Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen
by Lauren Kate
The Fallen Series

Delacorte Press
ISBN-10: 0-385-73893-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73893-4
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $17.99

Review: Imagine a world where everything is new, bewildering, and terrifying, but deep inside, everything is eerily familiar. This is the world of Lucinda Price, the heroine in Lauren Kate’s Fallen – the first book in a four part series. In a time when vampires are flooding the market, Lauren Kate takes her new series in a refreshing direction – fallen angels. Lucinda, a 17 year old girl who is haunted by shadows and the uncertainty surrounding her involvement in the death of her boyfriend, is sent to Sword & Cross Reform School where she is to make amends with her life and somehow find a way to be a “normal” girl. But, instead of reform, Luce is thrust into a world in which she questions her sanity even more strongly! Only one person is able to make sense of Luce’s life, but that person is Luce’s greatest mystery.

Fallen begins in 1854 England with a young artist and an irresistible maiden. When the artist finally succumbs to his love for the young girl, he embraces her knowing that his affection will lead to her being swept from the earth by shadows. 150 years later, Lucinda Price begins her schooling at Sword & Cross in Georgia. When she must give up every privilege, including her privacy, upon entrance to the school, Luce realizes how different her life will be compared to her New England private school prior to “the accident.” Luce is greeted by some of the most colorful and unfriendly characters, but slowly begins to assimilate to reform school life. It doesn’t take long for her to meet HIM – Daniel Gregori. Daniel’s first greeting to her is an unsightly hand gesture, but nonetheless, Luce is completely taken in by Daniel. She can think of nothing else, that is until Cam enters the scene. Soon, Luce finds herself in a love triangle of epic proportions. But, what draws her so strongly to a boy that does everything to ignore her, and how can she explain this to Cam, a boy with more charm in his little finger than anyone Luce has ever met before? And, what makes everything so much more unsettling is the feeling that she’s done this all before.

Fallen is a fast-paced suspense novel packed with just the right kind of romance to keep readers coming back for more. Lucinda Price is a perfect heroine. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and daring with just enough innocence for her to connect with readers. Daniel’s handsome features, aloofness, and hint of mystery make him irresistible. Time and time again, writers have proven success with lovers that can never be together, and Luce and Daniel are no different. “’You mean there are things more important than this?’ she challenged, taking his hands and drawing them to her heart. Oh to be her and not know what was coming! Or at least to be stronger than he was and be able to stop her. If he didn’t stop her, she would never learn, and the past would only repeat itself, torturing them both again and again.” Lauren Kate wisely leaves many unanswered questions in Fallen which will certainly be answered as the series progresses. Fallen, as a first book, is well-written and engaging leaving the reader waiting for more. It might need a little more “bite” in the next installment to hope to rival books like the Twilight series, but with characters as well-developed as Luce and Daniel, and an antagonist who readers love to hate; Lauren Kate is on the right track. As the series continues, the epic battle between heaven and hell will undoubtedly leave readers questioning their very existence. Move over vampires – angels are here to stay!

Lauren Kate’s second book in the series, Torment, is expected to be released in October 2010.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Fallen for this review.

Have you read Fallen? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Grk Smells a Rat by Joshua Doder

Grk Smells a Rat
by Joshua Doder
Grk

Delacorte Press for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73722-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73722-7
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $15.99

Review: Suspense, action, and information can all be found in the book Grk Smells a Rat by Joshua Doder. At first glance Grk Smells a Rat seems a bit childish, but after beginning to read this book I didn’t think of the word childish or boring; those two words never once popped into my mind. Grk has it all - not just suspense, action, and information, but this book doesn’t reach far out there to an extent that the words the author wrote don’t make sense or seem real. So this book also has reality in it. Your whole family could read this book and still be interested. Overall Grk is an exciting book that anyone can read. Grk Smells a Rat is the second book in the Grk series but you don’t need to read the first book in order to read this book.

The tale of Grk is the story of the Malt family’s vacation to India that takes an unexpected turn that could have them meeting their deaths. Since the Malts are from England, they know nothing about India. But they meet a young boy named Krishnan who is not living the life he’d like to be living…with his parents in his own village. Instead he is living a life where he must deceive tourists in order to make money for his leader. Will Krishnan disobey his leader in order to save his sister and himself? Will the Malts wind up dead? You can find all this out in Grk Smells a Rat.

I enjoyed Grk so much; it has everything a good book needs. I never wanted to put Grk down. As I stated before, Grk has information in it, and what I mean by this is it’s not a text book. But every once and awhile the author adds in a fact about India, or a myth that Indians still believe to this day. My favorite character in this book is Grk, the cute dog in the story. I like him the most because he is like the detective in the case. He is like Scooby-doo with Shaggy, the assistant detective, the clue finder. His animal instincts help Tim find what he is looking for, whether it is a blue rat, criminals, a bomb, or simply a good place to “take a pee”. Grk adds so much more to this story. He is the one who adds comedy and suspense. If not for Grk, Tim and the Malt’s could have died along with many other people in India. If I had to rate Grk Smells a Rat on a scale from one to ten, I’d rate it a ten because as I stated before Grk Smells a Rat has suspense, action, and information that made me want to never put it down. I wanted to follow the characters everywhere they went in India. Sometimes little white dogs could know more than you’d ever want to know, so always listen.

Review written by Gabrielle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Grk Smells a Rat for this review.

Have you read Grk Smells a Rat? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Raven Summer by David Almond

Raven Summer
by David Almond
Non-series

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73806-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73806-4
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $21.00

Review: Excitement, drama, orphans and a murderer? These are all very important things in the book, Raven Summer, by David Almond. After an orphaned baby is found outside on a hill the story begins to tell of Liam’s epic life and adventure.

This story takes place during World War II. 14 year old Liam and his friend are following a peculiar raven and stumble upon a child. They take her home and eventually she is fostered. While visiting the baby (named Allison by the foster family) Liam meets two other 14 year old foster children: Crystal and Oliver, who claims to be a refugee of war from Liberia. As Liam gets to know Oliver, he realizes how much a child can do to someone in the war and how much they can hurt other people. Later, Liam helps Oliver and Crystal run away because they are scared of Oliver being shipped back to Liberia. While they are on the run, Oliver reveals his true identity.

Raven Summer always gives good detail and describes things so that there would be mental pictures in the readers mind. For example, “The night’s warm and still and the tent doors open. Bats are flickering against the sky.” The book also has a realistic plot that readers are able to relate to. Raven Summer also is an unpredictable book in a way that surprises you with the outcome very different than what you would expect. By doing that, the author makes the book much more exciting. I think the author wanted the reader to ponder how much the war affects children negatively.

The book has unfamiliar English terms that makes it a little confusing and should be recommended for kids twelve and up due to mild violence and mild swearing. All in all, this book was sensational! If I were to rate this book I would give it 4 stars out of 5 stars. The author has done a very nice job with this book. I cannot wait for a new book by this author! I am sure, anyone who reads this book will like it as much as I did.

Review written by Sarah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Raven Summer for this review.

Have you read Raven Summer? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Giant-Slayer by Iain Lawrence

The Giant-Slayer
by Iain Lawrence
Non-series

Delacorte Press
ISBN-10: 0-385-73376-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73376-2
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $16.99

Review: Have you ever faced a giant who is 1,200 feet tall, while you are only 32 inches in height? This amazing adventure is being told by Laurie Valentine, to her new friends in the polio ward at the hospital. In The Giant-Slayer, (written by Iain Lawrence) Laurie’s one and only friend, Dickie, contracts polio, and she sneaks behind her father’s back to visit him while he is in an iron lung, a machine that helps his lungs breathe. She meets the other 2 children in iron lungs, Carolyn and Chip, and begins telling an amazing story about a giant-slayer named Jimmy.

In the spring of 1955, Laurie meets and becomes friends with a boy named Dickie. They spend almost every day together, and one day they were playing in a creek. A few days later Dickie collapses with the disease Polio, and ends up in the hospital in an iron lung. There, Laurie meets two kids, also in iron lungs, and begins to tell a story to amuse all the children in the polio ward. As the story progresses, the kids seem to realize that each of the characters represent each one of them. This is a total coincidence, if not fate, and Laurie takes part as a character in the story as well. There is Jimmy the giant-slayer (aka James), Khan the unicorn hunter (aka Dickie), Finnegan Flanders the wagon man (aka Chip), the Woman (aka Laurie), the Swamp Witch (aka Carolyn) and Collosso the giant. But when Laurie falls victim to the unsuspecting polio and is in a coma, the polio kids fear that if they end the story themselves but in the wrong way, Laurie will die. How will Jimmy the Giant-Slayer’s tale end? Will Laurie survive her battle against the dreaded polio?

The Giant-Slayer is a wonderful book, told with heart. There is evidence of great detail, and impressive imagination. The way Laurie’s story clashes with the children’s real lives is breath-taking - something very unexpected, but valued. I feel it is an important message to make the reader feel as if they are part of the story, to get a better understanding of it, and I think the author did a phenomenal job! Out of a 5 star rating, to be honest, I’d give this book a solid 5. It has become one of my favorite books, a treasure upon my shelf, and I’m sure, as the earth is round, that it will be one on yours too. This book is great for readers 10+, and is a great family read. I can guarantee you that everyone will enjoy the tale of The Giant-Slayer.

Review written by Lynnea (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Giant-Slayer for this review.

Have you read The Giant-Slayer? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Amulet Books
ISBN-10: 0-8109839-1-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8109839-1-5
Publication Date: October, 2009
List Price: $13.95

Review: Funny, cool, and fun, these are all words that describe Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days, by Jeff Kinney. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days is the fourth book in the series.

The Wimpy Kid (Gregory), Roderick, and Manny are all of the main characters. Gregory is weird, funny, and cool. The second is weird, mean, and cool. The third is funny, weird, and crazy. Greg is sad when he finds out that he can’t go on a vacation with his family. Therefore Greg is forced to stay home and do the same old hanging out. Greg is sad, mad, and very, very angry at his family. At first Greg thinks that his dog ran away, but soon finds out the truth: that his dog died. Eventually Greg talks his parents into getting a new dog. There are a few problems in this book. One thing is they give their dog to the grandma because it barked at the TV until a commercial about gophers came on

In all I loved this book; it was funny, interesting, enjoyable, and crazy! I liked it because it was funny. I also liked the fact that it was realistic, and it could happen to anyone. I liked that it was never totally unbelievable. Also, when Greg gets scared of the furniture at a sleep over. It was funny because his pants fell down at school. It was also funny when he is scared when he watches a horror movie, and he can’t sleep! Also, I found the book to be a fun to read. I would take away the pictures because it does not have words. I would like it to have more words because I like words! I would recommend this for grades second and anywhere up! I would rate this 4 of five stars.

The other books in the series are: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw.

Review written by JP (2th grade student).

We would like to thank JP for providing a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days for this review.

Have you read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days? How would you rate it?

Book Review: POWERLESS by Matthew Cody

POWERLESS
by Matthew Cody
Non-series

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-85595-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85595-5
Publication Date: October, 2009
List Price: $15.99

Review: Have you ever wished you had superpowers? You probably won’t unless you were born in the small town of Noble’s Green. The book Powerless by Matthew Cody is his first novel and hopefully the beginning of a long series!

In the small town of Noble’s Green everything is safe and perfect, but why? Daniel Corrigan is about to find out. Daniel moves to Nobel’s Green to live by his sick grandmother. As the new kid in town, he finds it hard to make friends. But after an accident at the observatory he makes five new ones. These aren’t regular friends. They are super heroes that protect the small town. As his friends’ powers begin to disappear with no memory of ever having them, Daniel must find out why before it is too late for his closest friends. Daniel encounters the mysterious Shroud, Bud and Clay, two town bullies who enjoy making others feel pain.

I thought Powerless had an amazing plot! The story gripped me as tightly as a superhero would. The character development throughout the story corresponds very well with the novel’s plot. With each event you learn more about the characters such as Mollie Lee. In the beginning she has an angry outlook, and Daniel has no idea why. We find out that she isn’t really angry with Daniel, but about turning 13 and losing her powers.

Matthew Cody’s characters made me care about what happens to them. His descriptions of the characters show that they are more than one-dimensional - that they are more then they appear to be.

Matthew Cody’s book is now high on my list of favorite books. Not only did the plot make me want to keep reading with its twists and turns, it made me want to want more after the book was over! This novel made me feel that not only did the characters have powers, but I did too! Powerless? No, powerful!

Review written by Jonathan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of POWERLESS for this review.

Have you read POWERLESS? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Roland Wright: Future Knight by Tony Davis

Roland Wright: Future Knight
by Tony Davis
Non-series

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73800-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73800-2
Publication Date: September, 2009
List Price: $15.99

Review: Do you like books that are funny? Silly with some suspense? This book Roland Wright Future Knight is a debut book, first in the series. Young Roland has dreamed of going to Page School, but since he is but a poor armor forger’s son, he may never get in. Even his brother, Shelby knows that he and Roland will never get a chance to become even a weak swordsman. Although, one day Sir Gallawood, a famous knight known for his bravery and smarts, comes in search of Oliver Wright, Roland’s father. Sir Gallawood had gotten himself in a predicament, and when Roland’s father helps him get out of it, he offers the boys that only one of them can go to page school. Oliver offers the boys a deal. They have a competition. They must make a sword and shield, and then they will exchange and battle. Who will win? Read on to find out.

Roland Wright Future Knight is a beautifully done book for ages 6-10, although I think that all ages would enjoy this book. Tony Davis is a remarkable author, with a unique style of writing. Out of 5 stars, I would give it all 5. Tony does an excellent job of illustrating a picture in your mind, because he gives details that make you feel as though you’re actually in the book. I am eagerly awaiting the next book right now, Roland Wright Brand New Page. With his pet Nudge, Roland is on top of the world. I greatly encourage all of you readers to get a head start, whether you be 9 or 99.

Review written by Willow (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Roland Wright: Future Knight for this review.

Have you read Roland Wright: Future Knight? How would you rate it?