All the Books.

"A tale so interwoven and complex but so very simple at its core; it leaves the reader fulfilled and thoughtful. It is a story about being human, making mistakes and trying to find your own identity in a small town where the only thing that really exists is Hockey."  5 Stars Pros: Fast paced/Intriguing/Filled with scenes of heart wrenching emotion both good and bad, a true study of what it is to be human/Leaves the reader eager to read the sequel.  Cons: At first there were so many characters that it was hard to keep everyone straight but once the story gained momentum everything fell into place. Full Review In Beartown, there is one constant. One thing that brings the people together, win or lose, good or bad and that is Hockey. And this year, their Junior team is set to play a semi-final match, something that hasn't happened in twenty years. Tensions are at an all time high and when the members of the Junior Team are basically celebrities in their own town, they...

A harsh but necessary tale about returning to your home town and realizing that the people you idolized in childhood are in fact, flawed. It was a well rounded, if somewhat depressing wrap up to Lee’s series set in Maycomb County. 5 Stars Pros: Jean Louise or “Scout” is a spitfire, free thinking, spirited young woman who any woman with a mind and opinion of her own can relate to/The returning characters that are so well known in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus, Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia are there as well as a few new characters such as Henry Clinton and Dr. Finch, Scout’s Uncle, who is a voice of reason during a troubling, difficult time for her Cons: The harsh truth of the fact that the South during the Civil Rights movement/segregation was not a nice place to be, it’s not necessarily a con but more a depressing fact of American History/The sudden and untimely death of Jem, it felt like Lee had no room for the character so she just threw him off and away Full Review Jea...

"A quick, entertaining and unsettling read that keeps the reader guessing right to the very end. Everything is interconnected and interwoven and Roux does a good job in keeping the reader guessing."  4 Stars Pros: Quick, easy read/Definitely has a good, creepy, unsettling vibe right off the bat/The mystery behind Daniel’s origins is intriguing and telling, leaving the reader to wonder why it is he feels so connected to this place. Cons: The characters were pretty one dimensional, you run of the mill, emotional teenager stereotypes but it didn’t take away from the book too much/Daniel and Abby’s relationship felt forced and awkward Full Review: Similar to Ransom Riggs Peculiar Children Series, Roux uses old photographs to help aid the reader in envisioning the surroundings. Though some of these seem photo-shopped they still add to the creep factor of the novel overall. Daniel Crawford, shy, smart, socially awkward is attending a Summer Course/College...

“A tale that could have been mesmerizing if it wasn’t so mired down in Louis’ self-hatred and the general lack of any redeeming quality in any of the other characters.” 2 Stars Pros: Rice gives an interesting view of the Vampire mythos, what can and cannot harm them etc/The description of their heightened senses was interesting.  Cons: Not one character seemed to have anything redeeming about them, except for Louis and his stubborn hold on his “humanity” but that also gave rise to his utter self-loathing which became absolutely insufferable/How the characters just fell in love so easily, there was really no reason for it, no real backstory, it was all just a little unsettling and weird. Full Review Louis is already the owner of a prosperous plantation in New Orleans when he is turned into a Vampire by the mysterious Lestat. Lestat’s reason for this is that he wants Louis’ plantation and so he more or less, gets what he wants. Louis struggles with the idea of being a...

"What is sure to be a delightful story for children is lackluster and dull when read in adulthood."  2 Stars Pros: Extremely easy to read/Simple to follow/The moral of the story is that you don't have to go out looking for brains/a heart/courage etc, it's within you all along. Cons: Even though it was a story meant for children, the characters had no depth, they were extremely one dimensional, but again, it's meant for children so, it can't be too complicated. Full Review:  The story of Dorothy and her magical trip to the land of Oz all starts during a Cyclone in Kansas. Toto, her mischievous but loyal dog, runs to hide under the bed and Dorothy runs after him instead of getting to the storm cellar. The cyclone then picks up the house and whisks it away to the mysterious land of Oz. Upon entering the land, she finds it lush and beautiful, much different than drab, gray Kansas. She is approached by the Munchkins and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, ...

"A frightening chronicle of one of the worst times in human history told from the eyes of a girl who is forced to grow up in a terrible situation and who must learn independence and self reliance in the most unusual circumstances."  4 Stars Pros: Every girl who has gone through puberty can relate to the inner turmoil of Anne's thoughts and feelings/We see Anne's struggle to both be seen as an adult and her wish still have the carefree life of a child/ Cons: Everything is, of course, one sided, as it is all told from Anne's point of view. We only know her thoughts on the situation and no one else's/Some of the characters are a bit jumbled and confusing. People that Anne has probably known her whole life but to the reader, they are strangers, again though, it's a Diary, I'm sure she had no intention of writing to an audience. Full Review: Otto Frank and his family, his wife and two daughters went into hiding to try and escape the persecution of t...

"At first, a dense, complicated, hard to get through "tome" that transforms into a truly inspiring, heartbreaking meditation on life, Faith, predestination and how the people in our lives mean so much."  5 Stars Pros:  A truly unique coming of age story with memorable characters/Owen Meany in and of himself is larger than life in every aspect but for his physical appearance/The scenes of New Hampshire are truly vivid and for someone who has spent her entire life in New England, I could see everything with crystal clarity/The mystery behind the identity of Johnny's Father is what keeps the novel moving forward, also the idea of how every action leads to the next, that everything is intertwined, was interesting. Cons:  The idea that Owen Meany is always right and far above and removed from the average human, though that was the authors intent/The Owen Meany flame text (all capital letters) took some getting used to/Johnny's opinions of current events, for t...