Sleeping Freshman Never Lie - By David Lubar

Five Stars

This is possible my new favorite book. It's about a guy who reads! Reads, and reads, and reads, and if this weren't enough, he has an enormous vocabulary! I was challenged!

The characters are full, and the plot is a hilarious blend of classic high-school drama, and nonconformist fun.

I read it in one night.

Here's the thing. I like smart characters. I really, really do. And the main one fits the bill. I also like busy characters. Check again.

It follows Scott trying (and failing) to follow the girl he likes. But when he finally catches up to her, he's found that he loves someone else, not in a shallow way this time, but for real.

Happy ending! Who doesn't like those?
{If you don't, see previous review}

A Series Of Unfortunate Events; The Bad Begining - By Lemoney Snicket

Four Stars

It is certainly not a happy story, as it says in the front cover, on the back, at the beginning, around the middle, and close to the end. If you just must have that happy ending, don't read it.

Otherwise, get on with it. The vocabulary in the book is refreshingly full, and in each instance it explains the word's intended meaning in the sentence, for young readers and those who don't know the word.

The villains are delightfully evil, and truly everything seems to go wrong, until they save things in the nick of time. I expect similar themes for the next books.

It's the good characters with whom I have my only small complaint. They came off in some instances as ether rather dispassionate or mildly flat. Flat as in shallowly developed, could use more fleshing out.

Suite Scarlett - By Maureen Johnson

Three Stars

I don't like that they lie to there parents. If you like books where kids lie to there parents, this book's for you.

The characters are pleasant, for sure, but not singular.

Scarlett's voice was impersonal, and though I liked her on the surface, in the end, she mostly came across as one of those girls in books who thinks she's a writer even though she doesn't, actually, you know, write anything. I'm not asking for a book within a book, but some mention of her plot or characters would authenticate.

Not that parts of it didn't make me laugh, at the time. Sometimes Scarlett or her siblings where unexpectedly hilarious.

The setting is fun, right in the middle of a hotel in new york city, and the snippets for guidebooks give it a layer of truth, even though it's fiction.

Come to your own conclusion.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - By Carrie Ryan

I'm not going to rate it, because I didn't finish it.

It was not a bad book, really, but post apocalyptic, which was not made clear in the about I read.

Not that there's anything wrong with post apocalyptic. It's just not my flavor.

The book was dark and scary, so if that's what your looking for, go for it!

Jinx - By Meg Cabbot

Four Stars

The characters are interesting, and relatable. The magic is interestingly pressented, and the story is multi-facited. Also, unlike in many books, they get deeply into motivation.

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_HIGHLIGHT TO READ REVIEW_
- Jinx - Meg Cabbot -
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The book centers around a girl named Jean but nicknamed Jinx, who has to leave her home town in Ioah after a love spell she performed went vastly awry.

She goes to live with her aunt and uncle in New York City, where she has two little cousins, Alice and Teddy, and her cousin her age Torry.

But Torry has changed since they last saw each other, and now, among other things she is new obsessed with witchcraft.

And not the focusing the energy of the universe, religious-type witchcraft. She's trying to manipulate people.

Due to a long series of events, Tory viciously reveals Jean's past magical mistake, then blames Jean for hers, all at a school dance, in front of the whole school, the boy Jean accidentally manipulated, and the boy they both like(Zack), who Tory tried to manipulate.

Then, she tries to tries to get Jean's blood to drink to take her magic, but Zack saves her.

Bippaty boppaty boo. Happily ever after.

Who doesn't love a happy ending?

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- Jinx - Meg Cabbot -

Maximum Ride; Saving the World and Other Extreem Sports

Five Stars

This and my first review are going to stand for all the Maximum Ride books, because, really, I don't think I need to go on about it. If there is a book I don't like, I'll review it, and I'll say something about the last one, but that's it.

There are a few more things I have to say before I sign off, though. The first is;

Plot holes. Yup. I said what you think I said. There are plot holes. Not big ones. Not by any stretch of the imagination big ones, but they are there.

___Mild Spoiler___
-Won't Ruin the Plot-
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For instance:
In the first book, they don't explain how they get food to their house.
In the second book and the third book, they don't say how they get money for food.
There are more, but now you get what I'm saying, you'll see.

___Mild Spoiler___
-Won't Ruin the Plot-
__Highlight to see__

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_HIGHLIGHT TO SEE DETAIL_
-Maximum Ride Book 3-

I just have to say, and I know it's not enough to really put up a spoiler alert to put it here, but I just have to say; really, really, really sweet relationship between Fang and Max. Really, really sweet.

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_HIGHLIGHT TO SEE DETAIL_
-Maximum Ride Book 3-

Maximum Ride; The Angel Expiriment and School's out forever - By James Patterson

Five stars

Almost all of it is from Maximum Ride's point of view, and her busy mind is a fun place to be. Max is the leader of the flock, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel.

Fast-paced and well written, it combines several kinds of books. Mutants, saving the world, friendships, and the family relationship of a hodge-podge of kids.

The books aren't super short, but there fast to read, and definitely fun. A must read.

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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ REVIEW_
-Maximum Ride books one and two-
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Six genetically altered mutant children(They have wings); Max, Iggy, and Fang, all 14. Max is a girl. Nudge, 11, a girl. Gazzy, 8, a boy. And angel, 6. In the second book they have a talking dog called Total.

Basically, there on the run from the henchmen of the lab where they where made avian(Called the School). These henchmen are called Erasers, and are almost like werewolves, only they can chose when they transform. Max has super flying speed. Iggy, because of being blind, has excellent hearing and touch. Iggy and Gazzy have talent with explosives. Angel can read minds, speak with fish, breathe under water, and to a certain extent, control minds.

As if that isn't enough for anyone to deal with, the six(Or seven, in the second book) of them are on there own, fending for themselves in the wild and trying to lay low.

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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ REVIEW_
-Maximum Ride books one and two-

The Pretty One - By Cheryl Klam

Three Stars

It's a nice book, very realistic, and written fairly well. The small cast and true characters make it real, and the pace keeps you reading. The balancing act the main character has to figure out between beauty and personality, and which attracts people to her, and what makes them keep talking to her, is interesting.

Fun book.

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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ REVIEW_
-The Pretty One - Cheryl Klam-.

The story centers around a girl of less than average looks and a very pretty sister just a year older than she is.

It a freak accident, her face gets destroyed, and she has to have plastic surgery.

She ends up, well, pretty. This is what she's always wanted, but it doesn't go exactly how she hoped. Her best friend says that he has to be her boyfriend or nothing, her sister turns on her when she finds out they both like the same guy, and that guy seems to like her sister, even though he cast her as the lead in his play.

The underlying tone being; A pretty face catches the eye, but weather or not it works out is down to personality.

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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ REVIEW_
-The Pretty One - Cheryl Klam-

East - By Edith Pattou

Four Stars

It rang of beauty and the beast; the bear man and the girl, and a carefully balanced curse, but it was presented in a very creative way. The second half of the book was utterly origional, a complex, fascinating work of fantasy.

She creates her own world, drawing on real life, but spinning her projection of reality into a marvelous fantasy realm.

One thing I loved was that they where friends before she even knew he was human. Also the balance of importance with names; her mother naming them after the directions in which they where born, and her not even knowing Charles's name until the very end.

Highly recommended.


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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ REVIEW_
-East - Edith Pattou-
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Set in Norway in a slightly alternate universe.

A family with a superstitious mother. She is obsessed with birth direction, the direction your mother was facing when you where born. She decides to have seven children: One fore every point of the compass except North. She believes north borns to be rash, wild, adventurous, violent, everything she doesn't want in her children.

It goes well. She has a child for every point of the compass. And then her east daughter dies. So she has another daughter, another East.

Only, Rose isn't east, as she was supposed to be. She was north. So, her mother lied. Said she was east, and tried to fit her into the mold of her east sister who had died. She was a bit wild, though. Always wandering off.

When she was a child, a white bear saved her from drowning, and it comes back when her south sister is ailing, saying that if Rose went with him, he would help there family out of poverty and save her sister.

Her father says no, her mother says yes.

Rose finds out she's not East, but north, and, hurt, she goes with the bear. She travels for a long time on his back to a castle in a mountain. It is nice there, and even though the bear can barely talk, they become friends.

She goes for a month to visit her family.

When she comes back, curiosity gets the better of her, and she uses a strange candle her mother gave her to see who the being she's noticed at night is.

The second she finds out, the castle disappears. It was a man, one who during the day was a white bear.

He says that he's being taken off to be 'her' husband forever, because she saw him, and so his curse was not broken.

This starts her wild, powerful adventure, and his forgetful one.

One thing I loved was that they where friends before she even knew he was human. Also the balance of importance with names; her mother naming them after the directions in which they where born, and her not even knowing Charles's name until the very end.

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_HIGHLIGHT TEXT TO READ_
-East - Edith Pattou-
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