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A Reader's reviews
| My Reviews - Page 1 of 43 |
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-02-07 08:33:28 for Game On! #3 (THE ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOOM).
(Language: English)
 
Daniel Boom AKA Loud Boy, book three.Uncle Stanley calls on Daniel and his friends to hide one of his inventions from Old Fogey, a criminal mastermind who has recently escaped from prison. When Daniel ignores his friends after a new friend introduces him to a captivating video game, disaster ensues. Can Daniel and his friends save the world's kids from Old Fogey's evil plot? 
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-02-07 08:22:17 for The Soldiers of Halla (Pendragon).
(Language: English)
Pendragon, book ten. Bobby finally gets answers to all of his questions--about himself and the true nature of Halla. He and the rest of the Travelers reunite as the final turning point approaches. All of their previous battles have brought them here, to the last territory and the last battle with Saint Dane. Solid ending to an exciting and imaginative series. Just do yourself a favor and skip the epilogue.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 06:24:03 for Last Dragon, The.
(Language: English)
Beautifully written tale of the adventures of the last elf and the last dragon. Yorsh is the last elf and is almost dead when he is rescued by a couple of humans. Despite many hilarious misunderstandings, the humans and the elf become good friends. On their journey, Yorsh discovers a prophecy about the last elf and the last dragon joining together to save the world from a dark age. Yorsh finds the dragon and then spends many years reading it stories about princesses. Finally, about thirteen years later, Yorsh sets out on the second part of his quest and we find out how the prophecy comes full circle. Delightful. Funny, moving, and absolutely beautifully written. THis is one to share.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 06:14:23 for Brain Camp.
(Language: English)
Lucas and Jenna are a couple of snarky underachievers who are disappointments to their parents. They meet when their parents send them to the exclusive Camp Fielding, which has a reputation for turning its campers into high-achieving intellectuals. Of course, as in any creepy Twilight Zone-ish story, there is more going on than meets the eye. Soon, Lucas and Jenna come face to face with Camp Fielding's dark secret.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 06:05:58 for Going Bovine.
(Language: English)
Cameron is your run-of-the-mill teenaged slacker, barely passing his classes and spending all of his free time smoking pot. His family doesn't understand him and he's always being compared to his popular and perky sister, Jenna. When Cameron suddenly starts acting strangely and having hallucinations, his parents suspect drug use. Turns out, he has Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease (mad cow disease) and his brain is turning to mush. Here's where the story gets weird. After a punk-rock angel named Dulcie sets him out on a quest to save the world and find a cure for his terminal disease, he hooks up with a hypochondriac dwarf and a garden gnome. Cameron's adventure shares many parallels with both Don Quixote (a book he had been reading in English class) and The Wizard of Oz (if Dorothy was a horny teenaged boy and the yellow brick road was a rare virus). By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Cameron's journey also has many parallels to...life.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 05:18:14 for Clique the Manga: v. 1.
(Language: English)
Manga adaptation, volume one. Massie is a spoiled rich girl who suddenly has to deal with a new classmate who works for her dad and lives in her parents' guesthouse. Catty girls and lots of product placement.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 05:11:20 for James Patterson's Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland.
(Language: English)
Graphic novel that takes place between books one and two of the Witch and Wizard series. The hypocritical and ruthless New Order (N.O.) has taken over, and the only opponents left are a handful of teenaged witches and wizards and the half-lights in Shadowland. Twins Whit and Wisty are snarky and sarcastic and determined to overthrow "The One Who Is The One." I have not read the prose books, but, thanks to the excellent prologue, had no trouble jumping right into the story.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-31 05:09:38 for Story of a Girl.
(Language: English)
After her dad catches her having sex in a car with her older brother's friend, Tommy, Deanna gets branded as the school slut. Dealing with the aftermath of her mistake, her only real outlet is her journal. Though she has a couple of close friends, most of the other kids in her small town shun her, and her father can't even look her in the eye. Deanna's story is well told, and the theme of forgiveness is a good one, though the ending felt a bit forced to me.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 07:16:56 for Linger.
(Language: English)
Wolves of Mercy Falls, book 2. Grace and Sam are back, and together, but they still have many challenges to overcome. Sam is finding that life as a full-time human is not perfect, and he misses the pack. Grace begins to experience some symptoms of a mysterious illness, but tries to keep it a secret. Her formerly clueless absentee parents suddenly become high-handed heavies after discovering Sam and Grace in bed together. Isabel gets more involved with the pack, especially to Cole, the newest bad-boy addition. Cole, who has chosen the life of a wolf in order to escape his former life may endanger the entire pack. I didn't find this one as lovely and believable as Shiver, but I'm still eager to find out how the story ends in the final installment.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 07:03:00 for Shiver.
(Language: English)
Wolves of Mercy Falls, book 1. Beautifully written love story told in alternating first person point of view by Grace and Sam. Grace is attacked by wolves when she is a little girl, but is then saved by a yellow-eyed member of the pack. She loves her wolf, and sees him regularly, staring at her from the edge of the woods. Sam is a wolf in the winter, but regains his human form during the summer. In either form, he keeps his yellow eyes.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 06:50:08 for Living Dead Girl.
(Language: English)
"Alice" was abducted by Ray when she was 10 years old. Now 15, she has been his captive for five years. She has been repeatedly brutalized by Ray--raped, starved, threatened, and beaten physically and emotionally until she is nothing but an empty shell, a living dead girl that nobody sees or hears. She knows it's only a matter of time before Ray kills her and finds a new "Alice." But instead, he comes up with a new plan. He wants her to find a new girl for him and then help him train her. This is not a happy story. It is horrifying and will haunt you long after you turn the final page. For mature readers only.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 06:36:45 for Runaway.
(Language: English)
Moving story of a young girl who runs away from an abusive foster home, convinced that anything, even a life on the streets will be better than her current situation. She leaves with nothing more than a backpack full of supplies, which includes a journal given to her by a caring teacher. Initially, Holly writes in her journal as a way to pass the time, and ridicules her teacher, who knows nothing of her students' real lives. Gradually, as time passes and Holly encounters many dangers on the street, she comes to see the journal as her only real safe haven. Excellent, and not overly explicit, so a good choice for middle school readers.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-22 12:59:02 for The Scorch Trials.
(Language: English)
Maze Runner trilogy, book two. Thomas learns more about WICKED and comes (briefly) to a place of safety. Then all crunk breaks loose and the Scorch Trials begin. Thomas and the other Maze survivors set out to cross the Scorch, the most decimated section of desert in a world of deserts created by solar flares. Their goal is to reach the safe haven, but they have only a limited time to do so. Along the way, they will encounter many more of WICKED's dangerous variables. Thomas doesn't know what, or who, he can trust, and readers will be questioning right along with him. What is the true purpose of WICKED? Are they, as Teresa insists, good? Is this for real, or merely another test? All I can say is that the wait for book three will be a long one.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-22 12:41:01 for The Maze Runner.
(Language: English)
Maze Runner trilogy, book 1. When Thomas awakes in a strange place with no memory of who he is, he finds himself stuck inside an ever-shifting maze with a group of other teenage boys. None of them know exactly where they are, why they are there, or who they were before. However, these boys are survivors who have managed to create a workable society for themselves. Each has a job to do. Thomas remembers little of his former life, but he knows that he HAS to become a maze runner--a dangerous job that involves exploring the maze to try to discover the way out. The day after Thomas arrives, a girl arrives. She is the first girl ever to come to the maze and she carries a message that will change everything. Lead by Thomas, the group must make a desperate effort to escape the maze or die in the attempt. High-action dystopian fiction that will appeal to fans of Uglies, The Hunger Games, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for the next book in the trilogy.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-20 07:08:49 for Chasing Lincoln's Killer.
(Language: English)
Exciting account of President Lincoln's assassination and the hunt for the killer and his accomplices.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-15 03:25:34 for The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid.
(Language: English)
The Kane Chronicles, book one. Carter and Sadie Kane are siblings, but barely know each other when the story begins. Their mother is dead. Sadie has been raised by her grandparents in London and Carter has spent his life traveling the world with his father, a well-respected Egyptologist. After a suspicious explosion destroys a precious artifact and their father goes missing, Carter and Sadie learn that the ancient gods of Egypt are causing trouble and the two children might be the world's only hope. An entertaining fantasy/adventure with a healthy dose of humor. Can't wait for the rest of the series.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-12 06:45:05 for The Dead-Tossed Waves.
(Language: English)
Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy, book two. The story picks up several years after Mary's journey through the forest. Her daughter, Gabry, who has led a sheltered life, finally comes face to face with the true horror of the Mudo/Unconsecrated. When she and several friends sneak outside the safety of the town, they encounter a Breaker, a fast-moving zombie whose attack changes their lives forever. The first-person narration works quite well during the more thrilling scenes, but gets a bit tedious when we are mired in Gabry's head. She spends much of the book either longing to take some action or feeling bad about something she's done (or wishes she had done). Overall, I liked the book and am looking forward to the final installment.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-12 06:29:22 for Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Hardcover) (2010) (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth).
(Language: English)
Wimpy Kid series, book five. Greg is just as self-centered as ever, but now is forced to face a few of life's new challenges--like the onset of puberty, boy-girl parties, homework help from dad, and family gatherings--without the company of his former bff, Rowley. Entertaining as always.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-10 04:38:04 for The Cloud Searchers (Amulet).
(Language: English)
Amulet series, book 3. Trust becomes an even bigger in the third book of the Amulet series. Emily has to deal with a new ally, Prince Trellis, who may or may not have her best interests at heart, as well as the amulet itself. The group sets off in search of the mythical city of Cielis, their only hope for aid in the battle against the evil Elf King.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-08 03:48:01 for Tall Tales (Bone Prequel).
(Language: English)
Companion book to the Bone series. Smiley Bone tells these tall tales about Big Johnson Bone to a group of young 'uns around the campfire. Phoney Bone, Fone Bone, and Thorn also make an appearance. Funny and endearing. Can be read by existing or new fans of the series.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-08 03:35:50 for A Matter of Trust (Bluford High Series #2).
(Language: English)
Bluford High, book two. Now that Darcy has developed some new friendships, her former best friend has become a bitter enemy determined to do anything to hurt Darcy. When Brisana tries to steal Darcy's new boyfriend, Darcy struggles with the situation. She also has to deal with her dad, who is trying to make amends for deserting the family five years earlier. Lots of weird jumps in the narrative give this installment a pieced-together feeling.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-01 02:16:47 for The Heroes of Olympus, The, Book One: Lost Hero.
(Language: English)
The Heroes of Olympus, book one. Percy Jackson fans will be immediately swept away by the next generation of heroes (and pleased to see some old favorites reappear). The inclusion of both Roman and Greek mythology adds a fascinating new dimension to the story and, of course, many new conflicts as well. When Jason wakes up on a bus surrounded by a group of delinquents on a field trip, he is scared and confused to realize that they all know him, but he has no memories of them, or of himself or his life. Leo, an orphan with ADHD who cracks jokes to cover his feelings of never belonging, and Piper, a charming girl with a troubled homelife, soon find themselves united with Jason in a fight for their lives. Upon arriving at Camp Half Blood, the heroes hear the prophecy that will set them out on a dangerous quest: "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death." And off they go, on a wild ride to try to free a trapped god and to save the world. Excellent, page-turning fantasy!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-28 07:54:41 for The Book Thief.
(Language: English)
Death narrates the story of Liesel Meminger, AKA the book thief. Death first encounters Liesel when her younger brother dies while they are on the way to live with foster parents. Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, at her brother's funeral (even though she can't read). Her foster father, Hans, uses the book to teach Liesel to read. The Book Thief is set during the Holocaust, so Death is definitely feeling overworked. Liesel steals more books and forms close relationships with the people around her, especially Hans, her foster father, Max, a Jew hiding in her basement, and Rudy, a blond boy who admires Jesse Owens. Not every German in the book is a Nazi and Zusak brings out the beauty and the horror of humanity in its many forms. Death jumps around and interrupts himself, which makes the beginning of the book a bit confusing. However, this book is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking and a must-read for older teens and adults. The descriptive language is gorgeous and original. Take, for example, this description of a bonfire of banned books: "The orange flames waved at the crowd as paper and print dissolved inside them. Burning words were torn from their sentences." Just reread this for book club and liked it even better the second time.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-27 05:44:09 for The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future.
(Language: English)
George Beard and Harold Hutchins are at it again, creating comic books, that it. Their second graphic novel follows Ook and Gluk, two goofy caveboy troublemakers. They are really good at getting on Big Chief Goppernopper's last nerve. They finally get the better of Big Chief Goppernopper, but he doesn't stay defeated for long. When he joins forces with a Goppernopper from the future, things really get serious. Will Ook (rhymes with duke) and Gluck (rhymes with duck) ever be able to make things right? Action, Laffs, and a flip-O-Rama in every chapter!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-27 05:43:26 for Bad Pets.
(Language: English)
A collection of true tales of animals behaving badly. Some highlights include the Dorito stealing seagull, the parrot who interrupted a soccer game, and the pony who staggered into a pool after eating too many fermented apples.
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| My Reviews - Page 1 of 43 |