LitPick/Flamingnet Book Reviews Blog

A new student review of Element 238 - The Search for Truth - Episode One by J.H. Soeder

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:17:00 PDT

Zmbarrickman posted a new student review of Element 238 - The Search for Truth - Episode One by J.H. Soeder. See the full review.

I think Element 238 is one of the best books I ever read. It is a good story that keeps you on the edge of your seat because of the emotional tension.

A new student review of Guardians

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:28:00 PDT

EmilyFredricks posted a new student review of Guardians . See the full review.

I thought that this book was very well written and it wasn't like anything that I have read before. It kept me guessing about what would come next. Many of the things that happened surprised me. There were some parts of it that were a little boring because it was a lot of text without much happening it was just explaining things. Also I LOVED the characters. My favorite was Azalea; she is a great character and very relatable. I find it very good when there is a character that is relatable. Over all I loved this book. It was a book that I could read again and again and not get bored with it.

A new student review of Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:13:00 PDT

R. Mae posted a new student review of Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences . See the full review.

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences was a unique cliché. First of all, the actual base idea of aliens invading earth and controlling everyone with their minds is cliché. The storyline was also cliché, and so was most of the humor. Although the aliens were little green guys, they were one of the things not cliché. How they were mostly human like was very interesting and I felt like I was reading a history book by the way they ‘colonized’ the earth. I did not like the writing style. It sped up and slowed down and was very inconsistent.

The Plot: It’s been done before, escaping alien slavers and joining a rebellion force. That has been done a lot.

The Characters: They were original. They were realistic, even though I found Jesse annoying, and interesting. They took alien invasion rather well, especially Jesse. He seemed not at all fazed. Their humor, as I mentioned above, was annoying. In the act of trying to be witty the book seemed more obnoxious. The aliens were better. They were funny in their own way, and they bordered on delightful. That was one of the unique parts, the aliens not being total monsters or oblivious.

The Standout: I don’t like it when the standout is negative, but this one was. I did not like the jerky way this book was worded. Some people may enjoy that, but it’s not for me. It was done in a way that is jumped from thought to thought, and the descriptions were so overused that it was depressing. There were great things about this book., but the wording just ruined it for me.

A new student review of Ballpark Mysteries #6: The Wrigley Riddle (Stepping Stone) by David A. Kelly

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:24:00 PDT

carsonlindauer posted a new student review of Ballpark Mysteries #6: The Wrigley Riddle (Stepping Stone) by David A. Kelly. See the full review.

I like this story mecause it is mysterious. I like how the kids try to trick the thief so they can catch them. I think other kids that like mysterues would enjoy this book a lot . It is easy to read! I give it an 8 out of 10.

A new student review of Dead River

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:14:00 PDT

heavenlyangel posted a new student review of Dead River . See the full review.

I found the book was hard to read because it talked about seeing and talking to dead people, which is something you can't do in real life. I have read other books from this author and loved them, but I found myself having to force myself to finish reading this book.

A new student review of The S-Word

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:00:00 PDT

dancechicka posted a new student review of The S-Word . See the full review.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be….riveting. Heartbreaking. Astonishing. This book was so gritty, so daring, so direct that I felt the emotions in the story--really felt them—like a knife twisting in my heart. I felt the pain and the guilt and the wariness that Angie experienced as she searched for Lizzie’s “killer.” I felt the dreams and the goal shatter as Lizzie took her own life. I felt everything. This novel portrays the powers that rumors and bullying has to destroy entire lives. It has such darkness, such in-your-face reality that makes you realize that a version of this story happened. People do go through this. Lives are taken. Dreams are ripped to shreds. Even though you could definitely tell this was Pitcher’s first novel, I was really impressed with the way she dealt with this real world problem. There were some parts of the story that I wished Pitcher would dive into with more detail (like Lizzie’s father) and also felt like she didn’t follow up on some parts of the novel at the end. This is a dark and chilling whodunit novel that I believe all readers will enjoy.

“So I stood there, mouth open, lips trying to form the word: Why? Why hadn’t she called? Why wasn’t she sorry?”

I would recommend his book to mature readers or for ages fourteen and up for obviously mature content, sexual references, and profanity.

As Angie sinks into the dark side of Verity High, as she slowly uncovers the secrets that hide the true reason behind Lizzie’s death, will she be able to reveal Lizzie’s tormentor—even if she can’t see it herself? You’ll have to read Chelsea Pitcher’s The S-Word to find out!

A new student review of Sliding Beneath the Surface by Doug Dillon

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:51:00 PDT

blu6 posted a new student review of Sliding Beneath the Surface by Doug Dillon. See the full review.

I really liked this book. The suspense, mystery, adventure, and even some history all add up to make an awesome book. It kept me reading until the end. A few times I got a little confused though because what they were talking about wasn't in the book. Overall this was a good book.

A new student review of All About Daisy by O'Dell Hutchison

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:18:00 PDT

admin posted a new student review of All About Daisy by O'Dell Hutchison. See the full review.

Giveaway

A new student review of Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:00 PDT

Raphael posted a new student review of Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl . See the full review.

Giveaway

A new student review of Off Side by M. G. Higgins

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:56:00 PDT

Phoebe posted a new student review of Off Side by M. G. Higgins. See the full review.

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A new student review of Small as an Elephant

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:57:00 PDT

Christian Reader posted a new student review of Small as an Elephant . See the full review.

This is an excellent novel. The plot is fast-paced and the story is gripping - I had a hard time putting down this book!

The characters are life-like and believable. Jack, while being a child, seems more mature than his mother. He understands what is acceptable in society, and also comprehends that when his mother goes off the deep end, he has a chance of being separated from her by the authorities. He understands the implications of bad actions; he strives to always be good, and to help his mother with her mental problems. He can’t completely control his mother, however, and she does get a little loopy at times. This is the first time that she has left Jack anywhere, but he understands that it’s up to him to get back home and find his mother, before she says or does something stupid and gets them separated for good. Jack has been separated from his mother before; the government found out about his mother taking him out of school for no reason at all, and other not-quite-normal things she’d done with him regarding school and care-taking. When that happened, Jack was taken away from his mother and sent him to the only other family he had - his loving grandmother. While Jack is eventually returned to his mother, it's clear that there's a huge rift between his mother and grandmother.

It is because of all this that Jack is my favorite character - he understands that one must deal with what one is given. He is mature for his age, and he figures out very interesting ways of staying alive while he’s on his own. His mother and grandmother, likewise, are very believable and life-like; their actions, while not always justified and good, were understandable and something I’d expect a real person to do.

The setting is excellent. The author makes the state of Maine (along with some other various states in the USA) come to life; having never visited there myself, after reading this novel, I feel like I’ve been on vacation there for a week. While descriptive, the author is not very wordy - he states what needs to be stated in an clear, clean, and concise way.

Overall, this is a fun and heartfelt story and an emotional journey with a young boy who only wants to find his mother, but is afraid of letting anyone know he’s alone. This is a book I will cherish and keep in my collection for a long, long time.

A new student review of The Assault by Brian Falkner

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:08:00 PDT

JesusFreak posted a new student review of The Assault by Brian Falkner. See the full review.

This book was okay. It wasn't awesome and it wasn't horrible. There was action, but there was so much description that I got bored easily. I found it cool, though, how there was an index in the back so that if you didn't know what a word meant you could just look at the back of the book. The characters were well formed, but the book just didn't interest me that much. I like apocalyptic stories, and this had a good idea, it just wasn't executed well.

A new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:14:00 PDT

engineerphilip18 posted a new student review of The Geneva Project - Truth . See the full review.

This book is very well-written. It’s very gripping and a fast book. The short chapters should encourage reluctant readers to keep going. Also, the intriguing beginning made me want to find out more. The characters were well-developed, especially Geneva and Jemma. When you read the book, you really empathize with Geneva and want to help her. I didn’t like the romance side of it, however. It seemed like an adventurous book and the romance took away from the feel of the book. I loved the cliffhangers! They wanted me to keep reading and not put the book away. I recommend this book to anybody who wants a fast-paced, adventurous book that will keep them thinking!

A new student review of Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:59:00 PDT

seaotter77 posted a new student review of Butterfly . See the full review.

I found the writing style in Butterfly to be incomprehensible and annoying at times. I could barely understand what Sonya Hartnett was writing half the time. The words and sentence structure made no sense whatsoever, and there was no interesting plot at all! I found it extremely challenging to get through the book, as it was not only confusing, but also boring, and if I could, I would give this book no stars at all. The novel was even depressing at times; all Plum ever did was worry about herself, and constant worry does not make for a good read. I would never recommend this book to anyone, but if someone would want to read it, I would suggest ages 14 and up: the writing style is advanced and there is some mature content.

A new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:11:00 PDT

Tester4 posted a new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray. See the full review.

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dfdsThe Houston Rockets were on a West Coast swing at the time. Their coach, the former Celtics star Kevin McHale, had more than a passing curiosity in Lin, and perhaps even a twinge of regret.

“I was fascinated like everybody else,” McHale said.

Two months earlier, for 12 days in December 2011, a still-obscure Lin had been a member of the Rockets. But he had a minimum contract and thus a maximum chance of not surviving a lockout-shortened training camp.

“Everything he did was full-bore,” McHale said. “I thought he’d be a great energy guy on our team.”

Before this season, Lin returned to the Rockets as a free agent with a better-known name and a three-year, $25.1 million contract that the Knicks declined to match. He also faced impossible expectations among Houston fans and a challenge that seems to confront artists more often than athletes.

A new student review of Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Natalie Pope Boyce Mary Pope Osborne

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:36:00 PDT

Tester5 posted a new student review of Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Natalie Pope Boyce Mary Pope Osborne. See the full review.

The Houston Rockets were on a West Coast swing at the time. Their coach, the former Celtics star Kevin McHale, had more than a passing curiosity in Lin, and perhaps even a twinge of regret.

“I was fascinated like everybody else,” McHale said.

“Everything he did was full-bore,” McHale said. “I thought he’d be a great energy guy on our team.”

A new student review of The Grimalkin's Secret

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:34:00 PDT

McTower posted a new student review of The Grimalkin's Secret . See the full review.

This is a very magical and gripping book. If you like magic, dragons and a good Adventure or Mystery, this is the book for you. Including lots of magic, with an unexpected twist, readers of all ages will love this. This story is not only about Kya and her friends battling the Symbari, but also about true friendship, and paintings linked to missing people. This book is sure to leave readers not wanting to put it down.

A new student review of Dead Strange by Matt Lamy

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:09:00 PDT

Christian Reader posted a new student review of Dead Strange by Matt Lamy. See the full review.

In this book, Matt Lamy attempts to explain 50 of the world’s most famous mysteries. This book includes information about the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, zombies, voodoo dolls and magic, alien encounters, UFO sightings, real-life Men in Black, alchemy, Amityville, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Bible Code. For each topic there are black and white photos and around two pages of facts about that particular mystery.

While this book does state the main facts about these mysteries, there are not enough facts given. For me to give this book a five star rating would mean that this book had little to no problems. This book only has one problem, yes. But it’s a large enough issue that I do not feel I can justify giving this book a five star review. The only problem this book has is a large one - there are not enough facts given to prove or disprove each mystery. Yes, the main facts are given, and the author doesn’t try to state whether or not each mystery really happened - he simply suggests whether or not he personally thinks it might have happened, and at times states he’s not sure if it happened. That part is good - it allows the reader to make up his or her mind about whether or not to believe these mysteries. However, the author does not give enough information about each mystery for me to truly state whether or not I agree. With some mysteries, the author simply states suggestions, and doesn’t really state fact or truth. And considering that the cover states that this book contains “the bizarre truths behind 50 world-famous mysteries”, it’s disappointing. I was hoping the book would live up to its high standards, but alas, it did not.

This book is informative but not informative enough. It is easy to read, and simple to understand. However, not enough fact or truth is given for me to justify giving this book a five star review.

A new student review of My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book One)

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:56:00 PDT

sthom506 posted a new student review of My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book One) . See the full review.

My Ex from Hell is a hilarious take on Greek mythology that borders on cheesy. The main character, Sophie, is witty and entertaining, and has two very realistic and interesting cohorts with whom she can witty-banter the day away. This book was different - the characters seemed realistic in their actions, yet the story had a good dose of mythology at the same time. I enjoyed this book, and it made me laugh quite a bit.

A new student review of The Litigators by John Grisham

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:33:00 PDT

George posted a new student review of The Litigators by John Grisham. See the full review.

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A new student review of Regine's Book: a teen girl's last words by Regine Stokke

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:21:00 PDT

Kennick7 posted a new student review of Regine's Book: a teen girl's last words by Regine Stokke. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book. Her story really touched my heart. There was never a time that i wanted to put the book down, a real page turner. I felt like I was in the hospital with her, I could feel the anticipation for the test results, I could feel Regine's pain! I can just imagine what all of the family is going through, what that family had to do now. Although there was a slight bit of swearing, I felt that it was appropriate for what was happening. This was one of the best biographies that I have ever read. To tell you the truth, I have thought of most biographies as boring, but Regine's Story kept me guessing and hoping about what was going to happen next. From parts that made me cry, to parts that made me laugh, this book was over all, GREAT!

A new student review of Girl The Reaper

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:04:00 PDT

EmilyFredricks posted a new student review of Girl The Reaper . See the full review.

I thought that this book was very interesting and was able to keep my interest. But it wasn't a book that made me want to just sit down and read until it was done. Some parts of this book got a little boring but the overall book was interesting.

A new student review of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:41:00 PDT

dancechicka posted a new student review of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. See the full review.

This novel was amazing. Rowell has shaped an entirely new and groundbreaking novel that has taken a normal romance and bent it into such a totally messed-up and random love story that it makes Romeo and Juliet seem like amateurs. And, wouldn’t you know, it worked. While this story was raw and brutally honest, it had a poetic feel to it, it flowed from one line to the next. I felt a connection to each of the characters and truly felt like I was there in the story. I felt the sadness and the pain and the hurt that accompanies young love and its consequences. This book was such an emotional and gripping story that made me bawl and gasp and smile…….it just had the whole package. Sometimes I felt a little bored with the plot and the whole star-crossed lover’s storyline. Just let me speak to all the romance lovers out there—this was not your average love story, and I really believe that you’ll enjoy this book.

“Eleanor could swear she heard five hearts racing. Every one of them was stifling a sob. Crying inside out.”

I would recommend this book for ages fifteen and up, or for very mature readers, because this book did have extreme profanity and sexual references.

So, will the couple that never had a chance make their own destiny, or will they be influenced and let the world break them apart? There is only one way to find out—the choice is yours.

A new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:16:00 PDT

Sally posted a new student review of Who Is AC? by Hope Larson. See the full review.

Worst Game: Not a whole lot of horrible games on this schedule, but I'm gonna go with the game against the Dolphins for my pick. (The Bills would be a reasonable choice, too.) Unlike a lot of people, I think Miami will disappoint in 2013 and, also unlike a lot of people, I don't think the Ravens are nearly as bad off as people want to act like. $$ testing

A new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray

noreply@blogger.com (LitPick/Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews Blog) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:10:00 PDT

mattstudent_101 posted a new student review of Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray. See the full review.

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