North Of Beautiful By Justina Chen Headley Book Review

Name of book:North Of Beautiful

Publisher:Little Brown and Company

Published:2009

Age group:9-12

Number of Pages:373

 Summary

Born with a port-wine stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek, Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast college, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities. After an ironically fortuitous car accident, Terra meets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghai, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty. North of Beautiful is the engaging third YA novel by Justina Chen Headley. This is a gorgeously-written, compelling book featuring universal themes of defining true beauty, family bonds, personal strength, and love.

Review

This book was full of compassion and feeling-unlike any other that I've read. Amazing!

Terra has to battle herself to realize how truly beautiful she is even with the port-wine stain on her cheek that she believes fully disfigures her. As the story passes on and Terra realizes how jolie ladie she is (pretty ugly) Jacob helps her throughout everything, to realize the specialness that she holds within her.

On her visit to Shanghai, a girl named Peony helps her realize what jolie ladie means more than ever. As the time comes and Terra goes back to her art studio, her life changes. Her Mother finally gets the courage to stand up to her Father and gain her independence, while Terra rips up her past 'Beauty Map' full of beautiful people that she wishes that she could be.

I have to say, this was  full of emotion and surprise-and fulfills every persons craving for a great read.

Rating

Grade-A

Luv,
Bethany <3

Knight Angels #1 Book of Love By Abra Ebner

Name of Book: Book Of Love

Publisher:Createspace

Published: 2010

Series:Knight Angels

Age group:12-14

Number of Pages:366

Thank you to Abra Ebner and Createspace, who has willingly sent me a copy of her book!

Summary

When seventeen-year-old Jane Taylor witnessed her father's death at age seven, something happened to her. Ever since, her thoughts have been consumed by death, going so far as to foresee the ever-changing deaths of those around her.







Sixteen-year-old Emily Taylor always resented her sister’s closeness with their father, who died when she was only six. Ever since she can remember, she’s had the strange ability to read minds, something her father held the key to. Left helpless, she drowns herself in a world of prescription drugs, sending her responsible older sister Jane – who acted as the mother her real mother refused to be – over the edge.






Seventeen-year-old Wes Green was adopted as a baby, left carelessly by parents that clearly did not love him. He moved in next door to Jane, sharing an alleyway window and finding in her a childhood friend that soon turned into his high-school crush. All summer, though, the pain that’s been wracking his body seemed to come with no explanation. He was done growing, was plenty healthy, and worked out regularly as a member of the wrestling team. When senior year starts, though, and the pain gets worse, the changes ahead of him are anything but what he expected, and far to animal for his taste.






When Max Gordon, doomed to be a teenager for the next thousand years, found himself standing above her dying body, he saw in her bright eyes something he hadn’t seen in the nearly one-hundred-years he’d spent roaming Earth. Her father was already dead, but there was a chance he could still save her from the wreck. Jane was her name, and she was only seven, but already she was all he ever wanted. It was his job to bring her back, but it was an act that could have been the biggest mistake of his life.






When four teens enter Glenwood High on an unseasonably cool day in September, no one but Max could understand the future that was ahead of them. Drawn together by blood and friendship, they each hide a dark secret that will soon help to bind them even closer.






When the one face Max hoped to never see again shows up on school grounds – his evil twin brother, Greg – he knows that coming back for Jane was the wrong thing to do. Finding that Greg already knows about Max’s attraction for Jane, Max finds he can no longer hope to leave again, afraid of what Greg will do.






Max has to protect Jane, Jane wants to be normal, Wes wants Jane to love him, and Emily just wants the voices to stop…






And Greg… he just wants everyone dead.

 

Review

I really liked this book-it caught my attention enought that the moment I recieved it, I read it, and it was finished within one day. Unfourtanately, I recently went on vacation, so I didn't have a chance to really review it until now.

 

Jane was...interesting. The sort of girl who is a book nerd and loves to read and study for school and doesn't really care how she looks. Just Jane doesn't know how pretty-and ultimately special she is. Jane has always dreamed of seeing real magick-but what she doesn't know is that it's right in front of her. I really liked Jane-she was the sort of enthusiastic and bubbly type of character that knew how to control herself at the same time.

 

Emily was not my favorite-in fact, I thought of her as a sort of punkish character. I also didn't like how she tempted the boys to get the pills-but of course, she needed them to stop the vioces in her head-so I guess that makes sense for her to want them. To me, Emily jsut seemed like the sort of devilish type of girl who would do almost anything to maintain her status. But towards the end, I actually liked her better.

 

Max is really compassionate-he saved Jane because she was innocent and he believed that she had a right to live-shich she did. If Max was real, he'd be the ideal boyfriend of every single girl.

 

Wes is sort of hot-tempered and really short minded. He switches from one girl, to another girl, to another girl-the same two girls that he keeps on switching to. Hopefully, he'll know which one is better for him sooner or later-or realize which one he likes better.

 

Greg is just plain evil-there's nothing else you can say about him, and this sentence alone just about sums it up.

 

This book was definetely one of my favorites, but one of the only of the few flaws I could find was that a few words were missing, making the words confusing to understand, and some words were clearly mispelled. But otherwise...this was amazing!

 

Grade

B+

 

Luv,

Bethany <3

The Maze of Bones The 39 clues #1 by Rick Riordan Book review

Name of book:The Maze of Bones

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: 2008

Age group: 8+
Number of Pages: 220

Summary

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

The 39 Clues is Scholastic's groundbreaking new series, spanning 10 adrenaline-charged books, 350 trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes.






The 39 Clues books set the story, and the cards, website and game allow kids to participate in it. Kids visit the website - the39clues.com - and discover they are lost members of the Cahill family. They set up online accounts where they can compete against other kids and against Cahill characters to find all 39 clues. Through the website, kids can track their points and clues, manage their card collections, dig through the Cahill archives for secrets, and "travel" the world to collect Cahill artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down clues. Collecting cards helps: Each card is a piece of evidence containing information on a Cahill, a clue, or a family secret.






Every kid is a winner - we'll give away prizes through the books, the website and the cards, including a grand prize of $10,000!






Review
This book was amazing-riveted with action and suspense-and definetely confusion. Amy and Dan have to deal with becoming one of the most powerful and influential people on earth. No pressure, right?But there is pressure, as Amy and Dan have to race to find the 39 clues without getting killed. It was an amzing book, and hopefully I'll read more. 

Ever by Gail Carson Levine Book review

Name of Book: Ever

Publisher: HarperCollins


Published: 2008

Age category: 9-14

Number of Pages:

Summary


Falling in love is never easy, but falling in love with an immortal god while your days on earth are numbered is almost more than a young girl can bear.






Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning new world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens in this spellbinding story of Kezi, a girl confronted with a terrible destiny. Attempting to thwart her fate, Kezi and her love, Olus -- the god of wind and loneliness -- embark on a series of dangerous and seemingly impossible quests.






Review


This is another one of my all time fairytale favorites written by Gail Carson Levine-she’s the best fairytale reteller writer that I’ve ever read of or heard of. I really liked ever- a story about a girl about to be sacrificed because of her aunt’s stupidness-she saved her own aunt from being killed! Isn’t that kind? But when Kezi meets Olus, they go on a quest to help Kezi become an immortal god like him. But first, Olus has to become a champion, while Kezi has to become a heroine.


And on the way, they both fall in love. How romantic and sweet! And when Kezi does become immortal, she and Olus Ever is a captivating story full of love, gos, and family. A great read.






Rating


4 stars-good


Luv,
Beth <3

Blood and Chocolate By Annette Curtis Klause Book review

Name of book:Blood and Chocolate

Publisher:Delacorte Press 
Published:1997
Age group:13-16

Number of Pages: 264

Summary

Characterizing the adolescent experience as monstrous is not exactly a new idea. M.T. Anderson's woefully confused teen vampire in Thirsty and Jean Thesman's reluctant young witch in The Other Ones serve as excellent examples of this metaphor set to fiction. But no one really captures how our hormones make us howl as well as Annette Curtis Klause. Blood and Chocolate chronicles the longings and passions of one Vivian Gandillon, teenage werewolf. Her pack family, recently burned out of their West Virginia home by suspicious neighbors, has resettled in a sleepy Maryland suburb. At her new school, Viv quickly falls for sensitive heartthrob Aiden, a human--or "meat-boy," as her pack calls him. Soon she is trying to tame her undomesticated desires to match his more civilized sensibilities. "He was gentle. She hadn't expected that. Kisses to her were a tight clutch, teeth, and tongue... His eyes were shy beneath his dark lashes, and his lips curved with delight and desire--desire he wouldn't force on her... he was different." But Vivian's animal ardor cannot be stilled, and she must decide if she should keep Aiden in the dark about her true nature or invite him to take a walk on her wild side.

Klause poetically describes the violence and sensuality of the pack lifestyle, creating a hot-blooded heroine who puts the most outrageous riot grrrls to shame. Blood and Chocolate is a masterpiece of adolescent angst wrapped in wolf's clothing, and its lovely, sensuous taste is sure to be sweet on the teenage tongue. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Review
Maybe in the beginning I really didn't like this book at all. But as I went along, I understood it better, dug myself deep into it. Blood and Chocolate was so mysteriously freaky, that I had to put it down and read a different book when I was going to sleep. Frankly, it was pretty hard. I loved Annete Curtis Klause's main character-Vivian. She was described as beautifl and the only teenage girl in her pack. No pressure, huh?

I loved how Vivian was so unique, and that when she turned in her drawing because her art teacher told her it was a good idea, she was shocked that her drawing of wolves wasn't next to some trashy poetry-a poem of wolves instead. (Not that poetry's trashy, just that that's how Vivian would intercept it.) Imagine how shocked you would be that a human could think up something like that, when they didn't know the feeling of running through the forest like the wolves did.

This was an amzingly riveted story full of love and lust. If you like romance and action, this book is certainly for you.

Rating

4 stars-good

Luv,
beth

The Owl Keeper By Christine Brodien-Jones Book review

Name of Publisher:The Owl Keeper

Published:2010
Age group:9-13

Number of Pages:306

Summary
Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.




According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.






Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.






The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.


Review

The moment I saw the picture of this book and read the summary, I realized that this book was special-and the moment I came back from my sleepaway camp that I attended (Camp Warwick) I immediately asked my Mother if I had recieved any packages-and I was SO happy when I did! I raced through the pages like there was no more days left to the world.

Now Max is the typical special needs boy. Well, at least he SEEMS to be that way. Now is he really allergic to the sun? I'll keep you guys guessing. But...really? I loved Max, as uniquely different as he is. Another character that I ultimately connected to was his runaway friend, Rose/Artemis.

I liked that Max got flashbacks of memories and that they seemed to be disappearing from his mind-and the emotions that danced throughout the story. I really hope Christine Brodien-Jones makes a sequel!!

Rating

5 stars (Perfect!)

Luv,
Beth <3

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a Meme hosted by the Story Siren. Let's Go!

Books Bought

The Five Ancestors, Crane by Jeff Stone

The Five Ancestors, Tiger By Jeff Stone

The Magicians Nephew By C.S. lewis

Books Checked out

Ruler of the Realm By Herbie Brennan

Ever By Gail Carson Levine

North Of Beautiful By Justina Chen Headley

Blood and Chocolate By Annette Curtis Klause

Strange Relations By Sonia Levitin

Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson

Name of Book: Claire De Lune

Publisher:Simon Pulse

Published:2010

Age group:10-15

Number of Pages:359

Summary

Torn between two destinies… Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting an...more Torn between two destinies… Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she’s a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire’s new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever...

Review

          What I really liked about this book was that there was a unexplained reason for why Claire's Mother hated Matthew's Father so much. She said she hated him because of his cures that didn't actually work, and also simply just becasue of his undefined hatred of werewolves. I thought it was awesome that directly after her birthday party she started itching behind her ears and her arms and getting this horrible rash before she went out on the date with Matthew.

        I also loved the time when Claire's Mother told her that she was a werewolf and Claire was so shocked she didn't beleiver her-which also connects to another one of Claire De Lune's highlights-when Claire saves him from being killed. I'm not going to tell you who [that would ruin it for you!] but I will tell you it is someone in the pack. But I definetely thought this book was great. Maybe not one of my immediate favorites, but a book that I like enough that I hope I can buy myself a copy.

Rating

5 stars (Perfect!)

Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli Book review

Name of book: Stargirl

Publisher:Scholastic

Published:2000

Age group:8-12

Number of Pages:186

Summary
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the
hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She...more Stargirl. From the day she
arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur
of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a
school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.



Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.

Review
        Stargirl was uniquely different. Special. Unique. And I have to say, in the beggining of this book, I was just like "Who is Stargirl, and why is she so important?" Stargirl is the nicest character I've probably ever read about. So kind that she'd make things for her classmates on holidays that weren't so important, like Valentine's Day and Halloween, Sing songs on her ukelele on their birthday. Ever met someone as nice as that?
       
        So kind and sweet, that she even cut her own hair and laid it out for the birds to make nests with. She even dropped all of her change on the sidewalks just because she knew it would make little children happy to even see a penny. She even started making this kid's biography! 
  
         I've always loved Jerry Spinelli's form of writing, and what type of topics he writes, and every book I've read that he has written has been amazing, and I expected no less from Stargirl. And you know what? I wasn't dissapointed. Of course this book is like a normal teenagers life-but it's different at the same time. Did you ever see anyone do such kind things like Stargirl? Did you?

          No. I don't think so, and I didn't think so. Jerry Spinelli's character was so kind and giving, and I loved her. She would have been any girls best friend-as long as people gave her a chance and understood her as everyone else did. This book was amazing, and it deserves a place in my favorite books of 2010 category.

          The cover of Stargirl confused me-alot. I didn;'t understand how there couldn't be a title, and their was only a picture of this girl with a star above her head. I was given this book for free at my local library, and I was given a choice of which book I would like. I chose stargirl becuse so many of my friends had already said that it was actally pretty good that I wanted to find that out for myself. The only problem I had with this book, though, is it's incomplete ending. I'm glad there's a sequel! And in fact, it was a great book, and I really want to read Love, Stargirl next!

Rating
Characters-(5 stars)
Setting/Description/plot-cat (5 stars)
Cover-cat (5 stars)
Ending-hamster (3 stars)
Suspense-dog (4 stars)

Total
22 Stars=good!

Luv,
<3 Beth

Tangled Threads A Hmong Girl's Story By Legi Deitz Shea Book Review

Name of book:Tangled Threads A Hmong Girl's Story

Published:2003

Age group:12-15

Number of Pages:236

Summary
For the Hmong people living in overcrowded refugee camps in Thailand, America is a dream: the land of peace and plenty. In 1995, ten years after their arrival at the camp, thirteen-year-old Mai Yang and her grandmother are about to experience that dream.



In America, they will be reunited with their only remaining relatives, Mai"s uncle and his family. They will discover the privileges of their new life: medical care, abundant food, and an apartment all their own. But Mai will also feel the pressures of life as a teenager. Her cousins, now known as Heather and Lisa, try to help Mai look less like a refugee, but following them means disobeying Grandma and Uncle. From showers and smoke alarms to shopping, dating, and her family"s new religion, Mai finds life in America complicated and confusing. Ultimately, she will have to reconcile the old ways with the new, and decide for herself the kind of woman she wants to be.


This archetypal immigrant story introduces readers to the fascinating Hmong culture and offers a unique outsider"s perspective on our own.
 
Review
 
     Historical Fiction has always been one of my favorite genres-and it still is. Tangled Threads is the perfect vision of a Historical Fiction book. I loved that Legi Deitz Shea made Mei emotional, kind, and know how to do what was right. Know her cousin Heather...thats a different story.
 
      Heather is the basic popular girl who drinks beer, calls people names, smokes cigarettes, and dyes her hair with a flourescent orange streak. Heather also disobeys her father's rules in order to date a boy named Bobby.Heather's sister, Lisa, is somewhat different.
 
      Lisa is about the same as Heather, except she doesn't dye her hair flamboyant colors, and she only keeps her relationship secret from her father because her boyfriend doesn't want them to marry in Highschool. Lisa does drink too, and I think she smokes a cigarette (it didn't specify) but at least she doesn't run off with Bobby like Heather does.
 
     Tangled Threads A Hmong Girl's Story is a book about a girl named Mai who struggles to find her way throgh America, and understand everything that is so gloriously new to her. People that are Hmong themselves (beside her cousins Lisa and Heather, who are also Hmong) like Yer and her friends try to help Mai understand and fit in and they do!
 
Rating
Characters-cat (5 stars)
Setting/Description/Plot--cat (5 stars)
Cover-dog (4 stars)
Ending-dog (4 stars)
Suspense-cat (5 stars)
 
Total=
23 stars=good!
 
Luv,
Bethany
 
 

The invention of Hugo Cabret By Brian Selznick Book review

Name of Book:The invention of Hugo Cabret

Publisher:Scholastic Inc./Press

Published:2007


Age category:9-15

Number of pages:530

Summary
Orphan Hugo Cabret lives in a wall. His secret home is etched out in the crevices of a busy

Paris train station. Part-time clock keeper, part-time thief, he leads a life of quiet routine

until he gets involved with an eccentric, bookish young girl and an angry old man who runs a

toy booth in the station. The Invention of Hugo Cabret unfolds its cryptic, magical story in a

format that blends elements of picture book, novel, graphic novel, and film. Caldecott Honor-

winning author-illustrator Brian Selznick has fashioned an intricate puzzle story that binds

the reader like a mesmerist's spell

Rating ad Review

Plot
Really really good-maybe at first it was a little bit confusing and some of the plot pictures

were pretty weird-it was really good.

Plot-cat

Suspense
Absoloutely wonderful-but in a different way, not in a grab this book and never let go because it's so good, but a suspense that just keeps it hold in your mind, making you wonder what's going to happen next.

Suspense-cat

Ending
I liked it. Perfectly satisfying-and nothing else. Maybe a little bit of dissapointment.

Ending-dog

Cover
The cover perfectly symbolized the whole main point of the story-I loved how it looked, the way Brian Selznick made it seem like it was the lock to the chest of films in the story.

Cover-cat

Setting/Description
Perfect!The pictures clearly showed it, as did the words.

Setting/Description-cat

TOTAL
23 STARS=GOOD

lUV,
Beth <3

Voices of Dragons By Carrie Vaughn Book Review

Name of Book:Voices of Dragons

Publisher:harperteen, an imprint of harpercollins publishers

Published:2010

Age Group:10-16

Number of pages:309

Summary
On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell

phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark ...more On one side of the

border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other

side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.


Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the

border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal

unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows

between them.


But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon inter­actions, and the fragile

truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and

battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the

course of a war?

In her young-adult debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn presents a

distinctly twenty-first-century tale of myths and machines, and an alliance that crosses a

seemingly unbridgeable divide.


Review and Rating

Plot

I liked the plot of this story. Alot. It was unique. Special. Different. Do you know what I'm

talking about?? Of course there's been stories about dragons before. And stories about

regular teenagers like Kay Wyatt in them. But this one included a special twist in the story-a

world of dragons on half of the hemisphere and a world of regular humans with regular

conflicts on the other. I just thought it was so cool-a mixture of fantasy-and normal teenager

stuff that teenagers always struggle with.

Plot-cat

Suspense

Suspense was really good. At some points I got pretty frustrated because I wanted to know

what was going to happen, but overall, pretty good, pretty good.

Suspense-dog (just because I got annoyed there a little bit.)

Ending

I didn't happen to like the ending very much.

"Kay squinted and saw a leather harness around it's chest and a person riding his back."

Why can't we find out who it was? I hope there's a sequel-I want to find out more. It was too

imcomplete. It was completely without an ending.

Ending-hamster

Cover
The cover looked all right, but I didn't see the point of putting Kay on the front-it didn't

symbolize anything much.

Cover-fish (2 stars)

Setting/Description

Uh...it was okay. Just enough to make mehappy. :)

Setting/Description-cat (5 stars)

TOTAL
20 STARS=GOOD

Luv,
<3 Beth

The Reckoning By Kelley Armstrong Book Review

Name of book:The Reckoning Darkest Powers #3

Publisher:Harper, an imprint of Harpercollins publishers

Published:2010

Book Provided By:Harper, an Imprint of Harpercollins publishers

Age group:10-16

Number of Pages:391

The First Sentence
After four nights on the run, I was finally safe.

Summary (from Goodreads.com)
Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost.

Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the

Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding

in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to

rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Review and Rating
This is my first time trying my review this way, so I hope you enjoy it!

Plot
I completely understand why Kelley Armstrong is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author-

because her book is full of such a riveting adventure that you just can't let go of it! I

happened to be with a friend at My Dad's Friends Birthday party for his daughter who just

turned 1 year old when I was reading the book-it completely captured me into it. Everything

was crystal clear, and I could understand who was what and everything that happened. I

thought it was amazing that she could just make you be drawn into the book, and make it feel

like you were there, feeling everything that the characters were feeling.

Plot-cat (5 stars)

Suspense

Kelley Armstrong had the element of suspense included in her story-just enough-but not

enough to make us bored, which is a good thing. I liked the way she incorparated suspense

throughout the story, and I just loved how Kelley Armstrong's book makes us hold on and

never let go. So I have a feeling I know what I'm going to rate suspense for the reckoning.

What do you think?

Suspense-cat (5 stars)

Ending

The ending was pretty good, the only problem I had with it was that The Edison Team was

still after them, so it was like "What's going to happen to them next?" We don't know what

happens next unless the author decides to write another story. I think it would be better if

they just escaped without the Edison Group/Cabals (Or something like that) coming after

them.

Ending-hamster (3 stars)

Cover

I absoloutely LOVE the cover. I believe that's Chloe on the cover, wearing her necromancer

Amulet. The cover of the Reckoning Symbolizes the main character amd who she is. I also

thought that since they put Chloe on the cover it sort of symbolized that this was her book-

where you could see what she was feeling (and you did) and understand everything from her

point of view.

Cover-cat (5 stars)

Setting/Description

There's about almost no flaws I can find. The settings in the Reckoning are crystal clear, but

there aren't as many details or descriptions that I'd like their to be-sometimes if you give too

much details your reader gets bored-but it's good to have some, at least.

Setting/Description-dog (4 stars)

TOTAL
22 STARS=GOOD

Thank you so much to Harpercollins who has kindly sent me a copy of The Awakening By Kelley Armstrong!