Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Perfect Scoundrels, by Ally Carter

This book starts out and Kat and Hale are now officially dating. They are in a middle of a job when hale gets a call that makes him abandon her. He finds out his grandma hazel has died. Gabriele and Kat crash the funeral and.Kat meets the family and gets a sneak peak into the part of him she has never seen before. The place where people call him scooter and not hale. The will gets announced at the funeral and they find out his grandma has gave him the family business. Marcus offers to drive her home after and lets her know what hazel offered Marcus's sister and they think that the will was forged. She has to decide whether it is worth it to save her boyfriends company if she loses the boy.

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter is full of twists and turns. We get introduced to a weird side of hale and we are nervous about Kat and Hale's relationship the entire time. When I started reading this book I couldn't stop reading. I was entranced with the danger, the love, the stakes, and the characters. I am in love with mystery/adventure books so I fell in love instantly when I started reading. This book doesn't disappoint to leave you on your toes. Someone who loves intense adventure books with a hint of young love in it will enjoy this read.
 
Mia J, grade 12
Central Library




Monday, January 25, 2016

Nana Volume 6, by Ai Yazawa

In the book Nana Volume 6, by Ai Yazawa, things heat up in both lives of the members of Blackstone and Trapnest after the live concert in Hachi’s town. After coming home to Tokyo, the two bands decide to have a get together in room 707 and party through the night by playing mahjong just like their old days. Fangirl Hachi nearly faints with joy when she hears that her boyband crush Takumi will be there in her own home! Blast starts to finally earn fame in Tokyo city with the explosion of their thrilling concerts. But Nana comes into realization that all that she ever loved seems to be snatched away from her by Trapnest. First her dearest lover Ren by the lure of a better position and now Hachi by the fake love of the leader of Trapnest,Takumi

This volume of the book is one the most interesting because now all the other conflicts slowly erase and the problems seem to narrow down to Blackstone and Trapnest. The internal showdown between Nana’s Blackstone and Trapnest is well thought as Nana tries both psychically and mentally to win over the fame Trapnest has and all the happiness they are stealing from her without knowing. With the dark and lonely past Nana already has, it made me very pitiful to see Nana’s shaky and unstable life go through so many storms yet hope for a better tomorrow.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Death Note Vol 6, by Tsugumi Ohba

Death Note Vol 6, by Tsugumi Ohbathe supreme team of Light and L has put their brilliance together narrowing down to the seven members of the Yotsuba company. Yet still it seems impossible for the taskforce to target the actual Kira considering how all 7 members have the act of Kira. With the tension rising L gives Misa a part in this case to collect any information she can as the model of their company. If dangerous situations are depended on Misa then that means trusty Rem will surely give her a hand. But how will Rem come back to Misa who has not one speck memory of the Death Note.

Even though I very much like the serious intensity that goes on in this magnificent story, I am not very much fond of this Yotsuba situation. Mostly because of its lengthy duration and lack of climax. Another major factor is how the story just bounces back and forth between the task force and the Yotsuba building with no side situation to make the event a bit more dynamic. But at same time it’s interesting to see how Light responds to the Kira case as his usual self while helping Ryuzaki by trying to remember whether he was ever in the position of Kira

Reviewed by Ayesha, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library

Monday, January 11, 2016

The Oxford History of The French Revolution, by William Doyle

The style of throwing in a few characters and their viewpoints to spice up the book really kept my interest alive. We are able to see how internal and external conflicts push to crash either the revolutionaries or the counterrevolutionaries immensely. The uplifting bellicose in France introduces us to people like Maximilian Robespierre and Marie Antoinette whose outrageously fanatical actions rose my curiosity and interest even higher. Everything starts off presenting a great introduction and keeping it all colorful until napoleon comes to power and the revolution reaches an end.

The spark of a revolution can become the ultimate milestone or the devastation flowing through all the lives of a nation, especially for the French. What better way can that history be told than by the scholarly words of Doyle who presents the revolution of France in a historic narrative. The Oxford History of The French Revolution, by William Doyle, is worded wisely by the brilliant author William Doyle who handles to present the story in a not too sketchy nor too detailed manner. Also, he hits the target to keep the story basic while keeping the reader’s mind interested.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library

Monday, January 4, 2016

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

In this inspiring novel, Khaled Hosseini depicts the difficult life of the average Afghani woman. This heart-wrenching story is about two strong young women, Laila and Mariam, who have endured countless unspeakable events. Their whole lives revolve around loss and abuse. Mariam’s mom was suicidal, her dad was a cruel, heartless liar, and her suitor was ungrateful and extremely abusive. Laila’s story wasn’t any merrier. When Mariam and Laila met after the death of Laila’s parents, they formed a powerful and unbreakable bond in which they were able to provide droplets of happiness and hope in each other’s lives.

Many of the events that occurred in this novel were so excruciating that I could not bear to read any further. At times, I could not suppress a few tears. The author’s syntax and choice of details to include added great depth to his writing and aided him in attaining his desired impact on the reader. I would only recommend this book to someone if they are willing to endure the burden of holding the memory of what occurred to these two unfortunate women. Overall, I would give A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, a 10/10 because it is one of the few books that I have read in which the author was able to fully achieve perspicuity.

Reviewed by RO, Grade 10
Casa Verdugo Library