PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Release Date: 2005
Publisher: Miramax Books /
Hyperion Books for Children
Pages: 400
Source: Purchased
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What if the gods and monsters of Greek Mythology were not myth but reality? The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan creates a world where this question is answered and the consequences of the Gods’ actions on the mortal world are explored. The novel’s main character, Percy Jackson, finds out that he is a demigod, son of one of the Greek gods. Unfortunately, it also marks him as a target for the different monsters of mythology to come after him. When he makes it to Camp Half-Blood, a haven for other demigods, Percy learns that he has to take on a vital quest and succeed or the entire world will be [...]

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Retro Reads: CHEATER R.L. Stine

CHEATER by R.L. Stine Book Review (3.5 out of 5 Stars)

Cheater by R.L. Stine
Release Date: April 1, 1993
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 152
Source: Purchased
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So Kristen had the brilliant idea of reviewing books we loved when we were younger. In junior high school I was really into the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine. Fear Street books were scary tales that often included a murder/mystery. There were written for a slightly older audience than Stine’s other scary series, Goosebumps.
I recently re-read the book “Cheater” to see if I could rekindle some of the old magic I enjoyed as a teenager. Cheater is the story of what happens to high schooler Cater Phillips when she decides to cheat on an important college entrance exam. First off one of the best things about an R.L. Stine book is the character names. Carter Phillips’ boyfriend, Dan Mason, and best friend Jill Bancroft round [...]

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Retro Reads: DIE SOFTLY by Christopher Pike

DIE SOFTLY by Christopher Pike Review (5 out of 5 Stars)

Die Softly by Christopher Pike
Release Date: 1991
Publisher: Pocket Books
Pages: 248
Source: Library
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A while back, I was reading The Vampire Diaries and I was surprised to find that it was published in 1991 and I was only just now reading it. That got me thinking – what was I reading in 1991? The answer: Christopher Pike. If you grew up in the late 80s and 90s, chances are you’ve read at least one of his books. Back in the day, they would keep me up reading all night and freak me out like nothing else. I think they were so popular because they were fairly edgy compared to most books in the Young Adult section of the library. Murder, drugs, sex, and the supernatural – Pike’s books have it all.
It’s been years [...]

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THE GRAVEYARD BOOK By Neil Gaiman

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Niel Gaiman Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages:320
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This week I read the highly acclaimed Newberry award-winning, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is known for several popular young adult books, including Coraline, which was adapted into a movie. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a young boy, Nobody Owens. Nobody, or “Bod” as he is affectionately called, is a human boy that lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts. Nobody was orphaned as a toddler when the evil “The man Jack” murders his entire family. The ghosts discovered the child and decided to raise and protect him.
Although the murdering of an entire family may sound like a dark way to begin a children’s book, I think Gaiman did a good job of relating this in a way that [...]

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CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 400
Source: Purchased
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Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins’ follow up to her 2008 hit, The Hunger Games (read my review here), continues to follow Katniss as she returns to life back home in District 12. Unfortunately for her, life becomes anything but normal. As a Hunger Games victor she lives in a new home with her mother and sister, and her much publicized “romance” with Peeta during the Hunger Games has meant less time away from her friend (and first love?) Gale. Still, she does her best dealing with the limelight while trying to live her life, even returning to hunting and revisiting friends from her old haunts.
Then her world changes when a visit from the President of Panem on the eve of her Victory Tour of [...]

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THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Release Date: September 14, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 384
Source: Purchased
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The Hunger Games are part Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”, part Stephen King’s “The Running Man”, and part CBS’ Survivor reality TV show. It is set in the future, where the country of Panem now occupies a large portion of North America. Panem is comprised of the Capitol City (apparently located in the Rockies) and twelve Districts, which are similar to states. Originally there were 13 Districts, but the 13th District was destroyed during a civil war, where the districts staged an uprising against the Capitol. In the aftermath of the war, the government set up the Hunger Games to punish the districts and remind them of the Capitol’s control over their lives. The games pit two children (one boy and [...]

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GOSSIP GIRL #2: YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME Book Review

GOSSIP GIRL #2: YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME: A GOSSIP GIRL NOVEL by Cecily von Ziegesar (3 out 5 stars)

Gossip Girl #2: You Know You Love Me
by Cecily von Ziegesar
Release Date: February 1, 2008
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 256
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You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel is the second installment of the hugely popular book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. It’s the story of some extremely wealthy high school students from New York’s upper east side that is narrated by a mysterious blogger named “gossip girl” that seems to have the inside info on everyone. The main characters are Blair Waldorf, who is the most popular girl in school and use to getting what she wants. Serena van der Woodsen, the most beautiful girl in school and former best friend to Blair and Nate Archibald, Blair’s pot smoking boyfriend. There is also Jenny Humphrey, a freshman who has eyes [...]

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THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE STRUGGLE Book Review

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE STRUGGLE by L.J. Smith (3 out of 5 stars)

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L.J. Smith
Release Date: June 26, 2007
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 512
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The Struggle is the second book in the popular Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. In the first book, The Awakening (read review here), we met Elena, the most popular girl in her high school, and the vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon. Elena is immediately attracted to Stefan and they begin dating, even after she discovers his secret. After someone is murdered at the school Halloween party, Stefan becomes the prime suspect. The Awakening ended in a cliffhanger and The Struggle picks up where it left off. Now that she’s dating a murder suspect, Elena is no longer the golden girl. On top of being a social outcast, she also has to deal with the fact that someone stole her diary [...]

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LIAR Book Review

The Book Smugglers have a new review for LIAR by Justine Larbalestier.
Liar Synopsis: Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.
Excerpt from The Book Smugglers review:
“…That’s where the brilliance of this novel lies. Because from [...]

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A NORTHERN LIGHT Book Review

The Book Smugglers posted a new review for A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly.
A Northern Light Synopsis: Mattie Gokey has a word for everything. She collects words, stores them up as a way of fending off the hard truths of her life, the truths that she can’t write down in stories.
The fresh pain of her mother’s death. The burden of raising her sisters while her father struggles over his brokeback farm. The mad welter of feelings Mattie has for handsome but dull Royal Loomis, who says he wants to marry her. And the secret dreams that keep her going–visions of finishing high school, going to college in New York City, becoming a writer.
Yet when the drowned body of a young woman turns up at the hotel where Mattie works, all her words are useless. But in the dead woman’s letters, Mattie again finds her voice, and a determination to live [...]

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