The Vault of Dreamers (The Vault of Dreamers #1) by Caragh O'Brien.

"An idea that had great potential but the lackluster relationships and annoyingly fierce independence of the Protagonist sent this reader blissfully to sleep. "

2 Stars

Pros: Definitely a unique and interesting idea/I liked the vague dystopian eeriness of O'Brien's world at The Forge School .

Cons: A lot of the relationships felt forced and I wanted to feel for Rosie but her blatant naivete and rabid determination just got old. Her fierce independence and determination, her attitude of, "I'm the only one that can do it" just felt overdone.

Full Review:

Rosie Sinclair is an imaginative and creative girl who's struggling through the first semester at the prestigious art school she's attending. Not only is it full to bursting with promising young stars, giving Rosie plenty of inspiration for her budding film career. But it also happens to be the set of the #1 Reality TV Show in the world. There are cameras on the students, 12 hours a day and then they're given medication so that they can spend the next 12 hours asleep, letting their imaginations run wild.

But Rosie misses the quiet of night time and so, in direct disobedience of the rules, Rosie skips her pill and sneaks out of her room so she can feel the rain on her skin and revel in the silent solitude. Of course, when she crawls back into her sleep shell and notices later that one of her classmates is having a seizure and being tended to by two faculty, she starts to wonder what's going on.

Thus a mystery is born and Rosie's the only one who can solve it.

Though it had great potential and I was definitely intrigued all the way up until the 50th time that nobody believed Rosie cause her footage got erased, in the end, it all just fell kind of flat. O'Brien has a definite page turner but the plot and characters eventually felt forced and overdone. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog