That says it all..
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1280348/post
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Don't judge a book by its cover...
Review:
This should be a lesson to me, not to judge a book by its cover. Also, not reading the synopsis of the book doesn't always turn out for the best. I enjoy not reading the synopsis usually. I like when books surprise me with their plots or twists.
But, I was looking for a horror book, or at least something scary and this did not fit the bill. The cover looks sort of bloody and scary, but the story is really a thriller I guess. I actually found the book a bit slow at times.
The main character, Haley, is being abused by her alcoholic father, and her younger sister doesn't really see how bad it is. Their mother died in a car accident while trying to get them all away from the abusive relationship. Haley starts to fall for a boy named Chris Charming. I'm guessing this supposed to be a twist on Cinderella, but I didn't really see it (besides the name and Charming being rich).
Anyway, there is something sinister going on and eventually the truth is revealed. But, by that point, I really didn't much care. It is possible that I would have liked the book more if I went in without my preconceptions, but unlikely. The plot was just too slow moving and a bit confusing. Also, the villain was a bit unbelievable; I don't see how he could have managed all the things he did without being noticed.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Rafe, as always, a lovable troublemaker...
Review:
Five ROTTEN questions you'll find the answers to inside this book...Rafe Khatchadorian is back in this 7th book in the Middle School series and he is up to his old tricks again - sort of. If you read any of the books in this series and liked it, you will like this one. This is a great series for reluctant readers (especially boys). There are cartoonish drawings throughout the books and they move at a fast pace.
1. What's my super-secret mission that's sure to land me in hot water?
2. Is my sister, Georgia, as annoying as ever? (I'll answer this now: YES!)
3. What's Miller the Killer REALLY afraid of?
4. Who ends up being my first kiss? Is she temporarily insane?
And the most unanswerable question of all:
5. Why can't I ever stay out of trouble?
The main character, Rafe, talks to the reader as if he is a friend. And Rafe is a good friend. He is still convinced he is a loser and is still terrified of Miller the Killer. But, can things actually go right for Rafe just this once? Well, you will have to read to find out.
My 11-year old son loves this series. He likes Rafe and the book made him laugh out loud several times. The story is highly relatable and the characters are fun. Watching Rafe deal with Middle School and all it's challenges is very entertaining (even for me).
I've read all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and while they are humorous, I don't like the main character, Greg Heffley. He is not a good friend and is very self-centered. I don't mind reading the books with my son, but I often point out the things Greg does that are not nice. Rafe, on the other hand, is a genuinely nice kid. He does have issues and doesn't always do the right thing (which is totally relatable for all of us), but his heart is in the right place. He knows when he has not made the best choice and he feels guilty for it and tries to atone.
Recommended to:
Highly recommended to boys in grades 4-8, especially reluctant readers and lovers of humorous realistic fiction (in this case, school stories).
Sort of like X-Men, but not really...
Review:
Attacks are sweeping across America.So, how to describe this book... hmmm.... I'm having trouble. I really enjoyed Variant, by Robison Wells, so I was excited to read this book. And I enjoyed it, but there are a lot of unanswered questions and unexplained motives. I'm assuming there will be at least one sequel and that may be why. In some ways, I don't think enough was explained to keep me interested in the next one. Then again, I really want to know what, "For your mother and mine." means. The phrase is spoken by the teenage terrorists with powers (in the first chapter, so no spoilers here).
Alec and Laura are at the center of the violence, while in a small town out west, Jack and Aubrey feel sheltered from the turmoil.
But these four teens are about to find their lives intertwined in ways they never could have imagined -- and one wrong step could trigger an explosion that ends it all.
Not a bad book, and teens who enjoy dystopian novels will most likely enjoy it.
Recommended to:
Grades 6-12, fans of YA dystopian novels, maybe fans of X-men as the teens have "mutant" powers which may or may not have been caused by a virus....
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Growing up during the zombie apocalypse
Review:
I think God took all the good people away. If there is a God. I'm not so sure anymore. Wait, will I go to hell for thinking that way?
-- Decay of Innocence
When the Dead walk the Earth, the REAL demons emerge...
-- Death of Innocence
First, I need to point out that these books were originally published as 6 separate graphic novels, Kellie's Diary #1-6. Then they were published as two compilations. Kellie's Diary - Decay of Innocence (Kellie's Diary #1-3) and Kellie's Diary - Death of Innocence (Kellie's Diary #4-6). I was confused about this and ended up buying Kellie's Diary #2 after reading Decay of Innocence. When I started reading, I was like, wait I already read this.. I eventually figured it out. Looking back, I don't know what confused me so much.
Decay of Innocence starts off in January of 1993. At the start of the book, Kellie is 9-years old and she is living a fairly normal life. Gradually, we hear that more and more people are getting sick. By Chapter 5, we realize that something is terribly wrong. Kellie is stuck by herself at school and trying to escape the zombies.
Kellie is very smart and resourceful, even though she doesn't seem to know anything about zombies. Her first goal is to get to her house. Once there, when she doesn't find her family, her goal is to get to Oregon (to where her grandfather lives). She is hoping to find someone from her family alive.
Throughout the series, Kellie is very strong and does what she needs to in order to survive. She protects those she loves and tries to protect herself as well. She meets many people along the way, some good and some bad. And it seems like the zombies are not the worst thing left in this scary world.
I enjoyed this series very much. I started reading the Decay of Innocence during the Readathon last Saturday and when I finished, I immediately bought Death of Innocence and kept going. It was hard to read about the abuse Kellie suffered. No child should be forced to deal with such evil. It was interesting to read about the zombie apocalypse from a child's point of view (a child who manages to survive on her own for quite a while).
Recommended to:
Fans of graphic novels and apocalyptic stories. This is definitely an adult book. There is a lot of graphic violence including child abuse and sexual abuse.
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