Book Reviews

To Kill A Mockingbird

 in Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Interesting / Young Adult by

by Harper Lee

Summary

When a local African American man, Tom Robinson,  is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell,  Maycomb turns into a nasty little town. It is nasty for Atticus, Scout, Jem, and Calpurnia. Atticus, a white lawyer, is assigned to defend Mr. Robinson. And then, people disliking  Atticus, Scout and Jem start getting bombarded with people calling their father “nigger lover” and other hateful things. And with the court case coming up soon, the pressure is on Atticus to keep Tom safe in jail (from people who want him dead), keep his own family safe, and make sure justice is served. Also with Bob Ewell running around the town making mischief, he just might be finding himself in a whole lot of bother.

Review

I had heard about this book about 3 years ago and I always thought it was really hard, just like I still think that Pride and Prejudice is hard. I thought that I was never going to read it. I though I would read this book when I was a grown up. But when I started my grade this year, I saw our reading list for the year, and To Kill A Mockingbird was on the list. I told my friends and only one of them had read it. They said they had loved the book but that it was a little weird. That kind of put me off the book. But then it was time to read it. The first three chapters are a little confusing because it is referring back into the past and I got a little lost in it. But after that I was thoroughly enjoying it. Many of my friends did not read the book because of the language. The language is not complex, like Anne of Green Gables, but it has a Southern accent to it. This story is set in a Southern state so everyone has an accent or is not very literate. Some of them cannot talk well so it is hard to understand them.

This book is quite old, written in 1960 and all. This is one explanation of why the book is so racist. It was a racist time and it was a racist area that the book was set in. But I do warn you, if you are offended by racial discrimination then this book is not the right one for you. They do use the word negro and nigger. They use some terms like “nigger lover” and other phrases with the word “nigger” or “negro.” But I do have to say, you should read this book because it is definitely a classic and I think you would be missing out. Hope that you enjoy the book.

Character List
Just to help you when you read the book

Jean Louise “Scout” Finch – Daughter
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch – Son
Atticus Finch – Father
Calpurnia – Finche’s “black cook” there is not mother in the household so Calpurnia takes on this role
Charles Baker “Dill” Harris – a summer and neighbor friend of Scout and Jem

To Kill a Mockingbird

Image via Wikipedia

Arthur “Boo” Radley – a man who lives in Maycomb, who is believed to be insane Bob Ewell – father of Mayella Ewell
Mayella Ewell – blamed Tom Robinson of raping her, brought court case about
Miss Maudie Atkinson – Finche’s neighbor, sharp tounged widow
Aunt Alexandra – Atticus’s sister
Tom Robinson – accused of raping Mayella Ewell
Nathan Radley – older brother of Boo Radley

For more information on the characters click here.

Warriors: Power of Three #4: Eclipse by Erin Hunter

 in Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Series by

Summary
 Life in the clans is normal. For now. When a stranger named Sol arrives to the ThunderClan territory they are nervous. He says he has some important news to share that is important for the clan. Leafpool and Jaypaw accept to listen to it because they are medicine cats. When they hear what he says they don’t know what to do. But then Sol travels to ShadowClan. That could be his worst mistake or the worst mistake that ThunderClan let them go. ShadowClan might never be a clan or the same ever again.

Review
This was definitely not one of the strongest books that was written. If I had to be honest then I would actually say that I did not enjoy the book. It did not really go anywhere. I cried a couple of time because there were some sad parts but overall this book was actually not what I expected from Erin Hunter. All of the other books that I have read are ok, but this one was boring. It was the introduction of Sol and I believe that he plays and important part in the some of the other books but this book could have been made to be a little more interesting in my opinion. So, you still need to read it to understand the story or the series, but I personally thought this book was a little bit boring.

From slog.thestranger.com

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan ~ Drawing by Peter Sis

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fiction / Hot Off The Press by

by Guest Blogger M.O.M.

 

Every once in a while a book finds its way to you that  is a surprise. A shock. You don’t expect the story to move in a particular direction. To do what it does. You are taken by surprise at how much emotion the book arouses in you. You put it down at the end and need to sit still and keep the magical place it has created for you. It moves you. And sometimes you just have to re-read it again. Straight away. There is something about the world inside the book that you just can’t leave.

The Dreamer was one of these books for me. Sitting on the shelf of’ “New Arrivals” in the library its quiet, dreamlike cover seemed to offer an invitation. I had no idea about the story. Or the language. Or how much I would love this book.  I suppose the clue should have been the opening poem –

“I am poetry,
waiting to seize the poet.
I ask the questions
for which all answers exist.
I choose no one.
I choose every one.
Come closer…
…if you dare.”

Ahh, this is writing that beckons you with that curled finger saying “come here. try me”.

Neftali is a boy unlike others. He sees words before him, he is enchanted by them. “The twos and threes lifted from the page and waved for the others to join them. The fives and sevens sprang upward, and finally, after much prodding, the fours, ones, and sixes came along. But the nines and zeros would not budge, so the others left them.” How can you not love this writing?
His life is a struggle. His father  strikes fear in everyone around and ridicules and controls his life. His fearful stepmother who struggles to give him comfort and love and tries to bring joy.  He stutters, is fearful of the taunts of other children and has watched as his older brother’s dreams and talents are destroyed by his father. How can he stop from being crushed? And what becomes of him?

Pam Munoz Ryan has written one of the most enchanting books I have read. This is not a big book, the print is quite large, and so with few words she is able to create such a world full of magic. She weaves the story with words, poetry and images to take the reader to another place. This is great writing. And the delicate drawings by Peter Sis make it all the more special. Weaving literary fact, fiction, poetry and magic this is a book to read. If you love words, if you love poetry, if you are a dreamer –  run, don’t walk to your library and borrow this book and read it.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

 in Book Reviews / Books by

Summary

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris – the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister, Rosie, from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and a blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt that her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls’ bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Scarlett’s only friends, Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax. But does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they’ve worked for?

*From inside flap of the book.

Review

I never finished this book. I got to page 211 out of 321 pages. The book was ok until there. Throughout the book there were a lot of bloody fights between the girls and the boy and the werewolves. They were really violent and bloody. But when it got to about page 200, the book too a different turn. It had talked about girls being killed, but then it went into detail about one of the girls being eaten and what was left of her. This just completely turned me off this book. I was just managing before with all of the blood and everything, but when it got to the part with the mangled girls body, and what was left, I just could not read any more. This book is for Older Young Adults. Maybe 15 or something. This is not a read again for me at all. If you have a queasy stomach, then do not read this book. It is utterly disturbing. But if you want to give it a try, be my guest. This is just what I thought of it.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Hot Off The Press / Older Readers / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

THIS BOOK HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED AND OFFICIALLY COMES OUT OCTOBER 19TH 2010

Summary

Calla Tor has always known what her destiny will be. She will become the Alpha Female of a werewolf pack. Her mate, Ren Laroche, was already decided. But she does agree that he is sexy. She, in her position, does not get to choose who she can love. There are rules from the Keepers. The Guardians do as they are told, but if they do well they get rewarded with education, money, cars, and food. But she and her mate, since they are alpha’s, run the pack, they fight side by side, and guard a sacred site for the Keepers. But when she saves a boy hiker from a bear, she realizes her mistake. But he then is gone. But when she goes to school, he is the new student. The Keepers want him protected. The overseer of the new pack, Logan, want the alpha female and male to watch over him. They were going to be his “Guardian.” But this strange boy invites her in. She actually loves him. But loving him could cost them their lives. But is love the ultimate sacrifice?

Review

This was an interesting book. Unexpected things happened. It was about werewolves but it was pretty realistic. This might be a read again for me. The characters were interesting because of the way they were described. I thought that the story’s base line was interesting with the she and he wolf and then a human in between. There was quite a lot of blood mentioned in the book. This is because when a Guardian is severely injured with a magic weapon, they have to drink another guardians blood. There is a ginormous arachnid in the book and there are some other squeamish parts. The violence is my only complaint about the book. There was a lot of it. There are also creatures which are shadows and they are kind of creepy.

Hope that my readers enjoy it when it comes out.