Friday 31 August 2012

Review of The Hunt

Details about the book:
Title: The Hunt
Author: Andrew Fukuda
Page count: 293
First sentence: There used to be more of us.

Review
The Hunt is a dystopian fantasy book.
The reason I read this book was because I was browsing my library's new books and the cover and name just looked appealing.
The main plot is for Gene, a 17 year old boy, to stop the Heper Hunt, a tournament where all of the humans are kept in captivity until the day where they get released into an arena and the lucky chosen vampires get to go and eat them. Only problem is Gene, who's pretending to be a vampire so as not to get eaten, gets chosen to go into the Heper Hunt.
I like Gene because he's very self-controlled and always likes to do the right thing. He doesn't like to attract attention to himself because it could mean death.
I didn't like Gene because he thought he'd never get caught-out.
I liked this book because it was a complete utter page-turner. One of the most action-packed books I've ever read. It was amazing.
I didn't like this book because of the awfully long chapters. And also how Andrew drew out the first few pages.
The book was published this year.
Overall, this book is definitely recommended, more so for the guys, but if girls like action/fantasy, this books has it!
I give it a 5/5.

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Review of The Spook's Blood

Details about the book:
Title: The Spook's Blood
Series: The Wardstone Chronicles (recently renamed the Last Apprentice)
Number in series: 10
Author: Joseph Delaney
Page count: 275
First sentence: The Spook was perched on a log in his garden at Chipenden, the sun singing through the trees and the air bright with birdsong.

My Review:
The Spook's Blood is a medieval fantasy book.
The reason I read this book is because I had already started the series after being recommended it, and I just loved it, so I've followed the books and looked forward to the new releases for a long time.
The main plot is for Tom, the Spook's apprentice, to destroy Siscoi, the old god who the witches are trying to raise. He does this by persevering with hardship, the long nights and the horror.
Tomas Ward, a 15 year old who turns 16, is a Spook's apprentice, and being a Spook's apprentice means not having many friends, having people cross the road when they see you, having people become scared of you, but it's all for a good cause; to fight the denizens of the dark, the demons that cross through. I like Tom because I feel I can relate to him because I'm only a year younger than him, and I would never be able to do all that he does. I don't like him because he always thinks what other people would think of him before he does anything.
I didn't like this book because it was too short! It needed to be longer! :( And also because it seemed like the least action-packed book in the series. I loved this book because it was the kind of story I like; dark, creepy, gory and suspenseful. It kept me thinking, and gave me shocks at times.
The book was published this year.
Overall, this book is definitely recommended, more so to guys than girls, but yeah...
I give it a 5/5.

Monday 27 August 2012

Review of Beautiful Malice

Details about the book:
Title: Beautiful Malice
Author: Rebecca James
Page count: 291
First sentence: I didn't go to Alice's funeral.

My Review
Beautiful Malice is a romance/thriller/mystery book.
The reason I read this book is because it was recommended to me, and I've always meant to read it because of it's alluring front cover.
The main plot is for Katherine to stop Alice from hurting people emotionally, and she does this by talking to Alice and telling her to leave her alone, but at the end you see why she really goes away.
Katherine Patterson's real name is Katie Boydell, but after the murder of her 14-year-old sister Rachel, nothing was ever the same. Although Katie was only 18 months older than Rachel, everyone blames Katie for Rachel's murder. I liked Katherine because she's stubborn and always does what she thinks is right. I didn't like her because she always ran away from her problems.
The thing I didn't like about this book was that it didn't tell you how people just died, it just said that this person was dead.
The thing I liked about this book was all of the twists, and all of the romance that ended badly. It was a really sad and shocking book.
The book was published in 2011
Overall, this book is definitely recommended.
I give it a 5/5.

Friday 24 August 2012

Review of Maximum Security

Details about the book:
Title: Maximum Security
Series: Cherub
Number in series: 3
Author: Robert Muchamore
Page count: 277
First sentence: It looked the same in every direction.

My Review
Maximum Security is an action spy book based in Arizona.
The reason I read this book is because I was reading it with a friend on another forum. I'm so glad I read it for the 4th time because it jogged my memory before reading the next 11 books in the series.
The main plot in this book is to catch a wanted weapons-dealer Jane Oxford, and they do this by sending in CHERUB agents, minors who are trained to escape capture and lure out criminals through their innocent appearance.
James Adams is a 13-year-old boy who goes undercover as James Rose, a 14-year-old male who gets sentences to a few years in prison for the supposed murder of a homeless lady. I liked James because he's a quick thinker and sticks to the plan. I didn't like him because he took unnecessary risks occassionally.
There was nothing I didn't like about this book. It was perfectly written and resolved all issues, mostly through the epilogue at the back which tells you about all of the minor characters in the book and where they ended up.
The book was published in 2005, and it is superb.
Overall, this book is definitely recommended to the average boy. It's not too lengthy, and is easy to follow. The only slightly confusing thing is all of the characters, and also the background of the mission. I give it a 5/5.

Monday 20 August 2012

Review of The Messenger

Details about the book:
Title: The Messenger
Author: Leah Rose
Page count: 269
First sentence: Jeilin was six years old when she first saw a messenger.

My Review
The Messenger is a historical novel based in a made-up world but without fantasy creatures.
The reason I read this book is because I was browsing through my library's new books and it just popped out at me. I'm glad I read it because it had the right hint of suspense and romance.
The main plot in this book is for Jeilin to fulfil her dream of becoming a messenger for King Darnasius and carrying his messages across the country. But along the way she encounters some romance, and some surprise and heartbreak.
Jeilin is a 16-year-old girl who will do anything to achieve her dreams, and she always thinks before she acts. I liked her because she stuck up for herself, and, even though there is only one other female messenger besides her, she didn't allow that to put her off her dream. I didn't like her because she keeps to herself, and doesn't really socialise with the opposite sex.
I didn't like this book because the author made the book stereotypical, what with Jeilin winning the race to become a new messenger, and also with the love between her, a farm girl turned messenger, and Prince Rhainin.
But I did like it because it was just engulfing, a major page-turner.
This book was published this year, and I found it really enjoyable. I liked the cover because it actually related to the book, not like some others I've read.
Overall, this is definitely a recommended book. In my opinion, it's a book for those who like historical fiction, and also horses because it's about her and her horse, and how she feels about him. I give it a 4/5.

Friday 17 August 2012

Review of Forgotten

Details about the book:
Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Page count: 277
First sentence: Aren't Fridays supposed to be good?

My Review
Forgotten is a young adult paranormal romance.
The reason I read this book is because it was recommended to me by a girl in my class, and boy am I glad I read it! It's amazing! It had just the right touch of betrayal, twists and romance.
The main plot in this book is for London Lane (main character) to figure out why the new guy Luke isn't in her future.
London is a 16-year-old girl who can't remember her past, but can 'remember' the future. At 4:33am each morning London's memory resets, and in the morning she needs to read through her notes to find out what happened the day before. I liked London because she took things at face value, and only at time was she pushy and moody. I didn't like her because she kept secrets from everyone about the future.
The things I didn't like about this book was the lack of detail and explanation as to why London had lost her past, and also why she couldn't remember Luke. I was also really annoyed at the ending, how it seemed in my opinion to end as a chapter would end, not as a book. It didn't resolve any issues, didn't explain why Luke wasn't in her memory, or what she thought of Jonas, or how her dad found her. It's just slightly annoying.
I did like how it was an easy read, and I didn't have to concentrate to get into it. I could just pick it up and read for 5 mins, then put it back down again.
This book was published in 2011, and it's pretty popular at my school. I will definitely be reading more books by this author in the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's recommended for those looking for a quick and easy read, and who like romance. I give it a 4/5.

Monday 13 August 2012

Review of Berlin Olympics

Details about the book:
Title: Berlin Olympics
Series: My Story
Author: Vince Cross

My Review
Berlin Olympics is a fictional story of an Olympic Swimmer in the Berlin Olympics in 1939. Some of the main character's competitors really went to the Berlin Olympics in 1939, so you learn a little about them.
The reason I read this book was because I find historical fiction fascinating, and I love to read about the times before I was born. It takes place in Britain in 1935-1936 and also in Berlin when the main character and her best friend compete in the Olympics.
The main plot is for the main character to become a good enough swimmer to compete in the Berlin Olympics.
The main character is a 14-15 year old girl called Ellie Rhys Davies, and she is very true to herself. She always speaks her mind, and I think that's what made her a very strong character in my mind. She also stood up for herself and was a very mature character.
The thing I didn't like about this book was the short length; only 155 pages. But I did like how it was all written as a diary, and we saw things from Ellie's perspective, and how she thought of things, how she reacted to certain news. I liked the way I also gained some insight to the Berlin Olympics before the Second World War stopped the next 3 from existing.
This book was published this year, and I found it quite educational, also because Ellie's best friend Sarah was a Jew, so I saw a little bit more into how Hitler treated Jews.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's recommended for those who like historical fiction. I give it a 4/5.

Friday 10 August 2012

Review of The Catswold Portal

Details about the book:
Title: The Catswold Portal
Author: Shirley Rosseau Murphy
Page Count: 404
First Sentence: He ran pounding through the forest, his tennis shoes snapping dry branches as he stretched out in a long lope.

My Review:The Catswold Portal is a fantasy book.
The reason I read this book is for a reading competition/buddy read with someone on another forum. I wasn't too keen on the cover, but once I got into it, it was just fabulous. It takes place in two dimensions, the Netherworld and the upperworld, the upperworld being where the humans live, and the Netherworld being the place where strange beasts roam and magic is present.
The main plot is to overthrow Queen Siddonie, who is trying to take control of the Netherworld for power. The upperworld have no clue there is a Netherworld, but the Netherworld do know there is an upperworld.
The main character, a 17-year-old girl called Melissa, is stubborn, and I like that because it means she's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.
The thing I didn't like about this book was the format size. Seeing it was published in 1992, it was a very small pocket-size book, and the font was quite small. Also another thing I came across was the chapters were in the middle of the page. So when a new chapter started, it wouldn't start a new page.
Overall, for a book published in 1992, it was exceptional! I loved it so much, and it is definitely recommended. Don't let the cover put you off!

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Reason for current background

The background I have when you read my blog is the cover or a picture from the last book I've reviewed.

Review of Dune

Details about the book:
Title: Dune
Number in series: 1
Author: Frank Herbert
Page count: 608
First sentence: In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to visit the mother of the boy, Paul.

My Review
Dune is a blatant sci-fi book. I wouldn't put it under any other genre apart from maybe fantasy
. Dune is a book for my extended english class, and it took place on a planet called Arrakis, which they moved to after evacuating Caladan, their former planet. It is set in the distant future, and takes place over a 3-year-time span.
The main plot in the novel is to overthrow the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who is trying to take control of Arrakis because of it's precious spice. Arrakis is also called Dune, because the whole surface of the planet contains no water. The planet's natives conserve body water by wearing a stillsuit, which is something that collects the body's moisture once it has been expelled to then be re-drunk.
The main character, a boy of 15 years of age, is Paul Atreides, so I felt I could relate to him well because he's only a year older than me.
The thing I didn't like about this book was the length, descriptive language, lack of chapters and how it didn't indicate how much time had passed when it did.
Overall, for a book published in 1965, it was quite good, but compared to the books published today, was very complex and hard to understand.


Saturday 4 August 2012

Review of Spirit Wolf


Details about the book
Series: Wolves of the Beyond
Number in series: 5
Title: Spirit Wolf     
Author: Kathryn Lasky
Page count: 238 

MY OVERVIEW
I decided to read this book because I had read the first 4 in the series, and when I read more than the first two books of a series, I like to continue until the end.

PROS
I really like Gwynneth, the rogue smith owl, because of her sensibility and intelligence. She's also very practical, and I love the way she helps the wolves when need be, and doesn't give up.

I liked how the book was an easy read, and how it was short, so I could read in one sitting.

CONS
The thing I didn't like about this book is that there was no action, it was all background information.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
As the fifth book in the series, I thought it quite a let-down, due to the boringness of it. I mean, the book did only have 240 pages in it, so there wasn't much that could happen, but there could have been some action. I really enjoyed the twists, how they were really not expected.