Hunger Games Fan Fest

Hunger Games Fan Fest

Signed Bookplate

Hi everyone! I just came back from an awesome Hunger Games Fan Fest held at our local Borders. It was a fun way to celebrate Mockingjay's release, and meet other Hunger Games fans! There were trivia questions (which I rocked at!), debate discussions, and cool giveaways. They had bookmarks and Hunger Games tattoos.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

5 out of 5 stars

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

How did Katniss get herself into this mess? She was just trying to protect her little sister. But now, Katniss is… the Mockingjay. She is the very backbone of the rebels’ hope, and the drive that propels them forward. The rebels grasp and cling to her as the face of the revolution. This is a heavy burden to place on one teenager’s shoulders. She never asked, or wanted this responsibility. Katniss has countless people’s hopes and dreams riding on her, and… their lives.

Interviews With Authors: Richard Harland

A Talk With Richard Harland

Author of Worldshaker

By T.B.

1) How did you get the idea for your latest book Worldshaker?

Worldshaker started with two dreams. In one, I was in a strangely constructed library of many floors, and I just happened to discover a massive volume that turned out to be the sequel to Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast. Not the real Titus Alone, but more of the dark, gothic world of Gormenghast castle, the novel I wanted Titus Alone to be. When I started reading, the story was wonderful, I had it all in my head—until I woke up. Then the excitement disappeared, and so did my memory of the story. Every last skerrick of it! All I had left was the feeling it had given me, a sense of brooding atmosphere and weird dark characters. I wanted to write that novel! – or at least, a novel to give me the same feeling.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

4½ out of 5 stars

Note: This review assumes that you  have already read the first book in this series, The Hunger Games.  If you have not yet read The Hunger Games 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 The Hunger Games here.

Katniss Everdeen’s life will never be the same again. She will always have enough to eat and money to spare. Everywhere she goes there will be cameras trained on her. On top of all that, the people she holds closest to her heart will always be in danger. This is because of the Hunger Games. In which Katniss astonishingly won with her partner, Peeta Mellark. For the first time in the history of the games, there were two victors. They survived, and made it out of the arena, only to end up being thrown into a new kind of game. When Katniss pulled out those poisonous berries, it wasn’t seen as an act of love or survival, but an act of rebellion. And guess who isn’t too happy about it, the Capitol. 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Delacorte Press

4 ½ out of 5 stars

Your feet are hitting the ground. Your chest is heaving up and down. Your breathing is heavy, but you can’t stop. You know that you must continue forward if you wish to make it back in time. You keep your legs moving, only slowing down for a short break, or if you happen upon a Griever. At every turn and junction you steer yourself in the right direction knowing that the colossal stone walls are towering over you. Sweat drips off your body as the sun slowly goes down. You know that you must get back, before it’s too late. This is what it feels like to be one of the Runners. And Thomas has this gut-wrenching feeling that he must become one. He just knows.

H.I.V.E.: The Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden

H.I.V.E.

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education

Author: Mark Walden

Publisher: Aladdin Publishing

3½ out of 5 stars

Bad guys, villains, criminals, every story has one. However, most stories focus on the good guys, the heroes. But what about the villains? How did they become what they are? How did they develop into scheming, cunning criminals? What if there was a school that specialized in training and teaching children that they thought had potential? What if the end result was the most dastardly, wicked super villains around? Well, Otto Malpenese has just been enrolled into that school, whether he wants to or not. But let me fill you in on the specifics first.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

5 out of 5 stars

It’s not about how far you fall, but how high you rise back up. This is exactly true for the society of Panem. Panem sprawls and flourishes in the ruins of where North America used to be. It once consisted of thirteen districts, but now there are only twelve left, and one Capitol. The Capitol rules and presides over the remaining twelve districts with an iron fist. Life is harsh in all of the districts, except in the Capitol. In the Capitol people live in luxury and don’t spend their days working on empty stomachs. Katniss Everdeen is just one of many living in the districts. She’s sixteen and lives in District 12 with her mother and little sister Prim, whom she adores. However, there’s something more to Katniss Everdeen. This something keeps her going even throughout the toughest times, which is just what she needs for the Hunger Games.

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse

Author: Kaleb Nation

Publisher: Sourcebooks 

Jabberwocky

3 out of 5 stars

Being pushed around your entire life, being told that you’re useless, and having to do everything... I would be pretty fed up if this were me. I don’t think that I would be able to handle it, especially for my entire life. But then again I’m not Bran Hambric, am I? See, Bran Hambric is a fourteen-year-old boy who knows practically nothing of his past. At the age of six, Bran was found by Sewey Wilomas in the bank vault, which had been locked for the night. No one knows how he got there, or why. There’s nothing to explain this boy’s past, except for the note. This note, which was clutched in the young boy’s hand, only said his name and the date that he was born. But the strange part is that it also said, “To: Clarence.” Who’s Clarence? No one knew. 

The Last Words of Will Wolfkin by Steven Knight

The Last Words of Will Wolfkin

Author: Steven Knight

Publisher: Walden Pond Press

4 out of 5 stars

What would it be like to be paralyzed your entire life? To not be able to run, smile, play catch, or even speak. All you would be capable of would be to blink and breathe. And…think. Blink, breathe, and constantly think. Wouldn’t you have a lot of time to think if you were paralyzed from head to toe, and sat in a chair all your life? Well, that’s exactly what Toby Walsgrove did.

Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Worldshaker

Author:  Richard Harland

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

4½ out of 5 stars

Colbert Porpentine. Hmm…it sounds like some prestigious name, doesn’t it? The way it rolls off your tongue, and makes you think of some wealthy philanthropist or college professor. However, Colbert Porpentine is none of these things. He is sixteen, and you can call him Col for short. Colbert lives on the colossal juggernaut, Worldshaker, where he is next in line to become supreme commander. As you can see, Colbert is no ordinary boy. He has his future laid out for him, and is preparing to fulfill it to his full potential.

Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher

Knightley Academy

Author: Violet Haberdasher

Publisher: Aladdin Publishing

3½ out of 5 stars

Henry Grim’s life, in fact, did start out very, very, grim. His story begins at the Midsummer Orphanage where he was taught and lived until he was thirteen years old. At that age he was allowed to leave, and did so, by trekking up to the Midsummer School for Boys. Now, instead of attending this school, this is where he was a servant boy who brought out the food and scrubbed the chalkboards at night. And that was all he ever really knew. But, you see, this school wasn’t just any school. It was a school that taught boys that had long, fancy titles, and were from prestigious wealthy families. These boys thought that they were all that mattered, and were better than everyone else. Especially commoners…but that’s where Henry comes in.  

From The Bookshelf of T.B.

Hi! I’m Tessa, and I’m an eighth grader in middle school! Welcome to my new blog From The Bookshelf of T.B.! I’m really excited about starting this blog, and can’t wait to post my reviews on books for teens and pre-teens. I’m keen on discovering rising authors and new and unique series. I started this blog because I love to read and write, so I thought that this would be a great combination of the two! It is also a wonderful way to share all kinds of books with fellow readers! I read books about fantasy, all the way to novels that take place in the future. I especially enjoy reading books that are new and yet to be discovered, and stories that haven’t been done before. Through this blog, I hope to share new, and old, books with you!

I welcome any comments or feedback that you have, and if anyone knows of a good book or series that they would like to recommend, please email me or let me know. I would love to review more books, especially ones that my readers think are good too!

To sum it all up, I hope that through this blog, I am able to share books with young readers and promote good literature. My goal is to make this blog a place that can always provide an exciting book! So check out my new blog, From The Bookshelf of T.B.!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!