Honors Students- this month's (Oct) book review is a blog about your book. Here are some of my expectations about what this bookblog should contain.
First take a look at the sites below to learn more about what a book review is and what it should contain.
These are not all inclusive and you don't have to include everything; just remember that this is a review not a book summary. Pay special attention to the first website.
Rodman Philbrick's reviews
LAVC library page
Remember that blogs are not meant to be long discourses on a topic. Include links to sites that discuss the book or to places that provide access to the book. Maybe you could even add a review to Barnes and Noble or to Amazon.com. Be sure to link to your review.
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21 comments:
Author Edith Wharton sets you back in the harsh New England farmlands in the years of horse and buggies. She tells the story of the rough-exteriored Ethan Frome, who is forced to be bound to his unproductive family farm while taking care of his sickly wife, Zeenie. But his life takes a turn when his wife’s cousin, Mattie, comes to live with them. Ethan will be a “prisoner for life, and now his one ray of light was to be extinguished.” This book, though abrupt and slightly bleak, creates a good story line that leaves the reader guessing what may happen next. I believe this book is best suited for those who enjoy older novels, for this early 1900’s classic will keep you quite entertained. I would rank it with 3 ½ stars.
A link to visit about this book is http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ethan-Frome/Edith-Wharton/e/9780451531315/?itm=1&usri=ethan+frome
This is my second one so you can delete my first...
Billy Pilgrim shows us the bombing of Dresden in World War II and other aspects of his life in odd, yet facetious ways. Kurt Vonnegut’s book Slaughterhouse Five, published January 12, 1999, jumps back and forth through different events of Billy’s life. He was scoffed at, despondent, and a little crazy. The book tells of events during World War II, him being abducted by aliens, his years of optometry, and many other events. This book leaves readers in suspense on what part of Billy’s life will pop up next! Kurt Vonnegut expresses his own feelings about war in this book. One of my favorite quotes is, "And even if the wars didn't keep coming like glaciers, there would still be plain old death."
I would give this book five stars because it always keeps me interested and excited. Vonnegut does an amazing job at showing life through others’ eyes. I strongly recommend this book for people who can enjoy books that switch back and forth and keep you intrigued. I personally don’t like history, but this is hands down my favorite book. Vonnegut teaches facts about history in an abnormal way. This book changed my outlook on life and death. As it says in the book, "If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still--if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments are nice." Here is a link about the book: http://www.vonnegutweb.com/sh5/index.html
The Lost Boy, written by Dave Pelzer, is the sequel to Dave’s first book, A Child Called It. The Lost Boy, published by Health Communications Incorporated in Deerfield Beach, Florida in 1997, is a #1 Bestseller. The Lost Boy is the true story of a foster child’s search for the love of a family. “It takes a community to save a child.” And that’s just what it took to save Dave from his mother. "I had hoped he was taking me to some kind of jail, with all the other bad children - as Mother had programmed into me for so many years." Dave said of the police officer that was taking him to safety in the book A Child Called It.
Although Dave Pelzer has been rescued from his evil, abusive, alcoholic mother, he is still far from living the normal life that a child his age should be living. Dave is still not free. He has never had his own home, away from the torturous home of his mother in Daly City, California, and he carries his old, torn clothes from foster home to foster home in an old paper bag. He fears that at any instant he will be thrown back into the unloving arms of his wicked mother.
Dave now considers himself an F-Child, because he is a foster child. "I don't dare make a sound as I cry deep inside. I know I'm wrong. And as always, it's all my fault." –Quote from The Lost Boy. In this compelling story, he goes from homes filled with love to other homes that aren’t so welcoming. As I read, I learned of a child’s struggle to fit into a whole new world, a world that he has never known outside of his abusive home where possibilities are endless.
I believe that this is a good book to read because it showed me to not take things for granted, and that being loved is one of the best things a person can have. This book showed me that not every child is fortunate enough to have the guidance and warm love of a mother or father. I recommend this book to anyone that has read Dave Pelzer’s first book, A Child Called It.
This book is written in first person by Dave Pelzer and it takes place in and around Daly City, California. Many locations in the story appear in non-fiction. The author personally values his possessions and keeping to himself, because he is always scared of getting criticized or yelled at like his mother always used to yell at him. The theme focuses on the self- discovery of Dave. Some of the characters in the book are Aunt Mary, Dave, Dave’s brothers, and his mother.
I give this book:*****
I give this book five stars because it taught me a life lesson, which is never to take things for granted. This book is filled with so much suspense and emotion, that I never wanted to stop reading it.
Link that discusses the book:
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-lost-boy/
“Get away from me! Get off!”
I buck hard, trying to move him, grab his hair to get his ugly face off mine. “Where’s Danny?”
“Danny!” I scream “Danny!”
“He ain’t gonna help you now.”
School work, family problems, and work can all be so stressful, but nothing can compare to the devastation of a rape incident. This novel is called But What About Me by Marilyn Reynolds, and was published in 1996. Every emotion will be tested in this capturing novel. I like this novel because there was never a dull moment between the boyfriend sneaking in for late night fun to the dog getting stabbed.
If I could rate this book by a five star ratings I would definitely rate it a five like many other people already have done on amazon.com. Marilyn likes to write stories that can relate to her readers, but still make the story interesting to capture their attention. To many readers, this book is a replica of their own life. There are tons of people in a year that get rapped or even just sexual harassed. Drinking and drugs and how much it affects one’s life plays a big role in this novel. This novel keeps you interested because right when you think you know what’s going to happen, it takes an unexpected turn.
Erica, the main character in the novel, has many problems that she is trying to overcome. She pours more and more of her heart and soul into helping her boyfriend, Danny, get his life back. While she is helping him, though, she loses sight of her own life and goals. It takes her sometime to realize that she can’t help him anymore, and she just needs to let him go. Upon her letting him go, many tragic things happen for her to make up her mind.
“What if I don’t find any friends? What if the works too hard? What if I get miserable homesick? Why am I worrying about things that probably won’t happen? And if they do, I know I’ll handle it. I already know I can get through hard times. I have. I will again, if I need to. But good times are ahead.”
Amazon.com
A Man Named Dave was written by Dave Pelzer. This book was published in 1999. It was a great read because it taught me to forget my problems and focus on the less unfortunate ones.
Dave Pelzer’s childhood was not ordinary. His mother abused him quite terribly. This book is about the struggle to overcome the past and move on. Pelzer wanted to give his child a better life than the one he had.
When Dave tried and tried to enlist in the U.S. Air Force, I felt determination. Pelzer didn’t give up until he was on a plane to Basics. Dave felt that his dad’s drinking problem was his fault. Pelzer wanted to live with his father on the Russian River. “My father!’I cried ‘I’m gonna buy a house and have Dad live with me. It’s the right thing to do’”. Dave wanted to give his son everything he never got as a kid. This was an act of love. David loved his son. “To me, nothing was too much if it made Stephen happy.”
I give this book 5 stars. People should read this book because it will show them that people from the worst homes can grow up and have a happy family and a successful career.
Dave’s emotion in parts of this book was forgiveness. He wanted to forgive his father, his brothers, and most of all his mother. Society didn’t approve of talking about child abuse at the time Pelzer was going through it. The big idea of the book is to teach others that child abuse is happening and needs to be addressed. Dave Pelzer’s personal values are to make sure his son is happy and to let people know it is OK to talk about abuse of children.
Anyone who has a heart will feel bad for Dave at times. My heart went out to Dave when he had to overcome the struggles of his past.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” –To Kill A Mockingbird
Author Harper Lee, tells the story of a young woman living in a quiet, small Alabama town in the 1930’s, in her captivating and emotional story, To Kill A Mockingbird. The young woman, Jean Louis Finch or “Scout” as she is called, is the daughter of a lawyer and is the narrator throughout the story. Her father, Atticus Finch, has to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. It’s no surprise that Atticus, a firm believer in equality, is faced with a difficult challenge when defending Tom, as the town’s people are primarily racist. With her father busy helping Tom, Scout and her siblings discover another important character of the story. Arthur Radley, or “Boo”, is a secret and obscure boy that’s treated cruelly by his father and rarely leaves his house. Even so, he leaves gifts for Scout and her siblings and later in the story comes to help them. Boo, like Tom, is one of the stories “mockingbirds” that plays a vital role in the plot of the book.
Published in 1960, To Kill A Mockingbird, became an almost instantaneous best seller and in 1961, won the Pulitzer Prize.
With her incredible story telling and vivid descriptions of characters, Harper Lee made this book an excellent one to read. Although I found it occasionally confusing and sometimes hard to understand, I enjoyed the book. Essentially, the book develops into a serious tone, but in the beginning there is some humor, which I liked. What I enjoyed most was how descriptive the book was, especially the characters, it’s as if you know them personally. Even more so, the characters are not only described by physical appearance and their personalities, but they also symbolize something bigger. For instance, Boo and Tom represent good people that are threatened by cruelty and evil. Like Bob Ewell, the man who accuses Tom of rape, represents the evil that is bigotry and racism. Personally, I would give this book 4 stars on a 1 to 5 rating scale and recommend it for all readers, especially those who may feel dissent to another race or religious group.
With the book being written right in the heart of the civil rights era, we see that one of the central ideas is that racism and prejudice only pervert society. Yet the main concept of the book is that there is definite good and evil in the world and as humans we must choose which side we are on. Therefore, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a very eye-opening and inspiring book. It shows that we must respect people, stay true to ourselves, and above all be moral and understanding people.
For More on To Kill A Mockingbird, visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird
“When Buck was made, the mould was broke.”The Call of the Wild, one of Jack London’s most famous books, was published in 1903 and became instantly successful. This book’s diverse plot may seem to be a children’s book, but in reality it has a deeper meaning that makes it a great adults’ book.
“Never was there such a dog.” Buck, a St. Bernard\ German Sheppard cross, lived a trouble-free life until he was kidnapped from his home in Santa Clara, California. He is then sold into a life of grueling manual labor, where he is to pulling a dog sled in the barren Yukon Territory for the rest of his days. Buck quickly learns the “Law of Club and Fang”, and is thought to be “the fiercest dog in all of the Northern Territory.” His life greatly changes when he meets the love of his life and follows The Call of the Wild.
I would recommend this book to everyone for numerous reasons. This book moves at a speedy pace and keeps one on the edge of one’s seat. This book takes place mainly in the frozen tundra in the Yukon Territory, during the Klondike gold rush in the 1890’s. London does a great job of describing the climate and the landscape−the reader feels like they are right there. There are only two main characters in this book, Buck the dog and John Thornton, a gold seeker and Bucks final owner.
This book is told through Buck’s point of view and would be great for anyone who has an extreme love for nature because of the London’s naturalistic description of nature. The theme of The Call of the Wild is just that, having a call to cut your ties with society and live in the wild. For people interested in the Klondike gold rush, this would be a grand book to read because The Call of the Wild is set in that time era. The Call of the Wild moves at a rapid pace and is full of suspense; it would be great for those readers who like to be kept on the edge of their seats. For pet lovers, I strongly recommend that this book not be read because of the harsh conditions and gruesome, bloody fights that Buck and the other dogs encounter. I would give this book a rating of 4. 5 stars. There is a website that has some book reviews of The Call of the Wild http://www.amazon.com/Call-Wild-Tor-Classics/dp/0812504321
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"S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?" A quote from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, leaves a lot of mystery and leads people to want to know more. Krakauer’s book was published in December of 1995 in the USA by Doubleday.
In April 1992, a young man from a good family hitchhiked to Alaska and survived alone in the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He gave $25,000 to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and went on his adventure. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
Into the Wild is one the best, most gripping books I have ever read. Not only is the book in the adventure genre that I love, it also shows some mystery. I think that it would be amazingly fun to be able to live off of the land, but not in the way that McCandless did. This book shows the hard-headedness of young people as Christopher McCandless said,” I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.” He wanted to prove a point that he could live off of the land and survive at any cost. Another quote by McCandless, “The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences” shows his need to explore and his stubbornness. His soul could only be fulfilled by going to Alaska and actually completing his goal of living off of the land. I would recommend this book to any person that loves the outdoors or just a great mystery and adventure book that keeps you in awe. Into the Wild would get 5 stars because it is one of the best books I have read.
I can connect with the Chris McCandless, the main character of the story. I think that is why I like reading the book so much. Young men and teenage boys tend to have this urge to want to break the mould. Most of us have this inner urge to go out into the wild and try to survive. The main theme and big idea is a man in nature and the belief that a man’s joy can only be found in harmony with nature. There are multiple settings in the book because McCandless has such a nomadic lifestyle, but he ends up settling in Alaska. Some of the conflicts in the book are the fact that he gets close to people and then decides its time to leave. If I were the people he was leaving I would feel hurt and ask why? The disrespect that he shows to his parents are alike the societal issues that we have today. It seems that most kids nowadays take their parents for granted. Jon Krakauer has love for nature and is a prolific writer. His writing career has circled a lifelong passion for adventure, the wilderness, and mountain climbing. Into the Wild shows much emotion and tone in the way that McCandless is fighting for his life. Most of the book is written like an autobiography, with some of McCandless’ own personal experiences.
Link to discuss book and some reviews: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Into-the-Wild/Jon-Krakauer/e/9780307476869/?itm=1&USRI=into+the+wild
“Now, lying in the ditch with Billy and the scouts after having been shot at, Weary made Billy take a very close look at his trench knife.”
Kurt Vonnegut writes about his experiences with post traumatic stress disorder through the novel, Slaughterhouse-Five or the Children’s Crusade, published in 1969. This book is based on the Experiences of Billy Pilgrim during World War II. He writes the book in third person point of view. Kurt does a great job of keeping you in suspense as you flip through the pages of Billy’s life.
The novel begins with Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist, who was drafted into the war. Billy travels though time and space as he tells his ever changing life story about his time in the war and after it. Billy is stuck in time and experiences different events that took place in his lifetime. Billy talks about how he was captured during the war and sent to Dresden camp that would keep him held hostage. While Billy is there he meets many different people that shape is life ever so much. Billy tells us how he and a couple others where the only ones that survived the Dresden bombing. He then tells us his intriguing story on how he was abducted by aliens and was held captive and forced to mate with another human that they took from our planet. Billy then takes you back and talks about his family.
I think that this was and outstanding book and that anyone interested in science fiction or anti-war novels would really like this book. It tells a great story on how Billy Pilgrim survived the Dresden bombing and lived to tell about it. It also it very action packed.
Rating: *** 1/2 stars
I gave Slaughterhouse-Five three and a half stars because it was an excellent book to ready and it was very entertaining. This book brought me into Billy Pilgrim’s life and had me experience all his challenges as he faced them.
http://www.bookrags.com/Slaughterhouse-Five
About fifteen percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder according to apahelpcenter.org. Post-traumatic stress disorder can happen after experiencing death or injury, and some common effects include flashbacks, numbness, and difficulty concentration. Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children’s Crusade was written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., published by Dell in 1969, and printed as a hardback and paperback.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. relates his experiences through Billy Pilgrim, a terribly trained soldier who is captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Dresden, Germany. In an unused pig slaughterhouse, the few survivors of the bombing of Dresden are safe in shelter. The plot skips around among different dates because of Billy’s flashbacks. At one point, Billy is captured by aliens and placed into an “alien zoo.” Vonnegut explains the rest of the novel with other bizarre flashbacks, which culminates an unexpected ending.
The book was written in the third-person point-of-view as a narrator telling the story. Characters range from simple family members to intriguing aliens, and the setting changes many times throughout the entire book. The erroneous ways of human beings is addressed as a theme in Slaughterhouse-Five. Due to its obscene content, the book has been repeatedly forbidden from American literature classes and from school libraries. Billy’s wife has a Reagan for President! bumper sticker on her car, which refers to Reagan’s 1968 presidential campaign.
I personally love this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in psychology, wars, or science fiction. My favorite ingredient in Slaughterhouse-Five is the transitional phrase to change subjects, “So it goes…” I was truly fascinated when the Tralfamadorians—the aliens—teach Billy about predestination, the belief that everything that happens in your life has been predetermined. “If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,” said the Tralfamadorian, “I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will.’ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.” I liked this quote because free will is a really important concept, but we don’t think much of it.
I rated this book four and one-half stars because the constant time changes in plot were impetuous, but it was extremely interesting in its entirety.
http://pfplreaders.blogspot.com/2008/04/may-book-discussion-slaughterhouse-five.html is a blog that has a discussion on Slaughterhouse-Five.
"S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?" A quote from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, leaves much mystery and leads people to want to know more. Krakauer’s book was published in December of 1995 in the USA by Doubleday.
In April 1992, a young man from a good family hitchhiked to Alaska and survived alone in the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He gave $25,000 to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and went on his adventure. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
Into the Wild is one the best, most gripping books I have ever read. Not only is the book in the adventure genre that I love, but also shows some mystery. I think that it would be amazingly fun to be able to live off the land, but not in the way that McCandless did. This book shows the hard-headedness of young people as Christopher McCandless said,” I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.” He wanted to prove a point that he could survive at any cost. Another quote by McCandless, “The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences” shows his need to explore and his stubbornness. His soul could only be fulfilled by going to Alaska and actually completing his goal of living from the land. I would recommend this book to any person that loves the outdoors or just a great mystery and adventure book that keeps you in awe. Into the Wild would get 5 stars because it is one of the best books I have read.
I can connect with the Chris McCandless, the main character of the story. I think that is why I like reading the book so much. Young men and teenage boys tend to have this urge to want to break the mold. Most of us have this inner urge to go out into the wild and try to survive. The main theme and big idea is a man in nature and the belief that a man’s joy can only be found in harmony with nature. There are multiple settings in the book because McCandless has such a nomadic lifestyle, but he ends up settling in Alaska. Some of the conflicts in the book are the fact that he gets close to people and then decides its time to leave. If I were the people he was leaving, I would feel hurt and ask why? The disrespect that he shows to his parents are alike the societal issues that we have today. It seems that most kids nowadays take their parents for granted. Jon Krakauer has love for nature and is a prolific writer. His writing career has circled a lifelong passion for adventure, the wilderness, and mountain climbing. Into the Wild shows much emotion and tone in the way that McCandless is fighting for his life. Most of the book is written like an autobiography, with some of McCandless’ own personal experiences.
Link to discuss book and some reviews: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Into-the-Wild/Jon-Krakauer/e/9780307476869/?itm=1&USRI=into+the+wild
Use this one.
The Lost Boy, written by Dave Pelzer, is the sequel to Dave’s first book, A Child Called It. The Lost Boy, published by Health Communications Incorporated in Deerfield Beach, Florida in 1997, is a #1 Bestseller. The Lost Boy is the true story of a foster child’s search for the love of a family. “It takes a community to save a child.” And that’s just what it took to save Dave from his mother. "I had hoped he was taking me to some kind of jail, with all the other bad children - as Mother had programmed into me for so many years." Dave said of the police officer that was taking him to safety in his first book, A Child Called It.
Although Dave Pelzer has been rescued from his evil, abusive, alcoholic mother, he is still far from living the normal life that a child his age should be living. Dave is still not free. He has never had his own home, away from the torturous home of his mother in Daly City, California, and he carries his old, torn clothes from foster home to foster home in an old paper bag. He fears that at any instant he will be thrown back into the unloving arms of his wicked mother.
Dave now considers himself an F-Child, because he is a foster child. "I don't dare make a sound as I cry deep inside. I know I'm wrong. And as always, it's all my fault." –Quote from The Lost Boy. In this compelling story, he goes from homes filled with love to other homes that aren’t so welcoming. As I read, I learned of a child’s struggle to fit into a whole new world, a world that he has never known outside of his abusive home where possibilities are endless.
I believe that this is a good book to read because it showed me to not take things for granted, and that being loved is one of the best things a person can have. This book showed me that not every child is fortunate enough to have the guidance and warm love of a mother or father. I recommend this book to anyone that has read Dave Pelzer’s first book, A Child Called It or people who enjoy books of real life occurrences.
This book is written in first person by Dave Pelzer and it takes place in and around Daly City, California. Many locations in the story appear in non-fiction. The author personally values his possessions and keeping to himself, because he is always scared of getting criticized or yelled at like his mother always used to yell at him. The theme focuses on the self- discovery of Dave, where he discovers who he really is. Some of the characters in the book are Aunt Mary, Dave, Dave’s brothers, and his mother.
I give this book: *****
I give this book five stars because it taught me a life lesson, which is never to take things for granted. This book is filled with so much suspense and emotion, that I never wanted to stop reading it.
Link that discusses the book:
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-lost-boy/
Jon Krakauer narrates the enchanting story of a young man who leaves everything he has behind. The young man had an ideal life, his parents were loaded with money he had just graduated from college ready to start his life when he decided to leave. Into the Wild tells the true story of Chris Mccandless, the adventurous simple lived man from Washington D.C.
As the book begins you are dropped into Alaska weeks after Chris’s death with several hunters who discovered his body. Then the returns back into to time to tell how this young man with an unfortunate death ended there, in the middle of nowhere.
Into the Wild, explains the trip the Chris took in his adventure to find who he really was. He starts off in Atlanta, where he recently graduated from college and was ready to start in his own way, but when his parents go to visit him they find he has left and that nobody knows where he is. The family hires an excellent veteran private investigator that was recommended by a friend. The detective never seems to find him or Chris just stayed one step ahead of him.
Chris lived for an approximately 112 days in the Alaskan wild. He is said to have died from starvation but also, from poisoning from an Eskimo Potato seed which made him too sick to eat. Before he decided to venture to the venture the Alaskan wild he hitchhiked around the western part of the country.
I would give this book 5 star because it was a very well written book on the unbelievable true adventure of Chris Mccandless. This story told us what we could all do some day if we just left the world behind us. I love to read books about adventures of kids, just like the My Side of the Mountain. The only problem I had with this book is that he is stupid to not tell any family where and what he did.
In 1995, David Pelzer published an emotional autobiography, A Child Called it. Selling three million copies, it was on New York Times Bestseller list for five years. A Child Called It is an emotional rollercoaster, sit on the edge of your seat, and wipe a few tears from your eyes kind of book.
A Child Called It starts off with a cheery and loving family. Until, the day mom turned into a monster doing anything possible to hurt one of her children, while the other children live happy and easy lives. Attending school became very hard for David, because he was always finding excuses for his injuries, until he started to run out. Having a parent that loves you, but can’t stand up of you, and a parent that says they love you, but then beats you, ends up being a story of a life time.
I loved this book, because I like the teeth clenching suspense, even though I cried quite often. I couldn’t bare think that all of the abuse David encountered was all true, it made me sick. However, I loved how David Pelzer had enough courage to write about all the bad in his life. A child called it is one of my favorite books.
I would recommend A Child Called it to anyone, but not to those who are highly against child abuse, because this book is packed full of true abuse. This book would be great for anyone who like books like to read books full of suspense, and books that test their every emotion. This book is sure to make anyone cry at least once whether they want to or not.
For more reviews: http://www.bookrags.com/A_Child_Called_%22It%22
Imagine a world of plainness where everyone is the same and where the spouses and jobs are picked for the people. That’s what it’s like for a young eleven-year -old boy named Jonas in the book called The Giver by Lois Lowry, published in 1993. Jonas lives in a society where everything is picked for the people; their spouse, their job, and even how many children they can have. He embarks on a journey that allows him to discover a world that he has never seen that is right outside of his own and helps him realize that the society he lives in isn’t the society he thinks.
The story is told from the point of view of Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in a utopia. He has been chosen to become the Receiver of Memory, a person who collects the past memories of the community. Jonas is taught by the current Receiver of Memory, The Giver, who transmits both good and bad memories to Jonas by placing his hands on his bare back. With the help of The Giver, Jonas embarks on a journey to save an infant named Gabriel from being released, a fate equal to death, and along the way, he finds a colorful world outside of his own.
I really enjoyed this book; it was filled with adventure and it made me think about what utopian societies are like. I give this book five out of five stars because it kept me interested and entertained throughout the entire thing. It was filled with awesomeness and I thought it was neat-o. I recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good read. For more reviews visit: http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/book.php?id=14
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." – The Giver; Ch. 8
Jane Hamilton’s first book, The Book of Ruth, was published by Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc. in Broadway, New York in 1988. Hamilton uses real life-like events in this story to create the image of what most everyone goes through or thinks about in their lifetime. The story of a mother and a daughter trying to make life as easy for them as possible, can usually relate to a bunch of different people.
Ruth is recalling her life story and tries to determine if her life could have been changed in any way. The book starts of with Ruth going back to her childhood and the discrimination she went through with her mother, May. May treats Ruth like she is the scum of the earth and that there is no reason for Ruth to be living. However, Ruth’s younger brother, Matt, is the star child in their mother’s eyes because he is the star pupil in school and has smarts beyond any child that has ever grew up in Honey Creek, Illinois. Ruth’s aunt Sid explains why her mother is like this through letters the two exchanged between each other. Aunt Sid explains that May had a troubled childhood being the first of eight children, and her mother treated May the way May treats Ruth. Later on in her life, Ruth finds a husband, Ruby, that is a stoner and makes Ruth feel need with all the attention he wants from her. May feels jealous of Ruth because Ruth has a happy life with her husband and baby boy, Justy. This makes it hard for Ruth to live a somewhat happy life because she will never get away from the ridicule and judgment people have towards her.
I enjoyed reading The Book of Ruth because I could easily relate to how Ruth felt in her life. Who in this world can’t remember a time when someone made fun of you for wearing something that was actually pretty, but because of who you are they make fun of you. Also, I can relate to Ruth because I, too, have the one sibling that in my opinion is looked at being the one who can do anything right. This book made me realize that everyone has their own problems and tries to deal with them in their own way. I would give this book ***, for the fact that it was well written, but it kind of drug on.
I would recommend people who like drama and tragedy stories to read this book. Also, if you enjoy reading about family problems and why some families are so dysfunctional, then this is the book for you. Anybody could read this book, but I would recommend that girls read it because guys usually don’t enjoy reading a book like this one.
As Nicholas Sparks expresses his ability to tell a uniquely written story flowing with emotion, The Notebook takes us back into the beginning of a love story. Allie Nelson, once a young, gorgeous teenage girl in love, now is waken up every day with no memories of her past life. Husband, Noah Calhoun, re-tells the beginning of their love from a worn out notebook every morning. Will Allie ever remember her previous moments of falling in love with her husband?
This book is an excellent one for those who are fascinated in romance; it will grab the reader’s attention and fill their heart with many different sensations. I would rate this book with 5 stars, because it is an attention grabbing, emotion filled book, once you start reading, you will not want to stop! As Nicholas Sparks says, “So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day.” This quote is an example of all of the emotions shown in the book The Notebook.
Nicholas Sparks uses several different emotions and writes in a romantic tone. The setting of the story bounces back and forth between the present life in the nursing home, and their younger ages where Noah is still on his farm. Nicholas Sparks wrote The Notebook based on the true life of his wife’s grandparents.
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=424,
Fire, Pumpkins, and Ichabod Crane; "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving includes all of these interesting and exciting elements. Washington Irving basically is trying to point out how gullible and stupid people can be. He lived in England at the time that he wrote it, and he realized that the same things that were happening there were also happening in America. As Mrs. Hansen says, “It is a political satire, where he was poking fun at us.”
Ichabod Crane, a tall, lanky man, is new to the town of Tarry Town, New York in the 1700's. He is the new school teacher and has a thing for the richest farmer's daughter, Katrina Van Tassel. Of course, she doesn't only have one suitor, and she is a big flirt. Brom Bones, the town bully, is one of these fellow suitors. Ichabod becomes the brunt of all of Brom’s practical jokes that he absolutely loved to play. Katrina invites Ichabod to her Halloween party, along with Brom. At the party, Brom tells the story of the headless horseman who comes out on Halloween because he is angry. Ichabod, being very superstitious, believes everything that Brom tells him, and on the way home, the headless horseman comes out and taunts him. Does he get Ichabod, I don't want to ruin the story for you, so you will just have to read it for yourself. In the end, Brom gets the girl and nobody knows what happened to Ichabod. Some people say he died that night, and some people say he married a hefty widow and ate like a king for the rest of his life. What do you think happened to Ichabod?
I would recommend this story to anyone who loves the Halloween holiday and anyone who loves a good fantastical story. Also, since the book is written in colonial America, history buffs would really enjoy this story. Amazon and Barnes and Noble recommend this book also, and give it, I believe, 2 or 3 stars. I like this book because it gets me in the spirit of Halloween and I like to think about how gullible some people can be. If you want to get a laugh out a story and also be somewhat frightened at the same time, definitely read this book. I would definitely give this book three stars.
Published in 1949 The Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, is a well in-thought book. Mr. Loman is always on the move so his two sons never really get to know him. On a scale one through five i would rate this book a three. It was a good book, but the book was written in play format. Mr. Miller had me thinking about we should be thankful for what is in front of us and not what we want. He put a lot of thought into writing this book. It is a very sad book. Death of a Salesman is for people who like sad endings.
Tom Clancy really works hard in Rainbow Six to make it exciting. He puts family together with the Grandpa and his son in law working together. When the enemy captures the daughter and mother, it showed how much they are willing to protect themselves as a family. This book shows kindheartedness as well as the evils of a belief. When the Nature people decide that humans should all die because of the destruction to the animals it shows the quickness of thinking. When the whole human race is threatened except for a select group, will the Rainbow people be able to take care of it.
For more reviews go to http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Six-Tom-Clancy/product-reviews/0425170349/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
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