"Bounce" - Review

Bounce, by Natasha Friend, is a realistic fiction

book about a thirteen-year-old girl named Evyn who has

to start her life over and adjust to many new people after

moving in with her new stepmother and her six children.

Evyn’s mother died when Evyn was just a baby, so Evyn

had never had a mother and was used to her family being

just her father, whom she called Birdie, and her quiet,

unemotional brother, Mackey. Birdie decides to get

remarried (at hardly any notice) after two months of

dating a woman named Eleni. Evyn has trouble

adjusting to a new life away from her old house and her

best friend, Jules. Plus, she has to deal with all new

stepsiblings: six-year-old Phoebe, thirteen-year-old

Ajax, fifteen-year-old twins Clio and Cassy,

eighteen-year-old Thalia, and the handsome

nineteen-year-old Linus. Along with a stepmom who

tries too hard to be Evyn’s best friend, Evyn has to deal

with snobby girls at school and her father drifting away

from her and becoming attached to the new family.

Evyn’s best friend from her old town seems to

have forgotten her and moved on, and Evyn feels

friendless. The only person she has to talk to is her

dead mother – who teaches Evyn how to bounce

the mean words away and stay true to herself.

             I really liked the book Bounce because

it was very detailed and a lot of fun to read.

Every time I turned the page I wondered,

“What will happen next?” I was very intrigued

by the plot and it was not boring at all. A lot of

other books have similar plots where a teenage

girl has to deal with her father remarrying, but

this book was a little different because there were

also so many other things going on. It was also

very easy to relate to because the main character, Evyn,

is the exact same age as me and I found myself thinking

 that I would react the same ways she did in some

situations. I give this book a five out of five stars

because it was very well-written.

           I recommend Bounce to anyone who likes novels.

It is not a long book and is perfect for people who don’t

like a story that drags on. This book is a moderate read.

I suggest this book to readers over ten years old.

The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore - Review

I read The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore, a mystery

novel by Joan Lowery Nixon. In the story, a teenager,

Christina, is kidnapped right after she and her

grandmother argued over money. Christina found out

that the kidnappers were asking her family to pay

a ransom. Christina’s kidnappers and her were

finally found by the police, but the weirdest

thing happens – the police don’t treat her as a

victim. Christina finds out that her family thinks she

orchestrated the whole thing for money! Christina

will do anything to prove her innocence. I liked

Christina as a character because she was very

determined. Through the whole book, she kept

taking risks and keeping me on the “edge of

my seat.”

 I thought this book was a four star

rating book. Although the plot,

characters, details, and vocabulary were

great, the mystery part of it was a little unclear.

The clues weren’t obvious, which they

shouldn’t be anyway, but it was hard to follow

any kind of clue or hint at all. Instead of a

small set of clues, it was more like the solution

of the mystery all was backed up by one tiny

indication. Other than that, I thought the book

was wonderful.

 I recommend this book to anyone

who wants a book that they won’t be bored

with. This book keeps you on the edge of

your seat throughout the whole thing. I’d

say the age range for this book is ages ten

and up. It’s at a moderate reading level.

Overall, this book is a great read.

Before I Fall - Review

  I read Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. It is a realistic fiction book. In this book, a teenage girl who seems to have it all. One Friday, after a party, she dies in a car accident. But - she wakes up the next morning and it's Friday again. Her day starts all over. For a week, Samantha's last day keeps happening. She's the only one who knows that this day already happened. Each day, she looks over her life and tries to save her own life. She discovers what was really important in her life.
   This book was well-written, but I did not like the main character, Sam (Samantha). She was not the type of person who was a good role model. Even though when she dies she get a chance to make things right, she never really realizes that she was mean to people. She is supposed to be a typical "popular cliquey girl" who has lots of friends, but she and her "friends" aren't very nice to each other or others. She doesn't always do the right thing. I liked the book and the idea of the plot, but it makes it difficult to really say you liked a book when the main character isn't likable. I read another book with a similar sort of problem once: Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle. Again - the story plot wasn't bad, but the I was sort of against the main character.
   I wouldn't really recommend this book, but it is a very clever plot. If you're interested in reading this book, just be aware that this a definitely a PG - 13.

Total Constant Order - Review

Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell is a realistic fiction novel about a girl suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD. OCD is a disorder where the person performs meaningless, repetitive actions in order to reduce obsessive thoughts and fears. Fin is a ninth-grade girl who has this disorder. Her parents got a divorce and she moved to Florida with her mother. She feels distant and lonely, and wishes she could belong. She is obsessed with washing her hands and counting. She feels like everything has to be even. When she walks from her room to the bathroom, for example, she needs to take exactly twenty-two steps or else she feels like something is wrong. She doesn’t have any friends and feels trapped in her numerical world until she meets Thayer.

            In this book, Fin meets Thayer, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. Thayer is addicted to the medicine he takes for his disorder, and he feels trapped and different too. They become friends and help each other out. Fin starts seeing a therapist who prescribes a medicine for her, too. Fin takes the medicine, hoping it will help, but it only makes her feel more messed up and sick. Fin wishes she could be closer to her mother and stop counting. Thayer makes her feel so much happier and less lonely. But when Fin is placed in an unexpected position, she knows she has to decide if she should let the numbers go.

            I liked this book because it was very realistic. I didn’t know a lot about OCD before, but after reading Total Constant Order I learned a lot about it. The plot was very well planned out and kept you turning pages. The main character, Fin, did a lot of things that weren’t expected but you were always on her side. The author’s style of writing is very adventurous and not too fast or too slow. I really enjoyed this book.

          I recommend Total Constant Order to middle school age kids and up. This book is great, but some of the themes and language isn’t appropriate for people under age ten. This book is a moderate read. I really think this is a great book to read if you want to learn more about OCD or if you like realistic fiction novels.

 

In A Heartbeat - Review

I read this book a while ago and had a review written, I just never got to post it. Here it is:

In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth is a realistic fiction book. I would suggest this book for girls middle school age. It is about two girls – one is having a heart transplant and the other is the donor. Amelia, who had the transplant, feels like she is not herself after getting the operation. She feels like someone else and starts having memories that are not her own. Eagan died in a figure skating accident. She was signed up on her driver’s license as an organ donor, and her heart now belongs to Amelia. Amelia is trying to understand the new changes in her life, while Eagan is trapped in a strange “heaven” as she relives her memories.

            I recommend this book to anyone who is interesting in learning something new and at the same time enjoying an astounding story. This book is told in two voices, switching between Amelia and Eagan through chapters. After reading this book, I knew a lot more about heart transplants, organ donors, and life in general. This book is a touching story of two girls and one heart.

"If I Stay" and "Where she Went" Review

If I Stay
If I Stay, a book by Gayle Forman, is a really amazing book. It is sad, happy, suspenseful, and fast at the same time. In it, a girl named Mia has the "perfect life" (boyfriend, awesome family, bright musical future) but then is put into a terrible disaster. She is in a car accident and when she wakes up she soon realizes that she is not herself. She is stuck in a state of half-alive. The real her is badly injured. When she finds out that the rest of her family died- she is stuck with the most difficult decision of all... should she stay, or is life not worth living anymore?
I loved this book because it was so deep. You start out seeing a girl's perfect life, and then get dragged in deeper to see what happens when that all flips around. It feels like you're really right there in the book, part of the strong threads that bind together this masterpiece. I suggest this book to all teens.
Where She Went
Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, is also an amazing book. This one is narrated by Mia's
ex-boyfriend, Adam. Adam has become a celebrity because of his band but is heartbroken inside because of Mia's breakup. They run into each other in New York City and their stories are told.
This one was, in my opinion, actually a little better than If I Stay. It's a strong, powerful story and I love how in between chapters it flashes back to the past about things that happened. It's also sort of sad, the author strongly expresses the emotions of hurt and heartbreak.

Definitely a must read book and sequel!!!!!

Wintergirls - Review

  I read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. In it, a teenager named Lia is anorexic. Her friend's death, her dad's new wife, and many more things keep her life difficult. She is haunted by her friend's memory and depressed. Her eating disorder is severe and everyone thinks it's gone too far. This is a difficult to read story about Lia's journey to recovery.
  This book is well written and the characters are strong. It's very intense and and fast paced. I'd rate this as PG-13 at the least. It's powerful in the same way Anderson's book Speak is: real emotions, true to the characters, and although depressing plots, in the end: a good story.

Uprising - Review

I read Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. It is a historical fiction book about three teens. It takes place during woman suffrage times. Bella is an immigrant from Italy who works in a shirtwaist factory for her family back in Italy. Yetta is a union girl who has strong feelings about women rights. Jane is a "rich" girl who grew up learning how to be "proper."
These three make an unlikely set of friends! But that's how it happens.
This is a very sad story, it will make you cry. It is tragic and inspirational.

"Keeping The Moon"-Review

   I read Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen. It was one of my favorites by her. It's about a girl named Colie who goes to stay with her aunt during the summer. Her mother is famous on TV because of her exercising techniques. Colie has had a hard life, full of teasing and bad reputations. When she comes to see her aunt she accidentally gets a job at the Last Chance Restaurant. There, she meets Morgan and Isabel. And then there's the mysterious art-crazed guy, Norman, who lives in the apartment under her aunt's house. With unique aunt Mira, kind Norman, sensitive Morgan, and independent Isabel, Colie discovers that she has the power to be confident in herself, and she always had.
   I liked this book because it was really true to the characters. After reading the book, you feel like you really know these people as if they were real. I suggest this book to any girl who doesn't mind reading about some harsh subjects (really mean girls, teasing) and girls who have low self-confidence should read it because the lesson is so strong and powerful.

"Lock and Key"- Review

   I read Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. It was my favorite book by her so far. It's about a 17-year-old girl, Ruby, who gets abandoned by her mother and is forced to go live with older sister, Cora, and Cora's husband. She befriends her neighbor, Nate, and a few other people, including a woman named Harriet who eventually hires her for a job. She's also on a journey of discovering herself, and her relationships help her do that. Through the hardships of it all, Ruby realizes that she has been given a better future.
   I liked this book because it was deep, realistic, and not too slow-going. It was loaded with "power lines" (lines of writing that are so great you wish had written them yourself) and every page of it was special and meaningful. I'd suggest this book for readers who don't mind some mature content.

Out of My Mind- Review

    I read Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. I ahve to say it is one the best books I've ever read. It's about a girl who has cerebral palsy, and she cannot talk or walk. She has an amazing photographic memory, but of course can't tell anyone. She finally finds a way to communicate, but in her school there is a lot of discrimination towards "retarded" people. This book make me sob at some moments. It's very emotional and deep, honestly the best story I've ever heard.

Anne Frank's Diary- Review

   I finally finished Anne Frank's diary. It was very wonderful, Anne was an amazing writer. She was only 16 when she died in the Holocaust, and she wrote the diary while she was 13, 14, and 15. Her last entry is definitely one of the best entries. The whole diary is deep and meaningful. There is definitely some "girls only" content and romantic situations.
All in all I'm glad I read it and I'll read again sometime because it's that kind of book. :)
I'm now currently re-reading a book in the Alice series that was the first prequel. Starting With Alice takes place when Alice was 8 years old, and it's hilarious.

Yours, Anne: Review

     Yours, Anne (by Lois Metzger)  was a great non-fiction book. It was all about Anne Frank's life, even before she starting keeping a diary. Although it was non-fiction, I was very intrigued. It made me want to read her whole diary. My mom bought me her whole diary, the unedited version! That means it's the exact same text that she wrote, except obviously translated to English. Thanks, Mom!
   I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes non-fiction or is interested in Anne frank.

"The Truth About Forever": Sarah Dessen- Review

        The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen was a really great book. I already wrote an update about it when I was almost done with it, and that pretty much covers the summary part. All in all, this book was inspirational, romantic, sweet, kind of sad, and fun to read. Although it was a bit slow moving I still really enjoyed it. I suggest this book to people who like reading about girls trying to become more confident and going through self-discovery.

Simply Alice: Review

     I liked Simply Alice a lot. In the "Alice" series it comes right after Alice Alone, which is about Alice's first break-up. In Simply Alice she is getting over her boyfriend. She has joined a lot of school clubs and enjoys being involved, she is getting used to be single. But her two best friends, Elizabeth and Pamela, aren't getting to spend a lot of time with her because all of Alice's new activities. Plus, Alice is getting some e-mails from a secret admirer! Alice's brother is in a relationship with one of his college professors,
which Alice is not sure how to react to. Meanwhile, Alice's father is planning his wedding with one of Alice's old teachers. High school for Alice is pretty hectic!

   Simply Alice may be the best Alice book yet. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor writes very well in Alice's voice. You can tell that Alice would be your best friend. Alice is in her 2nd semester of 9th grade, and she has really matured since the first book.