Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata****

Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam is an amazing historical fiction book. It was very heart-touching when Cracker was taken from her original owner. I think that the whole storyline was really thought out, and the book felt real.  It felt as if Cracker is a real dog, and Rick, her handler, are real life people, and not just an authors character.

I really feel that this book is one of my favorites. The book was very bloody and had lots of cursing. Lots and lots of cursing. It is a very terrible story, but it told in the best way possible. I really think that people looking for a good book should look here first.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini*****

Eragon is a book that you can read multiple times, and never get bored of. I have read it at least five times, this being my sixth time reading it. I really love the fantasy in this book. Dragons, magic, evil overlord? Checks off on my list. I really love the back-story to the Riders. This book was written when the author was 15, and that really help the way the book was worded. It was more teen-like, it had a certain level of creativity that only teens can achieve.


This book is my favorite fantasy book. I will cover the whole series. I do recommend that you check out The Inheritance Cycle, which is the whole series, on Christopher Paolini's website. I really think that anyone can read this series, and be impressed by the level of writing, and the power in his words.

Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf***

Where You Once Belonged is another average book. It wasn't anything special, and it lacked in characters. The only real defined character was Jack and his "loves." The narrator, though an important character, was never really defined. All I knew is that he worked for the news ans his last name was Arbuckle (I think that's how it's spelled). I really think more detail on the narrator would have made this better.

I have a story. Where I was born, Kent Haruf's wife worked with my father. His family went out to dinner with my parents while my mother was pregnant with me. I thought that this was a cool story. I really can't recommend this book. It was a bit adult.

The Line by Teri Hall***

The Line is one of the books the that isn't good, but not bad. It didn't have an amazing plot, and felt more thought up on the spot, than planned. I also thought that if there's an impenetrable barrier, nobody can hear through it, or see through it, or interact with people on the other side. This book was very "enh."

I really can't say anything too negative, or too good about this book. I really think that the characters could have been more developed, and that the whole idea of the government was sort of dumb. I don't recommend this book to anyone.

Partials by Dan Wells*****

Partials is one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the way the two different "species" were introduced. The ending completely surprised me. When Kira was betrayed by Samm (Yes, I spelled it right), I almost stopped reading. I really liked this book, but it was very bloody and long. It was over four hundred pages. I think that it is more for older kids though.

This book is amazing, it had a a plot that really could happen. Humans create a race of half-humans, half-machines. I really enjoyed this book, and I hope a lot of other people will too. I think that this book is the best sci-fi book I have read during this goal.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young*

Blood Red Road was nothing special. It was long, drawn out, and seemed to be very boring. It was over 400 pages, and was all about  girl trying to find her brother. It was too much like the Hunger Games for me to enjoy it. 

This book felt like the author got together a bunch of books, and then out them all in one. In one part of the book it made it look like the King was dead, then only have him return. I was very confused by now, and I this book was really dragging on. I really don't recommend this book.

Champion by Marie Lu*****

Champion is the last book in the Legend trilogy. I have read the other two books in the series, but this book is just something else. The ending was perfect, the way Day acted was amazing, and the way Eden, Day's brother, was used was perfect. Day was always reacting with headaches from his disease, but at times the disease was really predictable. Like when he got a headache in the middle of climbing a building, that's certainly not predictable... I really think that this book was very good, with a lot of factors that made it even better. I really recommend this book.

Life as we Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer****

Life as we Knew It is a really good book.  It has an apocalyptic aspect, and it provides a very unreal situation. If the moon was knocked out of orbit, it would continue to go towards Earth, and eventually smash into it. The logic in this is very flawed with the moon, and the way everything happens. Not everyone's going to grab their favorite food, people will go for the canned goods too.

This book isn't very realistic. I mean it could happen, but the asteroid would have to be half the size of the moon to even get the moon to turn. I really can say, though, that the way this book was put together, and the way the characters interacted with one another, that it was good. I recommend this book.

The Living by Matt De La Pena*****

The Living was amazing. I was hesitant to read it, but when I did, I was glad I did. This book had a lot of "nasty thoughts," and Shy, the main character, is totally believable. I thought the way the book was set up,  and the way the characters connected, was such a good way to make this story. I think that if Shy was a bit more outgoing, this book would have been a bit more ironic/funny.

This book had it all. It had survival, it had realistic aspects, and it had disease. The disease is (I think, I did a bit of research) real. If I  was stuck in a situation like this, I wouldn't know how to react. I highly recommend this book.

Night by Elie Wiesel*****

Night... This book was something else. It scared me, and it was all true. It was about a teenage boy going through concentration camps, he watched people die along the way to other camps. This book was really good, but it was a bit too gruesome. He saw children burned, he saw friends killed, he had almost nothing left in his life. He was beat and forced to watch hangings; if this is what the holocaust was, I wouldn't want to be there.

This book had an impact on me, it's one thing to read about a horrible event in a textbook, but it's another to actually read a true story of one of the survivors. It changed my whole viewpoint on life; enjoy every single thing you have. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley*****

Saving Gracie is an amazing book about puppy mills. The way the dogs are treated, the way the dogs are bred, the way they live. This book was really heartbreaking, how all the dogs had diseases, how they all were flea ridden, how the were covered in their own waste(poop and pee). I really felt the feeling the dogs felt, they avoided all human contact. They didn't even try to be friendly. I think that this is a very pressing matter. It is a real problem, and it should be treated like a real problem. So many dogs are put down because of over breeding. We've always adopted dogs from a shelter, and one of ours is Captain, I've included a picture of him. He was pulled from a high kill shelter.

This book is meant to open eyes and show the world the problems that we ignore. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck***

Of Mice and Men is a really deep book. It was really scary towards the end when Lennie, the giant with a child's mind, kills a puppy and a woman on accident. This book was really good, but it just freaked me out. All in the dream of wanting what you can't have. All in the dream of owning some rabbits, Lennie kills. This book is really messed up, and I really don't recommend it.

Cy in Chains by David L. Dudley*****

Cy in Chains is one of the best, or the best, historical fiction book I've ever read. I think that this book was amazing, and it had a lot of thought put into it. It never felt boring, and Cy kept you waiting. I really dislike historical fiction, but this book proved me wrong. You can relate to Cy and his struggles on the chain gang, you can feel all the regret he does. The author did an amazing job wording this book, and putting it together.

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein*

Premeditated is a not very good book. It wasn't all that interesting, and it took me some time to get through. The main character was very dumb (intelligence wise), and it was a stretch of a book. It was repetitive, kill the boy who supposedly killed her sister. The ending was a bit surprising, but by then you figured out it wasn't the supposed boy.

This book was boring, and didn't make a lot of sense. The whole story could be written in a couple of pages. It too long and drawn out. I really don't recommend this book to anyone, it had some inappropriate parts, and wasn't that good.

The Trap by Andrew Fukuda*****

The Trap is a really good book. The ending totally shocked me, and the situation is believable. I have read the books before in this series, and I've read them all. I think this book is very good, it never was boring. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I got some fan mail. It was from a retired school librarian, and it was very sweet. It's nice to know somebody looks at this blog. I loved this book, and it had a lot of action. I would think a book like this would have gotten more than 4 1/2 stars on amazon.  I think this book was amazing.

Apocalypse by Tim Bowler*

Apocalypse was not the greatest book ever. It was boring, it had no plot, and it was pretty predictable. I think that it had potential, but it kind of lessened when the "Devil" looked like the main character. And then they were one and the same. It just didn't run together well. I think this book was not very good, but that's my opinion,  not your own. I don't recommend this book to anyone.

Countdown by Michelle Roven*****

Countdown is a book about the jacked up games that rich people watch. Kira is selected for the games, not asked, not warned, taken. She and a viscous murder, Rogan, have to complete all six levels--before the countdown ends. It's a matter of life or death; everyone's.

This book was really good. It got a bit inappropriate at times though. I really think this book has potential, for a series, or a book on Rogan's perspective. I think that this book was a lot better than some of the books I've been reading lately. I really do recommend this book to anyone.

Foul Trouble by John Feinstein****

Foul Trouble is a book about basketball. Terrell and Danny are at a summer camp, playing on the Rebels, and are the best team in the league. They are facing collages, though it's mostly Terrell, and trying to figure out life. This book was a very interesting book. I liked it, and I like basketball too. I have to recommend this book to basketball players/fans.

I think this is a really good book for young adult, or teens. This book is about growing up, and learning a lot about life, and that really stuck out to me. You might see this with a more "nerdy" perspective, but sports? Almost never, unless it's about teamwork or bonding. This interested me, and was a bit surprising . I can recommend this book to almost everyone.

Dare Me by Eric Devine*

I liked Dare Me, but it didn't click. It was too descriptive, and it was a bit inappropriate. I think it was a bad influence type of book, they characters were jumping off bridges and getting shot at. I don't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 13, it was messed up, and deals with a lot of blood--someone's ear was kicked off. If this doesn't convince you, somebody lost a left eye, people's arms were broken, and scholarships were ruined. Again, I don't recommend this book for anyone under the age of 13, and listing out some of the events should convince you, right?

The whole story or plot is: Ben and his friends are doing stunts to be "famous." They do a bunch of stuff that ends up with Ben in girl trouble, and his friends in cop trouble. I liked the book, but it was just not right. I didn't agree with a lot of person(s) ideas/comments, but this is just my taste. It depends on your taste of book. There might be a bit of a mystery in there as well.

Requiem by Lauren Oliver*****

Requiem is the last book in the trilogy. It has a much better series of events than the other two books. Lena is still out on the run with her "new" pack. They have plans to overturn the power in Portland, rioting, attacking, and just plain rebelling.

This book is not for kids. I think that of all the books, that this one is the most disturbing and violent. It surprised me. I didn't think that this book would be ten times bloodier that all the others. I think that this book was better than all the other books because it had a better flow to it than the other books. It has a little story about Alex in the back of the book, and is overall recommended by me.

Juvie by Steve Watkins*****

Juvie is about drugs. Police find Sadie and her sister in a car--with drugs. Sadie covers for her sister, who is high at the time, for having a bag of drugs in the car. Sadie is in juvie now, and for six months at that. Sadie wishes that she never covered for he sister in the first place.

This book is good. It has the right details, at the right times, of course. Nobody wants to visualize some of the parts in this book. I think that this would describe juvie well, and I read the the author's note (I know, I'm a nerd, but I wanted to know his opinion). he said juvie encouraged kids to read, along with Limited T.V and video games. I don't agree. I like to have a bit of freedom, aside from reading. I recommend this book.

Tentacles by Roland Smith****

Tentacles is a good "realistic" fiction. It depends on how you look at it. There are arguments both ways that can be valid, but I will list this as realistic fiction. I think that this book gives a good look into cryptids. I think that this book is a really good read, and that it is a well known book.

 Marty and his friend are trying to find the giant squid. That's the best part of the book. I think that people should read this book if they are a bit bored, or just looking for a good book to pass the time. I have read Cryptid Hunters, so son't worry there. I really recommend this book.

Book o' the Month January 2014

The book o' the month is Inhuman. This book is really good. It's a sci-fi, future-istic novel that can keep someone's interest for hours. I really think that this book is good for younger adults and animal lovers. It is a bit scary at times, but it is a good book.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan*****

The Lightning Thief is definitely a re-read for me today. I read it in elementary school, but I'm reading it now to approve it for my sister. The characters feel real, and seem to be next-door neighbors, or even friends. I'm going to be covering the whole series. I also think that this book is the perfect example of fantasy. I loved the whole viewpoint of Percy. I think that it has that "kid" feel, but anyone could read it. I really love this book.

This book integrates Greek mythology and modern times well. It sounds believable, but at the same time, laughable. I love the real-world writing style and the way the book "flowed." I think anyone who can read should read this book.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver*****

Pandemonium and Delirium are the best series books that I have read so far. It always makes you want to read the next-- and then the next, and so on. I love the style of writing the author used. As in  Delirium, the writing is the same. It's descriptive and uses lots of figurative language. It can whisk you away--never to come out `till the end if the book. The ending is just as good as the first book. I didn't understand it though. I can't say I don't recommend this book. I loved it, and I have to recommend it to you. This series is almost as good as Petey. That's saying something. I really think anyone should read this book.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver*****

Delirium is one of the best books I have read. It's one of those stories that make you feel like you're the character. I loved the way the lies worked. You believe the lies, like how love is a disease that can be cured with a simple operation, and when the truth hits you, you are astounded. Lena, the main character, makes this book amazing. She can't wait to get the cure, and believes in her society. At the same time, she fears it.

I couldn't put this book down, but I wanted to at the same time. Readers can relate to the characters, and their world doesn't seem too far off. This book is the one of the best, or the best, sci-fi book(s). When Lena made plans to escape, I almost jumped out of my seat. Then I almost cried at the end of the book. I can't spoil the book--I want you to read it. I really recommend this book for almost anyone.

Zombie, Illinois by Scott Kenemore**

Zombie, Illinois is a really jacked up book. Zombies take over the world, and three unlikely accomplices are there to take it back. This book is really too descriptive for me and is predictable as well. I didn't like the whole plot of the story. I could tell what was going to happen before it happened. I don't understand why this book is really long. I think that there is a lot of drawn out parts in it that don't need to be there. Overall, this book wasn't the best, and I wouldn't really recommend it.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George*****

My Side of the Mountain is one of my favorite books. I never can get tired of it, and I think anyone could read it. I don't really recommend this book if you're more of an indoor person. It is definitely one of the best books I've ever read, with the falcon, the tree, and Baron Weasel. Sam just wants a break from his life, so he runs away. That's one of the reasons why I love this book. Sam's independent. He sort of does what he wants. Sam is also very brave (maybe it's stupidity). He climbed a cliff to get himself a falcon. Sam can be very adventurous too. He realizes when a warden camps in front of his house (tree house), that he can live anywhere he wants. I really recommend this book. It is fairly short, and will be delightful to anyone who reads it.

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake*

Antigoddess was one of the... weirdest books on Greek myths. It was completely unrealistic (for Greek myths). Gods can die, people can die and come back to life. I really didn't like this book. I don't like how the Gods were dying. It not well researched and thought out. I think this book could have a lot of potential, but it needs to be better researched. I don't recommend this book.