Friday, November 27, 2015

Ink and Bone; The Great Library by Rachel Caine


  Image result for ink and bone the great library

Ink and Bone; The Great Library
Author: Rachel Caine
Lexile: None Yet
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Dystopia
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars


                 This is a world where the Library rules everything. You may think that is a good thing, but it is not. At all. They control what the people know, and what they aren't allowed to know. By using a powerful new technology called Alchemy, they can copy any book into their system effortlessly. Since the library has all of the knowledge, they have all of the power. Their empire stretches around the world, with members in almost every city.
                  Jess' dad is a rich man. Rich from selling real copies of books. The very books that the all-powerful library ABSOLUTELY forbids. So if anybody finds out about their family, they will be arrested. Jess likes reading the books that his family sells. His family sometimes say that he has ink in the blood. Which is why they send him to be one of the Libraries' assistants. To train there, but also to be his family's spy. As the challenges given by the library grow and grow, Jess wonders how long he can stay loyal to his family. And how long it will take before somebody finds out about him. He meets some amazing people, and one with an even bigger secret then his own. But will he uncover things about the library, or will he be loyal to them?
                   I LOVED this book! It was amazing! I think that it might be one of my favorite books. Yes, it is THAT good. It only came out this year, so the rest of the series isn't out yet. I am DYING for it! It was amazing! The author rewrote history in a way that wasn't necessary, but gave it a nice touch when you are reading it. For example, it mentions in the book that Alchemy was discovered in the 14 or 1500's. You didn't need to know that, but it is a nice to have a little backstory. The reason I gave this book 4.9 Stars though, was because of Jess' name. It is so common. Please, author, make it more interesting. It is a world where the library has taken over! Make it something cool from history. All of his other friends from his library training has interesting, and very nice names. I know I shouldn't be this nit-picky, but I just disliked that when I was reading it. Of course, I finished it in about a day, so I didn't have to struggle very long. :) I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up. No inappropriate parts, but it is complicated, and you need to be old enough to comprehend it. But you should SERIOUSLY try this book out in your free time. You won't regret it. TRUST ME.



Friday, November 20, 2015

Undertow by Michael Buckley


Undertow
Author: Michael Buckley
Lexile: 730
Length: 384 Pages
Genre: Fantasy/Dystopia
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Image result for undertow michael buckley series
Lyric Walker's world has just been turned upside down. The cause, fish people, otherwise known as the Alpha. A new species has come out of the ocean to meet the humans. They have started interacting with humans in Lyric's small hometown of Coney Island, NY, and almost nobody is pleased. The Alpha children have come to her school to integrate with the humans. Riots and protests against the Alpha are now very common, and almost the entire military has come to protect the 6 Alpha kids coming to her school. The streets of her small town are now abundant with criminals and gangs. Her town is like a different planet now. The U.S. is trying to make it work in the town, with few positive results. Lyric starts going to school with the Alpha, and after the new principal makes a shocking discovery about her, she is in serious trouble. She has been forced by the principal to befriend the Alpha prince, but it will be no easy task. Their culture is very different from her own, and the other kids at school shun her, except for her 2 best friends. But she is still forced to do it, otherwise, the principal will alert the authorities about her family, and everything and everyone she loves will be taken from her. But at the same time, she can't help but love the prince. And she ends up helping their culture from something much, much more dangerous than the Alpha could ever be.
I loved this book so much! It was a very creative idea by Michael Buckley, author of the N.E.R.D.S. series, and the Sisters Grimm series. It has never been thought of before, and I think Michael Buckley pulled it off well. Lyric seems like a very relatable character, despite the fact that she is popular, and her dad is a cop. She's like a regular kid with regular parents, sort of. But she does have a secret. A very important secret. And when she becomes real friends with the Alpha prince, it was all too perfect. At least lots of stuff went wrong because of it, which balanced it out. This book was slightly inappropriate, but not insanely so. I would not recommend this book to children who are not mature. Maybe around sixth grade and up? If you think you are fairly mature, you should really try this book out in your free time!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card


Image result for ender's game book

Ender's Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
Lexile:  780
Length: 357 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

                       Ender Wiggin is just one of three genius children. Not only that, but he is the youngest too. A third. Most parents only have 3 kids. So Ender is constantly mistreated by everyone. He has an older sister Valentine, and an oldest brother, Peter. He has had a monitor, that is what the government uses to watch them, since he was three. He is 6 years old now, but that doesn't change much. It is an incredibly long time to have a monitor in, and Peter is jealous of him. Peter is sweet and charming to the adults, but to Ender and Valentine, he is a monster. Then after a fight, Ender is sent to Battle School, the very thing the monitor was testing for. In Battle School, Ender is singled out immediately for being so brilliant, but it doesn't last long. He  makes some friends, but the commanders of Battle School had other plans for him. He joins one of the armies, Salamander Army. They are made up of kids, but none as young as Ender. He is hated there too. Finally, he is moved to his own army. Then rushed up to Command School. And what happens there will change Ender's life forever.
                        I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! I was reading it in school, and I just couldn't stop! Once you get started, you will just need to keep reading and reading and reading. It is a very complex book, and I believe it deserves more than a 780 lexile. There was hard vocabulary in it. I have a high lexile and there were couple words I didn't understand. There was a little bit of cussing in it, but nothing extremely profane. You should definitely try this book out in your free time!!!

Friday, November 6, 2015

Sophia's War by Avi


Sophia's War

Sophia's War
Author: Avi
Lexile: 730
Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars



                               Sophia is living in the Revolutionary War. And she is on the Patriot's side, living in occupied New York. Occupied by the British. Wearing a red ribbon everywhere so she will not be shot, she must be careful of who she talks to, and who she can trust. One phrase is running around in her mind, no one can trust anyone. And she feels it is true. Once she learns of the whereabouts of her brother William, who is fighting with the Patriots, life is meaningless. And the fact that her heart has been captured by a young BRITISH officer by the name of John Andre. With her heart betraying her, she has no idea what to do. Finally, she accepts an offer to become a spy for George Washington. And what she learns is shocking, but what is even more shocking is that she is the only person who can stop it. What will she do? Stand by and let the war go sideways? What does she have to lose?
                                I loved loved loved loved loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was soooooooooooooo amazing. And I personally think it deserves a higher lexile. It was written from a Patriot's side of view, in a time when it was most dangerous to be a Patriot. Not that it isn't bad now too. BOO deflatriot's!!! :) Anyway, this book was awesome! Just seeing how brave she was made me want to do something selfless. Imagine how scary, and how real the risk would've been back then! I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up. It was awesome! You should really try this book out in your free time! Or make time for it! Because it is that good!