Source: Young Adult, Mystery
Student Reviewer: Paige H.
Book reviews for the young and the old. This site reviews children, teen, and adult books with a few interesting things thrown into the mix. Check out the labels on the right hand side for specific genres or topics.
Appointed by Kandi J. Wyatt
This is the seventh book in the “Four Stars Over Ardatz: Sovereigns” series. In this book we meet Shawnahur. His friends and family call him Shawn. He is the youngest of eight children. His three older brothers are away at war. Shawn is a drover of pucklings. He and his dog watch over these wooly haired duck like animals. When his brothers come home on leave they love to tell stories of the battles they are fighting. One afternoon while watching his pucklings his dog begins to bark. Shawn checks out the situation looking for whatever danger may be headed toward his animals. What he finds is a small lizard like creature who has its leg stuck between two rocks. As he reaches to help it, the creature lowers his beak and touches Shawn's hand. A small burning sensation goes through his hand. He keeps talking to the creature, hoping to gain his trust so that he can free him. Once freed, the creature starts speaking to him in his mind. He learns the creature is actually a silver dragon. The dragon, named Keenah had touched his hand to see whether he had a good heart. They both pledge to protect each other creating a bond between them. A rabid fox comes racing toward Shawn and he is able to quickly grab it by the mouth. Keenah helps direct his magic through Shawn’s hands killing it. This is the beginning of Shawn’s ability to use magic.
This is by far my favorite in this
series. As we read further we see Shawn rise in power and in favor among the
people. The story reminded me of several Bible stories. He takes supplies on
the battlefield to his brothers. They are being taunted by a giant of a man. No
one will challenge him. Shawn speaks up willing to do so. This reminded me of
the David and Goliath story. Earlier in the story he is called upon to help the
commander of the army while he is at home. The rains have put him in a foul
mood and he has outbursts. Shawn’s flute playing calms him down. This reminded
me of David playing to calm King Saul. I love the characters. Shawn has quickly become one of my
favorites. The world building is
outstanding as always. This is a series
you must read. If you have read the first six books then you must read this
one.
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pre-order Appointed direct from the author - https://payhip.com/b/VMUzR
Appointed retailers pre-order link - https://books2read.com/sovereigns7
Read the first Chapter on Kandi’s website here:
https://kandijwyatt.com/appointed-chapter-1/
Ava loves the outdoors. With only two days of school left she is thrilled when their class takes a trip to Central Park. Her friends on the other hand don’t care for it too much. They are into sports, reading and posting online or playing video games. Ava knows she will be stuck at home with her family unless she can convince them to let her go to her Aunt Ravens cabin in the Adirondack Mountains.. Ava knows it will be an uphill battle convincing her mother to let her go. Her mother doesn’t agree with her twin’s decision to live in the middle of no where. Her brother calls her crazy because “black folks don’t do nature.” What she assumes will be an impossible task, turns into the possible. She never expected her dad to side with her. Just like that they are making plans for her to spend her summer with her aunt.
Ava and her Aunt get along great. She knows a lot about being outdoors, but her aunt has so much more she can teach her. When her aunt is called away and she is left alone, life becomes very real. I loved this book. I loved how passionate Ava was about being outdoors. I loved that she didn’t try to conform to her family’s ideas of what you should be passionate about. I loved the realistic relationship throughout the story. This is a book I want my students to read. I highly recommend it.
By the way, the movie is just as
awesome.
This is the fourth and final book
in this series. Connor is definitely a changed young man. That is all I will
say about that. Cam, the young man who was a rewind, someone created from
unwound parts has helped to bring justice to unwinds and rewinds everywhere.
The government must now look at what they have done for years and decide if it
is morally acceptable. Justice for those who didn’t survive and for those who
were wronged. Neal Shusterman has kept this conflict about what is morally
right in the forefront. He has given us a series that takes an issue still
debated today and shows what happens when things are taken to the extreme. He
shows how people justify things much the same way people justified what took
place during the Holocaust. The story leaves so much for the reader to think
about. This book was so full of
unexpected twists, sadness and happy events that made it a suitable and
satisfying ending to the series. It also leaves the reader with a lot to think
about.
This third book in the Unwind series takes us deeper into
how unwinding began. Connor is rescued by Lev once again. The Graveyard is
raided and most of the unwinds are captured. They are all searching for Sonia
to get answers to hopefully stop the unwinding. What they learn is very
nefarious. The parts pirates turned my
stomach. How could someone take people, whether they are to be unwound or not
and sell them for parts? Oh yeah, we have people who kill others for their
organs. Not much different than the parts pirates. We learn something from
Sonia that could have prevented the unwinding. We also learn why unwinding wasn’t
stopped. Shusterman keeps the tension
going. He keeps giving us more to learn about the characters we have come to
care for so much, and at the same time introduces us to new characters. Some of
them we love and some of them we love to hate. We have a group of teens who
have had to grow up way too fast, yet still behave like teens. You can feel the tension in regards to the
unwinding situation building to a point where there will be no turning back. It
is an all or nothing outcome.
Years ago as the rest of the books in this series came out I
read them, yet failed to write reviews on them. I decided to reread the entire
series while home on break. This is the second book in this wonderful series by
one of my favorite authors. In this second book a lot has happened. The Admiral
is no longer running the “Graveyard”.
Conner is now in charge. Risa has
her own roll to play in front of the camera’s. Lev has come a long way. He
started out a willing tithe until he was kidnapped and went one hundred percent
the other way becoming a clapper. With the help of his former pastor he has a
new purpose in life. We meet a character
named Cam who like Frankenstein was created from all unwound parts. Shusterman
has done a wonderful job of making you love the characters that are so despicable. In other words he does an excellent job of
creating characters that you will love to hate. I think the thing I love the most
about this series is that it shows what could happen in a future where the
pro-choice and pro-life sides take things to the extreme. No matter what side of the argument you are
on when you read this book, you realize that the third option was definitely
not the correct option. It also touches
on the questions about having a soul, especially if you are unwound. This reminded me of Robin Wasserman’s series “Skinned”,
for the same issues of whether the character still has a soul. Highly recommend both series. I will say as I
have before that Neal Shusterman and ALL of his books are some of my favorites
of all time and I am thrilled to introduce them to another generation of teens.
The book, "Up From the
Sea" is about a tsunami hitting a town in Japan. Kai tryed to save his
family from the massive devastation in his home. He was offered a trip to New
York to meet kids that experineced 9/11. While Kai is in America, he decided to
look for his American father that he hasn't talked to in years. While in
America, Kai decideds to go back home and help rebuild his town.
I rate this book an seven out of
ten. I found this book quite interesting and touching. I would recommend this
book to ages ten and above. I have enjoyed reading this book and it also taught
me about how tsunamis happen.
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Student Reviewer: Sofia L.
Two best friends that both had feelings for each other, and they
never said anything about it. They have known each other since they were
little. Finny is quiet and does not share his feelings. Autum is the same, but
she is a little more outgoing. They were both in relationships with other
people. Autum and Finny live in Ferguson, Missouri, they are next door
neighbors, their moms are best friends and always together so that means that
Autum and Finny are always together, "The Mothers" as Autum calls
them go on a vacation. Will Finny and Autum find out how they feel about each
other, or will it be too late?
The book an Odette's Secrets is about a young
girl that went through much hardship during the Holocaust. Odette was a yound
girl with curly hair. Odette started out as a young girl in Paris. Throughout
the story she grew up and moved to the country and eventually back to the city.
Madame Marie was her godmother, who played a big part in Odette's life. Madame
Marie, her mother, and her father all cared for Odette very much. Odette
was forced to move around to escape the soldiers. She moved to the country where
she met great people. Her mother then forced her out of the country to go back
to the city. Odette had a hard time finding out who she was and where she
belonged. She found that poetry would soothe her mind. I sometimes wonder where
I belong. Just like Odette I find things and activities that help me with
calming my mind. This book teaches great lessons and exceeds my expectations. I
would reccomend this book to someone that likes history and heartfelt
books.
Kate didn't understand why her father was packing her clothes. She told him that there were two weeks until Christmas break. As she was trying to unpack the suitcase, he was hurrying to pack; she heard gunshots. She ran down the stairs only to find her father in a pool of blood. She tries to stop the bleeding but can't. He hands her a piece of paper and tells her to burn it and tell no one. Kate's mom finds her at the hospital where she learns of her husband's death. Once allowed to return to the house to get some of their things, Kate discovers her guitar case full of money. This is the beginning of a great mystery. Kate and her mother move away. Her mother takes a teaching job at a private school where Kate will learn to ski. However, she can't let her father's murder go.
Kate meets Ryan, who always seems to be in trouble. He inadvertently gets pulled in to all of this mess. Can Kate extricate herself before someone else gets hurt? What is she to do with the money? Who keeps leaving her cryptic messages? What is with the address her father gave her before he died?
All of these questions lead to one of the most fulfilling mysteries I have read in a long time. Throw in a snarky roommate, a good looking young man and a lot of twists and turns in this wonderful book. One my students will definitely love as much as I did.
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Student Reviewer: Benjamin T.
This book is about Piper and Hazel, two teenagers with
Hazel having curly hair and usually being a strong person, and with Piper, the
main character and which the point of view is from. Piper has dark hair and
learns to become hard-minded and is the most rational out of them. Teens in
their neighborhood have been going missing and everyone says that they are just
runaway teens, as their area is small and there is a bigger city a bit far from
there. One day, Piper and Hazel get kidnapped, and they are led to a big old
building that was renovated and has a lot of doors and confusing pathways. It
has 6 rooms for different physical and mental challenges. As well as other
rooms for the group to stay in, with a bathroom and sleeping area. Room 0 puts
two people up against each other and there is water, sound, temperature, sleep
deprivation room etc. There are some other people there, Theo, Lucia, and
Priya, who Theo has been in there the longest,
tall, and calm while Lucia has just been put in for a few days and is short and
blonde. She also has a temper. Priya is the one who comforts everyone and has
been in there for a few weeks. The main antagonists are three people, Matt,
Caleb, and Owen who love twisted games and seeing people suffer. They lure in
people by trying to be their friends or showing interest. The story follows as
Piper goes through the rooms and they plan to break out. Will they escape? What
will happen in room 0? Will the three masterminds get caught? If i were in
their situation, I would immediately try to create a plan to escape, instead of
waiting a bit, but their plan was very thought out and is what I would’ve done
in that situation.
Overall, I was not expecting anything from this book, but
as I read it more, it became increasingly interesting to me. In all, I liked
this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Mystery or
psychological thrillers. The ending was surprising, and I thoroughly enjoyed
it.
The book "The Summer I Turned
Pretty" is a very interesting book about Belly's summer with her mom’s
good friends’ kids; Conrad, Jerimiah, and her brother Steven. The story takes
place at a nice house on the beach in Cousins Beach, NC. Where love is all ways twisting. The
plot of the story is filled with many crazy turns and surprises. I would recommend
this book to people who like you love stories and drama.
If you are looking for a classic book to read, Little
Women by Louisa May Alcott is for you. Although it might seem like an old and
boring book, this is a story that can appeal to many different people. This
book tells the story of sisters Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth grow up together amidst
the Civil War and have many experiences that shape them into young women. I
enjoyed this book because it was older and therefore different from other books
that I have read. I think many people will be able to relate to the
relationships that these sisters have with each other despite their hardships
and differences. So, for anyone who is looking to switch up their reading, I
encourage you to give this classic a try.
"Rules for Vanishing" is an eerie mind-bending horror book that I
had the opportunity to enjoy. Sara is a highschooler who is a loner, and her
sister has been gone for a year. Her sister, Becca, has been missing for over a
year because she went with her boyfriend to find Lucy Gallows. Lucy Gallows is
a girl who vanished in the 50's and to find her, you must walk on a road and
pass the gates. Lucy is a ghost. Sara goes on the road with a bunch of friends
and strangers, and goes through a series of trials. The book also includes
different audio recordings of interviews, videos, and is basically a
documentary written as a book. Ashford is the person documenting these files. I
would recommend this book to an adult or a very mature highschooler.
“Captured” by Alvin Townley is a taste of reality that most people do not ever experience. The book is an account of an American prisoner of war, Jeremiah (Jerry) Denton, in North Vietnam during the Vietnamese war. Jerry Denton was a commander and a husband to a women named Jane as well as a father to seven children. Denton and his bombardier-navigator, Bill Tschudy, had boarded the aircraft called Independence in June,1965.Soon after takeoff, the ship had crashed in a river in North Vietnam where the Vietnamese Soldiers took them away to a prison which the American soldiers called Hanoi Hilton. Jerry and many other soldiers at the prison began finding ways to communicate using a secret code for letters. They would use a communication method of tapping through the walls and sending messages through the latrine. This went on for some time and then the Vietnamese soldiers wanted the POWs (prisoners of war) to give them as much information as possible. The Americans refused and were only allowed to give their name, rank, service number, and date of birth, as the code of conduct had permitted them to say. The Vietnamese soldiers did not respect their answers and went against the Geneva Convention, an agreement between Vietnam and America that does not allow for cruel, inhumane punishment. They tortured the American soldiers until they couldn't take anymore and forced them to write biographies or give information about America’s army to them. This went on for about six years. During that time the most uncooperative American men, including Jerry and 10 others, were sent to an isolation camp with extremely small cells yet they still found ways to communicate. Back home their wives founded a National league of POW-MIA families which got them out of solitary confinement and closer to returning home. They were no longer tortured and were given a proper amount of food. In February 1973 the war ended, and the American soldiers finally went home to their families after eight long years of misery. Most men made it out alive and with honor because of Jerry Denton's leadership and commanding order. He was a legend to America.
“Captured” explains the eight hard years that Jeremiah Denton and other Americans experienced while being cut off from the world because of the love for their country and the fight in them. The Biography is a piece of what it is really like to fight for your country even when you must sacrifice time. Some American Soldiers missed the chance to watch their kids grow up and miss important events during the eight years they spent in prison. When I read “Captured” I made a connection with the many families there are in today's world who have loved ones in the army that they may not see often or at all. I am not one for biographies but this one was very good and made me see that we should never take our loved ones for granted. I recommend this book to anyone from ages 13-100.