"It wasn't there. Then it was. Later, that was how Angela DuPre would describe the airplane-over and over, to one investigator after another-until she was told never to speak of it again." Margaret Peterson Haddix's book, Found, thrilled me with its mind-boggling concept and impressive writing style.
Each of the characters in the story had very interesting and unique qualities about them. For instance, one character that I really enjoyed was Chip. He was a frantic, upbeat thirteen-year-old boy who has a crush on Jonah's sister Katherine. As you can imagine, the main character Jonah is not too happy about it. Jonah is also thirteen and was adopted at a young age. He didn't know anything about his background until now...
Also the plot of Found was a real attention grabber since it became stranger throughout the book. The main character, Jonah, always knew he was adopted but never thought much of it. Until he started receiving mysterious letters from an unknown source saying phrases like "You are one of the missing" and "Beware! They are coming back to get you". He soon finds out that the new kid next door, Chip, has also been receiving these unknown letters. However, Chip did not know he was adopted. Jonah's intelligent sister, Katherine thinks that there is more behind these interesting notes and that they should investigate. Jonah, Katherine, and Chip are plunged into the mystery involving unknown airplanes, the FBI, and even a kidnapping.
Margaret Haddix has always been one of my favorite writers of all time. And I must say, after reading this book she just keeps getting better and better. I would recommend Found for any reader who loves a good, but strange story.
314 pages
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dream Factory Book Review
Dream Factory is a very appealing love story that puts a whole new twist on the fantastic,land of Disney World. This story shows the fun depiction of life within the Magic Kingdom. Brad Barkley's book, Dream Factory drew me in with its romantic plot and unique writing style.
One point that definitely needs to be made about this book is the theme. Dream Factory is one of those stories that has a very important lesson to learn by the end of the book. The lesson that I learned was to be yourself and not care what people think of you. In the story, the main character Ella never tries to be anyone but herself. Even if other people find her strange, weird, or even crazy she doesn't try to keep up a different appearance. The other important character, Luke, by the end of the book finally learns how important this skill is.
As I said before, the romantic plot of Dream Factory was one of the main reasons that the book really grabbed my attention. The main story takes place in the wonderful world of Disney. A group of different teenagers from all over the country come together to work in Magic Kingdom for the summer. One of the teenagers that comes to work is named Luke and soon begins dating the beautiful, blond Cassie. Even though he does loves his girlfriend, he can't help but find himself fascinated with a strange girl named Ella. Luke and Ella soon become very close friends, and the plot thickens when Cassie becomes jealous and chooses a new partner for the park-wide scavenger hunt. Dream Factory continues to be an attention-grabbing love story that anyone would enjoy.
Finally, the characters of the story were all so different I couldn't help myself to not love getting to know all of them. She may have been gorgeous and fun but Cassie was my most disliked character. In the story, she cared too much about her looks and what people thought of her. She also was very clingy, and seemed to ruin the love story between Luke and Ella. Speaking of Ella, she was my most beloved character. Ella was unique, simple, and perfectly fine with her true self.
As you can see by reading my book review, I really loved this book! I am already a Disney fan to begin with, so this book just increased my love for Disney in general. I would mostly recommend Dream Factory for all of the girls who love a good love story.
250 pages
One point that definitely needs to be made about this book is the theme. Dream Factory is one of those stories that has a very important lesson to learn by the end of the book. The lesson that I learned was to be yourself and not care what people think of you. In the story, the main character Ella never tries to be anyone but herself. Even if other people find her strange, weird, or even crazy she doesn't try to keep up a different appearance. The other important character, Luke, by the end of the book finally learns how important this skill is.
As I said before, the romantic plot of Dream Factory was one of the main reasons that the book really grabbed my attention. The main story takes place in the wonderful world of Disney. A group of different teenagers from all over the country come together to work in Magic Kingdom for the summer. One of the teenagers that comes to work is named Luke and soon begins dating the beautiful, blond Cassie. Even though he does loves his girlfriend, he can't help but find himself fascinated with a strange girl named Ella. Luke and Ella soon become very close friends, and the plot thickens when Cassie becomes jealous and chooses a new partner for the park-wide scavenger hunt. Dream Factory continues to be an attention-grabbing love story that anyone would enjoy.
Finally, the characters of the story were all so different I couldn't help myself to not love getting to know all of them. She may have been gorgeous and fun but Cassie was my most disliked character. In the story, she cared too much about her looks and what people thought of her. She also was very clingy, and seemed to ruin the love story between Luke and Ella. Speaking of Ella, she was my most beloved character. Ella was unique, simple, and perfectly fine with her true self.
As you can see by reading my book review, I really loved this book! I am already a Disney fan to begin with, so this book just increased my love for Disney in general. I would mostly recommend Dream Factory for all of the girls who love a good love story.
250 pages
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Invisible Man Book Review
"The stranger went into the little parlour of the Coach and Horses about half-past five in the morning, and there he remained until near midday, the blinds down, the door shut, and none, after Hall's repulse, venturing near him." This brief statement from the book, The Invisible Man, basically sumarizes the strangeness that is yet to come in the rest of the story. The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells, astounded me with its unusual plot and uncommon style.
The main element of this book that caught me off guard was the difficult and hard to follow writing style of the author. Unlike many of the previous books I have read, H.G. Wells placed the setting of his story in Old English time. He used jargon such as "constable" and "peewit". These terms were unknown to me and to completly understand the story I had to use dictionary references.
Another main point of the story was the setting in which The Invisible Man took place. I was astonished at H.G. Wells' ability to paint a mental picture of the town and the scenery in the book. He used an abundance of descriptive adjectives, verbs, and nouns. When I close my eyes I can picture the small town where these unusual events took place. One example of his uncanny describing skills was, "When the dusk was gathering and Iping was just beginning to peep timorously forth again upon the shattered wreckage of its Bank Holiday, a short, thickset man in a shabby silk hat was marcing painfully through the twilight behind the beechwoods on the road to Bramblehurst." Paints a pretty good picture doesn't it?
Overall I would definiatly recommend The Invisible Man to any type of reader. While it may have its slightly disturbing moments, it is a book that everyone should read at some point in life. Like I said before, keep an eye out for his amazing ability to paint a setting!
The main element of this book that caught me off guard was the difficult and hard to follow writing style of the author. Unlike many of the previous books I have read, H.G. Wells placed the setting of his story in Old English time. He used jargon such as "constable" and "peewit". These terms were unknown to me and to completly understand the story I had to use dictionary references.
Another main point of the story was the setting in which The Invisible Man took place. I was astonished at H.G. Wells' ability to paint a mental picture of the town and the scenery in the book. He used an abundance of descriptive adjectives, verbs, and nouns. When I close my eyes I can picture the small town where these unusual events took place. One example of his uncanny describing skills was, "When the dusk was gathering and Iping was just beginning to peep timorously forth again upon the shattered wreckage of its Bank Holiday, a short, thickset man in a shabby silk hat was marcing painfully through the twilight behind the beechwoods on the road to Bramblehurst." Paints a pretty good picture doesn't it?
Overall I would definiatly recommend The Invisible Man to any type of reader. While it may have its slightly disturbing moments, it is a book that everyone should read at some point in life. Like I said before, keep an eye out for his amazing ability to paint a setting!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"13 Reasons Why" Book Review
When Hannah commits suicide and sends out a set of tapes explaining why, Clays life changes forever. Jay Asher's book Thirteen Reasons Why grabs any readers attention by the first sentence. The book is an emotional and intense joyride. I loved it!
Each character in the story is definitely unique and interesting. One of my most beloved characters in the book is Clay. He is a quiet, lovable guy who developed a crush on Hannah the first day he saw her. His life starts to fall apart once he learns of her suicide. Hannah, with a wrongly accused bad reputation, is another very important person in the story. She sends out two sets of tapes explaining her reasons for ending her life. Hannah hopes that these tapes will effect the people so that they understand why her life was so difficult.
After finishing Thirteen Reasons Why, I began thinking about all of the rude, hurtful comments I might have made to people in the past. How rude comments could effect them in the future, and how mean those comments could make me look. The theme of the story is to not believe everything you, and to respect even your worst enemies.
The town where this book takes place is a lot like our little town of Batesville. The main hangout is a movie theater, there aren't very many restaurants, and little neighborhoods can sometimes hold the biggest parties! While reading the book, I enjoyed comparing their town to my own and making connections.
Like I said previously, I made many connections between the book and real life. I used to know someone who committed suicide. Reading this story gave me a whole new perspective on the concept. I had to not only worry about my feelings but also about what the suicidal person must have thought.
The main plot of the story revolves around clay, who spends the whole night listening to Hannah's tapes. He follows her words and goes to the places that meant most to her. he learns about himself, and about the people he used to think were alright.
I recommend this book for any type of reader. The plot, characters, and concept of the story make Thirteen Reasons Why an excellent page turner! This story is impossible to put down!
About 340 pages...
Each character in the story is definitely unique and interesting. One of my most beloved characters in the book is Clay. He is a quiet, lovable guy who developed a crush on Hannah the first day he saw her. His life starts to fall apart once he learns of her suicide. Hannah, with a wrongly accused bad reputation, is another very important person in the story. She sends out two sets of tapes explaining her reasons for ending her life. Hannah hopes that these tapes will effect the people so that they understand why her life was so difficult.
After finishing Thirteen Reasons Why, I began thinking about all of the rude, hurtful comments I might have made to people in the past. How rude comments could effect them in the future, and how mean those comments could make me look. The theme of the story is to not believe everything you, and to respect even your worst enemies.
The town where this book takes place is a lot like our little town of Batesville. The main hangout is a movie theater, there aren't very many restaurants, and little neighborhoods can sometimes hold the biggest parties! While reading the book, I enjoyed comparing their town to my own and making connections.
Like I said previously, I made many connections between the book and real life. I used to know someone who committed suicide. Reading this story gave me a whole new perspective on the concept. I had to not only worry about my feelings but also about what the suicidal person must have thought.
The main plot of the story revolves around clay, who spends the whole night listening to Hannah's tapes. He follows her words and goes to the places that meant most to her. he learns about himself, and about the people he used to think were alright.
I recommend this book for any type of reader. The plot, characters, and concept of the story make Thirteen Reasons Why an excellent page turner! This story is impossible to put down!
About 340 pages...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
My Crazy, Average Life
Well, it took me a while to finally decide on a topic that was most appropriate for my very first blog entry. So I chose to just base mine on the present, my crazy life. This is the most hectic part of the year me right now. I have marching band, babysitting, homework, and tons more to think about all at the same time! It pretty much overtakes my entire life.
Most of the time I enjoy marching band but having to practice after-school for two hours twice a week, AND playing at games is kind of a bummer. Babysitting is my sane time. I "sort of" get to relax for a few hours and play with some easy going kids. The most time consuming activity of all this time of year is the piles of homework. We are just starting to get into the year, and I am trying to get into my normal routine.
That basically sums up my life this time of year, wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)