Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Transall Saga


Title: The Transall Saga
Author: Gary Paulsen
Pages: 248
Cover Rating: 3/5
Character Rating: 5/5
Plot Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating:4/5

I have to say that I am not normally a big sci-fi fan when it comes to reading books. But lately I have been really enjoying sci-fi. The other day I even bought two Star Trek books!!!! I am surprising my self daily. hehehe. Anyway, I really liked this book. I thought that it was done phenomenally. The characters were AMAZING!!! He did not really have to tell about them much for you to understand them. You found out more by their actions, which I greatly enjoyed. I thought that Gary Paulsn did a WONDERFUL job, once again. I HIGHLY recommend this book to his fans, and to fans of sci-fi.

Plot:

Mark Harrison thinks he's just going mountain climbing, but as he hikes he is struck by a mysterious beam of light that transports him to what appears to be a different world. In this world is a jungle that he has to learn to survive in, dangerous animals he must defend himself from, and eventually when he meets people he must learn about their culture and adapt there.

(I did copy and paste that paragraph about the plot, but did not do the whole thing because I think it gave away to much of the story line, so sorry for the short plot description. Oh, and if you are interested in this book, PLEASE do not read any other descriptions of the book, It is best to be read when you don't know all the details, so NO READING THE STORIES DESCRIPTION!!! (this means you Bostan!!! I think you will really like this book.)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Just Ella


Title: Just Ella
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Pages: 192
Cover Rating: 3/5
Character Rating: 3/5
Story Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I really did like this book. And once again I read a book on Cinderella, but it was a very abstract take on it. It showed what it was like after Ella was whisked away to the castle. I liked that, but must confess that I did not mean to read another Cinderella book, but it just happened that I did. I thought it was good, and liked the characters. I also liked that it was not the conventional story telling of Cinderella. Funny enough, this is the same author that wrote "Double Identity", which did not get very good reviews from me, but I do like this one, and recommend it.

Plot:
In Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix puts a spin on the traditional tale of the glass slippers. In her version, Ella (sans "Cinder") finds her own way to the ball (there was no fairy godmother, despite the rumors) and wins the heart of the prince. But now she is finding that life at the palace as Prince Charming's betrothed is not as great as she thought it was going to be. In fact, it's downright boring for a self-reliant and active girl to do needlework all day or listen to instructions on court etiquette from the strict and cold Madame Bisset. Worst of all, Ella is beginning to suspect that Charming's beautiful blue eyes and golden hair are attached to a head with nothing in it. Her young tutor Jed, however, talks with her about serious things that really matter. Ella finally gets up the courage to announce to Charming that she doesn't want to go through with the wedding, but when she finds herself locked in the dungeon she realizes it's not that easy to walk away from a politically arranged marriage. In the end, as in all good fairy tales, our heroine and hero do manage to live happily ever after--but with a twist.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Tiger, Tiger


Title: Tiger, Tiger
Author: Lynne Reid Banks
Pages: 194
Cover Rating: 4/5
Character Rating: 4/5
Plot Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it wonderful in it's story line, and very well thought out. I will definitely look up more of the author's books. I thought that it was enchanting, and had very good characters. It was a good read, and I liked it alot, but I was not that happy with the ending. I highly recommend it.

Plot:

Two tiger cub brothers are torn from the jungle and taken to Rome. The stronger cub is trained as a killer at the Coliseum. Emperor Caesar makes a gift of the smaller cub to his beautiful daughter, Aurelia. She adores her cub, Boots. Julius, a young animal keeper, teaches Aurelia how to earn Boots’s trust. Boots is pampered while his brother, known as Brute, lives in the cold and darkness, let out only to kill. Caesar trusts Julius to watch Aurelia and her prized pet. But when a prank backfires, Boots temporarily escapes and Julius must pay with his life. Thousands watch as Julius is sent unarmed into the arena to face the killer Brute.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Bound


Title: Bound
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Pages: 184
Cover Rating: 5/5
Charater Rating: 3/5
Plot Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3/5

I really liked this book, and thought it was good. It was, in my opinion a very good, but different retelling of the story Cinderella. I have to admit, I am a Donna Jo Napoli fan, and thought she did a very good job with this book. She followed closely to the Cinderella story line, but yet made it her own, in that you forgot at certain points that it was in fact a Cinderella Story. I liked the way she weaved the story, though once again, it had a little to much of ancient Chinese religion in it. But other than that, I really liked this book, and would recommend it.

Plot:
"Xing Xing is a small child who is coping with the recent death of her kind-hearted potter father. Her mother died years ago from illness, which forced her to live with the stepmother her Father had married with her Half-Sister Wing-Pei.
The "Family" lives off selling what remains from Xing Xing's Father's collection of unsold pottery, Xing Xing fears she may be sold into slavery once the supply runs out as her step mother as threatened her with. Step Mother's increasing vainity is shown early on by her obsession with Wing-pei undergoing the painful procedure of "feet binding".
Feet Binding is a painful procedure where all the bones of a womans foot are shattered via blunt-force trauma and re-arranged as to appear smaller and more "beautiful". Xing Xing's Father was greatly against such a horrific procedure, but now against his wishes his daughter Wing-pei is put through it.
Xing Xing finds solace and seculsion from the torments of Stepmother who forces her into servitude and border-line slave work through practicing chinese writing "Caligraphy" as well as reading and seeing "Mother Fish". Mother Fish is her pet of sorts who seems to be a reincarnation of her late mother.
The book depeicts Xing Xings' struggles as well as an adventure she must go on for the sake of Wing-Pei. Xing Xing begins to learn the ways of the world and through her own cunning and intellect learn a way out of her horrible prediciment."