May Book Club -- Tuesday, May 3 -- During Advisory SSR

I am the Messenger 

by Marcus Zusak

Excellent YA fiction -- sweet story of a young man who's given an odd chance to make a difference in the lives of many specially chosen people --- just by seeing their needs and acting on his best instincts to do good and to help.

Please join us for the book discussion in the library.

Ms C.

When Dad Killed Mom -- a review by Sarah Gnefkow

When Dad Killed Mom

by: Julius Lester

**** Stars

Jeremy and Jenna are the members of what it seems to be a normal family. Jeremy a mommas boy and Jenna is such a daddys girl. There parents weren't on the best of terms and had been fighting a lot but they didn't exactly hate eachother either. One day the school pulls Jenna and Jeremy out of class to tell them the most shocking news they would ever hear in their lives, their dad had killed their mom. This news was shocking to everyone. Soon after this tradgedy they look differently at what had happened and more importantly why. By figuring out the answer to one question it just branches out into two or three new questions. So will they ever figure out why their dad had done such a horrible thing? Or will it remain a mystery forever...

I loved this book that's why I gave it four stars. Some of the parts of the book were completely pointless and made me feel a little uncomfortable but for the most part it was pretty good. It alternated paragraphs between Jenna and Jeremy and how they experienced everything throughtout the book. I did not put it down until I literally had to. So if you like shocking discoveries and trying to peice things together you would love this book!

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja -- A review by Ian Zig.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja 

by John Flanagan

*****

The medieval dream team is back in the tenth book! Will, Halt, and Alyss are in Arrida, supervising a national treaty when low and behold! Evanlyn, the Royal Princess Cassandra, has unexpectedly arrived with news that Horace has gone missing in a foreign country! Horace was in the strange country of Nihon-Ja, when a sudden coup arises and Horace unintentionally involves himself by saving the Emperor Shigeru, pitting himself against the oppressive tyrant who staged the coup. Evanlyn collects the team and sets off to find Horace. Horace, racing through mountains and valleys to get to a fortress, that some believed to be mythical, to prepare for a battle with the odds weighed heavily against them. Can they outsmart the tyrant in this last battle?.. Read and find out!

I loved this series, and this was an awesome addition! I wish it ended a little differently, but you cant have everything. I highly recommend reading this book, and if you haven't read the series you should cause it was all pretty BA!

Hate List - a review by George Morejon

Hate List
by Jennifer Brown
**** stars

What would you feel like if your school was shot up by another student? Now what if that other student was the person you were going out with? And what if you were accused of helping them? This is what happen with Valerie, the young girl in Hate List whose boyfriend, Nick, one day in may decided to put 'their' plan into action. After struggling to get over the tramatic experience, she got shot in the leg, not to mention was a prime suspect for making the 'hit list', she has to go back to the same school for her last year. What will people think of her?

They'll hate her, that's what. The unity presented in the newspapers isn't real she sees, with all the normal fighting and argueing still happening. But she makes a friend in an unlikely person, one of her worst tormenters from the year before, and takes on a project to honour their classmates.

This was a 5 hour book that had an interesting concept that i hadn't put together before, a list of people a person hates whichh leads to a school shooting. It plays out where you can see Valerie as either a cause of the problem or the victim, and i saw her as a victim. The mother was too overprotective, always worrying about protecting the world from her daughter after the event. I agreed with Valerie's unlikely friend when she said "It's not your fault. After all, you didn't shoot anyone."

Wither --- a review by Amy Lyon

Wither

by Lauren DeStefano

***1/2

Welcome to a world where men only live to 25 and women to 20. And desperation lurks around every corner.

Ever since the death of her parents, Rhine and her brother have been on their own living in fear of the Gathers, a group of people that collect young girls for those who will pay. And those who don't pass the test... After being so careful for so long, Rhine falls into a trap, then finds herself passed out in a luxurious bed. From the beginning, Rhine works on finding the way out. But what happens when she starts to fall for Gabriel, the mistreated servant? And when she becomes the first wife, will she really want to leave?

Wither definitely kept me guessing, on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns are unexpected and the idea is original, a refreshing change. The characters at some points came to life, like House Master Vaughn and his experiments. Some parts were fairly creepy, but it brought a certain depth to the story. The ending is a bit predictable, well, part of the ending is predictable. This is not for people who love a happy ending for all, but I would definitely recommend this book.

The Sky is Everywhere - Review by Halea Coulter

The Sky is Everywhere

By Jandy Nelson

* * 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Sky is Everywhere is the story of Lennie. A girl living with her uncle and grandmother and her sister has just died. Her sister, Bailey, has left behind a fiancée named Toby. Lennie never understood what Bailey saw in Toby, but after Bailey's death, Toby and Lennie start to take comfort in each other, and not the kind of comfort brothers and sisters give each other. Enter Joe. An American boy raised in Paris, who is not only gorgeous but also very musically talented. And he wants Lennie, and Lennie really wants him too, in fact, shes in love with him. But the problem is that Toby is still around. What is a girl to do? Especially without the guidance of her older sister . . .

The Sky is Everywhere was nice, but predictable. The cast of characters, especially Lennie's grandmother and uncle were very charming. There wasn't really anyone bad in book, not a real antagonist or anything. And as far as the whole love triangle goes, I mean, come on . . . predictable! So it wasn't really a bad book, there just wasn't much special about it. Although if you are a Sarah Dessen fan, it's probably something you'd enjoy.

Water for Elephants- Review by Aspen Gates

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

***** stars

All Jacob Jankowski wanted was to graduate from Cornell and become a veternarian like his father. However, all that changes when he loses both of his parents to a car accident, and he is left with no money. It is 1931 in America and it's also the time of the depression which means that there are no jobs available especially for Jacob's line of profession. Now Jacob is broke and homeless and wandering around when he stumbles onto a train track in the middle night and he sees a train coming and hops on to it not knowing that this would change his life forever. By morning Jacob realizes he has hopped not only on a circus train, but the Benzini Brother's circus owned by a disturbed man name August and winds up becoming their personal vet. And just by working with the animals, Jacob meets Marlena who is the star of the show and who's unfortunately August's wife. When Jacob starts settling down with his new life the circus gets a surprise from August which he says will really help the show out. He buys them a fifty year old elephant named Rosie, and to top it all off he wants Marlena to ride her. But there is just one problem, Rosie does not understand English so everybody immediately assumes that she is dumb, but Jacob being Polish realizes that she can only understand Polish, and from there it brings him closer to Marlena causing him to fall in love with her. Now Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie the elephant start a relationship between them that will cause love and betrayal among and they will just have to ride it out and see what happens at the end of the track.

I thought Water for Elephants was a great story and I loved the relationship that grew between Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie. You could see that they all loved each other in there own ways and it made them stronger. It also Jacob and Marlena realize what they want out of life. I gave this book five stars because it was so original yet it touched my heart and kept me mesmerized throughout the whole novel. Plus I cannot wait to see the movie that came out Friday, April 22, but I would suggest you read the book first because lets face it, the books are always better.

Whispers --- a review by Amy Lyon

Whispers
by Dean Koontz

****

From his first meeting with Hillary Thomas, Bruno Frye knew he wanted her...dead. After his first attempt, Detective Anthony Clemenza gets involved. The two start to dig into Frye's past when she is attacked again, but that's not possible...he bled to death a few days earlier. The deeper the Hillary and Tony go, the more disturbing things get. Can they discover the truth? Or will Hillary end up dead as intended?

As Dean Koontz first novel, it wasn't disappointing, perhaps less gruesome. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat throughout the novel. Definitely recommmend.

Devoured --- a review by AmyLyon

Devoured
by Amanda Marrone


****


Megan Sones really does not want to work at Land of Enchantment, the amusement park full of fairytales, but what choice does she have when her boyfriend will be working there with the girl who believes he's her soul mate. And to make matters worse her sister shows up again to show her a vision, only this vision is a bit more disturbing. And what does all of this have to do with Snow White? Perhaps tradition has forgotten a few details of the "happily ever after"... The real question is: apples or knives?

Devoured put an interesting twist on the traditional fairytale of Snow White, all the while weaving in the insanity of the family that owns the park. The characters weren't the mainstream whinners normally associated with YA fiction. And I was happy that for once the girl actually dumped the idiot for the good guy, instead of dragging things out with both. Overall, I liked this novel and would read more from this author.

Where She Went--A Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Where She Went 

by Gayle Forman

**** stars  

It had been three years since Mia had survived a horrible car accident, three years since Adam and Mia’s love had saved her, and three years since they had broken up and walked away from each other forever. Now as they went their own ways, they hold completely different lives. Adam is now a tabloid famous rock star living in Los Angeles California with an A-list celeb girlfriend. Mia on the other hand was a successful cello player and a student at Julliard while she is living in New York. One day fate gets Adam stuck in New York for one last night and him and Mia are brought together again. As they start to explore the place that Mia now lives they are reminded of what they once were. They start to wonder of what their futures will become, and if they will include each other in them. But will they reunite for good? Or will it just be a one night fling?


I actually really liked this book that’s why I gave it four stars! You would definitely need to read the first book If I Stay to understand Where She Went. The first book was told from Mia’s point of view but this book is told from Adam’s. It was actually really interesting and I liked how their completely different new lives seemed to tie together with what their old relationship used to be. I definitely recommend this to anyone who really liked the first book.

Angel -- A review by Ian Zig.

Angel

by James Patterson

****

Angel knows it all! Everyone is back, but not together.. Max is back leading the flock, minus Fang, and things are quiet... But Where's Fang?.. He's out recruiting, and making a gang of his own. But who does he just happen to recruit into his group?.. None other than Max II, the clone of Max!.. Which Max is not happy about.. But who or what are they fighting this time?.. A rather doom and gloom group called the Doomsday Group, which is spreading and gaining support faster than anyone ever could've expected, and it appears that all of their followers are teenagers. The biggest question in the matter, is the group hypnotizing its followers?... Now to Angel... She's staying in line supporting Max, but will she remain in line?.. you'll have to read to find out!

I liked this book, it was kinda dissapointing with some things, but the action never fails to hold my attention! I really think that the author could've ended it better though.. But if you've read the series, you have to read the end, so check it out. And of coarse, if you haven't read the rest of the series I highly suggest you do, cause its just plain amazing.

The Alchemist - a review by George Morejon

The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
***** stars

This story begins with an Andaluz shepard boy in the fields tending his sheep. He has a recurring dream about finding a treasure by pyramids, but he didn't know what it meant. He went to a seer to find out what it meant, and later ended up meeting a mystical king who tells him to 'follow his person legend'. He decides to sell his flock and leave everything in Spain behind so he can fulfill his legend. He then has to explore the strange lands of north Africa and, reading the omens along the way, because when a person follows their legend, the universe conspires to make it happen.

This was probably one of the best books i've read in this class. I liked everything about it. The setting from Spain down to Tarifa and Tanger, across the desert to Egypt felt like one of the Arabian Nights stories. The theme was a follow-your-dreams kind of one, but this one didn't seem like it was trying to hard. It just seemed to flow. I don't really know what else to say about it, but i just loved it. I don't know how long it took me to read it because i read it any time i could, mostly in school.

Cathy's Key -- a review by Hope Austin

Cathy's Key  

by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman
 
***  


This book is the sequel to Cathy's book. It follows Cathy as she unravels the secrets surrounding Cathy's boyfriend, Victor, her best friend's budding business, amd her father's death. Even though her biggest problems are purely paranormal, she still deals with things like trying (and failing) to stay employed so she can can pay her mother rent, documenting it all in in her notebook.


This series has all the trappings of a paranormal romance (love triangle and all), but the authors do keep things interesting with a unique take on immortality (rooted in Chinese mythololgy), interesting charcters and subplots, and well-paced humor. Since third book is already out, I'm going to read it next. If you plan on reading this, it's probably in your best interest to call the number on the book, and actually take a look inside the bag.

City of Fallen Angels- Review by Aspen Gates

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare

*** 1/2 stars

City of Fallen Angels continues on with three leading characters Clary, Jace, and Simon trying to sort out there issues on who they really are. From Clary and Jace acknowledging the fact that they were never siblings, and can love each other conditionally, to Simon accepting that he is a vampire, but will forever be different since he can walk in the sunlight and nobody can do him bodily harm thanks to Clary giving him the Mark of Cain. However, nothing ever turns out as easy as some want it to especially these three. Clary and Jace are so happy to be together until Jace starts pulling away from Clary due to his nightmares, or are they his? Simon is still living at home with his mother, trying to hide his true self from her which really isn't helping either of them, not to mention he is dating to beautiful girls, one a werewolf and the other a shadowhunter. But that's not all that's going on with Simon someone wants him dead, but due to his mark nobody can touch him or they suffer seven fold. And to top it all off someone is killing off shadowhunter's that had originally been apart of Valentine's army and blaming it on the downworlder's which will soon cause another war that was suppose to have ended. If You don't know what I'm talking about at all then I suggest you go read the first three, City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass to help you understand this a whole lot better in the O'Hara library.

I thought City of Fallen Angles was a good continuation of The Mortal Instruments series however, it made me really angry and confused at times. There were parts in there that didn't really go well with the story, and I felt that Cassandra Clare could have elaborated on those points a little better. Also I felt that the author was really putting to much pressure and helplessness on one character through out the book and that really made me wan to throw the book out, but of course I didn't so instead I rated this book with 3 1/2 stars for that. Though I'm saying a lot of negative things about this book, there were plenty of amazing scenes and I can't wait for book number five and hopefully that will clear some things up and make this series a great story like I know it's capable of being.

It's Kind of a Funny Story - Review by Halea Coulter

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

* * * * Stars

What kind of story includes kids that actually study, attempted suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, crazy people, stress vomiting, a girl that cut her own face, and an Egyptian guy that won't get out of bed? A funny one!! Even though It's Kind of a Funny Story does touch on serious subjects, it is actually funny.

The story opens with Craig, who really wants to jump of the Brooklyn Bridge. But Craig, being one of the smartest kids in New York City, calls the suicide hotline, which tells him to check into the hospital, so he does. The story winds around in an interesting way which starts of switching between how Craig is pushed to end up in the hospital and him actually getting there. But once he does the story stays mostly in the present. While in the hospital, Craig, meets an interesting cast of characters, most of whom are adults in the psych ward, but of course there is Noelle, his love interest, a girl who cut her face. Craig is only in the psych ward for six days, but thats enough to really turn his life around, he learns how to work things and there is plenty of funny along the way.

I love It's Kind of a Funny Story. I do like the story line, to me, it is simple and clean. The story goes from point A to B without tons of irrelevant things getting in the way. The book was very easy to read. I read it in two days I think and it was just easy because the authors tone was very enticing. I feel like the author of the book, wrote kind of like I think, so for me, it was a very enjoyable book. I gave it four stars, which is pretty solid, it's definitely worth picking up and reading, especially if you plan to see the movie!