Skink - Review

Review:
          A missing girl, A hungry gator, Only one way out...

This adventure tells the story of a young boy, Richard who meets a rather crazy but well-intentioned old man (nicknamed Skink). Skink is hiding under the sand, disguised as a turtle nest and breathing through a straw. Why is he doing this you ask? Because he is trying to catch a criminal who digs up turtle eggs and sells them on the black market for two bucks each.

When Richard discovers his cousin Malley is missing, he is desperate to figure out what happened to her. Malley told her parents she left early for boarding school. But, It seems as if Malley ran away with a boy she met on the internet. Richard, with Skink's help, is going to figure out where Malley is and exactly what is going on.

This is a fun adventure story for middle grade students. Richard is determined to help Malley, but he is scared at the same time and makes some mistakes. Both Richard and Malley are likable and relatable. Skink is an outrageous character and some things that happen are definitely past the edge of believable. But he brings a certain levity to the story. Overall, this is a fun adventure/road trip story with some exciting, tense moments.

Recommended to:
There are some real edge of your seat moments that may be a little intense for younger readers. This is a good book for 6-8 grade students.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1191834/skink-review

Reblogged from: It's a Mad Mad World

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1191828/post

Reblogged from: Jessica (HDB)

In case you missed it. And I promise to stop bombarding your feeds :). I just can't help it today.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1190890/post

Reading progress update: I've read 37 out of 304 pages.

This one really started out at full speed.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1189283/reading-progress-update-i-ve-read-37-out-of-304-pages

Fairest - Review

Review:

Interesting back story for Levana with hints at the histories of other characters. Read this one, but only after you read Cinder, Scarlet & Cress.

This book tells the story of Levana from the time she was a naive, self-conscious young girl (with a huge crush on a married guard) to when she becomes Queen. I am completely hooked on The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, & Cress) and waiting patiently anxiously for Winter to be released. I enjoyed reading this book and finding out some of the background on other characters as well as Levana. The book also includes the first couple chapters of Winter, which I didn't read because I am torturing myself and waiting until November.

Levana is never a likable character, even knowing the horror she suffered at the hands of her older sister, Channary. With a sister like that, and parents who didn't care, it is understandable that Levana became the person she is throughout the series. But, reading her thoughts and what she was willing to do made me realize she was always a self-centered girl who used her powers to control others and get what she wanted and never seemed to feel bad for any of her actions. In other words, she is irredeemable and awful. So, don't worry about feeling sorry for her and not being able to hate her as we readers have from the beginning.

This a short, easy to read story. It doesn't have the power or energy of the other books, but it isn't really supposed to. This is just a background of Levana, some insight into her character. It helps you appreciate the rest of the series even more.

Recommended to:
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles (of course). I highly recommended this series to fans of fairytale re-imaginings paired with a bit of fantasy and sci-fi.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1187921/fairest-review

Sweet Dreams - Review

Review:

Color me unimpressed. This book didn't keep my interest much at all. I managed to finish it but let's just say that I didn't enjoy the journey.

The story follows two different men, one a business man and one a police officer. A bombing in a market & a massacre at a prison (that kills only prisoners) manage to bring the two together, in a way, eventually. Whatever. I have to admit that by the time the truth behind everything was revealed, I wasn't that concerned with the truth.

I will admit, there was one point when I honestly went WTF?? It was completely out of the blue and totally different from everything the book seemed to be. But, I was already bored.

Recommended to:
Hmmmm... I don't really recommend this, but if you like crime stories with mysteries, give it a try.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1187106/sweet-dreams-review

60 Books to Read Before They're Movies

Reblogged from: Hunger For Knowledge

Read The List Here.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1187076/60-books-to-read-before-they-re-movies

Fever - Review

Review:

Sometimes it felt like parenting amounted to a series of questionable decisions, one after another.
-Chapter 4

Also: I'm thinking about the lake. What if u r right. What if it was in the lake. What if it is in us.
-Chapter 9

Good book, if you don't go into it thinking there might be something supernatural involved.

This book was recommended to me by a friend as "the kind of book you would like". And it is, but.... I looked at the cover and it looked like the story would be scary or at least have a supernatural component. Let's just say, it didn't.

So, on the basis of the story itself, the book is good. Set in a small town, one girl has a seizure with unknown causes and ends up in the hospital in a coma. As other girls begin getting sick, parents begin questioning things and guessing about what might be the cause of the girls' problems. Parents are understandably worried about the girls, and the girls are freaked out.

The story is told from the point of view of one of the teenage girls, her brother and her father. You get to see how each of them deals with the sickness that seems to be taking over the teenage girls in town. The brother wants to be a good man and he wants to protect his sister. The father, of course, wants to protect his children but he doesn't know what he is protecting them from. The girl is trying to figure out why her best friends are being affected and she isn't.

I didn't see the final reveal coming. But, I spent most of the book trying to figure out what evil force was responsible for the sickness. The cause ends up being twisted and surprising but not supernatural.

Recommended to:
People who like reading about teenage girl drama and issues. Just don't expect anything remotely magical.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1186012/fever-review

Jack - Review

Review:

All work and no play makes Jack extremely bored. And when Jack gets bored, he makes mischief. It's not that he's bad; he just longs for adventure -- and there's nothing adventurous about toiling day and night to grow yucky green stuff.
Adventure finally arrives one day in the form of giants, and soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow.
-from the book jacket

This a sequel to Rump, a retelling of the story of Rumplestiltskin. And by combining and retelling Jack & the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer, Shurtliff does it again. Jack is a bored troublemaker who lives on a farm. When giants come out of the sky and take his whole village, including his dad, Jack finds a way to go after them and try to find him. How can this be a sequel you say, with none of the same characters we saw in Rump? I'm glad you asked. Funny thing is, when Jack gets to the giant kingdom, we realize that Jack is in the world of Rump, in King Barf's kingdom.  It is an ingenious way to tie the books together.

Another great fairytale retelling. The story is fun and moves quickly. There are some very funny moments and a few surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to her next book which will be a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

Recommended to:
Grades 3 - 5 through to adults. Anyone who likes fairy tales really. It's a very fun book.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1184710/jack-review

Reblogged from: Susana "Lost in Fantasy Land"

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/279293614368486538/

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1182532/post

Reading progress update: I've read 49%.

Is it bad that I don't really care who is responsible for the market bombing or for the deaths of all those prisoners? I just can't get into this one. I'm not ready to give up yet though.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1183838/reading-progress-update-i-ve-read-49

Reblogged from: Yodamom Finds her Force

:)

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1183819/post

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Review

Review:

Death has his favorites, like anyone. Those who are beloved of Death will not die.
-Chapter 9


Because the villain knows that without the hero to hate, his life would be empty. Once he's murdered his adversary, he's alone.
-Chapter 27

Tana wakes up after a sundown party to discover all of her friends but one has been killed.  She finds her friend Aidan tied to a bed with a vampire tied up next to him. Tana knows about vampires, everyone does. Vampires used to be very cautious and protective of who they turned. After all, they needed to keep their food supply around. One rogue vampire ran around turning people into vampires without caution. Next thing you know, vampires were everywhere, like a virus. The military barricaded the towns where the vampire infections broke out and those towns became known as Coldtowns (when people get infected, they become "cold"). Everyone knows about vampires, there are even blogs and reality shows broadcasted from Coldtowns. Rebellious teenagers want to go to Coldtowns because they are portrayed as glamorous places where the party never ends.

This was an interesting look at the vampire world. Tana is a likable character, flaws and all. She helps her friend and a strange vampire. She isn't fooled by the fake glamour, but even she had no idea what Coldtowns were really like. She makes some foolish decisions, but she tries her best to protect those she loves. She is attracted to the vampire she saves (girls always seem to be a sucker for the "bad boys" in these kinds of stories). There is no real love triangle, so that was refreshing. There was some unexpected surprises and some very predictable things. I liked how the author incorporated the social media and reality shows that seem to be everywhere today. It was a fun twist.

This is a good story, fast paced and fun to read. I do have to warn parents that this book is not for middle grade students. It is better for high school and up I think. There were some sexual situations and a lot of talk about sex.

Recommended to:
Young adults (high school and above) & fans of YA.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1183818/the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown-review

Thursday Throw Down (#12)

Time for another Thursday Throw Down, an original feature created by booklife4life. For a look at the original post click here http://booklife4life.booklikes.com/post/1183035/thursday-throw-down-12


I have missed these contests and I'm glad they are back!

This week's question is:

Which cover of Cinder do you prefer, the American cover or the Czech cover? 
I am showing the covers here for your reference, but I strongly urge you to check out booklife4life and the original post linked above. :)

American Cover





Czech Cover




Personally, I prefer the American cover. I like the use of the glass slipper and the hint of robotics underneath the skin. This is the first cover I saw and it really intrigued me. I grabbed this book up the instant I first saw it on a shelf in the store. It conveys the idea of a new twist on an old fairytale.

The Czech cover (while stunning) doesn't give me the same feeling. The full moon and the witchy kind of outfit doesn't say Cinderella to me at all.

Thanks again to booklife4life for creating this fun weekly contest!

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1183840/thursday-throw-down-12

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1181614/post

Accidental Hero

Review:

After a lifetime of people telling him that they knew what was best for him and what his future was going to be, it was wonderful to hear someone say that it was really all up to him. - Chapter 7

When rumors are reported as fact for a long-enough period of time, people eventually lose the ability to tell the difference. - Chapter 10

All young boys get scared from time to time. Even the brave ones. - Chapter 15

Accidental Hero is about a young boy (Jack Blank) who has grown up in an orphanage not knowing anything about his past. One day, he finds out that his favorite comic book heroes are actually real. And that he comes from a place called the Imagine Nation. Thus starts a great adventure filled with superheroes and villains, a threat from outer space and some unexpected twists. Jack gradually discovers that he has powers he didn't even know about and that even he can be a hero. It's not about being unafraid, it's about acting to protect those you love, despite the fear.

I read this book with my 11-year old son. We really enjoyed it. Jack is an excellent main character, realistically flawed and clever, but lacking self confidence. The book is fast-paced and fun. Towards the end, neither of us wanted to stop reading; we just had to see what would happen next. The ending resolves the book itself, but there are two more books in the series, I think. I would like to see what happens with Jack next, since the future isn't written in stone... (But our next read starts the summer reading assignment, so Jack Blank will have to wait.)

Recommended to:
6th grade and up; kids that like adventure & superheroes; not just for boys.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1177349/accidental-hero