Thursday, December 31, 2009
New Year's Contest! :)
I'm going to give away one book to two winners. The first winner will get to choose and the second will get to choose from the remaining books on the list. I have read them all and liked them tons. The winners can choose from this list:
-The Mark by Jen Nadol ARC complete with signed bookmark (review)
-ARC of the Prophecy Of the Sisters
-ARC of Girls Acting Catty (review)
-Hardcover of Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill (review)
-Paperback of Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
You have to leave me an e-mail address in order for me to contact you. And also tell me what your first choice would be!Please try to put all your entries in one comment! :)
Extra Entries:
+ 2 for being a follower
+ 4 for adding me to your blogroll
+ 1 for linking here on your sidebar and/or post (leave link)
+ 2 for joining my Explorer X-Alpha Contest.
+1 for commenting on my reviews of one of the books on the list. (tell me what post)
It will end on the 30th of January. The end of the first month of 2010!! :D
It is only open to the United States and Canada sorry! :(
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
~HUGE contest Alert~
There will be FIVE winners
Ends December 31st!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Girls Acting Catty
Summary: Annabelle is just starting to fit in at her new coed junior high school. She's made great friends, her teachers are nice, and she's learned a few tricks to taming those oh-so-annoying boys. But now she and her friends must confront a whole new brand of headache--the mean girl clique. Taylor and the Terrible T's are fake and annoying and out to get Annabelle and her friends. As if that weren't enough drama, Annabelle is about to encounter some of tweendom's most memorable "firsts," like buying her first bra! Each moment is perfectly rendered with Margolis' sensitivity and humor in a story that is both endearingly honest and deliciously entertaining.
Review: A definite mut read for middle grade girls and a good, cute read to add to the TBR pile for all other readers. I wish this book had been around when I was going through junior high because I sure could have learned a lot. The experiences Annabelle has with bad friends, clashing friends, boyfriends, frenemies and puberty are pretty close to the real thing that it can definitely help tweens understand lots.
Getting your first bra can be pretty embarassing to voice out loud and Annabelle's reaction is genuinely squeamish. :D Any girl can identify and that's whats best in a lovable main character.
Flawless writing and a super cute voice gives Annabelle and her friends a strong 3-dimensional feel. The dialogue is unique to each character keeping them seperate and true to their own personalities. Descriptions are light and there only to help the reader see the imagery.
My favorite character just happens to be the jerk that dumped one of Annabelle's friends. Boys will be boys and that guy is certainly a boy. LoL
The way Annabelle describes him and his friends is hilarious! She holds them in contempt and it is really funny. And it's funny cuz some of them are still like that in high school. :)
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Explorer X-Alpha
Aadi and his friends start out very childish and whiny which is expected of kids. It was pretty realistic how Aadi and Eirena changed after encountering some challenging obstacles. After they landed in Mars, they changed from simply children to adults really. The way the talked and their emotions stopped being those of a care-free kid, but instead those of a hardened and overworked adult. The emotional change makes it hard to point this book at a certain age group.
The story itself would probably have little appeal to YA lovers, but the lessons in it would serve anyone. Younger readers might not be able to understand the change and how Aadi went from cheery to full of hate. I would recommend it for kids between 11 and 13 since that is when children make the huge transition to teenagedom.
Overall, the writing was lovely for the narration part although I felt that the dialogue was a little weak. It was awkward that there were no conjunctions since I expected children to use a lot more slang. It could be indentified as a trait of that time frame, but it was a little vague. The story was creative and science fiction fans will probably find a it an enthralling tale. :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Mark
Release Date: February 2010
Summary: (back) If you had the power to cheat death, would you?
Sixteen-year-old Cassie Renfield has always seen the mark--a light glow reminiscent of candlelight--but it's not until she follows a man to his death that she understands what it means. Cassie can see when a person is marked for death. She doesn't know how or where, only when: today.
When the mark appears on Cassie's grandmother, she tries and fails to change her fate. The mark seems utterly useless, but Cassie can't ignore it. Desperate for answers, she searches her memories, her summer philosophy course, even her new boyfriend, Lucas, for any clue that might explain her ability. When she convinces Lucas of her power, he encourages her to test fate each time the mark appears. Cassie's not entirely sure she should use the mark like this, but with each occurrence, she finds answers she needs--answers she never expected.
Exploring questions of fate, death, and free will, The Mark is a gripping and powerful debut.
Review: You have to read this one! Books about fate, choice and destiny are intruiging since there really isn't a way to know for sure which is it. The way Cassie's story evolves was completely believable. There weren't any gaps in between the events tying her life together and the writing felt effortless. It was relatively an easy read, but the theme is a pretty big and difficult one to comprehend. I loved the incorporation of her Philosophy class and it didn't seem too convenient or improbable which is one of my pet peeves of books.
A very interesting read on life and death as the subject. The author did an excellent job at making the reader believe that it was possible to know the day of someone's death. The fact that she compared the auras Cassie saw to the soft light of candles shows Jen Nadol's power to make the reader connect. The phenomenom isn't lost on the reader because it is explained and details let us into Cassie's world.
The main character, Cassie, goes through some very difficult moments that teens can also sympathize or even empathize with. She had lost her parents as a young child and her grandmother took her in. When Cassie loses the person she is closest to, she must learn from life how to deal with death. She is shipped off to some long lost aunt who is too busy with work to pay much attention to Cassie. Then Cassie gets an older boyfriend. These events lead into each other clearly and effectively. Cause and effect can be found in every move Cassie makes. That's how it is in real life. Usually. :)
Now Cassie has to make decisions on which path she wishes to take in her life and who or what matters most. Cassie is a very neutral character with a huge "gift" she doesn't know how to use. Her questions might not have clear cut answers, but riddles alone might help guide her life.
Who should read this book? Anyone. It is definately YA in the romance department. :) The theme reaches out to older readers who might end up agreeing or disagreeing with Cassie's decisions. After all, Cassie is probably one of the most mature teens you'll ever read about in the YA genre.
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Friday, December 18, 2009
Contest Alert
Who: Princess Bookie
Ends: December 31st midnight
Open: Internationally!
Where: HERE
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Guest Post and Giveaway
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TRUSTING IN YOURSELF
Trusting your own gut feelings is one of the best gifts of being a human or an intelligent being. We all get that little ‘twinge’ when something just isn’t right. When that happens…LISTEN TO IT! Trust yourself or your ‘gut’ some call it... Trust it at all times, it will never steer you wrong. When I was young I lived in the inner-city of Washington , DC . The neighborhood I called home, had gangs, drugs, muggers, killers, and lots of kids and family nearby. However, with all of these things present, I didn’t realize that my gut instincts were strengthening with each day I played outside, walked to school, to the bus, or traveled the city alone. I never understood why my grandmother, affectionately named NaNa, didn’t want me to leave my block to go to the store alone. Or why, I wasn’t allowed to cut through the alleys to get to my cousin’s house, and the numerous list of things I was told to watch out for. My main character in EXPLORER X – Alpha realizes that something isn’t quite right with the immunization he is given. Aadi takes the initiative and asks the Doctor why it is being given to him. In addition to this finding, Aadi confirms his concerns with others. Here are some steps to take in trusting yourself in all things;
LISTEN TO THAT ‘TWINGE’ IN YOUR GUT
When you are in a situation with a friend or an adult, and you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right, then you are most likely correct. Learn yourself, and test this ability. If your friend tells you that you should sneak out to go to that great party that so-and-so is going to, then you feel this tickle in your tummy, and you hesitate. This is your gut talking to you. It’s telling you … hold on … don’t jump into this. Listen to it. Find out how your gut talks to you... Think of all those times you got into major trouble, and ponder over what you felt just before you did the deed that got you into that mess. That’s how you learn how your psyche talks to you.
TAKE A STEP BACK, AND ASK QUESTIONS
Never, ever, feel like you don’t have the right to ask a question. Asking a question only gets you in trouble when it hasn’t been asked, or the person of whom you are asking the question doesn’t want to give you an answer. Don’t think I’m right on this? Test it, and think back to times when the person of whom you asked a question reacted negatively. In most cases, it is because they don’t want to give you an answer. Asking the question is never, ever wrong. You have the right. So use it when you are in those situations where your gut is telling you that something is just not adding up.
IF IT DOESN’T ADD UP THEN IT DOESN’T ADD UP
When something doesn’t make sense, or the story just sounds down right disjointed, and your gut is telling you that something is off. Then trust your gut, something is off. This is a saying my NaNa used to tell me when I would give her a scenario of what a friend told me, or did to me. “Honey, if it don’t add up, it won’t add up. Something is definitely not right with that story.” Do you know in each instance she said this, she was absolutely correct.
TAKE ACTION
If you get that feeling something isn’t right take action. In EXPLORER X – Alpha, Aadi and Eirena, his co-pilot investigate their gut feeling that something is off about their camp with their team. They find that terrible things have been done to them. There are several ways to take action.
Here are some;
- Just tuck the knowledge away, and wait for the truth to reveal itself. Believe it or not this happens a lot in life. The truth has a way of coming out. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it takes a long, long time.
- Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in order to get the answers you want. You can ask anyone questions, and that may solve the mystery.
- Run away or stay away. If you are in a situation where an adult or a peer appears to be leading you in a direction that you feel is not safe - Run. There is no harm in running away from or staying away from someone or something that will hurt you.
YOUR HAVE THE POWER
Realize that you have control of your destiny. No matter what happens to you in your life, you can learn from it all and become a better person. Making the same mistakes will become harder the more you learn to trust your gut instincts, and yourself.
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Thanks LM Preston. This holds quite true for everyone. It is a cool sci-fi novel about a boy named Aadi traveling to outer space.
Did I tell you that you can win it? And it is international.
To Enter: Go to LM Preston's site and follow her. Comment here telling me you did and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you. Thanks to the author for providing the book! :)
Extras:
+2 for being a follower
Ends: (1/22)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Vampire Academy: Frostbite
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Contest Alert 4
What: The Body Finder Prize Pack
Who: The wonderful author: Kimberly Derting
Ends: December 25 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Breathe
Language: It should be Korean
About: He's the leader of the amazing Korean band, BIG BANG. Wow. I'm in love with them, This song is really weird though. His singing rocks like always, but I don't really like his mv. For one, he dyed his hair freakin' platinum. He's so much cuter with brown. And I think he's wearin' eyeshadow and lipstick in parts of it. He's weird, but cute anyways. Woot! Woot! :)
MV:
Saturday, November 28, 2009
All I Ever Wanted
Language: English
About: One of my friends is in love with the dude, so I decided to check out his music and I think it's pretty cool. Very dancy-ish techno. I guess. Whatever. Listen to it but don't watch the vid because it is really stupid. Ew. The song repeats itself over and over though which would probably sound a lot cooler in a club than on the radio. He has a pretty nice voice, but I'm not so into his songs. I don't know what my friend sees in him. -.- Maybe you'll like him?
Song: (i don't recommend watching the vid)
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Narrative Of Frederick Douglass
Summary: Autobiography of the famous abolitionist on his life as a slave.
Mini-Review: I had to read this one for class and everyone either hated it or loved it. I loved it. I thought I was gonna be a hater because I really dislike non-fiction, so I left it 'til the last minute. I finished it really quickly and found that it was refreshing, simple and very story like.
Honestly, if you have to read an autobiography, I recommend this one. It was such a great book and Frederick Douglass can write. All those similes helped me understand what it was he felt throughout his life and his explanatory tone helped to keep the story straight.
Enjoy it people!
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Song
Title: U
Artist: Super Junior M
About: Lovely song by a Korean band even though I'm pretty sure they sing this one in Mandarin. It is super duper catchy and I always sing the english part. I really like this group because all the guys are really cute. :) Also, this song is so much more mature than some of their other ones. I also love SuperGirl and Sorry, Sorry by them. SuperJunior, you rock!
Vid:
Aww.... :)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
I Don't Care
Language: Korean
About: This is a very poppy song with interesting lyrics and the MV is pretty cool. I don't like the highlights in that one girl's bangs though. :P
MV: I Don't Care
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hush, Hush
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Leng Zhan
Artist: Huang Yida!
Language: Mando
About: I love Huang Yida's voice. This song's mv isn't all that interesting, but if you like his voice then I guess it can be slightly mesmerizing. He also sang Chou Nan Ren for the t-drama Devil Beside You which I loved a lot. Both the drama and the song. :) Listen to it if you have a moment and tell me whether you agree or not that his voice is very enthralling. ^.^
MV:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Dead Until Dark
Monday, November 9, 2009
Gou Ai-Enough Love
Language: Mandarin
About: This is one of the songs in the Taiwanese drama the X-Family. It is the sequel to KO One I think. I haven't watched the first one yet, but I am watching the X-Family. This song is my new musical obsession which just might counter my obsession for Jiro. I love Jiro. ^.^ He's the one sitting down. I don't think this is actually a band. Jiro made it when he was a teen, but it didn't really work out. Jiro is currently in Fahrenheit which is a formal band. Dong Cheng Wei (Jiro's Band) is part of the three series-the X-Family, Ko One, and Ko3an Guo.
So we have the singer of the song who is A-Chord and then Xiu which is the guitarist. I think I like Xiu the best. Very cute! Shuai oh~.~
Song:
Very cool! Don't you think? !!!!!!!It's AMAZING!!!!!!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Bones of Faerie
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Review: a little help from my friends
Author: Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt
Summary: (back cover) Who knew junior year could get so complicated?
As the youngest Miracle Girl, Zoe Fairchild was happy to fade into the background last year. But when she sheds her baby fat and shoots up four inches the summer before her junior year, everything changes. Now she's turning heads at school, and this new attention is beginning to strain her relationship with her sweet, serious boyfriend, Marcus. Pressure builds when Zoe's assigned partner for history class is Dean Marchese--a handsome New York transplant who isn't afraid to show her how he feels.
Just when Zoe needs her three best friends the most, the other Miracle Girls are suffering from boy troubles of their own. Even Zoe's rock-solid home life begins to shake beneath her when her parents' relationship frays over finances. As this uncertain year of growing pains comes to a frenetic head, the quietest Miracle Girl must find her voice at long last and take control of her own destiny...with more than a little help from her friends.
Review: Usually books with two authors never work out for me. I guess that these two had a lot of chemistry together because the writing didn't feel rough or rocky. The words were seamless from beginning almost to the very end.
The ending was a little awkward for me. Zoe grew too fast and matured too quickly for it to be natural. She wasn't developed enough there. Everything else made sense. Her reactions were pretty realistic and she didn't seem as shy as I though she would have been. Zoe was a pretty likeable character.
Some scenes in the story did feel a little forced. Like in school, where she has that crazy history teacher; there seemed to be too much description of Zoe's thoughts. It was explanatory, but less would have been more.
I love the problem that this book dealt with. Breaking up with someone who is really nice and wonderful. How do you go about doing something like that? Zoe had a nice, long, stable relationship with Marcus, but Marcus began to not feel right for her. Zoe had to deal with the confusion of being in love and knowing what love really meant.
Her parents were going through a possible divorce, even though they claimed to have loved each other. Zoe's faith in lasting relationships faltered because of it. Her friends were also letting go of old relationships and allowing themselves a second chance of finding the one.
There wasn't cussing or all that other stuff a lot of YA books contain, but I though this was advantageous because most teens aren't rebellious and reckless. Realistic fiction should be realistic. I think that the majority of teens don't cuss every other word. This was a pretty realistic book.
Hope you guys enjoy it if you do decide to read it! :) I really like the cover! The bright pretty colors against the white are very uplifting. Spring in the mid of fall/winter. It's pretty dreary out here.
Rating: 1 2 3 3.5 4 5
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Quitter
About: Interesting song. It is rockish which is why I like it. I like pretty much all types of music except for screamo or really slow songs. It does have bad words in it. So yeah. But not too many, so it's okay. I think a lot of ppl said that it reminded them of Anthrax? Some band.
Video:
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Award!
-Rules For The Award-
1. accept the award
2.post on your blog with the name and link of the blog that nominated you
3. Pass it on to 15 newly discovered blogs and tell 'em that they were chosen!
My list:
1. Anastasia Hopcus
2. Blacksnow from Area 51.1 (somehow I doubt he'll participate)
3. Paradox from Paradoxical
4. Kelli from OMG!Books
5. Eli from The Tainted Poet
6. Danni from Romantic Harbor
7. The YA Book Geek
....and I can't think of any recently discovered blogs... :( hehe
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Slob
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Quitter
About: This is from their album Coaster. They look old and greasy. This is why I'm so into Asian pop. Everyone looks really young and very SHUAI. <3>
Video: (just the song) It is in ENGLISH. Listen and then leave me a comment. :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
I Hope
Language: Korean
About: Ft Island members are really cute and in their teens. Despite their youth, they have really good vocals. Very powerful. I love them. I love Hongki, the main one, when his hair is a normal color, but seunghyun, the guy in the white hat, is really cute all the time. ^.^ So the song is called I Hope and it is about how even though the girl breaks up with him, he will always only think of her. Or something like that. According to somebody else cuz I'm not Korean so Idk. Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Korean mv's are in front of a jury at some contest? :)
I Hope:
Here is another song called Sarangalhee (i think) They show a lot of vocal power in this one.
Comment Please ---
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Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Contest Alert
Prize: Pretty much any book you want.
Where: Click HERE please. Not hard right. The odds are in your favor.
Ends the 20th of november. Hurry up ppl. Ugh. I hate being sick.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Contest ALERT part 2
13 Little Blue Envelopes
Summary: Inside 13 blue envelopes, Ginny finds a ticket to Europe and extreme adventure, but she's not that type of girl. The kind who will do things on an impulse or step out of her comfort zone. Still, wouldn't you go if you could?
Review: I STRONGLY DISLIKE the cover! The girl on the front of it looks nothing like how Ginny was described! Ok that was my opinion on that.
The book would've been much more fun if a random person had given her the envelopes, but it was her crazy Aunt instead. Oh well. It was still really good. The plot line flowed. One event lead straight to another. It wasn't like it was all random even though she did and went to a lot of weird places and things.
Everything made sense. The characters weren't extremely deep. Ginny seemed like nice enough of a person, but it's not like she was a character you can really relate too. The guy she meets in London was pretty normal. Nothing, other than he writes plays, really stood out. It wasn't like I was in love with him like other characters. I liked Richard more than him. But what appealed was that they were all really normal. Instead of making some unrealistic blah, it was real. It could really happen, even though some of it might be slightly far-fetched, but with a crazy Aunt like Peg, I'm sure that it could happen.
The writing was smooth. There wasn't that much imagery. I could have used a little more description about the characters and some of the places she visited, but it wasn't bad. At least the author didn't like inundate me imagery. I'd say everything about this book was pretty much average.
What made it special, was the traveling and also the fact that it had humor. I felt that it was funny, ironic and interesting throughout the book. It didn't have slow or rough parts.
The ending was really realistic. That's what would happen in real life and I'm glad that the author ended it like that and not all wishy-washy. I guess I'd say you should read it, but there really are a lot of better books out there and there just might not be enough time to get around to the slightly above average. :)
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Monday, October 19, 2009
~song~
Language: Japanese
Artist: DBSK aka TVXQ
About: Wow. You HAVE to listen to it. It is beutiful, heartbreaking and melodious, if that's a word. The vocals are actually beautifully executed even though this band is actually Korean, they are singing in Japanese. I like it A LOT. The title means "Why Did I Fall For You?" The vid will tell you the rest of the story. :) The only problem is WHY do they insists one dying their hair such CRAZY colors!? They look so much cuter with black or natural brown hair. GAH!!! Whatever. They still sing good, but I think the actor is hotter than the singers. :)
Video:
Friday, October 16, 2009
Catching FIre
Author: Suzanne Collins
Favorite Character: Cinna - I don' think it is possible for a guy stylist to be so down to earth. Love him. Wish he was developed a littlefurther. Before...
Summary: Katniss Everdeen made it through the Hunger Games, but she wasn't prepared for the rage of the Capitol. They felt undignified by Katniss' last stunt to preserve herself at the Hunger Games and they would never let a citizen go unpunished. Especially if that citizen was the face of an ensuing rebellion even if that's not something she planned.
Review: Is it possible that it was even better than the first one? I absolutely loved it and I hope to have the next one in my hands soon! This book was filled with the suspense and all the cool drama of the first one. I thought it was really good, but I'm not so sure if I really do like it better than the first one. It is a little like the Twilight series, which I liked. Twilight was the best book, and here, maybe The Hunger Games was the best too? This is sorta why I waited so long to review it. And I don't know the answer, but I still loved this book! Gah. What do you guys think?
What I liked about this one was that it delve an intsy bit deeper into the whole Peeta/Gale complex that Katniss and most of her fans, like me, has had from the start. It wasn't a lot, but just enough to keep up that angle of the story alive.
But do you know what my favorite part of Catching Fire is? It is the size of the book. I love hardcover books and Catching Fire is just the right size. It isn't too big or too small. It's not intimidating like Eragon or skeptical like Animal Farm. It is appealing. Great marketing strategy.
I read this book a while ago now, so I think this review is a little bland. Sorry. It still a good book and if you haven't read the series at all then start it because it is one of the best ever. I haven't read the other series Suzanne Collins wrote and I'm a little eh about doing so, but she has great writing. Maybe I'll try them. Later.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Waiting On Wednesday 10
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Song
Band: Big Bang
Favorite Member: G-dragon or T.O.P. Can't decide.
About: This song is really good! The mv is just a little weird, especially when those two (G. Dragon and T.O.P. are up in each others faces since they are so close). It looks like they are gonna kiss for a bit there. Lol.
Video:
The eyeliner is a little over the top. They are pretty good though. 0.0
Monday, October 12, 2009
Animal Farm
Favorite Character: Boxer-who wouldn't love such a hard-working and naive and wonderful horse who does his best and more in everything. My heart practically broke when he actually died.
Summary; Animals on Manor Farm are sick of toiling the earth for the sole benefit humans. They overthrow Mr. Jones and set out to rule themselves. Things get sticky with their new leaders though.
Review: 155 pages long and it is on the AP list. That is pretty short for even a normal book. I loved the story and it is definately deserving of its place in the academic world.
I'm suppossed to be doing a book report on it (grr), but I wanted to review it first.
Anyway, George Orwell is a recognized author in amazing literary and thought-provoking works. You should probably also read 1984 which I should probably read too. My friend thought it was great, so yeah.
Animal Farm is written in third person omniscient, I think, which means that the entire tone is neutral and objective. There really seems to be an extremely little amount of bias. It has a few pictures which were pretty nice since it gave me a break to think about what I read over.
The animal hierarchy works like a government does. The book compared the situation in the story with Communism in the world which was especially active at that time period. Even though it was written to make readers dislike Communism, it wasn't really a pushy sort of sermon. As I said, it wasn't bias, but it seemed to clearly point out the facts. I'm not sure if I'm making sense now.
Just read it. It'll take you like two hours at the max and you'll have made yourself 155 pages more intelligent in social issues. Maybe. I'm not guaranteeing that. :)
Rated: 5 of 5
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Contest Alert 3
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fever 1793
Summary: Follow the story of Matilda, a young girl living in Philadelphia when it is ravaged by the lethal Yellow Fever.
Review: I can't believe that I just read it. It was short and it was good.
I really like historical fiction and I completely felt that the author did an amazing job with her research. She had little quotes at the beginning of every chapter that offered a little insight into 1793's culture.
All the way from the beginning it was interesting. Matilda's story was primarily there to establish narration, but it wasn't really the main idea of the story. I would have liked it to have been a little longer, so that the story could be more developed and brought forth a little more.
I love her grandfather. He was an interesting old man and her mother was a typical widowed mother. The author did a great job in describing the mother's personality and how that related to her background.
If you haven't read this one yet, then please do. It is a worthwhile book because although it might not be YA-ish styled, it has an important historical significance. I wish this was on the AP list instead of horrible throw-them-across-your-room books, like Gulliver's Travels. Eck.
Rated: 4 of 5
By the way, I'm pretty sure that this here is the UK cover, which I like a whole lot better than the US one. Ick.