If I Could Fly (Finished)

       Fifteen-year-old Doris is the daughter of singers, a father who is a musician and a mother who is a singer.  Her parents have always spent more time performing in nightclubs than watching there own daughter. They  expect her to take care of herself while they take care of what they need to do first.  But after her mother goes to Puerto Rico and her father finds a girlfriend, Doris is more alone than ever. Doris turns to her best friends for help and guidance, Arturo and Yolanda, to discover that  they are both mixed up in their own problem and they are no help to her.  Doris finds peace in taking pigeons on her roof. She tires to make sense of friends, family, and how quickly life changes, she learns that, just like the pigeons, she will have to fly far distances before she finds out where she can make a home for herself and feel that she belongs.

      This book is about a girl trying to find her place in the world.  Through family struggles and friend drama, she loves her parents and her friends. When her dad gets a new girlfriend she is not happy, and is not open arms to this new addition in the family.  Doris really gets a feel for what a typical mother is like. When she spends more time with her dads girlfriend. I did not like the characters of the parents and their behavior.  They were selfish, putting career goals and personal desires before the needs of their daughter.  

      Doris, works hard to find her own place in the world, whether it is on the roof with the pigeons. Doris learns to become more confident in herself over the course of the book, just as many teenagers gain confidence as they begin to have more and more independence. 


People who enjoy stories of family and friendship would like If I Could Fly. 

MockingJay (week 6)

  
         Katnss, Gale, and Boggs get dropped off along with armymen and a camera crew. As the venture through the bo,bed district with corpses spread across streets, they go there to meet with Commander Paylor. As she guides them into the huge hospitol where all the victims who are injured from the bombing are held. Most if not all recognize Katniss and shes like medicine to them, just seeing her makes them feel better. As they regroup outside Boggs gets a warning that an attack is coming for district 8 but they arnt sure why yet, the Capitol couldnt have known Katniss is there. As they start to fleet the first wave of bombers come, Haymitch and Plutarch infrom them of a warehouse they can take shelter with, but also hide because they cant let them know Katniss is there. They relize the bombing is going straight for the hospitol. Katniss and Gale come up with a Plan to help defend the Hopsitol. As they move to a seperate warehouse hey meet Paylor who also is trying to defend the hospitol. All though they are going damage they cant stop the bombs from falling, most of the people are dead. Gale has to pull Katniss away and accept they couldnt help any longer. They soon learn President Snow tried to teach the revolutionaries with this action. The camera crew got everything on film. Katniss is furious and seeks revenge.

I thought this chapter was the most intense chapter yet, also my favorite. 9/10

Today is January 28, 2013. This week on Between the Lines, all of our posts will focus on CHARACTER. You will answer the following questions in your entry this week:

• Who is the main character in your book?
• Choose 2 adjectives to describe this character.
• HOW & WHY is each character CHARACTERIZED by each adjective.
• Quote a line from your reading this week you believe shows the adjective. Remember, this blog is a public forum, so you need to cite the page number.
• Finally, make a PREDICTION about what might happen to this character as the book goes on.

Ruined, By: Paula Morris (week 2)

          I really enjoyed this book! You just have that feeling inside you that there is something up with this town. This is a great mystery book and it keeps you wondering.
                Rebecca Brown was sent to New Orleans by her father to live with a family friend. Her name was Clauida and she has a daughter named Aureila. Rebecca has never met them before, but she became good friends with them. Rebecca and Aureila were off to school at the Temple Mead. Rebecca was very nervous to go to school. She was also nervous for Aureila because Rebecca doesn't really know her that well. At the school everyone looked the same and was very friendly. The girls that Rebecca was talked to were very rich. There fathers were in a krewe which is a private club. The krewe's throw balls around mardi gra. There ae two classes of people the plebs and the patricians. The Patricians were the people that were talking to Rebecca at school, they were normal people.The plebs were annoying people who thought they were better than everyone. School got very confusing for Rebecca, she felt like she was in a maze. The girls that talked to her at lunch made no effort to help her. Rebecca ending up finding her own way around the school. Rebecca was in her house one night after school and saw the Helena in the cemetery. Helena was a annoying girl that thought she was better than everyone. Rebecca wanted to go and spy on Helena and her friends. They were bringing beer in the cemetery and Rebecca knew something was up.
              Why would Rebecca want to go spy on them? Did they have something to do with the picture that she lost? I would recomend this books to young adults who like mysterys. I rate this book a 6/10.

Gone By: Michael Grant

Last week I read the book Gone by Michael Grant.  I really enjoyed reading this book.  It is filled with action and suspense!  Once you start reading, you can't put it down!
In history class one normal morning, Sam Temple is shocked to see that his teacher disappeared out of thin air. He soon finds out that all of the teachers are gone-and even the upper class men.  Everybody under the age of 14 has seemed to diapered.  At first, Sam finds this exciting! He could finally do what he wants.  But as the weeks go on, life is becoming to get harder and harder.  Food is running out. Little children become scared and get harder to take care of. Everyone begins to panic.
In the heat of the moment, Sam realizes he could do spectacular things. He could move things will his mind!  But he's not the only one.  Other children have special powers too.  He has no idea how this happened or how to get the adults back but he is determined to find a way how and save his town from total ciaos and destruction!
This book was great. I didn't want to put it down.  There were many twists and turns that made me kept reading.  The other Michael Grant sure knows how to draw in a reader!  I would defiantly recommend this book.  It is suspenseful, full of action, and surprises you all throughout the book. 
I rate this book a 9.5/10

Point Blank (almost done!)

      I have gotten to page 155 and it just keeps getting better and better. Alex has been living in the "school" for about a week now and things are really weird here. All of the students with an exception of one act "the same but different" according to what Alex thinks of things. All of the students are bad and were sent here for that reason, but now for some reason they obey all of the rules and abide to all of the regulations and boundaries. Alex is spooked because of this abnormality. He tries to explore the school and discover more about what is happening. He discovers that his best friend at the school has changed and is acting differently. He is acting like the rest of the students and Alex realizes that something is going on. What does Alex discover? What will he do next? What will M16 or the people who run this school say or do? Will Alex discover important information? I guess we'll find out.

You Have Seven Messages (week 3)

      Luna has been becoming very close with Oliver lately. Oliver is the boy that Luna has been crushing on for a very long time, but never had the courage to talk to him. Oliver has been helping Luna find more out about her moms death. They have developed a special relationship over the past couple of weeks. This was until Luna found out about how strict Oliver's dad really is.
     Oliver's dad wanted him to focus on school and play the cello with no distractions. When he found out that Oliver had been spending a lot of time with Luna he was not very happy. He signed Oliver up for a cello recital where he had to learn new and more advanced music in a short period of time. Because of this, Oliver can no longer see Luna for the time being. I was very shocked at this because Luna and Oliver had become so close I thought that he would try to choose her over the cello.
      Luna is heart broken. She finally got close to Oliver and now she can't see him anymore.
      Will Luna still continue to find more things out about her moms death without Oliver by her side? I will have to read more to find out!

I rate this book a 10/10

When Darkness Falls; The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3 (Week 6)

Cilarnen has needed a source of power, and it seemed there was no hope. But this week, he managed to tap into the ancient land-wards of the Elves and communicate with an Elemental being. Surprisingly, it agreed to lend him it's power, giving him the energy he needs to cast spells that will help battle the Demons. I think it will be interesting to find out what he will do with this new source of power.

I am enjoying this book very much. I don't have as much time to read as I would like, but I'm slowly making my way through it. Although the first two books were good (although were boring in some parts), this one is better than both of them because there is more action going on and more twists and turns in the story. I recommend this book and series to anyone who likes fantasy.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

                          The book Truancy by Isamu Fukui takes place in a totalitarian city. This means that the city abides by strict rules and tries to control every aspect of it. A boy named Tack and Suzie, his sister, unfortunately have to live in this world. They have everyday challenges to face, but these challenges are not what one would usually expect. They have to be silent and obedient all day, especially in school. If Tack and Suzie are even caught whispering, they will be expelled. I like how the author uses these harsh punishments to show how extreme this situation is. This evil society would not have have been possible without the mayor. The mayor must be one of the most evil, heartless people alive. He is so mean that he fired someone for asking a simple question. Now, will Tack and Suzie catch on to the mayor's evil-doings or will be too late? Read the book to find out.
                           So far, this book is very interesting but confusing. It seems like the mayor is hiding something BIG. I don't quite know what it is since I have not read that much of it yet, but I think it has to do with how the society runs and operates. All in all, this book is not bad. Hopefully, the plot will continue to thicken, author will elaborate on the situation so it makes more sense. I recommend it to anyone who likes complicated plots and extreme societies.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

          I have just started reading this book and I am only on the prologue. This book became a major motion picture in 2011. I haven't seen the movie, but it is a really good book so far.
          The book starts of with a narrator, but the narrator isn't revealed yet. Who is the narrator? The narrator and some other people are at a circus watching the performances. At that moment, a guy out of nowhere comes in and tells the narrator that a lot is at stake if he isn't careful. The narrator's name is Jacob.
          So far Jacob has interacted with a woman that had no name yet. The woman is referred to as "her" or "she".
He watches her as she grabs a stake and jams it through a man that is yelling at her. In the end of this prologue, it ended up being a whole memory that happened seventy years ago. He has kept this whole murdering a secret for that long. Why would he do that? Will he ever tell anybody the truth or will he live with the secret the rest of his life?
          For the small amount of this book I have read, I think this book is really good. I rate this book a 9.5/10 so far.

Bloomability By: Sharon Creech

 Will Dinnie enjoy her stay with her Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max?
       Domenica Santolina Doone,( or as she likes to be called, Dinnie) has been moving around her whole life. Dinnie, her sister and her brother are all used to staying in a school for around six months then leaving to go to another.
      Her dad is a truck driver and it is very hard for him to have one steady job for a long period of time. He always says that there is better opportunities out there for him and his family to take When, in reality, he is just saying that because he doesn't like his job anymore. Dinnie's family has moved about eight times, all different states, all new schools. But, Dinnie and her siblings are all used to moving schools, so they can adapt pretty easily.
      But, this time when they are about to move again, Dinnie's mom and dad decide that it would be better if she stayed with her aunt and uncle. Dinnie doesn't know why her parents are just sending her off like that. She is wondering if her parents are punishing her for something that she did. Or that her parents think that this is better for her to stay with her aunt and uncle. I will have to continue to read to find out how Dinnie enjoys her new life with her aunt and uncle.

                                                                                I RATE THIS BOOK 8/10

New Book!- Scrawl

This week I am starteing a new book called Scrawl by Mark Shulman. Im hoping this book will be better than The Book Thief, which it probaly will be. Here a short summary of the book from Amazon.com.

Tod Munn is a bully. He’s tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad.

 Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor. He doesn’t know why he’s there, but she does. Tod’s punishment: to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest. But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for real?

This book seems really intriguing and intresting! I can't wait to start it!

The Throne of FIre by Rick Riordan (Week 1)

This week in The Throne of Fire things go bad already for Carter, Sadie, Jaz, and Walt.  Immediatly after they take the scroll from the statue everythings comes to life in the Egyptian exibit. The scroll bursts into flames and gets stuck on Sadie's hand. But the flames do not hurt. A griffin comes to life and attack the group. But that is not the only problem. Some mysterious flame figures known as the Seven Arrows of Sekhmet. The arrow figures fly around the museum knocking out party guests from the wedding inside the museum. Walt gets hit by one and his eyes turn white and becomes unconsious. Jaz heals him with some magic but drains most of her energy. Carter tries to control the griffin because they are both followers of Horus, the new king god. Now to stop the seven arrows Jaz has to sacrifice herself to get ride of them. Before Jaz collapses she gives Sadie a wax statue of Carter and says that Sadie will need it soon. She enters a coma but saves everyone. Carter controls the griffin and ties a rope around the griffins neck. Walt, who is a charm maker, uses his boat charm and ties the rope to the boat. Carter, Sadie, Jaz, and Walt all escape with the scroll and return safely to their safehouse. Sadie gets the scroll removed by her friend Bass who it the cat goddess.
This is where I ended. I think this book has already started out fantastic and already full of action. But for what cost? I just learned about Jaz a chapter before and now she might already die? Also the little statue Jaz gave Sadie; I wonder what this will reveal.

If I Could Fly (Week One)

         I just started the book If I Could Fly by Judith Ortiz Cofer it's very interesting. Doris has a normal life, but one morning she goes into the kitchen and finds her mother gone. Her dad won't answer any questions about what happen last night...like he's trying to avoid the subject. Doris' family has been having some problems before, but it never went this far. She didn't think it was heading in the way where her parents where going to split apart. That's all I have read so far, but I want to read more. This book has a good grasp to it.

Rate 8/10

Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz (Week 1)

          I've just started reading Eagle Strike by New York Times best seller, Anthony Horowitz. This is the fourth book in Alex Rider series. First thing I really liked so far(the first chapter, or so) is that it gives you tons of background information. Like I said, this is the fourth book and I read the first 3 several years ago. So I forgot all of the content. In many series, you would have to read the earlier books to understand the later books. But, in this book they give you plenty of background knowledge so you can further understand the book. Another thing that I really like is the voice that the author uses. He uses very precise adjectives that sound just right in their sentences.

          In this book, the author spent no time hesitating and getting into the action. Right off the bat, an assassin named Yassen Gregorovich shows up in Alex's vacation. Yassen is also the man who has tried several times to kill Alex. Alex followed Yassen and heard him say something about the address being confirmed and that it will happen later that night. Alex decided that it wasn't his business and he continued to enjoy his vacation. But, at the end of the chapter, Alex and his friend, Sabina, went back to their vacation home when they saw that it was on fire. Alex had surely thought this was another Yassen attempt to kill him. I think that this first chapter has some foreshadowing. It seems obvious that someone is trying to kill him and it was also obvious that Yassen must have been involved. But, when Alex's killers soon find out that he is not dead, then what will happen? I really enjoyed this first chapter.

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson (FINISHED)

                              In James Patterson's novel Kiss the Girls, Alex Cross and John Sampson are working very hard in order to find the victims kidnapped by Casanova and the Gentlemen Caller, the antagonists. While investigating this case, the detectives find a clue that leads them to believe that the enemies are working together. This makes their jobs a lot harder. I like how the author makes a bigger antagonist by doing this.
                             Cross and Sampson have made some progress with the case even though the evil tag-team has made the case more difficult. They recently rescued a kidnapped women. Her name was Kate Mctiernan. At first, Mctiernan was so emotionally and physically scarred that she would not speak at all, but as the weeks went by, she started to return to her normal self. Now, Mctiernan can speak and is willing to tell Cross about what she experienced when she was kidnapped. The information that Cross recieved helped him figure out a lot of missing pieces of the case. In fact, Cross has enough information to find the kidnappers and arrest them. The scene for the final battle is set. Will Cross and Sampson save the day once again or will lose their lives at the hands of Casanova and the Gentleman Caller? Read the book to find out.
                             I could not put this book down. It was so good! I loved how Patterson added suspenseful events at the end of each chapter. For example, Cross and Sampson find the Casanova's hideout at the end of one of the chapters. The curiosity and suspense that was created by this event forced me to keep reading. All in all, I am very pleased with this book. I would give it five stars, I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries and good books in general.

You Have Seven Messages (week 2) By: Stewart Lewis

      In this section of the reading, things started to get very interesting. The boy Luna has been obsessing over has finally started to talk to her, and she has started to find more and more about her mothers death.

      From listening to each of the messages, Luna has found out who her mother was with when she died and her relationship with that person. 

      In the process of Luna figuring out her mother's death, her dad finds out she has been visiting her old studio. Because of this, he decides to put it up for sale.

      I am very curious to know what else Luna may find out about her moms death. I am starting to question the fact that her mom is actually dead. Some things in the book make me think she is still alive.  I can't wait to keep reading to find out!

I rate this book a 10/10

Crossed By: Ally Condie

    I have almost finished the book Crossed by Ally Condie.  I started off really enjoying this book, but I feel like it keeps dragging on and on.
    The book started out with Cassia adventuring out to find her true love Ky.  Eventually, Cassia and Ky find each other in The Carving beyond the Outer Provinces. Their plan is to find out more about the rising with the society.  The society has been controlling them for years and people are finally standing up for their independence. However, I feel as if every chapter is the same thing.  The book is getting boring and I am tired of reading the same thing over and over again.
    Even though the book is staring to drag on, I still would like to know what is going to happen in the end of the book.  What will happen between Ky and Cassia?  Will people rebel against the society?  What is going to happen between Cassia and her real match Xander?
I rate this book a 5/10

MokingJay (week 5)

This week Katniss recieves a new bow that responds to her voice, giving her a big advantage in battle. Katniss, Haymitch, and other revolutionaries are preparing to start the revolution. Haymitch suggests to film Katniss fighting for the commercials to try to fire up and have people join the revolution. To do this Coin says she should go to district 8 where there is fighting going on but its not all that dangerous. A close friend of Coin named Boggs is assisting Katniss to district 8. They also meet up with Gale, and Plutarch. As they arrive, Plutarch gives Katniss a small pill of poison. He tells her that all revolutionaries have them incase they get captured they are able to commit suicide. Will any of Katniss' close ones have to take the pill? Will the commercial be a sucsess? I am anxious to find out.
    I really enjoyed this section of the book, I would rate it an 8/10

Ruined, By: Paula Morris (week 1)

 

               In 1853 yellow fever raged in New Orleans. Boats on the Mississippi were placed under quarantine and all the cargo was left to rot. At night mass burials would take place, graveyards were full of rotting piles of corpses. The coffins are sealed after a year and a day of rotting. The night before the coffins were sealed two men snuck into the graveyards and put a body in a coffin without anyone knowing. The coffins were sealed the next day and only those two men knew the body was there.

              Rebecca Brown arrived in New Orleans. She had never heard of New Orleans until hurricane Katrina hit. It was one of the most deadliest and destructive hurricanes in American history. Many people died and homes were destroyed because the houses were built a long time ago so they were not very strong. New Orleans still seemed like the city in ruins. Rebecca went to New Orleans a month before thanksgiving to live with a family friend that she has only meet once in her life. The family friend's name is Claudia and she has a daughter named Aurelia. They live in a house that is called a shotgun house. The reasoning is the house as one big hallway that all the rooms lead off of. Rebecca went to her room and was showing Aurelia pictures of her home and family. There was a picture very important to Rebecca and it was gone. Rebecca thinks her father took the picture because she didn't think it could just fall out of her wallet. Rebecca was confused because she didn't understand why her dad would take the picture that reminded her of home and her family.

         Why did her father take the picture? Was it even her dad that took the picture? I would recommend this to teens who like mystery's. I would rate this book a 7/10.  

              

You Have Seven Messages

        The book You have seven messages by Stewart Lewis is about a girl named Luna. Im not that far into the book but so far i'm really liking it. Luna has had a rough past because her mother died and her dad was always out of town since he's a film director.
       Her mother died when she got hit by a New Your taxi in the East Village. Luna was at summer camp when her father came to tell her the news of her mothers passing.Luna found the keys to her mothers studio and she went there. She found her mothers phone and the charger. On her phone there were seven unread messages. Was their something her mother was hiding? Is the reason she died the real reason she died?
    I rate this book a 10/10 because I REALLY like this book!

Lost by Jacqueline Davies (finished)

          Lost by Jacqueline Davies was a very interesting book. It dealt with growing up problems and very complex issues. I thought that it showed what it was like for Essie growing up very well.
          This book was based on the early 1900's. Essie is a sixteen year-old girl who never has time for anything. She is either working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory or helping her widowed mom who has three children and can't take care of her little siblings all on her own. At her job she meets Harriet Abbott. Is she lost? As they begin to become friends, Essie starts to wonder what secrets Harriet is hiding. Essie is lost between the love for a richer boy and her mother. She thinks that her mother is determined to take away all of her joy. Essie and Harriet grow as people but so does the questions of the book. Who is lost? Who will be found?
          This book was told in two parts which I thought was a great way to build up the drama. Having the book written like this made the two dramatic parts stand out more. Like, what happened to Essie's little sister, Zelda, and the big fire that killed many little, innocent girls. They were mostly immigrants new to America. What happens to Essie's little sister, Zelda?
          I liked this book because of all the things mentioned in the early 1900's. I recommend this book to anybody who likes reading about historical fiction and who are interested and curious of what life was like in  New York City during this time. I rate this book a 10/10.

Dancergirl (week 3)

        In this section of my reading, Alicia finally made up with Jacy. The author really made me think of what happened to Jacy and why he was acting this way. Jacy really showed Alicia that he is a true friend when she finds herself in some trouble.
        Alicia now seems to be the big "internet sensation", but then her world comes crashing down when  something goes terribly wrong. Alicia thought she could trust Charlie, but Charlie took control of her and invaded her privacy. A leaked video of Alicia went online of her dancing alone in her room. Apparently Charlie put a small camera that peaks into her bedroom window. Fortunately, Jacy comes to support Alicia and they are now going to be getting back at Charlie.
      In my opinion, it was very terrible and disrespectful of Charlie to do that to Alicia. He had no right. Now, Alicia does not know where her online "career" stands. She feels betrayed and upset.
      Read Dancergirl and find out where Alicia's dancing career stands! So far, I rate this book and 8/10.

Alex Rider Point Blank By Anthony Horowitz

      I am on page 95 now and the incident involving Michael J. Roscoe is starting to come into play right now. Michael J. Roscoe had problems with his kid and so did several other very rich figures. So they all sent their kids to this school called point blank. All of the rich fathers ended up dying in accidents. It could just be a coincidence, however M16 would disagree with you. So they send Alex to live with a fake rich family for a week so that he could pretend to be they're child and learn more about the family. After that he is supposed to head over to Point Blank and investigate the situation. The academy comes to pick him up via helicopter but first stops off in Paris to refuel, but he stays there for the night. Is there anything going on at the academy? Why does Alex stay overnight in Paris to refuel? read this epic book to find out more details and what will happen next!

Someone Like You By: Sarah Dessen (week two)

   In this section of the book, Scarlett and Halley have to go to Michael's funeral. Scarlett isn't very happy about this because she doesn't want to be constantly reminded of the accident.
   But, also Scarlett's mom isn't helping at all. Her mom, Marion, is a big alcoholic and doesn't pay much attention to Scarlett. She usually just leaves Scarlett home alone and doesn't really watch out for her.
   At the funeral, when Scarlett is already unhappy, Michael's ex-girlfriend comes to the funeral balling her eyes out. She was sobbing and Scarlett, Michael's girlfriend, wasn't even shedding a tear. All of the attention was on Elizabeth. Everyone was caring for her and the only one that was there for Scarlett was Halley.
    I am still not very far in this book, but I love it. The way the author describes the characters feelings is very good. But I am still left wondering after these few chapters if the girls' year will turn around for the better. I will have to continue to read to find out.

                I RATE THIS BOOK 9/10

Joker One (Week Two)

        I Continued reading Joker one after the long break and it starts to get a bit more intense. Joke one gets into a firefight with terrorists, but no one returned fire which made Campbell angry at his men. He says to his men "What the hell is wrong with you. We're Marines-we kill people who attack us. Why on earth would you not shoot?" Dotson replied to Campbell "Uh,sir, we didn't fire back because the guys were surrounded by a crowd of little kids,sir, maybe twenty, they were all around. The guys, they were just holding up their AKs in the middle of the kids and firing them wildly our way. Without a scope,sir, I was worried that if I fired, I would hit the little kids." Later on in the chapter, Joker gets into a firefight with terrorists and fires back, but no one was shot. After that the team encountered an incredibly large Iraqi known as "Mr. Iraq" who was a champion bodybuilder. Their first kill was a celebrity. Mr Iraq had PE-4 (a military grade explosive), dynamite sticks, and blasting caps which joker was later informed were live. I will continue reading this book its fun and entertaining.  

Week 4

After questioning Venia ( one of katniss's former helpers) Katniss learns that 3 prep team members get captured and imprisoned after stealing food from district 13. She demands Coin to free them imediatly and she listens but they are very ill so they rush them to Katniss's mom who is practically a doctor and helps them recover. Katniss and the rest of destrict 13 are required to go to a dstrict meeting held by Coin. She announces that Katniss will be their figurehead, the Mockingjay, and explains the terms Katniss requested. She adds a catch though, saying that if Katniss disobeys the rebels' orders, the whole deal will be off. Will Katniss have to go and do what the rebels say, even if agaisnt her morals to save and protect the ones she loves? I thought this was an exciting part of the book. 7/10

Alex Rider Point Blank By Anthony Horowitz

       So Far I have gotten to page 50 and some questions are being resolved, although even more questions are being brought up. Alex is back to adventuring and with his adventuring always comes thrilling scenes, fast-paced chapters leaving you wanting to read more and more, on and on. I left you early in the book on page 16 but now I am back and I have done some reading... There is this drug dealer that sells drugs to kids at Alex's school so Alex pursues him. He follows him all the way to the river Thames. There is a boat there and that is where him and his "business" partner live and operate (Their drug factory). There is a construction site right near where the boat is docked so Alex decides to take control and use the crane from the construction site to take the boat and plop it down in front of the nearby police station. Unfortunately he gets busted and they shut off the crane before it gets to the police station. The crane cant handle the weight so the boat falls on top of the community center. Alex gets off the hook because of his special status with M16. What does this have to do with the rest of the book? What is the point of this? Will we ever refer to this again later on in the book? I will keep you informed as I continue.

Lost by Jacqueline Davies

     I have just started reading this book today and not that far. The first couple pages are really interesting and it was really hard to put the book down. Essie's mother has given birth five times with the help of Mrs. Pelz. There is Essie, Saulie, Daniel, Miriam, and now a fifth child. Daniel and Miriam were two years apart, both born and buried on the same day of their birth. Essie's father died eight months. He did not get to see his fifth child. There is still more to come. Haven't read that much, but I have a feeling that Essie is going to have some family issues to deal with. What will happen? 

Wish You Were Died

       The book "Wish you Were Dead" by Todd Strasser is about people who disappear when Str-S-D blog wish they were died. Lucy Cunningham was last seen by Madison Archer when she dropped her off one night after a party. Then she disappears that night. Two more popular people disappears when there name is mentioned on Str-S-D's blog. Madison is now starting to receive messages waring her to be careful. 
        Who's Str-S-D? Will Madison ever find out? This book was a very interesting one to read!
 I give it a 9/10

You Have Seven Messages By: Stewart Lewis

     I am about 30 pages into the book You Have Seven Messages and so far it is really good! Malia is 14 years old, but she is not like most teenagers. She lives with her brother, Tile, her dad and her driver. Malia's dad isn't usually around because he is a movie director, so he is always on the go. Malia doesn't like the attention she gets from her dad, but she knows she will just have to deal with it.
     When Malia was at camp, her dad unexpectedly showed up. He had terrible news. Malia's mom had passes away. Her father said she got hit by a car, but no one really knows for sure all of the details.
      Malias mom was a model and a writer. She had her own studio just down the street from their apartment. Malia found the keys to her studio and went to look around. While she was looking around the studio, She comes across her moms phone, and 7 unread messages. Hesitantly she starts to read the messages one by one.
       What will these messages reveal? Is there something Malia and her family don't know about her death? I can't wait to read more to find out!
                            I rate this book a 9/10

Girl Stolen By: April Henry

I finished the book Girl Stolen by, April Henry. Cheyenne was born with a very serious problem, she is blind. Cheyenne had came down with phneumonia and need to get medicine to help her get better. Her stepmom went to the store to get the medicine and Cheyenne stayed in the car so she wouldn't have to walk through the whole parking lot. It was winter and very cold outside so Cheyenne got her mom to leave the keys in the car incase she got cold. Cheyenne heard someone get in the car but didn't think it could be her stepmom Danielle. It turns out he car was being stolen by a guy named Griffen. Cheyenne was not in an shape to be trying to escape a kidnapper while being sick. I was wondering what could a blind girl do to escape? Cheyenne tryed to escape out the bathroom window but before Cheyenne could get far enough Griffen found her. Cheyenne and Griffen have a  father daughter bond. Griffen helps her get over her sickness and was going to help her escape.There is another man with Griffen that does not want Griffen to help her so they escape without him knowing. The only way to escape is to run through the cold forest, but Cheyenne can't run because she is blind so they weren't moving at a fast enough pace. Cheyenne gets really weak in the forest because it is so cold and she is very sick. Will Cheyenne make it home? Will Cheyenne survive these harsh conditions? The author is very good with suspense. I liked the ending it was a real page turner. I recomend this to teens who like mystery books. I would rate this book a 7/10.

Crossed By: Ally Condie (Revised Article)

     I have gotten further and further in my the book Crossed by Ally Condie. I have really enjoyed this book so far! It is suspenseful and full of action! Whenever I start reading it is hard to put it down.
    The first few chapters of the book shows me what kind of person Cassia is. Cassia is daring, determined, and head strong.  She refuses to give up her search for her true love Ky.  Even though Cassia is thousands of miles away from Ky, she is committed to do whatever it takes to find him.
     When Ky was younger, he was labeled an aberration.  Aberrations are lower class than everyone else and are treated differently.  When Ky turned seventeen he found out that if he could be matched, he would be matched with Cassia.  Ky always had feeling for Cassia, so he was determined to get to her know her more.  However, before he gets to know her, Ky was sent to the outer Provinces to work for the society.  The book reveals who Ky really is-determined, brave, and powerful.
Will Cassia and Ky find each other?  Will Cassia and Ky stand up to the society?  
     I love this book so far.  It is filled with action-packed drama that makes the book hard to put down.  I would rate this book a 6/10.
I recommend this book if:

• You enjoy action
• You enjoy romance 
• You are in your mid-teens
• if you enjoy mystery books

Someone Like You By: Sarah Dessen

     Could Halley's summer get any worse? Will She enjoy her junior year? In the book, Someone Like You, Halley's summer up to her junior year, hasn't been so enjoyable.
     Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for as long as they both can remember. They always have the best times together and really enjoy each other's company. But, this summer is a little different. Halley's mom is forcing Halley to go to Camp Believe, which was a camp for teens that helps them escape the stress of their normal day to day lives. So, Halley going to this camp means that she won't be able to spend that much time with Scarlett.
     This camp isn't the only thing that is making this summer not so enjoyable. Scarlett's boyfriend, and Halley's friend, Michael Sherwood, gets in a horrible motorcycle accident and dies on impact. This puts both girls in severe shock.
     Will the girls' summer/year take a turn for the worse? Or will it turn around and become more enjoyable. I will have to keep on reading to find out.

            I RATE THIS BOOK 9/10

Dancergirl (week 2)

     In this section of my reading, Alicia has become even more popular with her passion to dance. Her friend Charlie has been filming her more and more, such as at parties and concerts. The videos have been posted online and got as many as 5,000 views! The students at Alicia's school now refer to her as "Dancergirl". Even some of the students ask for her autograph; she's gained so much popularity now. But Alicia doesn't even know if she likes it. Alicia is not the type of person to be the center of attention, so therefore all this popularity is new to her. It made me wonder why Alicia did not enjoy all of the attention.
    Also, as I said in my last post, there is something very weird about her best friend of ten years, Jacy. Now, Alicia hasn't seen or heard Jacy in a whole ten days! No one has. And this all really made me think of what Jacy could be hiding or doing behind Alicia's back. It turns out Jacy's father wasn't too happy his son was attending a public school, and forced him to transfer to a private school. I wonder why. Is there something his family is hiding? Or is there something Jacy is doing wrong?
    When Alicia finally got to visit Jacy, he basically wanted an end to their friendship, since he will now be going to a whole new school.
    This all really made me question what is up with Jacy? Why is he acting like this?
   

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

          I just started reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Stephen Chbosky, the auhor, wrote this book in a way that makes this book impossble to put down. The book is written as a series of diary entries.
          Charlie is a freshman in high school who has dealt with the death of his best friend. After his best friend commit suicide he had to face his first year of high school alone. While trying to find friends he gets mixed up with a group of people who pressure him to do things he doesn't want to do. Along with going to high school he deals with family secrets that are being unlocked.
         I really like reading this book. This book consists of the daily life of Charlie along with his thoughts, ideas, and problems.

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson

                Alex Cross is back in Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. This homocide detective and his partner, John Sampson, have been given a new case, and this case is a tough one. Two pychopaths in opposite parts of the U.S. have been kidnapping beautiful women, abusing them, and sometimes killing them. I like how the author sets up this situation.
                Now, Cross and Sampson must find out how to stop not one but two people before it is too late. This puts the duo in a tough situation. Not only do they have to figure out the killers' patterns, but they have to figure out how to be in two places at once. I think these stuggles and obstacles make the story interesting and more enjoyable to read. Will Cross catch the killers or will he lose his own life in the process? Read the book to find out.
                There are many things that I like about this book so far. My favorite aspect of this book is that the author goes back and forth between the protagonists and the antagonists. What I mean by this is that Patterson will share Cross's point of view and then switch to the killers' points of view. This helps me fully understand both sides of the story.
                

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (Week 1)

Even though I am 16 pages into the book, it starts with exciting with foreshadowing to the plot. The protagonists, named Carter and Sadie, tell the story alternating chapters. Some minor characters are named Jaz and Walt. Carter and Sadie are brother and sister and are descendents of famous Egyptian magicians. They have found about there true lives and now train other kids in their own training house. Jaz and Walt came to train with Sadie and Carter seven months ago and now they all are good friends. The giant snake Apophis is going to break out of his chamber that he has been locked up in for centuries. Now the world is at the threat of ending.The book starts out a couple months after the first book ended (The Red Pyramid). Carter, Sadie, Jaz, and Walt are trying to break into a museum to remove a statue. So far I have not learned what the statue does and how it will save the world. They have a problem though. There is a wedding going on in the museum and all the exhibits are getting moved tommorow. So for the four characters its now or never. They sneak in through a side window and reach the exhibit. But there's always a problem. I ended where they reach the statue and find out there's a scroll inside. When picks up the scroll the building starts to shake. How will this book end? Whats going to happen next? Will someone have to be sacrificed?
I suggest that anyone that likes mythology with a twist that is in the world we know today, READ THIS BOOK!

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

          Greek gods and goddesses. Mythical creatures and horrific monsters. Prohpecies and ancient weapons. These are just some of the words that capture the overall feel of Rick Riordan's The Titan's Curse. Rick Riordan, a New York Times bestseller, really keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in this epic 3rd book of the 5-Part Percy Jackson seller.
          Percy is a young boy just longing to find his place in this world. He was always an outsider. He didn't quite fit in. He himself does not even know who he really is. He has always had dyslexia, he could for some reason read Greek, he had ADHD from a very young age. However, all of these traits prove to be worth something when Percy finds out he is a demigod and son of the Great God of Sea, Poseidon. His dyslexia was a result of his eagerness to read Greek instead of modern languages. And his ADHD was a result of his eagernes to do hand in hand combat. These were all characteristics that of a demigod.
          After several years, Percy has settled in to Camp Half-Blood. He has made many new friends(his bestfriend being Annabeth) and has also slain many creatures and succeeded in several quests. However, when Annabeth is held prisoner as well as the Hunter Goddess, Artemis, the prophecy forbids Percy from going on the quest. What will Percy do? Will the prophecy hold true? Find out in The Titan's Curse.
          Rick Riordan--Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times Bestseller. He has a collection of award books and series that include: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus. He taught English and history at public and middle schools. During this time he recieved the prestigous Master Teacher Award.
Check out Rick Riordan and all of his books here- http://www.rickriordan.com/home.aspx
Read The Titan's Curse
-if you like Greek Mythology
-if you don't like Greek Mythology
-if you've already read the first two books and want MORE
-if you like a good book because THIS IS A GREAT BOOK

           The story introduces a group of girls: Alison DiLaurentis, the perfect yet manipulative queen bee, Aria Montgomery, an independent girl. Emily Fields, a swimmer who holds secret feelings for Alison. Hanna Marin, a shy, overweight girl who strives to be thin and popular like Alison. And Spencer Hastings, an overachiever who is brave enough to stand up against Alison's manipulative ways. The girls always follow in Alison foot steps and whatever she does. They have secerts with her that nobody else knows.
            Alison mysteriously disappears during a sleepover with the girls in the summer before 8th grade. Girls have no idea what happen to her and when this all occured. They become major suppsects in the missing of Alison.
            Throughout the story, the girls get messages threatening to reveal their secrets of the present and past, including a terrifying incident the girls refer to as "The Jenna Thing". They automatically believe it is their missing friend, Alison, because she is the only one each of them confided in regarding their darkest secrets. However, they are shocked when the police find her body buried in the backyard of her former house. The book ends with the liars receiving a text at Alison's funeral saying, "Im still here bitches and I know everything. - "A"
           I enjoyed this book very much. It kept me in the whole time and I found it very interseting that this is happenign to the girls. People who like mystery, adventure, and spooky novles would love this book. The next book is coming soon. But think about this....who is A. What does A want from the girls. Why those girls. Why is Alison dead....


Characrers: Aria, Emily, Alison ,Spencer ,Hanna



Rate 8/10

When Darkness Falls: The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3 (Week 4)

 When Darkness Falls has had many small twists and events so far, and I'm not even that much far into the book. I am wondering what this is all building up to, and I can't wait to find out.

This week, Kellen has had to learn to take leadership in unexpected situations. He has had decisions lie on his shoulders that wouldn't have gone to him before. I have questions about what will happen in the future; will Kellen be successful in his decisions and then making his way up the leading chain? What will the army have to do to combat the the growing threat of the Demons? I hope I find out soon.

The Obsidian Trilogy is a good series full of mythical concepts including different creatures and many kinds of magic. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books that have entire worlds of magic.

I rate this book 8/10 so far.

MockingJay (week 3)

 In chapter 3, Katniss wakes up and is worried about Peeta, she is going to ask to help Peeta as well as permission for her and Gale to hunt again. Katniss wants to become the mokingjay but in order to do so she will need to fordge an agreement infront of many people so later on no one can deny it. The revolutionarys come to an agreement but another thing she askes for is permission to kill Princess Snow. They agree but at a last moment to try and have reassess the situation but she is gone. Will she kill Princess Snow?

I rate this book a 7/10 so far

Camp By: Elaine Wolf (week 3)

       During this section of my reading I was very surprised by some of the actions of the characters in this book.
       As you have found out in my previous summaries, Rory does not like Amy. She doesn't treat Amy nicely, and she plans events that no camper would want to experience. Rory is classified as the snobby popular camper that girls follow around because they are scared of being on her bad side. Amy does not do that. She sticks with her best friend Erin. That is what Rory doesn't like.
       Today is visiting day. Amy's parents and charlie show up at camp to visit her. Many unexpected things happen during this visit. Rory sucks up to Amy's mom because she doesn't want Amy to tell her mom the terrible things she has been doing. This causes Amy's mom to love Rory, and want Amy to be friends with her.
       When Amy tries to tell her mom what Rory was doing and how mean she really is, her mom blames it on her. She continues to tell Amy that the reason Rory is mean to her is because she hasn't given her a chance. She also tells Amy that she is spending too much time with Erin and she needs to hangout more with Rory.
        When I was reading this section I was in awe. I did not expect Rory to behave this way to impress Amy's mom. Who knew someone so mean could put up such a great act. I can't wait to continue reading to find out what happens next!

                I rate this book a 9/10

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson (FINISHED)

                      In the book Along Came a Spider by James Patterson, Alex Cross is a homicide detective in Washington D.C. Cross and his partner, John Sampson, were a given a very tough case. Gary Soneji, a dangerous psychopath, kidnapped a girl, Marie Rose Dunne, and a boy, Micheal Goldberg. This case causes Cross and Sampson to take many risks. One of these risks includes Cross and Sampson jumping out of a plane and killing an accomplice in Orlando, Florida. These risks are what I enjoy most about this book. There are also many suspenseful moments with violent twists, but if I told you these moments I would be giving away the ending. Will Cross and Sampson rescue the stolen kids or will Soneji kill them before they get the chance? To find out these answers and more, READ THE BOOK! My favorite aspects of this book are the suspenseful moments that leave you on the edge of your seat and the changes the killer goes through later in the book. I would recommend tthis book to people who like murder mysteries and suspense.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Finished)

                                    

The book starts out with a boy named Carter who is one of the main characters. He is visiting his sister, Sadie, in London where his sister lives because his grandparents refuse to let Carter and his father visit. While visiting Carter and his sister visit a museum with their dad. There dad blows up the Rosetta Stone and releases five Egyptian gods. One god that gets released, Set, locks their dad up in a golden coffin. Carter and Sadie run away with their uncle to a safe house. There they learn all about their family and what is happening. Now Sadie and Carter have to save their dad, stop Set from taking over, and not get killed before a couple day deadline. Oh yeah and they're the most wanted magicians in the world. So nothings going their way. Can they do it all or must they sacrifice something? Find out in The Red Pyramid.

Guys Read:Thriller by Jon Scieszka (FINISHED)

                                I just finished the book Guys Read:Thriller by Jon Scieszka. My favorite story in this book was titled "Pudding." In this story, a boy named Dan goes to the carnival with his friends, Juan and Peeko. Juan and Peeko warned Dan not to eat the pudding the carnival was serving; however, Juan didn't listen because it was the first time he had been to a carnival. Suddenly, the pudding caused Dan to gain super powers as well as a bad case of indegestion. I thought this was a funny effect of eating the pudding. Now, the three friends must track down person who gave Dan the pudding before the carnival leaves town. Will Dan find out the secrets to his powers or will the carnival leave without him? Read the book to find out. My favorite parts of this story were places where Dan had to use its powers and the ending that kept me wanting more. I would recommend this story to people who like suspense and adventure.                                                                                                

Point Blank An Alex Rider Adventure

     I have only gotten to page 16 but it gave me the general introduction to the story. There is this rich man named Michael J. Roscoe. He has something to do with electronics and owns this tower/skyscraper in Manhattan. He knows Alan Blunt. He was on his way to having lunch with the senator. A man named "The Gentleman" killed him in an elevator shaft. He was paid to make it look like an accident. What does this have to do with Alex? Will Alex have to deal with this contract killer? Will he be called up by M16 again? I guess i will just have to keep reading to find out.

It’s just a small story really. * boring story

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman

    

      
   I just started reading the novel Dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman. Alicia Ruffino's passion is dance. Dance is her life. Most importantly, she is a perfectionist at it. But suddenly things take a turn when her best guy friend Jacy starts acting different toward her.
     Jacy and Alicia have been best friends since first grade and can tell each other everything. Suddenly it seems to Alicia that Jacy is hiding something from her. None of his friends know what it is and neither does she.
     When Alicia, Jacy, and a group of friends go to a concert, Alicia starts to dance. Her friend Charlie decides to take a video of her dancing and post it online. The video goes viral and gets numerous hits. Alicia decides that Charlie should take videos of her more often. But surprisingly, Jacy is not happy for her. He is careless. When Alicia decides to visit him and see what's wrong Jacy and his mother turn out to be very upset. Did a relative die? Did Jacy's dad lose his job? Were his parents fighting? No one knows. Alicia is on a mission to figure out what her best friend is hiding from her. No matter how bad or shocking this "secret" is, Alicia will find out.

The Titan's Curse (Week 5)

           Reading The Titan's Curse this week, I realized something very interesting. In the book, Percy (the protagonist) makes the decision to sneak away and follow his friends to a quest without being chosen to participate in the quest. His decision is also frowned upon because it would go against the prophecy that only four shall go on the quest. With there already being two hunters and two campers on the quest, Percy would make the odd number five. Percy ultimately makes this decision because Nico (whose sister is going on the quest) wants someone to look after his sister and make sure she is safe. The thing I realized is that Percy's leadership style is parallel to the president of The United States, Barack Obama. Barack Obama made the secretive decision to go after Osama Bin Laden. If the public had known his decision and planning, he most likely would have received criticism like: "He's already dead", "Why spend so much money on something you can't attain?" or "It's impossible to find him". But Obama was confident in his plan and he carried through. In the end, every thing he did, though in secrecy, was for the better of the people. And that is what Percy is trying to do for Nico and his sister.          

          There was also a serious sign of foreshadowing in this week's reading. While the 5 hunters and campers were battling some monsters, a giant boar saved them. When the giant boar came, Grover, whose mission in life is to find the nature god, Pan, felt a divine wind. He said it was an extraordinary gift from nature. He also said that for a split second, he had felt the mighty presence of Pan. Pan is supposed to be captured and it's a myth where he could possibly be. So possibly, this is foreshadowing of Grover finally finding his god.