Monday, February 28, 2011

Gone by Michael Grant

Gone

Author: Michael Grant
 
Publisher: HarperTeen

4 out of 5 stars

Huh? Wasn’t Mom standing right in front of me a second ago? She probably just walked into another aisle for a moment that’s all. Here, let me check. Um… she doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the store. Where is she? I mean, where could she go in a supermarket? How come there aren’t any other adults around? Wait, what’s going on? Is this a dream? Is this some kind of joke? No, it’s real. Well then, what’s the explanation? How is it even possible to just vanish in thin air like that? No, no, no, no, no… this can’t be happening. Who’s going to take care of me now? I’m just a kid. This is so unfair! How could they all just leave us like this? Will that little kid over there stop crying! What am I going to do? Oh my god, what about Dad? This can’t be happening, they’re all just… gone.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Gifts, A.K.A. Awesome Stuff!

Gifts, A.K.A. Awesome Stuff!


Before I mention anything, let me tell you, with my family Valentine’s Day is HUGE! Valentine’s Day is like our Christmas, and we go all out. We make an elegant dinner with steak and lobster (yum :]), we have presents under our Valentine’s Day Tree, and we do yearly Valentine’s Day cards. Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday, and I am practically bouncing off the walls when February comes around. I’ll be sad to see February go, but it will always roll around next year.

Now that you know what a big event Valentine’s Day is for me and my family, let me explain to you what this post is all about. This year for Valentine’s Day my family got me some gifts, A.K.A awesome stuff! I wanted to share with you the gifts that they got me that have to do with my blog. 

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black by Eden Unger Bowditch

The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black

Author: Eden Unger Bowditch

Publisher: Bancroft Press

3½ out of 5 stars

Brilliant young minds, child prodigies you could say. The best of the best, even smarter than most adults. I’m talking about five very young children, Lucy and Jasper Modest, Faye Vigyanveta, Noah Canto-Sagas, and Wallace Banneker. Each have their own story, yet they have all been brought together for some unknown reason. Now, shouldn’t these children know why they have been taken from their homes and their parents and thrown together? I mean they are geniuses, each and every one of them, capable of far more than the average child. But who’s to say that they know everything. Out of all the knowledge of these five miraculous brains combined, they are missing something. They are missing their lives.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Dystopia Challenge

Dystopia Challenge

Dystopia Challenge

I have decided to participate in my very first challenge of the year!  The Dystopia Challenge!  This challenge is hosted by Bonnie at Bookish Ardour.  The goal of this challenge is to read a certain number of dystopian books in the year.  The challenge started on January 1, 2011 and ends on December 31, 2011.  However, you may join in at any time, as long as it is before the end date.  I have chosen the challenge level, Contagion, where I shall try and read 15 dystopian books this year.  I might go over that, but so far that is my goal.

For those of you who might not be familiar with what dystopian is, here's a definition provided by Dictionary.com:

dys·to·pi·a (noun)- a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding. 

in other words...

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publisher: Simon Pulse

4½ out of 5 stars

Note: This review assumes that you  have already read the first book in this series, Uglies.  If you have not yet read Uglies then you may not want to read this review, as it will reveal key points from the first book.  You can find my review of Uglies here.

Tally Youngblood has given up everything. She left David, the boy she loved, the Smoke, and her old, ugly past behind. Tally is now pretty. She’s one of them, one of the pretties she always used to envy. This is what she’s always wanted, isn’t it? To be popular, to go to the parties, and get hangovers left and right. After the operation, sixteen-year-old Tally Youngblood now lives in New Pretty Town, the place to be. She’s always dreamed of this, and now she has it all. She’s even with Shay and Peris, so now they all really can be best friends forever. The only problem is Tally can’t remember anything of her past, except the stories of how she used to be such a trouble maker and play tricks on people with Shay. But, Tally does remember one thing, she remembers the Smoke.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of The Witch by Joseph Delaney

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of The Witch

Author: Joseph Delaney

Publisher: Harper Collins
4½ out of 5 stars

Having problems with boggarts, witches, ghouls, and anything else of the darkest extremity? Who are you going to call? The Spook! Being a spook is tough. Spooks have to travel constantly, eat barely anything while at work (it makes them more vulnerable), and their lives are always in danger. Not to mention putting up with apprentices that are really more trouble than they are worth. On top of that, most people are afraid of spooks and look at them with contempt and disdain, even their own families. Having to deal with all of that, who would want to be a spook? Well, Thomas Ward is about to find out. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Test by William Sleator

Test

Author: William Sleator
 
Publisher: Amulet Books

4 out of 5 stars

What if your life long dream is to become a doctor and save lives? Oh, well, that’s too bad because you can’t. Maybe you want to be a lawyer and defend innocent people in court. Sorry, you’re not good enough for that occupation and never will be. Isn’t this unfair? Well, it is, and in the future, once they decide your not worthy, that’s it, your life may as well be over. However, you do have a chance. The one chance that can make you or break you. That chance is… the test.