Dear Viewers,
I'm so sorry for having not posted for SIX months! I'm really mad at myself for my lack in consistency! I promise I will keep up from now on.....I was under school and exam pressure, and had absolutely NO time to post! From now on, I will post at least once a month. Now......here's my latest review!
Matched, an award winning book by Ally Condie drags you into the dystopian world of the future. Cassia trusts the Society for anything that needs to be done. Even whom she is going to marry. So when Xander (her best friend) is stated to be her destined partner at her Match banquet, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal husband, until she sees Ky Markham's (another of her classmates) face flash for an instant on her tablet before the screen fades to black.
The Officials tell her that it's an honest mistake made by one of the employees and that she should focus on the happy life she's supposed to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to question the Society's decisions and choices, wondering why the citizens don't have as much freedom as was given in the olden days. After the Officials find out about their secret relationship, Ky is taken away, leaving Cassia to choose between him (a dangerous and rebellious life) and Xander (a safe but a Official-watched life).
The main focus of the book was Cassia, and her choices; how they affected her and those around her. This romantic dystopia gave rise due to Ally's yearn for writing a romance, which quickly changed into a novel set in the future. I personally loved this book due to Ally's writing style. Although she used simple vocabulary and such, it was as if I was tied to a rope that dragged me deep into the plot, to watch the scenes unfold. I found many euphemisms, but unfortunately, no allegories as I had expected (I really thought that there would be at least one because of the setting and the story's structure). The theme which I found mostly used was "Love always conquers all evil". A symbol which I found was constantly used were birds. I guess that they might be used to portray a sign of fore coming freedom. I feel that this book was a lot like the Giver, by Lois Lowry. Both, were taken in the far future and in a time where people are controlled by a higher force of the Elders and have almost no voice of their own. Overall, I love this book for its quirky romance, writing style and purely the idea for this type of setting. This book is ideal for those 12+.
I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time, and this summer, I have finally achieved my goal!
Mr. Popper is a daydreamer. Even as he paints houses (his job), he is only able to think about Antarctica. The white snow tundra and the cold, windy climate captivate him, but the one thing that he would kill to see are penguins. He is struck by their beauty, gracefulness and even more, their complexion. So, it seems a huge miracle when his letter to his hero, Admiral Drake (an explorer currently in Antarctica) gets answered by him on radio, and Drake promises a suprise for Mr. Popper soon. Certainly Mr. Popper was not expecting a penguin of all things! But a penguin it was, and a smart one at that. He named him Captain Cook, and Cook was soon taught many tricks. After sometime though, Cook's health was failing. Mr. Popper wrote to an aquarium for help, and they suspected that the penguin was only lonely. That is how Greta came to live with the Poppers as well. Soon there were ten baby penguins strutting around the house. Unsure of what to do with so many penguins, the Poppers began training them to perform on stage. Everything goes on fine, until one day, Mr. Popper shows up at the wrong theater and is arrested. Luckily, Admiral Drake himself comes and bails Mr. Popper out. They decide that the penguins would be better off in their own habitat, and Drake, along with Mr. Popper, head off to the South Pole to release the penguins to the place they should have been all along. This short chapter book is funny and cute (for an old-timer) and there should be one copy on the bookshelf of every household!
Now that all the hype about wizards and vampires have come to a close, Ally Carter opens a new world to us readers.
In Heist Society, she creates a enthralling story
that will definitely rake in many readers.
This story is about a teenage girl named Katarina Bishop, obviously the protagonist. All she wants is a normal life, unlike her family's, which is stealing. Suddenly, she finds herself in the midst of all the hullabaloo when her father is accused of thieving from an extremely powerful character, Arturo Taccone. Gathering a band of friends, she fights to steal Taccone's stolen paintings back! How's that for a read?
You would think that the thief is the character to be killed, but instead, she makes us feel nothing but goodwill towards Katarina. I would give this book an 8.99999...out of 10, and say that it would be a must read for children above 10 years old.
Some of you might remember my very first post last summer, i.e., The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Well, all I can say is Mitch Albom has done it again!
This book is one of a kind; it is strong and powerful, and at the same time, emotional.
This is the story of a middle aged man who lives away from his wife and daughter (family issues). One day, he recieves some photos in the mail. The photos of his daughter's wedding, where he was not invited. Apparently, his wife and daughter thought he was "unstable". Heartbroken, he decided to end his life. As he drives his car off a overpass, he suddenly finds himself in the town where he grew up. He runs to his old house, where he unexpectedly finds his dead mother alive and well. He relives a day with her, as she gives him advice about his life. After spending a full day with her, he regains consciousness in a police officer's arms. This book leads you to draw your own conclusions about what you think REALLY happened. this philosophical book is suitable for all ages, but I think only 12+ may actually appreciate it as more that just a book.
The Girl Mechanic of Wanzhou is a realistic fiction novel written by Marjorie Sayer takes place in the ancient Chinese city of Wanzhou in 1912. The main character is Zun, a twelve year old girl whose father is a mechanic. Her father was onto a revolutionary breakthrough on the way bicycles were built. Suddenly, her life turns upside down when her father is seriously injured by the Magistrate's men. He is taken away to the unknown and Zun believes him to be dead. Furthermore, her mother is captured and imprisoned. Desperate to save her, Zun goes on an impossible mission with the help of some old family friends whom she had no clue existed. When I read this book, I truly felt as though I was in ancient China, seeing and smelling what Zun saw and smelled. I especially loved the vivid picture that Ms. Sayer created for us. Action-packed and thrilling, I'd recommend it for readers aged 10+.
"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not
give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he
cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the
animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum
that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself. "
My father told me that movies that won't leave your head for a while after seeing them; movies that make you think; movies that change your perspective on things, are called "heavy movies". In this case, you can say that this book by George Orwell, is a "heavy book". The story takes place in a farm, Manor Farm, to be exact, where the farmer doesn't give much attention to the welfare of the animals on his farm. This sparks outrage among the animals after sometime, leading to a movement called the Rebellion. After planning for some time, the animals revolted against the farmer and drove him out of his farm. Needless to say, the animals managed the farm quite well. There were few rules and most of them cooperated well. But the farmer was not to give up. He soon returned with more people, but the farm dwellers fought them off with valiance and zeal. After this, there were many problem and hurdles that the animals had to overcome, but they pushed through them with courage and bravery. This book changes your perspective on animals completely. I would say that it is for kids 10+ because there are quite a few violent and gruesome scenes described to perfection. If you do know any animal abusers out there, first contact the police, then give them a copy of Animal Farm!
This novel by Emma Donoghue, depicts the life of an ordinary mother and child. The mother, who had been kidnapped when she was in her college years, was imprisoned in a small shed in the backyard of her captor. There, after a few years, she gave birth to a small boy. As he had grown in the small 11x11 room, he believed it to be the world, literally! Jack (the boy) thought that if he opened the door, he would be floating in outer space. He had a TV and saw pictures of other people, but believed them to be imaginary. In this Room, Jack studies, plays, eats and sleeps. He loves Room to death, but only his mother knows the pain of being stuck there for eight years. Finally, on his fifth birthday, his mother tells him the truth about the outside world. He doesn't believe her at all and starts to crib. But when they try to make an escape plan to get out of there, he turns serious. The first plan fails, but then when they try again, the Great Escape works miraculously, and he is out in the world. It is a beautiful story, nothing like the others I have ever read. I thought that the idea and setting was just creative and innovating. It is suitable for kids and adults of all ages, classified in Realistic Fiction (by me).
Are you the type of person who would just love to join a violent gang? Probably not. Now, suppose that gang was your only family. Wouldn't you stick to that gang even if your life depended on it? You might say no, but imagine your family in the place of that gang. Come to think about it, you probably would. This book, the Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton (she's a girl, even though it looks like a boy's name) depicts the life and adventures of Ponyboy, a boy whose only family is the gang he grew up with, as his parents died earlier in a tragic car accident.
They are called the Greasers. They are tuff (means tough in olden-day slang). They consist of seven members, Ponyboy, his brothers Sodapop and Darry, Dally Winston, the toughest in their gang, Two-bit, a boy who cracks jokes all the time, Steve, Sodapop's friend and Johnny, who has a mother and father who are highly abusive towards him. Together, the Greasers make one tight family.
One night, after Ponyboy gets slapped by Darry, he runs away to a park with Johnny and gets jumped (attacked) by their rival gang, the Socs (pronounced Sho-SHus). Johnny had been terribly attacked once, and after that dreadful incident, he always carried a knife with him. When he saw a boy dunking and drowning Ponyboy, he immediately started attacking that boy, and by accident, killed him. Since Ponyboy was with him, he knew that Ponyboy would be accused too. So both of them escaped from town (with help from Dally). The story is mainly how they survive in an old church and return home as heroes. There are some untimely deaths and tragedies, but after some time, life resumes itself and everyone (both gangs) discovers that they are not so different from each other. It is really a sweet story that unfolds itself from S.E. Hinton's past experiences. A must-read for people of all ages!
Dear Viewers,
