Towers Falling

What would you do if you had no clue why there was only one tower instead of two

and your dad's crazy? In the book Towers Falling by Jewell Rhodes,

Deja just moved to a new school and she is in fifth grade. At the time, it is also the

15 anniversary of September 11. Mrs. Garcia and Deja’s other teachers try to teach

her and her classmates about 9-11 very slowly. Mostly, everyone else knows about

the event except for her. I love the book Towers Falling because it focuses on a

character named Deja. I also think the book is like a big mystery.

Deja and her family live in Avalon which is not the nicest place to live. Also,

Deja's dad has been acting strange ever since they moved to Avalon. Her mom

has wanted her to know for a long time but her dad thought she was too young

to know about September 11. Her friend’s Sabeen and Ben both know about the

event and try to tell her. Also, Deja really wants to figure out what happened.

Will Deja ever find out what happened to her dad and New York City?

The copyright date is April 17, 2018. Also, the publisher is

Little, Brown Books for Young Reader.

-Landon P.

Twilight

Bella is very curious about edward and she wonders why he is acting very strange.  I'm reading Twilight, the stephanie meyers series. Published by little brown and published in 2005 Twilight is about a girl named Bella swan, she is very shy at first because she moves to Forks from arizonathen she meets a boy in highschool named Edward cullen. Bella meets 4 people who eventually become her friends then she starts to open up. Then when Bella was standing by her car and then all of a sudden a van comes sliding down the ice then Edward stops the van with his hand. When Bella gets home from the hospital she knows something is wrong with Edward. Then when she asks he comes up with a bunch excuses. Then halfway through the book Edward asks Bella if they are friend she says sure. If you like fantasy books i think this would be a very good book for you.

-AJ K.

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

Goodreads Summary:
"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys.

My Review:
I love most everything by this author. I really enjoyed this story--but I didn't love it. One of the author's strengths is creating characters true to themselves, and true to the 'real world' and I guess I didn't feel that 100% of the time with these characters. At least not to the degree that I felt with Scorpio Races and The Wolves of Mercy Falls series.

That being said, this is a story wrapped in mystery. I am compelled to read the next book. I want to know how Blue will relate to Gansey, and what it means for the future for both of them.

Long Lankin

by Lindsey Barraclough

Goodreads Summary:
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss. . . .When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries -- before it's too late for little Mimi. 


My Review:

I just finished the second book in The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey, The Curse of the Wendigo, when I began to read Long Lankin. I was looking for something scary, but not as disturbing as that story. On the whole, it delivers. The story starts slowly, and after the first 100 pages I was frustrated. But when the creepy whispers about a monster become true, and Cora seems to be convinced that she is mad, things get interesting.  There were quite a few areas that I had to reread because I was just plain confused. Towards the end, there is a massive unloading of information that seems to make everything fit, that took a few passes for me. Overall, if you can handle the slower parts, there is a payoff in this story.

Shadow and Bone

by Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads Summary:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.


My Review:

When I thought about reading this book, I was a little worried it would fall into the cookie-cutter mold we are starting to see in fantasy/sci fi for young adults (you know-strong but reluctant heroine, some romance, monsters, etc.). And it has those things, but it has much more.

Setting: Ravka is clearly based on Russia. Setting is becoming more important in YA novels, and Bardugo does a great job building a desolate and scary land. It is a land ruled by nobility that is selfish and childish.

Characters: Alina is believable as a heroine, mainly because she recognizes that she is not perfect. She knows that there is much she doesn't know about herself and that she has made-and will make-mistakes. She tries to do what is right for the masses, but knows it won't be worth it unless she takes care of herself, too.  She reminds me of one of my favorite heroines, Katsa from Graceling.

The Darkling is a great character as well...but I'm not going to say much about him since a large part of the experience of this book, for me, was figuring out his story.

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Goodreads Summary:
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.


My Review:
This book was suggested to me by Conor L., and when someone has read 60+ books this year and says this is his favorite, well, you listen! I wasn't disappointed by the book, although I was hesitant as I always am with historical fiction. It's just not my thing. This book gave the reader to really have the world-building feeling of a fantasy book, but without the magic. And honestly, I didn't miss the magic aspect (well, too much, anyway).


Sage is a character that any reader can like. He is funny in a self-deprecating way. He tries to make light of every situation, no matter what he faces and how bad things seem to be. This character makes the book flow. Even when there isn't a ton of action, his voice keeps the story interesting. 


Some things are slightly predictable, but I didn't think that took much away from the story. I will be reading the next two books in the series.

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio

Goodreads Summary:
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.


My Review:
As a rule, I avoid books that I think will make me sad, or worse cry. (Most of my students know that this means no books where animals are a major part, because, let's face it, they always die). Because of this, I didn't think I would read Wonder. After watching the preview below, and hearing how excited some students were to read it, I knew I had to suck it up and give it a try. I wasn't let down at all. In fact, I read it in one sitting.


Palacio does an expert job weaving a story that could be tragic and heart-breaking into one that makes the reader sad, but also shows the funny and quirky side to kids and the kindness that changes the world. Instead of tearing you down with sadness and pity, it takes those emotions and shows how being an everyday kid kind of rocks, but being different has its moments, too.

Kids should read this book. Adults should read this book. People in generally should read this book. It is genuine and heartfelt. You root for Auggie, but in a weird way you understand some of the people that aren't always kind to him. Heck, he understands the people that aren't always nice to him. And that is why you will love him.

I had to share one of my favorite quotes.

“There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie,” she said, looking at me. “But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.” 

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

Goodreads Summary:
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.


My Review:
I liked the dual-narration that Rossi gives to Aria and Perry. This makes the story relatable and interesting to both boys and girls. It is also necessary-the world of Reverie and the other pods is so different from the world in what they know as The Death Shop, you have to have both sides represented. 


There is romance between these two, but it starts with a hate that is fueled by misunderstanding and misinformation. The characters also push their feelings back because they have many more important things on their minds-mainly the wellbeing and love of their respective families. 


It is an adventure story that wraps people obsessed with their sterile environment and virtual reality with those who are rustic survivors. This is a good book about how changing your views of others helps you realize that you can change who you are, as well.

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

Goodreads Summary:
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My Review:
I bought and read this book on the recommendation of Thomas, and was not disappointed. The difficult thing about the dystopian story is that can easily get overdone. The trick for the author is to make the story something different, add a twist. While Article 5 has some of the traditional dystopian elements (overbearing government, rebellious citizens, unrequited romance) it added more to this by twisting the story. Chase is not a new boy in Ember's life-she has always been in love with him. But he has changed and she has no idea why. Their personal back story adds to their relationship.  I wish there was more given about what happened with the government. Every time the Moral Statues are mentioned, they are so extreme that I want to know how we got there from where we are now. 

Overall, I would recommend this to people who enjoyed The Hunger Games, Legend, and Under the Never Sky.

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Summary:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


My Review:
Well, another book that I snubbed for so long, but should have read earlier.  I was not excited at all by the idea of Cinderella-one of my least favorite fairy tales-as a cyborg. It just seemed like it wouldn't work. The amazing thing is that Meyer creates an unforced story that really is enjoyable to read. Cinder is easy to see as a real person; she is witty and funny, hard-working and loyal. She also knows that there are many things about herself that are not perfect. 


This book has romance, but it isn't the suffocating center of the story. It is more about what makes someone a person. The political scheming, battles, and family issues propel the story to an exciting end that makes me sad that I have to wait for the next book (which is rumored to have Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood also making appearances).