All Book Reviews

From the moment Wendy realizes she'll grow up, to the very end when Peter stole Mrs. Darlings thimbles, this book was brilliant, sad, and filled with adventure. I loved that Tinker Bell was a a 'common' fairy and that Hook was more three dimensional and not an all evil figure. The narrative was beautiful, clever, and even a bit melancholy. Peter is the tragic figure here. But of course, he's fine and happy. I loved how Wendy's daughter and granddaughter played into the mix. Perhaps you stay young forever through your offspring.

Michael Hague illustrates this volume brilliantly.

Doomed was the amazing sequel to Damned by Chuck Palahniuk. He, being one of my favorite authors, has yet to let me down, though I admittedly have always been skeptical of sequels. There was nothing disappointing about Doomed. It fulfilled all the same curiosities, gruesome details, excitement and dark humour that Damned had. The series is an account, written by a 13-year old girl as blog entries (Damned was written as letters to Satan).
Madison Spencer died and was sent to Hell to pay for her earthly crimes. It details her heroism and her mission to save the rest of the planet from going to Hell as she did. It's very imaginative, easy to read, and captivating.

Wow. This book was gripping! The resilience involved with surviving as a POW in Japan was amazing to me. Louie Zamperini is one-of-a-kind. There was a dogfight towards the beginning of the book which ended the life of "Super Man" that was so astonishingly realistic I literally could not put down the book. Awesome. I highly recommend this book as a portrait of the World War II psyche.

Wow, this book was at times disturbing, perplexing, and heart-wrenching. It was interesting to hear about Jaycee's abduction from her point of view. I can see how it lasted 18 years as she was afraid of what would happen if she defied her abductor and as she wanted to protect her daughters. I couldn't help but feel for her mother, who must have been beside herself with worry. Jaycee is a very strong, brave, and resilient woman and I wish her the best.

This was one of the best books i have ever read. The passion and romance was perfectly portrade. The Capital could not have been shamed in a more perfect way. I love you Pita. Go Team Pita.

Written in short verses, Three Rivers Rising is a fictional account of the disastrous Johnstown Flood that occurred in 1889. Several different characters are introduced, each on a different rung of the complex social hierarchy of the time, and each affected by the flooding in various ways.

The verse format seems to be catching on more in young adult literature, and though I do like how fast the book reads a result, I always feel like certain details don't get fleshed out well enough.

This story spends so much time examining people and their lives before the flood, but doesn't spend enough time describing the aftermath and how the survivors dealt with the incredible loss of life and property.

This was a well-written portrait of an abused woman and her dependence on her boyfriend. I never understood how women could stay in abusive relationships, but this book showed how the situation can happen and how a woman can feel trapped, even deserving of such treatment. I didn't want to like the protagonist, after all she's assisting her boyfriend in an abduction that results in the stealing of the captive's newborn child. But she was a sympathetic character that grows with her friendship with Django. All in all, this is a good book that makes you think about abuse from the abused point of view.

Waste of paper.

This dark, fast-paced thriller captures you on page one and doesn't let go until the end. The book is well-written, and one of the best dystopia novels I've ever read. The main character is a strong female lead, and the love interest actually seems real and interesting unlike other books. The book is about a girl who chooses to become a Huntress. This job entails hunting food, and slaying these zombie things called freaks. The setting is underground, and Deuce finds out secrets that are dangerous to the population. I recommend for 13 years and up, due to very graphic and dark scenes. I wouldn't call it scary though. This is a must-read for Fans of Divergent and Hunger Games It's the first in a trilogy, and the other two books are just as amazing as this one!

What a truly AWESOME book. Filled with love, loss, adventure, and
creativity. I simply couldn't put it down!

This was a good book. I enjoyed the adventures of Mma. Ramotswe. It was very insightful and funny and it was interesting to learn about Botswana and Africa in general. I'm not really a 'mystery' person, so that's mainly why it only got 3 stars.

This fantasy by Cornelia Funke is very entertaining and quite mysterious. It goes from it's interesting title to a twist ending. If I were you I would definitely read this fabulous novel

This novel was engaging and the characters were realistic. The story line moved quickly. The ending was satisfying, but I was left questioning some of the characters' motivation for the choices made and what I might have done in their shoes. It isn't my usual choice in reading, but I don't regret the time I gave it. There were unexpected parts in the plot that kept my attention to the end. I tend to be cautious when I hand out stars. :)

I've noticed lately that James Patterson has been collaborating with other authors. I hesitated at first, but was I in for a wonderful surprise. A story based around Spring Break, bad choices and clever ways to outwit your deadly past, I was hooked. I read this book in two days - I literally could not put it down. Is this a trend now with James Patterson? I enjoy him on his own, but applaud his venture into exploring new possibilities with other authors. Enjoy!!!

This book I happened upon from a review in a Woman's magazine. The title intrigued me as well as the plot of a woman who inherits money from an unknown benefactor. I would be proud to own this book so I could highlight many of the clever quotes within. I had to backtrack a little like I did with the DaVinci Code, but once you are hooked - you'll be glad to read and re-read this clever, witty and woman-inspiring story!!! Enjoy!

This book is AMAZING. On my first read-through, I'll admit I did not have high expectations for it, and it started off a bit slow and confusing. The story quickly picks up though, and it's even more impressive (and makes more
sense) on rereads. It's about a girl growing up in Germany during World War II, and the story is brilliantly told. It's narrated by Death; a completely original idea. If you enjoy reading and writing, you should read this book: It describes the power of words and shows how a book can save your life - literally.

This is the strangest book I have ever read. I usually do a summary, but the summary for this would be long and confusing. I am still thinking it over. It took me awhile to figure out that I really liked it. Special Topics in Calamity Physics is one of those books that you either love or hate. Either you finished it or at some point put it down and gave up on it. If you like novels written in the Nabokovian style - characterized by a lush descriptive style and intricate wordplay - then Special Topics in Calamity Physics is the book for you! Also, you have to like open ended/ambiguous endings. This book will definitely challenge you and give you something to think about!

I only read half of this book. The writing style was too jumpy/jumbled for me. I felt that Laurence Gonzales was repeating the same things over and over. I did like the survival (or in some cases non-survival stories) and wished there had been more of those with the follow-up to the incident instead of so much description of the brain functions of survival. This was just an okay book for me.

This was a fast read. I enjoyed it, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. Meaning it was hard to read a novel that brought to life what a war can do to people and how they have to live. I liked all of the characters, but I liked Kenan and Dragen the best. They were just two men trying to survive and not be shot by snipers as they tried to get water and bread. I was engrossed when their stories were told. Overall a good book. Highly recommended.

I really liked this book. At times it was hard to put down. In the beginning I wasn't sure where the story was going and knew a big secret would be revealed. I totally guessed wrong as to what the secret was, but that was okay. This is a great book for a book group. There is lots to discuss! I highly recommend it!