Thursday, January 4, 2018

Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld


The second book in the "Leviathan" trilogy is "Behemoth". At the start, Alec the Austrian prince, his men, and the crew of the Leviathan along with Dr. Barlow continued their mission in the Ottoman Empire where they discovered it littered with Germans. The Germans have convinced the sultan to block Russian supply ships that were there to deliver food to the Russian fighting bears. As Alec escapes the captivity in the Leviathan, he finds that it's his duty as a young prince to try help end the war.

I enjoyed reading Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes history, is a fan of steampunk, or simply enjoys good and long fiction books.  I really liked how the characters and other things were presented.  Throughout the book there were many conflicts the solutions to which were not always clear but in the end were quite creative. I also liked the illustrations as they helped visualize the setting in the eyes of the author.

Reviewed by Anton V., Grade 9
Montrose Library

Monday, January 1, 2018

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett


This classic book introduces the disliked character of Mary Lennox, a gaunt and spoiled little girl. Mary lived in India with her parents and maids who took care of her, dressing her and feeding her themselves. One day, everyone in the house died from a contagious illness and Mary was left alone. Thus, she was sent to live with her uncle in England. Mary stayed there for quite some time, hating everything about the situation she was in until she started to befriend various people at her uncle's immense home; these people being a gardener named Ben Weatherstaff, a maid named Martha, a sickly boy named Colin, and a nature-loving boy named Dickon. Through the relationships of Ben, Martha, Colin, and Dickon, Mary grows into a polite, pretty and truly likeable girl. Her outer appearance grew normal and her personality was cleansed as well.

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is one of my favorite book that I have ever read so far; the plot, the description of the scenery, and characters had me absolutely captivated. It was so much fun to follow through the adventures of a little girl and how she changed from one thing to another; the way the author worded every sentence blended perfectly with the story. However, as amazing as a book this is, I wouldn't recommend it for just anyone; to feel personally connected with it, this book needs to be read by true lovers of nature and life, who have a thirst for adventure and curiosity. I don't think that just anyone would feel the same way as I do about it. That being said, if you are a person who enjoys a good story, I would definitely recommend it. But, as a personal lover of classic books, I've felt a deep connection with his book and it will remain one of the best books to me until I read another one almost as good as this.

Reviewed by Anna A., Grade 9

Downtown Central Library

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