Book Reviews

Misery by Stephen King

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Misery (novel)

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Summary

Paul Sheldon is the famous writer of the books Misery. But in the last book he killed her off. Unfortunately he had a bad accident and Annie Wilkes has rescued him. Unfortunately for him Annie Wilkes is his #1 fan. She will do any thing to get him to write her a book. A book dedicated and written to her. There are 2 things that make him write. One is a needle. Another is an ax. And if they don’t work as motivation, she can get really nasty.

Review

This was one of the scariest books I have ever read. It is also the most gruesome book I have ever read. The book was ok until about page 270. Then it got gruesome and there was a lot of blood. I wanted to read this book because I did not like R.L. Stine and I am reading Edgar Allen Poe at school so I wanted something in between. So I choose Stephen King. My mom said no to a lot of the books but she said OK (hesitantly) to this book. This is not a younger YA book at all. I would say no one should read this unless they are over the age of 18. This is definitely an ADULT book. Extremely scary and gruesome.

The characters in Misery were described really well. Annie was portrayed as a person with problems and I do not mean like something that makes you different from others. She looks the same (or is described to look normal) but her personality changes constantly. One minute she might be happy the next she might want to kill you. Then there was Paul Sheldon. He had an accident and could not move his legs because they had been completely shattered. He was described as a person who was fragile on the outside but inside he had some courage, no matter how small and insignificant it was. He was trying his hardest to survive his time with Annie Wilkes, but the whole time he was being kept prisoner with her, he was planning a way to escape. Towards the end of the book there was a considerable struggle between him and her. This showed that he was gaining his courage back. But every time that Annie lost her temper, Paul would feel really scared, and he should be considering the things she could do and did.

This book was written really well in my opinion. It was descriptive and it sucked you in. It sucked me in so much that when it got to the gruesome bit I jumped and started breathing heavily. My mom got worried by I told her it was just the book.

I think much older teen should read this book and I think they would probably enjoy it. Also it might be a book for males because of the violence. It seems boys get drawn towards that stuff. It is a definite read but beware about what I told you.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 1

 in Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Fiction / History / Interesting / Older Readers / Young Adult by

Summary

Wow! Dan Brown has created yet another enthralling novel. This is the second one in the series with Robert Langdon (Angel’s and Demons being the first.) In this thrilling book Robert Langdon is called in to decipher a code written on a dead mans body(!). The weird thing is the killer didn’t write what was on him there. He originally thought that because in his last experience, the symbols were put there from the killer. But this time they weren’t. The dead man had written the symbols on himself just before he died. Robert was called in and so was Sophie Neveu, a noted cryptographer. So the adventure begins of finding the clues left by this man. But they have to find out what the clues are for. Robert believes that the man who died was part of a secret group. Priory of Sion. A 1,000 year old group that held the secrets of the Holy Grail and Robert believes that these symbols are passing on the information. But why? To find out they have to follow trails left by the dead man who is actually Sophie Nevu’s grandfather, run away from the police and keep themselves from not being killed. But can they get to the secret before Opus Dei a secret  organization who wants the information too? Both groups want to own the Grail but only one wants to use it for good. The other wants to get it and destroy it. Destroy something that is from the time of Jesus. But who will get there first? The clock has started ticking.

Review

I know that the last two books that I read by Dan Brown were excellent and I said they were must reads. Well this one is not one that I would say that about. The beginning was really good but once it got to the end it was all riddles and they were solving something until the VERY end. It was not confusing to read or anything but the riddles got kind of boring. There are some things that you should watch out for. There is some sexual content in the book. Nothing too graphic but commonsensemedia.org rates this book iffy for 15 year olds. I only read it because it is the second one of three in the Robert Langdon Series (The Lost Symbol being the last.) There is also one thing that I would say. I might read Digital Fortress again, I possibly would read the Angels and Demons again because it was interesting but I would not read the Da Vinchi Code again but it was a little boring. This book a definite one time read book. I would say that you should read it because it was good but not one of the best.

What do you think?

I am sure I am not the only one who read it so what are your opinions. Tell me what you thought about it and if you though this was the best. Everyone’s opinions matter.

What I Think….
by M.O.M.

Unlike MLCWO I did not read any other books by Dan Brown before I read The Da Vinci Code. I loved it and couldn’t put it down. In fact I was shocked to discover that at one point I had to stop everything and sit and read and read, to find out what happens next. I found it gripping, and an exciting read. But then again, I don’t usually read books like this so it was quite a new experience for me. I think Dan Brown researches his subjects well and sets out an interesting story. He keeps his readers engaged. However, I am not sure how long he can create books based on symbols, mysticism and history.

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes

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Summary
*From School Library Journal Review on Amazon.com

Parallel stories follow teenagers Spence Morgan, a farm boy from Utah, and Dieter Hedrick, a farm boy from Bavaria. Stirred by complex feelings of patriotism and adolescent insecurities, both young men find themselves fighting for their respective countries in World War II. The first part of the story follows Spence from his small-town life to the rigors of basic training as a paratrooper; Dieter has left his family in order to supervise other Hitler youth, digging trenches on the German border. Then suddenly, both teens are thrust into the chaos and carnage of the Battle of the Bulge. Dieter has his eyes opened somewhat by a disillusioned and embittered corporal in his unit. Spence learns of war’s truths when his best friend dies. The novel comes alive in these final chapters, capturing the soldiers’ struggles to stay warm and to overcome their fear, and the battle scenes place readers in the center of the action. Hughes doesn’t flinch from describing the devastating effect of a bullet. Soldier Boys rises above the clichés of standard World War II stories and serves as a reminder that wars are often fought by young people like those we see every day in our libraries.

Review

I actually have to say I did not really enjoy this book. It was really sad, kind of sickening, and really graphic. This book I would say is for someone who is in 9 grade and up. A lot of young boys are killed in this book and it is really graphic about what happens and what the boys look like when they are dead. This book would be a good book to learn a little bit about WWII. This book is categorized as historical fiction.. It is based on real things that happened, but the characters are not real, but this is not a light and fluffy book. It is a book about war. This, at some points, made me feel sick. Extremely sick. But it teaches you a valuable less about what the war is like. In my opinion this is a once time read book, but otherwise it had a good story line and interesting descriptions.

What do you think?

If you have read this book or something like it, tell me what you think about this book or this type of topic.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

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Summary

Robert Langdon is a symbologist and he has been sent some information that the secret society known as the Illuminati – a group devoted to science since the time of Galileo and condemning Catholicism since then too – is actually still in existence. When Max Kohler, director of CERN, calls him in because of a mysterious death, every single piece of evidence is pointing towards the Illuminati but Robert won’t believe it. The man murdered was Leonardo Vetra and he was a great scientist and a priest. The last discovery he made was of antimatter – the most powerful and most dangerous thing known to man – and after he was killed, the biggest amount ever of antimatter was stolen. It was a small amount but enough to completely vaporize Vatican city and that is just what it has been put in the center of the Vatican city to do. Langdon and Vittoria – Leonardo Vetra’s daughter – are now on a mission to save 4 cardinals who’s lives are in danger and retrieve the antimatter before it explodes – only 24 hours. And counting.

Review

This actually might have been better that Digital Fortress. This book was full of action, romance, mystery, and suspense. I just could not put this book down. I actually read it in 3 days and the book is over 600 pages. There are just some things that you should watch out for though. This book is actually really violent because there is a “Hassassin” (Hassassin was the old word for assassin the book). This man does some gruesome things and some of it is kind of cringeworthy. This book is kind of easy to follow. But only in some parts. There is scientific talk and that is sometimes confusing. There is also a small amount of sexuality which is kind of descriptive. Dan Brown made this book gripping and a page turner. I could not put it down as I said and I think that you will too.

This book should be read before you read the Da Vinci Code because the first chapter of that book refers to it (briefly). I might read this book again but I think that it just might be a one time read book. I recommend that no one should read this unless they are under the age of 14-15 years old. But otherwise enjoy this really good book.

What do you think?

This book is quite popular so I cannot be the only one who read it. If you have read this book, tell my what you think of it. Tell me what you think the age should be to read it.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

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[Post was updated October 2019]

Number the Stars by Louis Lowry Book Cover via Amazon

Summary

“As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Lois Lowery’s book, Number the Stars, is very moving and something that really grips your soul. I read this book when I was younger and honestly it’s a book that has stuck with me, or at least scenes have stuck with me. Families being taken away from each other, people being killed or captured and all from the eyes of a child. It’s harrowing honestly.

But that was life when the Nazi’s were around and it was a reality. While the book itself is fictional, it was written to represent what life was like with the Nazi’s in power. People hid the Jews so that they could stay alive. Even as an adult, this still blows my mind and this book clearly displays that life in 1943 was not easy. Many books have epilogues with people choose to read sometimes or sometimes actually just skip it (not sure why) and this book is like every other but you have to read it in this. It is a part of the story and if you are mature enough to understand what is going on, is extremely moving.

I only read this book once but even so I remember so many parts of it and actually have been looking for my copy for while now because it passes through my mind now and then. Sometimes you read a book that really sticks with you and this is one of them honestly.

With the fact that schools now are not teaching about the Holocaust and concentration camps, openly preaching that this was a lie and not a true part of history, this book is important to keep alive and to read. It’s perfectly written for children to address the situation in a context that they can understand without it being too much – of course this will depend on the child. The writing is simple and when I read it in 2010…I would have been about 12 or so which is the perfect time to read this book. Any younger and a lot of it probably won’t be understood or at least some of the nuances wouldn’t be.

It’s absolutely incredible and I highly recommend it to all.

Enjoy!