Book: Percy Jackson and the Olympian: the Titans curse ( #3)

First off this book has the same pros as the first two; fast paced almost from the beginning, has good humor, good character development and is another fun but short look at what Greek mythology would look like in the modern world. though some things are different it is set in the winter not summer, and is darker than the first two, but keeps it's good sense of humor. This book does what the second did take away a main character and put in a new one or in this case three. The new characters are good some more the others. At first I was upset about this but it adds good variety to the book. Though I will say Grover does not get as much character development as Annabeth got in the last book and he seems only there to be comic relief. Also the ending to this book is far better then the last two overall. This is definitely the best in a series that keeps getting better and better.
(9+)



Stars:*** 3.8          Level: listening to Percy's dam jokes FOR ETERNITY


The B team

Book:Percy Jackson and the olympians book two: the sea of monsters

This book is a fine sequel to The Lighting Thief and does little wrong. It follows the same pattern ( which for me is a plus).Percy gets a quest and has to travel, but this time to the sea of monsters to save grover  which is located in the bermuda triangle. Which of course Rick gave is own spin on.
Also like the first book every encounter an or with a monster(s) is not to long or too short so the book keeps a nice brisk pace once it gets going it keeps moving along. I have to say that the pace of the book is one of its best feature, and great for keeping some of the younger readers interested. The book also brings in a new character tyson who at first i did not like but grew on me. another thing like the first book is the modern version of the gods and monsters this time stand out  being Hermes the chacter development is good as well. This book is a great seaquel on par with the first one. I think that fans of the first book will be far from let down with this.

(  9+ )
Stars:  * * * 3.7
By The B Team

Book: Mini Review: Hope

I had read the first one in the series and though they are a little younger than what I normally read I thought I would give it a try.
This book is one that fans of the Wish will like this. Its a fun read and the art is wonderful. But I found the story lacking in this one myself. The story of this was very easy to call. And though I think that many readers will love the books and they are great for getting young girls to read on their own they might not be best books out there for kids. Over all the book is pretty clean but there is quite a bit of talking about killing and evil doings. But its to the point that I tell parents to look through the book before you let your child read it. And make sure you talk to them about it. Its up to every parent on their own what they do and do not let their children read but I would advise you to please take a look in to this and made the call yourself.
Over all I think it is a really good even if it is on the darker side and that the art is of course breathtaking and wonderful. Fans of the first book will not be let down with this.

( Kids 8 and up )
Stars: * * 2.9

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. This did not in anyway effect my review or thoughts on the book.  Thank You to the publisher for giving me this book for an honest review.

Movie: Oz The Great And Powerful

 Let me start off by saying that I did not see this movie in the theater ( so no big 3D effect for me) because I had a feeling it was going to be a really bad movie.This movie was yet again another case of Disney throwing money out the window. It seems to me that all they can do is deliver their best worst movie.
The first problem with this film was that it tried to be a rip off Baz Luhrmann and the Wizard of Oz. Baz Luhrmann is a very talented but very hit or miss filmmaker. I was really shocked that they tried to make the film in a style so much like his.Also I felt that there was Tim Burton undertone that really threw off the story and the actors.
The one thing that made the movie okay to sit through was the CGI. But even  CGI could not cover up the bad storytelling and poor acting.There were so many mistakes in the film and scenes that should have been cut out. OR lines. So many lines that should have been rewritten. Really the film was weak all the way around. It had so much of it that was just pointless or poorly done.
There really were only a few good points in the film. The open credit roll was very good and I liked how they did that. That's something I would like to see more of in movies today.
Really the worst thing about the film was how long it was. I think that it could have been cut down to about an hour and forty-five minutes. That would have by far made it a much better movie. The fat would have been cut out and I would not have felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin watching it.
Over all I have to say that I was pretty let down with film even though I had the bar and my hopes set really low. I can not say that I would tell anyone to see this movie unless they were a fan of Wicked.

( PG-13)
Stars: * * 2.8

Book: Magic Under Stone

I could not wait to read this book! Finally there came a small break in my reviews for me to read this. 

At first I could not wait to jump right back in to the story and I had some pretty high hopes set up for this. 

This book started off really well and went on they way for a while. I found myself yet again lost in the magic of the world. But then as I was reading somewhere in the middle the story just seemed to have hit a wall.  It stopped moving along and the whole feel of the story changed. It lost its wonderful fairy tale epic feel and just became a little old fairy tale. And I found myself over all let down with the book. 

It seemed that everything I had loved about the first was not here. The ending to the book was the biggest let down of all. I read both books leading up to something that was rapped up all nice and pretty in 15 pages.It was rushed and half put together. Trying so hard to be a happy -ever- after that it was just a flop of an ending. And  I was very hurt with that. I wanted more.  I had been very in to the book and it just ended! Leaving me with nothing really to think about or hold on to. It had me feeling pretty glum about the book.

So all the characters from the first book were wonderful and really stayed true to who they were while still growing and changing in believable ways. As for the new characters that were added ? I did not care for them much at all. They felt half made. Like something was missing.  I could honestly not have cared what had happened to them. Violet I felt should have been rewritten or pretty much cut from the book. Her character was just a pill to read about and I did not care what happened to her at all.

Over all only read this if you want to see how the story ends.  What could have been done to make this book better? Epilogue! I would have added another 15 -30 pages to clean up the end give us some action and show us how all the characters had changed from when we had started the book. 

( YA - 13 and up ) 

Stars: * * 2.9

Book: The Deepest Night

After reading the first book I was very happy that I had such a short wait for the next book.  The first book might not be the best book out there but there was something so natural about the first book that I could not wait to see were it is going next.

This book really won my heart but in a soft creeping up behind me. 

Something about about Lora and her story that I love. She is the right kind of YA hero. She might not be a deep character riddled with troubles but she is very funny and she moves the story along. I like how there is no time wasted in the book. Everything leads somewhere. And every character is there for a reason. I also like how things did not take an unrealistic turn as far as Chloe goes. I like how things stayed pretty simple as far as that went. At other times I wanted more from the book. Maybe a little longer telling me more about the people or going deeper in to the story. At times it made me think of Gemma Doyle Lite. I'm not saying  that I did not like it and that it is was bad I'm just saying that I liked it and would have liked more from it. I would have liked the chance to  really get lost in the story.

Over all this book was very good. And I think that anyone would like and find these book a good read. 

(YA - 13 and up)

Stars: * * * 3.4

Goodreads ( trying out a link to goodreads let me know if I should keep it)

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. This did not in anyway effect my review or thoughts on the book

Book: The Rose Throne

I saw this book at the library and was pulled in by the simple and beautiful cover. It seemed like just what I was in need of.  As I started to read this book I got the feeling that some of the ideas and story were taken from history. The king made me thing of King Henry VII.  Which I did kind of liked.  I do think its nice when these kinds of fairy tale books take a page from the real world a little bit. For me it helps the book seem more real.
And I also really liked how the story was about two girls and told from their point of views. I really loved getting to see what the girls thought of each other.  But sadly this book just did not do much for me.  Its really a hit or miss book. And for me the pace of the book was terrible. I could not get in to it. Because it seemed that there was no end. It just went on at the same pace.  The girls did not do very much to change the world around them and there was little to no growth between them. And to be honest I was never sure if the two girls were going to fall in love with each other. But that might just have been me thinking that way.  And I found the way that pretty much everything was put off until the next book really a pain because there could have been more action in this book than there was.
Over all not a book I really liked but I think that there are some out there who will love it or like it.

( YA - 13 and Up )

Stars:  * * 2.6

Book: The Diviners

So I'm a big fan of Libba Bray. Though I have not had a chance to read the last Gemma Doyle book.  But when I saw this at the library I put everything I could on hold so I could read it. And I was blown away. This book had everything that a YA book should have. For the first time in a long time I can say that the book was wonderfully written. The first few pages had me. I did not want to put the book down. And I am not a fan of the creepy books. At all. I hate them normally. But some how Libba Bray got me with this one. I has me going crazy. And I loved almost every minute of the book. This is the first book that I can see becoming a YA classic. A book that I will give my kids to read. That is something that rarely happens with me and the books that I read.

The only  two down sides of the book was at times it was a little hard to keep track of everyone and their story line. Though Libba Bray made up for it greatly by having great and smooth character view changes. They seemed so natural. And the creepy violent parts. I know that they were part of the story but some parts of it really did bother me and I did not like them.

Over all  Libba Bray did nothing short of wonderful with this book. I will not waste all of our time with a long review of how wonderful this book is. I would say this is a must read for anyone who can handle the violent and creep parts of the book.

( YA - 15 and up )

Stars: * * * * 4.2

Book:Chameleon: Awaking

This book has a little bit of a rough opening for me. I am not really a fan of childbirth scenes my self. Never have I  been a fan of them, and  doubt I will anytime soon.
The over all start of the book like the first 50 pages were rough and not the best. But after that I was shocked to say I found my self liking it and getting in to the story. I really started to like the characters. And I also liked the way I was not sure what was going to happen next. But then around page 80 I felt my self slipping back in to the not liking part. Which is sadly were I stayed for the rest of the book. I really wanted to like this and I have high hopes for the writer in the future. But this book is short and does not go anywhere fast. There are to many holes in the story and it sounded just like every YA book I read. There was nothing here that pulled it away from the pack.When I stopped reading it I did not find my self wanting to pick it up again. I was fine with leaving the book were it was.
I would like to read the next book because I think that there is hope out there for these books and for the writer.  I am a true lover of the indie writers but this book is just not doing it for me.I do not write these reviews to make money I write them in hopes that more great books will be written and read.
Over all not really feeling this one.

( YA -13 and up)

Stars: * * 2.4

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. This did not in anyway effect my review or thoughts on the book

Book: Awaken

First off this is a bittersweet read. I have loved these books so much and as happy as I am to see what happens and I hope for a happy ever after I'm a little sad to say good-bye. As you can tell from my many Meg Cabot reviews I love her work and find her to be a great writer. Her stories are always just the right mix of love story, humor, action, and character. No matter what her books are going to be worth the read,which is why I love her so much. No matter what I know I'm in for a treat. and being a review that is something I don't get a lot. I open the book and hope for the best. With her I know that there is going to be something good about the book without a doubt.
And let me just say that this book is in no ways a let down to fans of first two.It was wonderful.
But before I really get in to the heart of the review I would like to take this moment to yet again bring up how tired I am of all the silly god loving nut cases in the books are homeschooled. It is a really bad joke and poorly done. Homeschooled people are not losers and saying these things about them just gives them a bad rep and makes life ten times harder for them. Like getting ask the worlds stupidest questions.I know its one line in the book but it is still.
As for the characters and story of the book they were pretty good. The characters were much the same as in all of Meg's books - I liked it though and I think that some how she makes it work were a lot of other writers don't. When you look at these books over all you do see a lot of slow and sometimes fast changes in the characters.Each character seems very realistic and well thought out when it comes to their action and personal changes. And all of them make sense. I understand the part that they play in each story.
As for the story I love how in this book it is all about the girl saving the guy but it not done in that over the top pushy way. I love the mix of greek myth in the book as well.It is not over powering and its not under played and half done. Which is something that a lot of YA books do wrong.Only real down side to the book? as great as it is and as much as I like it there was just something missing to give it that "I'm in love"factor. I think that I would have liked a few more little twist and for the book to have pushed the edge a little. Now I'm not saying Edgy. But I love how with the airhead novels it felt like nothing was held back and I would have liked the same from this a little more.
Over all a very fitting end to the series. And though its not a 5 star book I still would have to pick this as one of the best books I have read this year and in a long time!I would highly recommend this series to anyone.Another well done book by Meg Cabot!

( YA -14 and up )
Stars:  * * * * 4.0


I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. This did not in anyway effect my review or thoughts on the book

Book: Manifest

I have wanted to read this book since it first came out in 2010. I feel in love with the cover and when i saw it at the library I just had to give it a try.
The book was very pretty good. I think the best way to put it is that younger YA readers will like it better even though its got a dark storyline ( for more info on that see bottom of post). As I am 16 and reading it I do not think that I liked it as much I would have if I was younger.
There was not to much about this book that I have not read before in books. It made me think of the The Gifted Books a little. I think that fans of those books will also like this one.
I also think that a lot of us will see eye to eye Krystal.She is going through a rough time and though she has some paranormal problems she also is going through a lot of the same things we are. Trying to find her place in the world and feeling powerless to do anything to change the problems in her life.
Over all a pretty good book. I think that if I get the chance I will give the next one a try.


( YA-12 and Up. Note that the story is about a guy who is killed and there is some internet stalking and underage porn in the book but not by the main characters. Its a good book to read and then talk  about internet safety and so on. I do think that some 12 year olds can handle this book over all but it might be a good idea to talk to them about while and even after they are done reading it)

Stars:  * * * 3.0

Book:Wish ( Faerieground #1)

First off I would like to say that yes this is younger than YA. But I like to do younger reviews here and there.
I would like to say that the art in this book is beautiful and I have to say the best part of the book. It is was beautiful and creative.it was a very cool mix of different kinds of art and I think that readers will love it. The whole art of books and the way it is done makes me think of books like Hugo and Wonderstruck.I feel that many fans of those books will love this.I had read in some reviews that people found this book better than Wonderstuck or Hugo and I have to disagree. This book was very good but I think that those are beautiful masterpieces.BUt I really liked this one. It had a very real feeling behind it. I have to say that I love how its told from both girls point of views. It adds a nice almost poem like feel to the book.I liked a lot of things about this book and feel that younger readers would like it as well. It would be a great book for young readers who do not like to read yet and like darker fairy stories. There is something really cool here with the friendship and the way that the story is told. I think that it is one that girls will fall in love with. I find it so nice to read a story for young girls that tells them how much they can hurt a friend when they kiss or flirt with their friends crush. Its handled very nicely in this book.
But to tell the truth I was rather let down by the end. I was hoping for something ... different. I felt like the book had such a good start that I would have liked a good ending as well. And one that did not just lead in the next book.I wish that there might have been a little twist. Something that I did not see coming.
Still I feel like young readers will really like it. I know I would have when I was younger. It would make a wonderful gift.

( Kids - 8 and up)

Stars: * * 2.9



I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. This did not in anyway effect my review or thoughts on the book. 

Book:Ruby Red

I have wanted to read this book for a long time but have never had a chance to. So after one of my fellow bloggers  ( who is co-reviewing it with me) read it and really liked it i knew I had to give it a try. And truth be told it was a breath of fresh air to the both of us. For my Co-reviewer it was a good young adult book that boys could read as well.He has a very hard time finding non-girlie books to read and review. And it was something  I liked about it too. it was not all about finding true love. for once the book was about what it should be. which was time travel and Gwen. And I loved it. Gwen was just the right mix of funny,witty and normal teen with a little weird running through her. The book made me think of Harry Potter in some ways. Like that it was very enjoyable. I felt good reading it and I did not want to put it down. Both of us felt that way about the book. It was so different from these dark hard to read YA books that are everywhere. It was a book that I feel like almost anyone would like. It is something boys and girls will like. Its pretty clear so some of the younger readers can read it but I think that the older ( 15 and up) will like it just as much. Its clear why its an international best seller.
And I loved the time travel in this book. It was like the classic time travel stuff.And the time travel was the story. the writer did her job. I have not read it in german but I have to say that yes its not beautiful writing that melts your heart but does it really need to be? You are reading this book for fun.To get away.
It really was a very fun book to read full of everything a young adult book should be. And the best part was that after reading it you feel great ( and that you really should have the next book in your hands).I would say that this is a must read for just about everyone.

( YA-13 and up)
Stars: * * * * 4.5

Book:Gifted:Out of sight out of mind (#1)

It was good.It was nice to have a book about people who had gifts. They are not like the people in twilight. its more of tween or young YA read. So it was nice. Marilyn might really bring anything very new to the table as a writer. She still did a pretty good job. I liked it and Can see why it is liked so much by people ever where. Not one of the best books.But I would say its worth the read.The way she did it was nice. I did not like the characters in the book right way but I started to like them the more I read. I look forward to reading some of the other books in the series to see how they are.
 So if you are looking for a book. but not one to read all night I say this book. I like it and I think you will too.

(Tween/ Young YA - 12 and up)
Stars: * * * 3.0