I like the idea of this book. There are some interesting things going on that were new to me, and I always like something new in a story. But halfway through I felt like things got repetitive. Ok, here we go again, but this time with gargoyles. I did like the way it all wrapped up, but in the middle I lost some interest and was having trouble caring what happened to the characters. There is a lot of good stuff in here and I like werewolves and vampires and gargoyles but sometimes I felt like skipping to the end to finds out what happened without having to read all the in between stuff.

The book is full of characters that evoke emotion from the reader. There is a suitable villain, some people you are unsure of and some you just like. You root for Willis as well as want to yell at him for some of the choices he makes. You can relate to him and the conflicts he goes though. The story explores themes of loyalty, friendship and what family truly means. I like the mix of characters, the pace of the story, and the addition of he science fiction element of the robots. I also like that the robots have a retro feel and seem to come from the past instead of the future. I felt like the robots and the island could have been explored more. I enjoyed the story and it had some good themes about friendship, family and taking responsibility. But it is more about Willis and the relationships he is making as he grows up than about Robot Island. I would recommend it as a coming of age tale with an interesting sci-fi twist.

This is a fun book. It is funny and witty but never turns as goofy as you might expect from a book that has someone named Zip Turbine and a 5 foot talking shrimp. It is well paced so there are never any dull moments. The characters, even the unlikable ones, are interesting and enjoyable. I like the interactions between the characters, and the way the world they live in was set up that everything feels like it fits, even a 5 foot shrimp. If you like sci-fi that has some humor I suggest you give this one a try. I look forward to reading more adventures with Zip and Tom.

This book is witty and sarcastic. It is funny and entertaining. It is a wonderful, quick, escapist read. It is absurd but at the same time you feel like this could happen. You may not agree with Terrence's choices. You might not understand how anyone can try to refuse 50 million dollars. But you will root for Terrence and feel for him as his life slides out of control. I enjoyed watching Terrence try to get out of this mess of other people's making just to end up further in. I enjoyed all of the strange people and events that kept popping up in Terrence's life. I enjoyed the ending too. I had a lot of fun reading this book and hope to see more from Fenwick in the future.

This is a fun, quirky book. Quickthorn has to trick her students into coming to school. Each chapter is the story of a different student, told in the voice of the student. I like how each chapter is told in a distinctive voice. They all have the same concept but Helgerson manages to make them all individual stories. I enjoyed reading about the river trolls and learning about their lives and what they treasure enough to get caught. I think children and adults will like this one.

This was okay. It is a fun little adventure, fantasy story. But I don't like Prince Asgar. I don't like the way he treats his father, his best friend or his sister. So the idea of him being a hero was not appealing to me. The black and white illustrations were cute, with bold clean outlines, almost like they came out of a coloring book. And I'm glad they put some narwhal facts at the end. I like a story with Snow Monsters and I'm glad they didn't make them the bad guys here. And though I like the idea of the narwhal connection it was awkwardly constructed in the the story. It had a few moments that I enjoyed but I don't think it ever came together completely.

I can't say I didn't like this book, but it was not what I expected. For an alien invasion story there was a lack of alien lifeforms in the first two thirds of the book. I was also surprised by the fact that most of the book is conversation. Even after the alien lifeform arrives, almost everyone (even the often mentioned AI) sits or stands around having philosophical discussions. I was often left waiting for something to happen. Anything. Some of the discussions were interesting, but for me, it was too much. Too much of the book takes place around a restaurant table. I do like the interesting take on an alien invasion. There were some fun moments. But the write up is misleading and I was left slightly disappointed.

This book won me over right from the start. As soon as I saw Pop frying up a fly for breakfast I was sold. From Davey Dog who hit a log or Mayor Hop who forgot to stop, a lot of people need Toad's help. But Toad learns that sometimes even the helpers have to ask for help. The illustrations are adorable. Toad's desire to help makes him an endearing character and I love how his father is always there in the background ready to offer support. It is a sweet, cute story that I think any child will love and it teaches them that you should not be afraid to ask for help.

This is fine if you like magical coming of age stories. There are some moments that were fun, but I was rather unimpressed by the story as a whole. I felt lost at times because ideas were not explained very well. The beginning of the story is rather slow. But my main complaint is that nothing feels new, or original. I feel like I have heard this story before. It was a not unpleasant, but I never felt excited or engaged. I have no desire to read the next books in this series.

This is a one act play. It is goofy nonsense with a message. It is nice and short which in this case is a good thing. I think if it had been any longer, I would have lost interest. It is funny and silly, but it does make you think. I don't think this is going to change the world, but it might make some people think about who they are following and why. And maybe plant a couple of trees. If you are a fan of satire (or just like leprechauns) you should give it a try.

This book is nonstop action. Right from the start there are explosions, gun fights, and escapes, some of them improbable but all of it exciting. I like the idea of seeing Winterhawk's struggle between his two loyalties and with the prejudice against him. Winterhawk is a very interesting character. There are a few things here that I was not a fan of, however. Buzan has a lot of sentences end in the middle, I understand the point, but I don't like it myself. There is also a lot of technical gun information that seems excessive. But the thing that I found most disappointing was the monster part of the story. That was actually what attracted me to the book in the first place, but it felt out of place here. Whenever he shows up it feels it is outside of the rest of the story and has nothing to do with anything else. I feel it would have been a better story without it.

Send in the Tort Lawyers is a farce that does not try to be subtle. It can feel like you are being beat over the head with the puns sometimes. But I did enjoy reading it. It kept me amused and entertained throughout the entire novel. There were people with names like Faith Heeler and Holly Woods and law firms with names like Fine and Dandy, but if that does not put you off then this is a book for you. I can't really say there was a plot exactly, just an account of several of the cases that the law firm was handling (and some of the courtroom transcripts went on a little long for me) but I feel the book came to a satisfying ending. Enough so that I am interested in reading the others in the series.

A coming-of-age story about a child looking for the father they never knew may not sound like the most original idea. But there are enough unexpected incidents, so it does not feel like it has all been done before. Some of those incidents are improbable, but not so outrageous that you can't believe them if you try. It was not uninteresting to see all of Gwen's well-intentioned plans come to ruin and sometimes she was witty, but I had trouble connecting to this story. My main problem is that I found Gwen annoying. With all of her stream of consciousness and constant babbling and going off on long tangents that had nothing to do with the story I had trouble paying attention to her. By the end, I will admit, I was interested and wanted to know how it would all work out. But that didn't happen until I was three quarters of the way though the book. I'm sure some people can relate to Gwen, some people will find her endearing. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people.

The book starts out with a bang. There is mystery and murder and the promise of old secrets coming to light. But then it slows down, a lot. It took me a while to get interested in the characters here. But once I did, I was caught. From the way the book began it was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be more of a mystery, but it a character driven story about family. All the parts of being a family, the good, the bad and the ugly. It is heartbreaking at times and sometimes you want to smack some of the characters, but that's what good writing is all about. You care enough about the characters to be mad at them, or happy for them, or worry for them. The story follows the Joseph family through many changes as they try to deal with each other in a whirlwind of love, hate and hurt. I like the way Burns uses Marley's appearance to show the family from the outside, both to the reader and to the family, so you can see the big picture. I like how at the end you got to see a little from each person's perspective. In the end I enjoyed the story a great deal, but after the lighting quick beginning the story took a little while to pick back up for me.

Secrets of the Moon is a good overview of all things moon. It starts off a little dry and I was worried it was going to be boring, but it quickly picked up and became a very readable account. You learn a lot, and it is very approachable. You don't have to do any research to understand the science here. (Although, I have to admit, when it started talking about DNA it lost me a little.) It talks about all the beliefs, myths, legends and stories told about the moon as well. So, you get to hear why life on Earth would not exist without the moon and also why the moon became connected to werewolves and lunacy. If you are doing research this is not the book for you. But if you are interested in understanding all the ways the moon has influenced the daily lives of people since there were humans to look up at it, read this book.

I found this to be a very enjoyable read. There are light moments and funny bits but there is tragedy mixed in. It was interesting to see how the Jhas deal with suddenly having money they have never had before. And it was both funny and sad to see how old 'friends' reacted to their good fortune. I liked hearing all the internal thoughts. You got to see the same event from everyone's perspective. In a situation where everyone is worried about what everyone else is thinking it's fun to know all those thoughts and how often they are not what is feared. I'm interested to read more by Basu.

Now, when I started this book I didn't know there was going to be a sequel. So, when it ended in the middle of the story I was a little frustrated. That might have affected my rating a bit. But if you go in knowing there is a sequel you will not suffer the same fate. And until the abrupt ending I was enjoying the story. I like fantasy and magic and this book has lots. I think Marlow, the main character, is well done. She is bitter, but not so bitter that you can't like her, she can take care of herself but has some cool friends to help her out, she is confident enough in herself to be different, but is not obnoxious. The story is full of intrigue, and secrets and magic and lies. There is romance too. Which usually I can do without. But here it fits into the story without taking it over. As I read, the story picked up speed and I did get wound up in it. I enjoyed watching all the threads start to come together. I wanted to get back to it to see how Marlow would work it all out. It is a fun, rather quick read. I will probably read the second one because I am involved with the characters now. And I might seek out more by Katy Rose Pool in the future.

Although the war plays a crucial role in this book, this is not a book about the war. It is a character driven story. And every chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. (Always in the third person.) I like how this gives you an insight into the minds of all of the characters and how you get to see the same event from different angles. You get to see both sides of every coin. You get to sympathize with the characters in a way that makes it almost impossible to choose sides in any conflict. The characters are well written, and you feel their emotion through all the turmoil, joy and fear of their lives. This one decision, to send their daughter to America, changed everyone's life forever and as the book spans many years you can see the repercussions of it as they grow and change. It's a beautiful. if not always happy, story. I found myself wanting to get back to the book so I could find out what happened to these people. I was completely engaged from beginning to end.

This is a fun, light, silly, slightly goofy book. It poses questions like 'is God real?' and 'in an advanced society why is there still crime?' which may sound like heavy reading material, but don't worry, there is very little thinking needed here. The characters are interesting and the plot has enough excitement and surprises to keep you reading without getting bored. It moves at a good pace and you will find that it will not take you very long to read. If you like comic science fiction this is worth a look. It would be a good choice when you just want to be entertained without putting a lot of work or thought into it. I enjoyed it and I think if you like science fiction and fun you will too.

Is this book believable? Not really. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes, I did. I don't know much about medicine but I think a lot of the science here wouldn't hold up and I'm pretty sure a hospital would not let a lot of this happen. But I wasn't looking for science when I read the book so I was alright with that. I do think that Calla seemed a little too naïve for someone who had to look out for herself her entire life, but I still liked her. She was trying to do the right thing, trying to help people, and people took advantage of that. So I felt for her. And maybe the medical science here is unbelievable but the people's reaction to her is not. You can imagine what people would do if they found out that there was a cure for their, or a loved one's, cancer. What would you be willing to do if you thought you could save your dying child? What is Calla's responsibly to other people when she could help so many? Does she have one at all? It does make you think about things. Calla makes all the decisions seem like easy ones, and I wish she was a little more conflicted because I don't think it would be as easy as it seemed here. And I wish Johnson had left out the romance angle completely. It was unnecessary and felt very forced. But the story moved at a quick pace and was compelling enough that it kept me up reading long after I should have been in bed.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. I always wanted to get back to it so I could find out what happened next. I liked the way it was told in 'before' and 'after' sections, so you see where she ended up and then go back to figure out how she got there. There is adventure and danger and excitement, but it also makes the reader think about what makes you, you. It presents a lot of questions about identity without becoming overly philosophical to the point that it interferes with the flow of the story. There are some things that happen that don't seem to have any logical (or any other) explanation. And there is a scene (a rather long one) that seems to have nothing to do with the plot. But I have to admit it didn't bother me at the time of the reading. I only started to think about them when I was trying to write this review. It had a couple of hiccups, but I still found it enjoyable and would be interested in reading more by Kirby.

It is a fairytale. It is a fun story with a cast of interesting characters. The story moves fast and keeps your interest all the way through. I like the whole concept of it. There is someone to root for, someone to hate, and the conflicted character that you hope does the right thing in the end. The story was rather simple, in keeping with the fairytale feel. What let me down a little was the very convenient circumstance that came up without reason and disappeared when it was not needed any more (also without reason.) And the solution to the problem was simple and I knew it all along, as will most readers, while the characters seem unable to figure it out. But I still enjoyed the book. It is a fun. light read you will be able to finish in a day or two.

I like Mrs. Plansky. I like the fact that she refuses to fall behind the times just because she is getting older. I like that she is determined to still find joy and fun in life even though she is a recent widow. And I loved how she did not panic and fall apart when she finds out her money is gone. She is a fun character and I enjoyed following her adventure and listening to her internal dialogue as she works through everything. There were a lot of fun and interesting situations that she gets herself into. And you even start to like some of the people who scammed her. I was a little disappointed that this intelligent, savvy woman fell for a scam that seemed so obvious to the reader. And when she gets to Romania there are a lot of conspicuous coincidences that start to strain believability. But the book is a lot of fun to read and any criticism I have mentioned here did not lessen my enjoyment at all.

I think it is fun that it is banana that distracts the father. The point is it could be anything. So why not a magic banana? And I think it is cute that when the dad feels bad the daughter knows exactly what to do to make him feel better. But. I do think this is a cautionary tale aimed more at the parent reading the book than the child the book is being read to. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. If you can inform the parent while entertaining the child that is a good thing. But the major problem I have is the message it gives the child that if they think something is taking too much of their parent's time, they should destroy it. I think this book encourages children to just get rid of things they don't like and I don't think that is a good message. Probably not something I will read to my nieces.

I have read some reviews of this novel and it seems in most cases people either loved or hated it. I'm more in the middle. There are some very interesting ideas presented but there were points that I was not a fan of. The characters you are introduced to first are, to me, the most interesting and well developed characters in the book. But then they are dropped completely for a very long time. Until you almost have to look back in the book to remind yourself who these people are when they reappear. Then the story becomes about the kidnapped kids and what happens to them at the institute. And the plot slows down to a crawl. And I got a little bored waiting for it to go somewhere. And when I did find out the reason for the Institute I was a little confused why they would have chosen this convoluted, overly complicated and morally ambiguous plan to achieve their goals. Some of the characters were a little too simplified too. One of the employees is afraid of a situation that was solved by a simple Google search. The head of the institute is self-righteous and self-important to such extremes that by the end of the book she becomes slightly absurd. Toward the end, when things start to happen, I did start to root for Luke and the other children and feel I was starting to get involved with the characters a little bit. But it was too long in coming to redeem the book completely. A lot of reviews also mention that King included some politics. I remember that, but at the time I read show more it without a thought. It didn't seem like a big deal to me and I don't think that should stop you from reading the book if you are interested. I wouldn't say I would recommend this to someone as a good introduction to King but if you are already a Stephen King fan I do think it is still worth a read. show less

I have to admit that the illustrations are not my favorite style. The faces are often indistinct and the backgrounds kind of fade away like they were not quite finished. But I think the style goes with the story being told here and I don't think a different style would have worked as well. The story is dark and creepy. There are skinless men crawling out of the ground and deer/human creatures in the forest. The women of the town all have lost time. But for some reason no one seems to be asking any questions. (Or leaving town for that matter.) Until two girls wake up in the movie theater with no idea what has happened for the last few hours. They decide to find out what is happening. I was hoping for some kind of investigation or something, a process by which they figure things out. But that didn't happen. They just happen to ask the right question and everything is explained. It was just too sudden of a revelation for me. All these people living with the mystery for years when all it took was one question. And then there are all the little story points that come up and go nowhere. I was left with a few questions. But since I had trouble working up an emotional attachment to any of the characters it is easy to just let the questions drop.

Verdi is full of beautiful, lush, vibrant illustrations. It tells a story of a baby python. He and all his siblings are born yellow and his mother's wish for them all is that they grow up big and green. But Verdi doesn't want that. He thinks the green pythons are boring and lazy and does not want to be like them. Verdi is afraid of change. He does not want to grow up because he thinks he will not be him anymore. But the story is about Verdi learning that change isn't necessarily bad and who you are remains the same. It is a story about not being afraid of change or growing up, about not assuming your ideas and choices are always the best, about learning that (sometimes at least) your elders might actually know something you don't. It is beautifully told in a quiet voice so you are hearing the message without realizing there is a message. Children will learn the lessons but think they are just listening to a sweet story about a loveably baby python.

Being so far removed from my 10 years old self I probably don't connect with Sara as much as someone from the target audience would, but I like her. She is a girl who just wants to be herself. But it's hard since being herself gets her bullied and teased. I'm glad Sara doesn't decide to fight back in a traditional way, instead she decides to try to understand the girls who are terrorizing her. Maybe there is something in their lives that makes them so mean. It is a very mature approach and watching Sara come to this decision was a pleasure. I also enjoyed the real historical stories that the clothes told. (Although I have to admit I learned more about Levi Jeans than I really needed to know.) But I felt the story of Sara's plight was put on hold to listen to the clothes tell their stories and the clothes became more of a means to tell the history instead of a part of Sara's story. I did like that at the end certain connections were made so it didn't all seem so random. But it ended too abruptly for me. I know it is meant to be a series, but I wanted some sort of conclusion or wrap up and I got none. It is an interesting concept, and it will probably appeal to a certain young audience, but I was never intrigued enough to wonder what happens next.

This book grabbed me from the beginning. I like the way it is told from different perspectives. I think I got to know the characters more by hearing them all speak in their own voices. I also liked how you got a different piece from everyone, and you got to try to piece them together like a puzzle. The writing was good. Everyone had a unique voice so they didn't all sound alike and they were all believable. You could meet these people. You could also feel the frustration as, even in a school that is supposed to be helping them, the deck is stacked against them. They feel powerless: against the school that feels more like a prison, against the principle who has a wonderful reputation but is not always just, and against the instant belief of almost everyone that they could have done this. The only issue I have with this book is they try to solve the crime themselves. I understand that they could not trust the police but sneaking around, breaking into places and confronting possible murderers do not seem like actions that should be condoned as a solution to your problems. But I liked it all the same. I like how the characters drew me in. I like how it explored some weighty issues with honesty but was still able to fit it all into an engaging and entertaining story. I liked how it kept a good pace and never dragged and how I liked all the different perspectives the same and didn't find myself suffering through someone's story just to get back to someone else's. There is a lot show more to recommend this book and I hope to read more by Nick Brooks. show less

I love a conflicted main character. And I think it is done well here. Leelo is likeable and I feel for her as she struggles between being loyal to her community and her family and doing what her heart tells her is right. And there is a good amount of tension that Rutherford was able to keep up through the book. Leelo is danger but sometimes you are not sure who she is in danger from. And you (and Leelo) know there is so much that she doesn't know and the mystery as it unfolds is entertaining and gripping even if it is not all completely unexpected. I also think there were some things that could have been explored a little more. I wanted to know more about this malevolent forest. And, quite frankly, I was never really sure what it was that the magic of the islanders did. (Except lure people to their deaths.) There was a wolf that was mentioned once, seemed like he would be a significant part of the story, but then he never surfaced again. I enjoyed the book. It had a lot of interesting concepts and I like the mix of fantasy and romance with a slight horror edge to it. But there were a couple of things that made me stop short of love for this one.