Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever

This is the fast-paced, action-packed sequel to the outstanding bestseller, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. This book covers the flock, a group of six kids, Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel, who have been genetically enhanced by people referred to as the white-coats, at a laboratory in California, that the flock calls... the school. Oh yeah, I forgot one tiny little detail! They have WINGS! Yep, they can FLY!!!

Oh, I forgot one more thing... they are on a mission to save the world.

This story starts with the flock heading off to try and find their parents. On their way they fly into flying erasers!!! (Erasers are half human, half wolf -and now part avian- creatures who where also made by the school and their biggest goal is... to rid of the flock by whatever means necessary.) So a battle rages on in the sky until the Erasers eventually retreat and fly away. Max makes sure no one is hurt and no one appears to be injured, so they continue their way through the sky. After a while Max realizes that Fang has been flying awkwardly and goes to investigate. Upon reaching Fang, she sees his arm drenched in blood.

She gasps and says, " Your arm!" And all Fang can say back is, "S'not my arm," before he starts to lose altitude fast... really fast.

Will Fang be OK? What is with the flying Erasers? Will they ever find their parents? And the biggest question of all... Will they be able to save the world?

I love this book! It is one of my all time favorites! I love the action, the surprise, and the entire plot (except for one part- people who know me know exactly what that part is. Although it does make the story more interesting). I love this book and give it a perfrct score. But since this is my favorite book series of all time I give it the highest rank possible! So it is not a ten on a scale from one to ten it is higher!

Wicked: Book One Witch

Holly Cather's world shatters when she finds herself in a rafting accident. Her parents are dead and so is her best friend Tina. Somehow she is the only one to survive, but she doesn't understand how. She felt herself drowning yet after a plethora of odd dreams she wakes up in a hospital very much alive. Whom she finds there is someone she has never met: her Aunt Marie-Claire. Her new found aunt decides that Holly should come live with her in Seattle. Holly herself isn't so sure. Even though her aunt is there for her Holly decides to stay in San Francisco with her best friend's mother. After a terrible accident though she is forced to move to Seattle with her aunt. It seems Holly's life can't get any worse, that is until she gets to Seattle. On top of everything she is devastated to realize her aunt is cheating on her Uncle Richard with Michael Deveraux. He is the father of Jer. A boy Holly finds herself strangely attracted to. She doesn't understand; she has never met this boy before and yet she feels like she has known him her entire life. For Holly this is just the beginning of a terrible secret involving a family feud between the Cathers and the Deverauxs dating back for centuries. Does Michael Deveraux have a secret plan to hurt her aunt? Will Holly have the strength to carry on and save the people she holds dear or will she fall into the arms of Jer Deveraux?

This was a WONDERFUL book with enough action to keep everyone on the edge of their seat! I would rate it a 8.5 on my list from 1-10 and although it was hard to get through the beginning I was sure glad I did! This is the first book in the Wicked series by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie.

Ranger's Apprentice: Icebound Land

For a time, through the beginning, before chapter two, you find yourself with Will, an apprentice ranger for those who don't know, and Evanlyn on a wolf- ship caught in the middle of a sea with a massive storm flying at them at full speed. At the same time Halt, Will's master, is chasing a general of Morgarath, who they had just defeated, and his one hundred and one free-lance duplicates. After being caught up in the storm for so long the wolf-ship finally drags its way into the safety of a staging point harbor. Halt far across half a sea decides to take his chance to rescue Will so he commites a dead against his king and is banished for a period of one year, on his way to the port Horace, Will's best friend and a battle school apprentice, manages to join Halt on his journey in Celtica to Skandia where Will was taken to be a slave after being captured in the war against Morgarath. The story mainly centers on Will and Evanlyn in the beginning half and Halt and Horace through out the book in their journey to Skandia and the fights and adventures they had there. I liked the adventure that Halt and Horace took part in to reach Skandia to find Will and rescue him. I would rate this book at a 8 1/2 on a scale of one to ten. The end of the book does have a mild cliffhanger, thankfully you don't have to wait because the next book is out. (Next Post Down)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia

You start off in this book with Will, an apprentice ranger, and Evanlyn in a Skandian cabin in the Northern mountains of Skandia after Will and Evanlyn escape a harsh life of slavery. The book follows Will, Evanlyn, Halt, Will's master, Horace ,an apprentice form the battle school, and other smaller characters in their own perspectives of their time in Skandia. When a foreign army from the South the Araluens and the Skandians must come together to ward off the enemy so that not only Skandia but all the countries in the region will stay independent of a foreign rule. As the foreign army marches towards the capitol of Skandia they encounter attacks from not only land but from sea too; all thanks to Halt's careful planning. Everyone helps out from Halt's planning to Horace's protection to Evanlyn's spying and ideas to Will's forming of a smaller archer unit. Everyone's help is need if everyone wants to stay free of a foreign oppressor. On a scale of one to ten I would rate this book at an eight. I loved the tactics but thought that some of the parts in the book seemed to run a little dry.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

In this book, there are four main characters, Julie, Ray, Barry, and Helen. They did something last summer that they are not proud of, and in a desperate try to keep their horrid secret hidden, they make a pact that said they could never tell anyone of what had happened that night.

About a year later Julie receives two letters. One is an acceptance to Smith College! She is very happy because she wants to be able to leave where she lives, in order to forget about the tragic event that occurred, not far from her home. In all of the excitement, her mother had forgotten to give Julie her second letter. So she gives it to Julie right before she leaves to school. As Julie examines the envelope she realizes that there is no return address. How strange... Then she opens the letter and in bold print is the sentence:

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

Could someone really know? How had their secret not stayed hidden? What will happen to them if someone does know?

I absolutely adored this book! It was so full of suspense and mystery! It is a very well put together story. It is really cool how she wrote the book too, because you see the story through... I am pretty sure- everyone's point of view! I would give it about a 9.8 on a scale from one to ten!

Everlost

Allie doesn't survive the car accident and neither does Nick, but their souls don't exactly get where they were supposed to go. Instead, they end up in Everlost, a place that is stuck between the living world and death. In Everlost they see the living world and everyone in it, but they can't be apart of it. If they try they may sink to the center of the Earth!

You join Nick and Allie on this world wind adventure where they first try to become alive again, but then once they realize their destiny is set they try to reach the beyond. Along the way they learn all about Everlost and what it means to be an Afterlight. They encounter many new friends and a few new enemies. Will they be able to accept their fate and move on or will they be stuck in their rut forever?

This was a wonderful book filled with abnormal ideas that made the reading... exciting! It's unusual plot and intense characters make it a 9.5 on my list! Everyone should have the opportunity to read Everlost by Neal Shusterman!

Maximum Ride: The Final Warning

Global Warming. It has been an issue people have talked about it for years, but is it true? Well, in Maximum Ride: The Final Warning you join the flock on an adventure they are sure to remember which teaches them a lot about Global Warming and what they can do to help. I would rate this book a 7.5 on a scale from 1-10. The only reason for my rating is because this book stood out from the other three in the series. The characters seemed less themselves to me. The message in the book was WONDERFUL though! It should really give kids a perspective on Global Warming and what it is doing to the world. It also teaches us what we can do to help.

You once again join Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, and Total on a whirlwind adventure. They are headed off to Antarctica to help scientists perform research on Global Warming. Many things happen while they are there, but in the midst of it all they find a traitor. Someone who has been reporting to a secret source their every move. Will this secret source find and capture them or was it all just a false alarm? The flock knows better than that; they are sure someone is after them and it is just a matter of time before that someone makes their move.

This is a fantastic book filled with real world events, adventure, humor, and even a bit of romance. Whether you believe in Global Warming or not this book is for you!

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a book about Kit. Her grandfather has just died, leaving her an orphan, in Barbados. Kit sails on the Dolphin to Connecticut to go and live with her Aunt Rachel and her terrifying Uncle Matthew. On the ship, she meets a boy about her age named Nathan Eaton. In Connecticut, she finds that life is very different from her homeland. Raised with silk dresses and slaves, she now is expected to do the work herself. Kit finds peace at one place though, the hut of Hannah. Hannah is a Quaker who lives in the meadow and is suspected of being a witch. Kit soon finds that Hannah is also friends with Nat. She has been advised and ordered not to go around Hannah but does not heed these warnings and soon Kit is accused of witchcraft herself!

If you like books with mystery, adventure, and even a little romance, then this is for you!! This book made me want to keep reading page after page like a good book should! I would rate this book a 9 1/2 out of 10! The Witch of Blackbird pond is a definite must read!!

Fablehaven

Do you believe in fairies? Would you be brave enough to care for hundreds of mythical creatures--most of them dangerous-- on a large and fantastical preserve? Brandon Mull will satisfy the most hungry of readers as he guides us through his story: What it would be like to visit your Grandparent's estate, and suddenly realize the beautiful land they live on is a magical preserve that holds millions of mystical animals-- and secrets.

Kendra and Seth's parents are going on a cruise. And the kids aren't invited. So what happens to them? They are sent to their Grandparents' house. But their Grandparents' estate isn't anything normal. Its sheer beauty and huge size is anything but ordinary. Kendra and Seth aren't expecting anything strange to happen, though. So they are very surprised when they turn out to be wrong. Soon, Kendra and her brother are swept up in the captivating secrets of the land their Grandparents live on, called a preserve. And then things start to go wrong. Can Kendra save her family-- and the preserve?

I absolutely loved this book, and anyone who enjoys fantasy will, too. I would rate it a 10 out of 10 for the terrific plot and superb imagery the book held. I could clearly imagine everything that Mull described, and I'm looking forward to reading the third book of Fablehaven. Anyone who enjoys this book will most likely like the sequel, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening star. And to those of you who don't believe in fairies: After reading this book, you will. 

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

This was a very interesting book. If I were to rate it on a scale from 1-10 I would have to say it was... a 5.5. I would say this book is for a younger audience than seventh graders. It's characters are younger than twelve or thirteen, so it is difficult to connect with them. Although it is written for younger children the main story line was excellent! I enjoyed the mysterious quality the most in this book.

You join Claudia and her little brother Jamie on an exciting adventure. Claudia has decided that she wants to teach her parents a lesson. She wants them to realize how valuable she is, so she decides to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city. She knows that she can't make this trip alone(mainly because she has no money). Jamie on the other hand has tons of money, so Claudia chooses to invite,or rather demand, her brother to come with. At first Jamie doesn't want to go, but when he realizes its his chance for adventure he jumps right in. The pair is only planning on staying a few days in the museum, but when a beautiful statue arrives with a mystery attached they know they can't leave without solving it. The statue is called Angel and she may have been carved by Michelangelo himself! No one is sure of this fact though. The only person who is positive is the person who sold the statue to the museum, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The kids decide the only way to solve the mystery is by visiting Mrs. Frankweiler. What happens next you wonder. Well, you will have to read the book and find out!

The only thing I would change about this book is the narrator. Mrs. Frankweiler is telling the story and I found it some what confusing. Other than that and the age factor, it was a wonderful story!