said anymore, the whole book would be ruined.

There are 3 more books in the series

*Spring Break [READ]

*Tan Lines[READ]

*Sun- Kissed Christmas [FINISHED JUST LAST NIGHT]

I loved this book and I'd recommend it to anyone my age. Ooh, did i mention this is a romantic book? :D

Sorry my review is long, because its hard to say everything I want to say in just 5-10 lines.

End of the Alphabet by Fleur Beale

This is book is about a girl called Ruby. She is a 14 year old who lives with her mum, stepdad, brother and two little stepbrothers. Unfortunately Ruby feels like a doormat, always being used by her family - she has to help out with babysitting, cooking, cleaning etc while her brother doesn't all because he wins lots of prizes at school and she has a learning difficulty. Ruby feels this is unfair but can never speak her mind in case she hurts her mothers feelings.

What i liked about this book was that once you started reading it you wanted to finish it without putting it down. Her character was a really friendly person, and it was enjoyable to read about her finding confidence in herself, and using what she was good at (fashion design) to help her in the future.

Even though she misses out on a trip to Brazil, which she really wanted to go to, she still has it in mind for her future, and proves that nothing can stop her even though she isn't the 'smartest' in school.

Memoirs of Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Memoirs of Teenage Amnesiac is a novel written especially for teenage girls. The plot and pace is good, taking you to places that you don’t anticipate. The characters are realistic so I would give it a 7/10 though I was quite disappointed of how it ends. Sooo yeah.. :/

Naomi (the protagonist) wakes up with amnesia. She’s a junior in high school with no memories past the age of twelve. Her dad, Ace(boyfriend) and Will(best friend) are the people in her life trying to tell who she is, who she was, what she’s like, what she does. But everything feels off for Naomi. Nothing feels right. Everything feels different, feels weird.

Ummm... This isn’t the story of one boy and one girl. It’s the story of a girl who feels several different personas and find potential love interests with each persona she adopts. Which one is really her? Who does her heart really belong to? xD

Percy Jackson & The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the Percy Jackson series and after reading the first two, i'm definitely gonna review all of them. :D

So the book still follows Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Annabeth daughter of Athena and Grover the satyr who is assigned to protect Percy in everything he does. I won't give too much plot summary this time coz I don't wanna ruin it for you guys. :P

So the book starts off with Camp Half-Blood being attacked by all different kinds of monsters all looking for Percy Jackson, this never happens at Camp Half-Blood because no monsters can enter as it is protected by Zeus' daughter, Talia who is the magical tree that protects the enitre camp. That is when Percy finds out that the tree was poisoned by someone, someone that is determined to destroy all the gods or maybe something else ...

Percy's mission is to find the only thing that will be able to restore the tree's magical powers, The Golden Fleece and he realizes that to find it, they must cross a very dangerous obstacle, The Sea of Monsters. Along the way, they fight, sneak, learn and protect each other as they are tested by many different forces of the magical world.

I never stopped reading this book because of one thing, and that is how the author ends each chapter. I noticed that in the first two books the main page turner is how the author closes each chapter off. He ends it with sentences that either leave the reader thinking, leaves the reader shocked or makes the reader turn the page. I thought this was very good in terms of making the plot flow because it's what keeps the reader interested. With the idea of ending each chapter well, the plot itself is awesome just like the first book and is definitely suited for a reader like me, the action loving/mystery type reader. :D

In terms of how the plot and characters go, as I read the book, I noticed how the main characters Percy, Annabeth and Grover develop their personalities and strengthen their friendship with one another. I noticed that Percy is becoming more attracted to Annabeth (vice versa), he is becoming more courageous as he stands up for his friends many times in the story and at the same time, he is becoming more thoughtful and caring as he actually listens to what his friends have to say. I realied that Percy's change in attitude helped him alot in the story as he struggles to find The Golden Fleece.

Another reason why I really liked this book is because through the action, through the heart-felt moments, I felt that I was actually Percy telling the story from my point of view. This is because of how the author linked Percy with the reader by using vocabulary which made the reading atmosphere change from hard intense action to sad, gloomy times. This gave the effect of the reader being in the book as if he/she was the one trying to save the world. Honestly, its not only the plot that made me interested in this book, but its how the author linked me as the reader with Percy. His use of words really emphasized what he was trying to say in a clever way by saying it through Percy. I found that I could relate to Percy in a way that were around the same age, we use the same sort of vocabulary but not live the same life. hehehe. he's half boy and half god. I'm all Vince. :D

Read the Percy Jackson series! It's awesome! You'll love it especially if you love action and fantasy stories! I give this book a 9/10! i didn't give it 10/10 because the author cuts the story at the end which sucks coz there was no REAL ending in the story but is awesome coz that made me want to read the next one !!!! :D :D :D

Please comment. :D
Vince Exconde.

Blart sets sale on a questionable quest

the third installment in the Blart series this book does well to carry on

the legacy of the hero who give reluctant a new meaning.

having saved the world twice over Blart is now the prince of Illyria and content to do nothing

that will help anyone else ever again.

however life is not that simple for heroes of fate and now he must rescue his kidnapped

bride before the full moon rises and Illyria is destroyed.

i found this book to be quite enjoyable and a faithful continuation to Blarts unwanted heroism.

the book is full of humour and stereotypical hero situations of which Bblart tries to wriggle free.

i would give it a thumbs up for its use of sarcasm wit and plot related humour

i recommend reading this series from start to finish.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Long ago, there was a powerful king of India who had to sons. One he named Dhiren. The two brothers received the best education and military training. Their mother taught them to love the land and all the people who lived there. She often took the boys to play with underprivileged children because she wished for them to learn what their people needed. This contact also taught them to feel humility and to be grateful for the advantages they had. Their father, the king, taught them how to rule the kingdom. Dhiren, in particular, grew up to be a brave and fearless military leader as well as a sensible administrator. His brother was also very strong brave and clever. He loved Dhiren but, at times, he felt a piercing stab of jealousy in his heart, for despite all being successful in all of his training, he knew Dhiren was destined to be the next king. It was only natural for him to feel this way. Dhiren had a knack for impressing people easily with his acumen intelligence and personality. A rare combination of charm and modesty embodied in a prince made him an outstanding politician. A person of contradictions, he was a great warrior as well as a renowned poet. The people loved the royal family and looked forward to many peaceful and happy years under Dhiren’s reign. King Rajaram, Dhiren’s father arranged a marriage between Dhiren and the daughter of a ruler of a neighbouring kingdom. Dhiren’s brother fell in love with Yesubai. So he plotted to steal her from his brother. He betrayed him and bartered with an evil man so he could be Yesubai’s husband.  Anyway as the story goes Dhiren and his brother were killed by this evil man. Yesubai took her own life and Dhiren’s parents died of old age.

Kelsey Hayes is an orphan. She is seventeen almost eighteen and lives with her foster parents in Oregon. She needs work for the summer so she applies for a job at a circus where she cares for a beautiful white tiger named Ren. Whom she creates a special bond with. After two weeks of working at the circus and wishing she could free Ren, a man named Mr. Kadam comes to buy the tiger Kelsey is devastated but she is allowed to fly to India with ren so he is settled and happy in his new home.

When Kelsey discovers that ren is really prince Dhiren she knows she must help him break Durga's curse.

What will Kelsey do? Can Kelsey control all those lost feelings? Will they break Durga’s curse? Will Kelsey overcome the fear of letting loose everything inside of her to save ren, the man/tiger she’s in love with?

Just to be clear ren is prince Dhiren; he is cursed and he is 350 years old and unable to die. Mr. Kadam is Ren's advisor and has a charm necklace to keep him alive all these 300 years.

I loved this book so much. I would give it a 10/10 because it is so brilliantly awesome. I love the way it’s written with heaps of twists in the plot and how it always kept me guessing. Full of romance, mystery, fear, travelling the globe and desperation of staying true but finding who you are sort of stuff; I would recommend this book to everyone who wants a book that they don’t want to stop reading.

Love this book. Its so epic ness yeh!!! I can’t wait for the next book. Everyone should read this; hey maybe we should do a novel study on this. I really enjoyed this book because it showed me even the ordinary can be well extra ordinary. I didn’t really like the ending because the so should have got together but they didn’t. Oh well. But it does leave some good romantic tension for the next book cant wait!!!

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

This is the third book in the Alex Rider series, the thrilling sequel to Point Blanc.In this book, Alex has been once again recruited by the MI6 to be a ball boy at Wimbledon, a tennis tournament. He foils the plan of the Chinese Triad gang as they were fixing the matches, becoming a target and barely escaping his his life. The MI6 along with the CIA, send Alex to the Cuban island "Cayo Esqueleto" (Skeleton Key) for safe keeping and to investigate General Alexi Sarov. Alex learns that Alexi Sarov was recently purchasing nuclear material. Two agents goes scuba diving to enter Sarov's mansion but don't return. Alex is sent as well and is captured. Sarov's plan is revealed, which includes him adopting Alex replacing his deceased son who was killed in action in Afghanistan. He plans to force the President of Russia out of power with a nuclear fallout. You'll Have to read the book to ind out what happens next.
This book is a Adventure, Mystery, Spy novel. This is a must read, if you like his kind o stuff.

Monstroso by Charlie Higson

A homorous action packed book most teenage boys can relate to! This story had a fictional straightforward plot but was exciting to read and had likable characters.
Let's face it, most of us imagine ourselves in wacky unrealistic situations like the teenage boy of this story Oscar. This book was set as if it was yesterday with its modern technology and language, with colloquial words like 'powned', 'rofl', and it included the game 'World Of Warcraft' which many teenagers today have played. The story was about Oscar who I can could definately relate to, and his problems after creating a real life monster! He accidently created 'Monstroso' after playing on his fathers computer which he we was forbidden to play on. He thought it was just another game and just casually created a chracter without putting any thought into it like setting his aggresion to max and setting its intelligence to zero (which is a typical thing boys do). Then suddenly to his suprise the monster he created became real! The havoc and disaster that followed was hilarious! they ended up fighting another real life monster and destroying the house along with turning Oscars grandfather into jelly!
At frist I thought this was another crazy outrageous book but as I read on, I enjoyed it and related to Oscar and the way he thought and did things. I highly recommend this to teenage boys with a a crazy imagination and those who play online video games. 7.5 out of ten :)

The Earth, My Butt, & other BIG Round Things BY Carolyn Mackler

So this book is about a 15 year old girl named Virgina Shreves. She isn't the skinniest girl .. okay so shes 'plumpy', a straight A student and she has a picture perfect family, until her parents receive a phone call.

OKAAY , so first things first, Virginia is 'plumpy' and shes blond .. completely different from her family. Besides the straight A's they have nothing else in common. Virginia believes that she was swapped at birth. WHY ? .......
MUM - is addicted to exercising and is a successful adolescent psychologist.
DAD - when not jet-setting, or golfing in Connecticut with mum, he ogles skinny women on TV. ANAIS - Oldest sibling, 24, skinny with beautiful brown hair, joined the Peace Corps and moved to Africa.
BYRON - Only boy, 19, slim, brilliant, sophomore at Columbia and is Virginia's idol.

Because both siblings attended Brewster and Virginia hates being compared to them, on top of that, her best friend Shannon is in Washington, so school sucks for her.

Virginia over hears three very MEAN girls talk about her and how they would rather die then be as fat as her. This brings her down and makes her self conscious. Then her brother says something about a shirt being too tight or something, and that's when she decides to go on a diet. This decision is also made because her mother wont get off her back about exercising.
One day her parents receive a call from Columbia. They are shocked to find out what Byron had done (not saying :p) After Virginia finds out, her big brother isn't her hero anymore.
After somethings go down, Virginia decides that she only wanted to go on the diet because of what people thought of her. Eventually Virginia breaks out of her shell, gets an eyebrow piercing, dyes her hair purple and stands up to both Byron and her Mum.

This book made me see how people can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself. Also how teens change, just so other people approve of them. This book made me realise that there is no point for you to change or become someone else if the only reason your changing is for others, not yourself.
I liked the characters in this book, all so different but yet all the same, if you get what I mean .. hmm like they all saw Virginia through eyes that only cared about her appearance.
Overall i think this book deserved a 7/10
For those 13+

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

It's been a while since I reviewed a book so I thought I should write about this terrific one that I just finished reading on my new Kindle.  This book is a bit like a cross between The Hunger Games and Holes.  (Personally, I think it is better than The Hunger Games.  If you want to know if I'm right, you'll have to read it!)

Unwind belongs to that body of literature I referred to in class the other day: "dystopian literature".  (If you don't know what this means shame on you for not listening!!!!) It is set in the future in the USA in a society where parents can elect to get rid of their troublesome teenagers by donating them as organ donors.  (Tempting ...)  They will be "unwound" (hence the title) and their whole body (yes, every single bit!) will be used for donor organs.  The book is about three such teenagers - Connor, who is a bit of a bad boy; Risa, who is a ward of the state and is sent for "unwinding" as a cost saving measure; and Lev, who has been tithed (gifted) to the community by his religious parents.  The three of them become unlikely allies as they try to dodge the "juvey police" and avoid a very unpleasant end.  I love the pace of this book and the three different characters are all engaging in their own ways.  There is a really disturbing description of being "unwound" from the point of view of a character who is experiencing this.  Even though this character was not a very nice guy, the author really managed to make me feel sorry for him and completely repulsed by the way in which he is treated.
If you liked The Hunger Games and/or Holes, or if you like books that make you think about big issues, you should definitely give this one a try.    

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin

I'm just gonna put it out there - this book. is. super. inspring. honestly, reading it just made me think about how society looks at different people, in the past and now. and how the word "hate" is so commonly and wrongly used. and how a chance meeting could change anyone's life, for better or worse. and yeah. i'll get onto it.

Btw it's a true story.

This story's about a 17-year old, violent misfit, mohawk wearing guy named Doug; and Jason, a gay, outcasted by his own religious family. it's told in two different perspectives - you would never think that they would've met the way they did.
And so here are their individual stories :

Doug grew up in an extremely racist family after his brother got shot by an African-American, and spent his teenage years hardly sober, getting high and beating up anyone who looked at him the wrong way. but before all his irresponsible acts, he was just a normal-ish kid who heard about The Ramones and decided to become a punk. all that getting drunk and high was alright at first, until he became a skinhead and started hanging out with Nazis, then it just got disturbing. i won't mention some of the things that happened with him, since it might be kinda offensive.

Jason, on the other hand, was just a boy who grew up in a religious family and embraced his sexuality. he one day decided to come out to his family, but that went horribly, horribly wrong. his mother went all psychotic on him, his father didn't even want to look at him, his brother decided he wasn't Jason's brother anymore and, well .. he got kicked out of his house, just because he was gay. i cried so much at that :/ he then had to live on the streets and turn to prostitution to have food and clothing.

Soo yeah they don't meet in the nicest way. you'll have to read it to know how it happened ~

I think this book was SO inspiring and heartbreaking, since i never even thought that these kinds of things could happen to people, shaping them to be the way they are. and that discrimination, racial prejudice and religious views could lead to such horrible things. i found this story to be really heartwrenching, because i think that racism and homophobia are just .. appaling really. and it made me feel so sorry for both the characters in this book. although i grew to hate Doug ._.

And yeah this is based on a true story, mostly - about Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal. pretty much most of the middle parts are fictional, but their chance meeting is definitely true.

I don't know what else to say about this book, apart from that it's just so eye opening and riveting that it just makes you think about all the issues that this book offers you. there's also this one part near the end of the book that just made me cry so much, knowing that those kinds of things have really happened before .. (a gay man got kidnapped by two other guys thinking that they were gay too, but ended up being murdered by them just because they're homophobes) ...

I'd give this a 8.5/1O, and i'd recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting read, and something to really think about. i loved it.

Hurricane gold by Charlie higson

this is a great, fast-paced action story about a young james bond in the series of books by Charlie Higson. james is currently going to Eton college in england. there is alot of fighting and action. i personally think its more interesting to read about a 14-15 year old boy who is travelling around the world, fighting crime and saving the world. james is left to look after ex-flying ace jack stone's children. but, as they are at the house, a gang of thieves comes into the house. they were looking for mr. stone's safe, and they are prepared to kill for it.

this is a super read for all

Love at First Click by Elizabeth Chandler

This book was good. I would give it a 7/10 mainly because it was sort of predictable. Despite that, its a really sweet book. Well, the name of the books kind of gives it away; but this is a story about a girl(Hayley) that's a photographer for her school football team and she has a crush on one of the players; Flynn. Flynn breaks up with his girlfriend at the same time that Hayley's sister breaks up with her boyfriend which only means one thing. Flynn and Hayley's sister(Breeze) get together mainly because its to keep their popularity up, but theres another reason too which I cannot tell you. The fact that Breeze and Flynn are together makes everything awkward for Hayley and it means that she can't show her true feelings towards Flynn. If I were to say more, the book would be ruined. So you'll have to read it to find out more.

Overall this was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone around my age and anyone looking for a book to read 'for fun' .

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr..

Jennifer and Cameron Quick were both outcasts, at least until they met each other. From the beginning of primary school until the end of intermediate they knew each other better than they knew themselves.  Then Cameron left. He does that. This is a story about true friendship and how it really shapes our lives. It is also about how people can let you down and how you can move forward.


If you like Sara Dessen books you will love this book too.
It has a lovely pastel cover and it is a nice book to read over a couple of days. You could read it in a couple of hours but it has quite a slow start which is hard to get into. The first third or so stays like that and is kind of boring, after that it become truly interesting and you really want to know how it ends.

I give this book 7/10.
In hindsight I did enjoy the book, however the start was slow and the ending was sadly dissatisfying.
I don't think you will regret reading this book. It is still enjoyable.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else By Erin McCahan

This book is one of the best books I have ever read and I give it a 10/10 for exactly that reason (and many others as well). It follows the life of a girl who is basically trying to discover who she is as a person and so I would recommend it to anyone (mostly girls but if you’re a guy out there and you want to read it, go ahead I won’t stop you :)
The story starts off and ends in the same place (a coffee shop not the same one, but still a coffee shop) and involves the same characters. So basically the main character is eighteen year old Bronwen Oliver. Ever since she was little, Bronwen had this strange theory she was switched at birth, and was really Phoebe Lilywhite. She knows that’s not really true, but how else could one explain being the only one in the family to hate ketchup? Or how her mother always seems to find fault with every little thing concerning her, while praising her brother – whom she has, renamed Jesus?, because according to her Mum, he’s PERFECT! For most of her life Bronwen has secretly been Phoebe, with the exception of a few friends and family who know the so called truth.
Then suddenly out of now where comes Jared, who’s a close family friend and someone who’s also in on the whole Phoebe thing. He’s also a college boy, impossibly cute, and just right for her. They are truly in love. Everything’s great. And pretty soon he he proposes they get married (three months after her graduation from school). But with this serious commitment comes questions? Who is Bronwen? Is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?
I found this book totally amazing, as I was able to relate to the characters which just made the book more interesting. The story was really sweet. I felt like I was in the book the whole time and in the end I got so involved in it I couldn't’ help but cry. So if any of you have some free time and come across this book I would recommend you to give it a go and hopefully you’ll love it as much as I did.

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I chose to read this book because Joseph told me that this series is a really good one so yeah and I can say after reading this that I cant wait to read the next one. :D

Anyways, this is the first book of five books in the series and introduces and follows the adventures of Percy Jackson (obviously) and his quests and journeys. In this book he travels with two friends he meets and they eventually become very close. His two friends are Annabeth and Grover.

Firstly, Percy Jackson isn't your avergae 12 year old boy, he is dyslexic and suffers from ADHD and has been kicked out of many different schools because of it. Now, you might be thinking that this book is weird just bcoz its about a dyslexic kid, but what you dont know is that Percy is what they call a HALF-BLOOD. A half-blood is somebody who has a Greek god as one of their parents and it took Percy a while to figure out that he was the son of one of the most powerful gods that ever lived.

This book is really cool because it mixes the past with the ancient greek mythology and all that stuff with the modern day life of a not so average 12 year old. The author did this by introducing Percy as the main character being in battle with his maths teacher, Mrs Dodds (who is actually a minion of darkness)

It might seem confusing at first but hopefully after you read this, you'd wana read the book. :D
So the book starts with Percy being kicked out of Yancy Academy from the "battle" with his maths teacher, he only really has one best friend and that is Grover and he soons finds out that Grover is really important in his life. The author gives the reader a suspicious feeling about Grover in the beginning when Percy accidentally eavesdrops on a conversation between Grover and his Latin Teacher Mr. Brunner(which is also important in the stroy). He leaves Yancy academy having second thoughts on his relationship with Grover. The author introduces the book in a very action packed way when Grover and Percy run into three old ladies knitting socks on the motorway(weird huh?) but it actually got me more involved with the story. :D

So he and his mother take a trip to one of their favourite vacation spots and that is in Montauk and that is where weird things started happening. It all started in one night when Percy hears a knock on their cabin door and realize it is Grover running away from something. I got more involved with the book at this point because i really like action in a book. So weirdly enough, Grover and Percy's mum are on the same page when they agree to flee and get Percy somewhere safe. However, Percy doesn't know what's happening and so does the reader because the book is written in Percy's point of view.

It's gonna take really long if I tell you the whole thing so I'll just tell you the important parts, Percy ends up killing a greek monster called Minotaur without having any idea how he killed it and his mother mysteriously disappears. I really like this part of the book because it takes the reader to the main part of the story and not like other books when you have to read so many chapters to get to the good parts. So anyway, Percy is ends up in Camp Half-Blood where he slowly realizes his TRUE self after shocking events and meeting shocking new people. One person in particular is his latin teacher Mr. Brunner who turns out to be a centaur ,(his real name is Chiron) he then teaches Percy all about Camp Half-Blood and the fact that Percy's father is still undetermined meaning he could be the son of a really important or a not so important Greek god.

Chiron and Grover teach Percy all about being a half-blood and about which cabin you stay in represents which god youre the son or daughter of. I loved this part in the book because I can just imagine the average teenager(especially me) living in a place like that where they get assigned different cabins to represent their family bloodline. I found it really cool! :D
At first, Percy is assigned to cabin eleven which he soon finds out is where all the undetermined(who doesnt know their parent god yet) kids go and it is also the Hermes cabin (messenger of the gods) it is where he meets his first friend Luke (head of Hermes)

Not so long after, Percy finds out who his father really is in a game of capture the flag when he gets beat up by the Ares(god of war) cabin and gets thrown into the river. Percy notices something, when he is in a body of water, he becomes invulnerable and he gets an adrenaline rush and he suddenly becomes very strong. This gave me the idea that his father might be the god of sea or god of the water and turns out I was right. When Annabeth (shes in Athena cabin, the sister of Medusa) and everyone in campus find a glowing green trident in the air which is the symbol of power for POSEIDON (GREEK GOD OF THE SEA) This marks the start of Percy's adventures.

So, when he finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, Percy is assigned to cabin three (Poseidon cabin) where he is al by himself since he is the only child and he feels very lonely. Im not gonna go into all detail because its gonna ruin the book but Percy ends up going on a quest with Grover (yes, he is there) and Annabeth to find Zeus' lightning bolt because Percy's father, POseidon is accused of stealing it and he sets out to clear his father's name.

Along theway, Percy realies that he has various water powers including being able to breath underwater, being able to get along with water animals like sharks and being able to manipulate water. He also becomes wiser through the story when mishaps and trouble with monsters happen and some encounters with some wise and not wise gods all to find the lightning thief. :D

Im really sorry for not going into detail coz i dont wanna ruin the book for you guys but hopefully i said enough to make you guys get the book out . :D

I thought this book was really good in terms of the plot and how it is structured because it kept me turning the page everytime I picked it up to read it and the use of vocabulary is really good in this book because it paints very clea images in the reader's mind and i think that strong vocabulary is vital to books like these because it involves lots of action which loved !! Im gonna reads the next one ! PERCY JACKSON & THE SEA OF MONSTERS . :D

Vince Exconde