A Few Reviews

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book lives up to its hype. I love the premise and I love/hate the fact that if I talk about this book in a general way it sounds like Harry Potter (Adolescent boy with a somewhat troubled life who sometimes has weird things happen around him finds out something about his parentage that changes everything he's ever known and is then whisked away to have adventures with other kids like him.) I love the portrayal of the Greek gods and the modernization of their stories. I will relish the sequel.



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Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mr. Popper's Penguins is a fun, nostalgic read. Written in 1938, it tells the story of Mr. Popper the house painter and the antics that follow when he finds himself the owner of twelve penguins. I enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me of a simpler time, before computers and cell phones and when people were happy to host a family of penguins in their basement. Also, the illustrations are adorable and really add a lot to the story. Recommended for penguin lovers.



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The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The City of Ember is an intriguing young adult dystopian novel about a futuristic community that lives by the light of electric lamps. Once the lamps have gone off for the night, the people are plunged into complete and utter darkness. Much like The Giver the children of the community are assigned specific jobs that will help the community survive. This book is about the adventures of two children from the community who are worried the lights will one day go out for good. The story is interesting, but it's easy to tell this was written for a younger audience. I enjoyed reading it, but many times felt as if things were overly explained. I will read the second in the series because I am interested to find out what happens.



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The Secret of Heron Creek by Margaret Meacham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an enjoyable summer read about the Chesapeake Bay monster, Chessie. It's a short, easy read which would probably be good for third, fourth, and fifth graders. People who live near water will especially connect with this book since the main characters spend much of their time on a boat and on the shoreline. Recommended for Marylanders who like local stories.



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Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Had I read this book with no expectations I probably would have nicer things to say. Since I did have high hopes though, I was very disappointed. The story was sort of boring. The characters were a little random and a little underdeveloped, especially Attia, who I hate. The whole book seemed like it could have gone a little deeper. Normally I don't mind different points of view but the switching back and forth in this book was too much. Incarceron just was not what I expected.



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Fool by Christopher Moore

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was disappointed with this book. I expected something more...interesting? I'm not sure what I really expected, but I know this was not it. Lamb was my favorite book of 2010. This just could not compete. It did help me remember the plot of King Lear, which I had stored away in some dark recesses of my brain, but other than that I really can't say that I learned anything or even enjoyed it that much. Sure, I smiled at some of the jokes but it was not nearly as funny as I was hoping it'd be. I'll read more Moore, of course, in search of something as good as Lamb, but I won't get my hopes up.



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Wow, I hadn't realized I was so behind on posting my reviews. I have been able to get a lot of reading done since school ended. I love it!

Book Review: Crusader

Crusader by Edward Bloor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked the story behind Crusader, but I think there was just too much filler; I was really only interested in about two-thirds of the book. The most interesting part was when the main character, Roberta, was beginning to put the pieces of her mother's murder together, but unfortunately this only came into play during the last few chapters. As a side note, I found it very hard to believe that a 16-year-old solved a murder that the police couldn't, especially since the murderer had unique features that could have easily been investigated. I did, however, really like the main character. Roberta seemed kind of one-dimensional and wishy-washy at times, but really she was just quiet and independent as a result of her neglectful father. She's very easy to find sympathy for due to her poor living situation.



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Back to School Blues

Here's a rough idea of what I think every time I contemplate returning to school tomorrow:

"Back to school on Monday...that sucks."

"Oh! But I only have 10 days of school left! That's awesome!"

"Wait...three of those days will be taken over by AP exams, which I'm pretty sure were designed by Lucifer."

"Hm. At least these exams don't really count for anything. Who cares if I fail? I'm taking these classes next year anyway."

At which point Lucifer steps in and says:

"Have fun spending 3 hours hunched over a desk trying to write three essays on three different days, all the while dreaming of a beach and hoping your hand doesn't fall off! MWAHAHAHAHA!!"

8 days from now, you can find me running about the streets of Baltimore, pausing only to do heel clicks or to throw Calculus notes off bridges. Until then, I'll be sharpening pencils and trying not to get my tears on my flashcards.

Is there an alternate universe where I can read books all day and never interact with anyone ever?