Saturday, December 27, 2014

Stunning, by Sara Shepard

As the girls secrets get bigger and better, so does the knew A's. It knows what happened during summer in Jamaica and it knows a little bit of dirt from each of the four girls lives. Hanna also goes through some tough situations trying to get back an old boyfriend of hers, while helping out with her dads campaigning. Emily has a huge secret she has kept from everyone except her four friends, and possibly A? Spencer is having some trouble fitting in to the knew Princeton life, and Aria is having an internal conflict about if whether or not she should spill a secret about the family of her boyfriend. But as the girls think they are outsmarting A, A is actually outsmarting them.

I honestly think that Stunning, by Sara Shepard, was the best book she has written in the Pretty Little Liars series. It is very addicting and it doesn't allow you to put the book down. You do not know what will happen next and you can never figure out who is A. The most outrageous problems occur in these four girls' lives that you never even see it coming.But I love yet hate the fact that the girls manage to get through all their hard situations until A manages to get them back because it was part of his/her plan all along. Even though it seems like the girls outsmart A, its just a part of A's plan. Nothing that the girls do, is something that A doesn't see coming, he/she plans every possible movement the girls can take, and is able to cause he/she thinks outside the box throughout every circumstance.

Reviewed by Mary A., Grade 9
Glendale Central Library




Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Emma, by Jane Austen

Emma, a novel by Jane Austen, is the story of Emma Woodhouse and her meddlesome matchmaking habits. Emma believes she is an amazing matchmaker, and takes credit for the marriage of her governess. Her mother had died at an early age, therefore her governess Miss Taylor was her replacement and much like a sister also. Her marriage meant her moving away and leaving Emma on her own. That is when Emma, desperate for a friend or something to do, takes on the "task" of Harriet Smith. Harriet is of the lower class, yet she is beautiful which appeals to Emma. She makes it her duty to teach Harriet her ways and find her a husband. Love triangles emerge, feelings are wrongly interpreted, and hearts are crushed. We follow Emma through the trials she presents for herself, and eventually discover Emma loves someone who we, or just me personally, were quite fond of from the beginning.

In all honesty, Emma sounds like an interesting and gossip filled romance novel, which it is, except for the interesting part. It is rather boring, I found myself wanting to read the newspaper instead of the this terribly uninteresting novel. There are some interesting aspects but not enough to make you want to constantly read it. It is slightly difficult to understand, simply because it has an older style of writing and talking. I was also a bit confused with several of the words Austen used because they were words we do not use today. I give this book a five out of ten and do not recommend it as an interesting read.
Reviewed by Kristine K., Grade 11
Casa Verdugo Library

Monday, December 22, 2014

Pandora Hearts, by Jun Mochizuki

Pandora Hearts, by  Jun Mochizuki, is a Japanese manga about a young heir to a rich nobles family who gets sent to an alternate dimension known as the Abyss over which monsters called chains rule over. There, the heir, named Oz meets a chain named Alice in the form of a girl. She had lost her memories of her before life and wishes to get them back, so to escape the Abyss the two form a contract to escape to help Alice return her memories and help Oz return to his original world, while authorities and underground associations chase after them to hide a secret conspiracy that happened 100 years ago.

The overall part of Pandora Hearts is just a very twisted story with new plot changes and surprises every volume that comes out. Also the author with his fascinating imagination of his drawings would pull the reader in due to its scary yet cute illustrations designed to make the chains resemble old toys of a young child. Those who like action, mystery, and twists would very much like Pandora Hearts for its deep plot line that makes the reader fall deeper and deeper into its fantasy. Although Pandora Hearts is an underground manga, is well written/drawn and is a good choice for first time readers of manga.

Reviewed by Teagan H., grade 9
Montrose Crescenta Branch