My 10-year old sister and I like to swap books back and forth. She actually has really good taste in books, and I love almost everything she gives me to read. This time the book she loaned me was "The Isle of the Lost", by Melissa de La Cruz. She had been telling me for a few weeks to read this one and I kept putting it off thinking that I had more interesting things to read. Once I started it though, I couldn't put it down!
"The Isle of the Lost" is about the children of Disney's villains. Cruella De Vil, The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent, and so much more. The villains have been banned to an island by King Beast (Beauty and the Beast) as punishment for all of their crimes in the various fairytale stories. On top of being banished, the island has a magical lid on it that blocks out all magic, so no one on the island has power any more. No one suffers as much as the children though, who have to deal with cranky evil parents that are power hungry yet powerless.
Maleficent is always telling her daughter, Mal, that she isn't good enough. The Evil Queen is always chiding her daughter, Evie, for not being the fairest of them all. Carlos, Cruella De Vil's son, has to live in a closet where he cleans all of her fur coats. These descendants of the evilest characters of the land want a way off the island so they don't have to suffer for their parent's crimes any longer. So they set off on a quest to find some magic to burst the bubble they live under, encountering more than they bargained for along the way.
This book is so much fun! Usually all that we think about from fairytale stories are the heroes. No one ever wonders about the bad guys and what happens to them. This book takes a totally different perspective on fairytale and shows what consequences come along with being the villain. It is a fun and easy read and would be perfect for anyone elementary age or up. I would highly suggest reading this with your child if you are able. It would be fun to take to your kid about the characters and how they develop and become friends by the end. Even if you are not a kid and don't have one, I still suggest this book. If you like fairytales and fantasy then make sure you check this one out. 4 out of 5 stars. Let me know what you think!
This is a timeless tale that everyone should read at least once. Even if it is just to say that you have read it. "Treasure Island", by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a classic and if you haven't read it, then you need to put it on your "to-read" list.
Young Jim Hawkins works at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which his family owns and operates. His life is plain and simple until they receive a guest that goes by "The Captain". The Captain is a paranoid old fellow who pays Jim to keep an eye out for a one-legged seaman that he suspects is coming after him. Jim thinks that the old man is daft until one day a group of seamen kill the Captain and turn Jim Hawkins' life upside down.
In the event of the Captain's death Jim finds himself in possession of a treasure map that supposedly leads to great fortune. Jim shows the map to the local physician and the district squire. These men decide that the map is worth following and they put a crew together with Jim as the cabin boy. Once they set sail towards Treasure Island Jim discovers that part of the crew plan to take the treasure for themselves and abandon the others. Once he reveals this dangerous news everything starts to go downhill and they all have to fight for their lives while racing to the treasure.
This is a fun coming-of-age story that was originally written just for boys, but has turned into something that everyone of all ages can enjoy. Jim is a quick-witted boy that seems to always know what to do and comes out on top in nearly every situation. His character is relatable and easy to follow. This is a fun story that really describes what a real treasure hunt would be like, and now I know where the character "Long John Silver" comes from. This is a fun and fairly easy read. It's not something that will completely suck you in and get you lost, but it is still enjoyable and I rate it 4 out of 5. Check it out and let me know what you think!
No, this book is not about a little green alien from Mars. I can't tell you how many times I got asked that when people asked what I was reading. "The Martian", by Andy Weir, is about an astronaut that gets stranded on Mars. Alone.
Mark Watney wakes up to his space suit beeping at him and realizes that he survived the sandstorm that swept through his camp and threatened to strand his whole team on Mars. Well, not his whole team apparently, just him. Despite the hole in his side, Watney unburies himself from the sand and makes it back to his shelter where he assesses the damage done by the storm. He has no way to communicate with anyone, and his shelter is only designed to last the 31 days required for the mission. This botanist/engineer is going to have to find a way to contact Earth as well as keep himself alive against all odds.
And it really is against all odds. Anything and everything that can go wrong, does. Towards the end of the book I kept thinking, "Give the guy a break! He has already gone through all this crap he doesn't need this to go wrong too!" Mark Watney, however, has the perfect personality type to be left all alone like this and his sense of humor turns out to be is greatest ally. This is one of the best books that I have read in a while. It is thrilling, witty, suspenseful, and unique. You will fall in love with Watney's character and will be rooting for him from start to finish. If you like a good book that will keep you on your toes, then "The Martian" is just for you. 5 star rating, hands down. The only disclaimer: there is quite a bit of swearing in this book. It is definitely written for adults, so be careful is buying it as a gift. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! Let me know what you think!
I received my copy of "The Martian", by Andy Weir, from Blogging For Books for this review. You can get your own copy here!
The prequel to the Maze Runner series, "The Kill Order", by James Dashner, reveals how it all started. I thought that this book would be about the beginning of the Maze and how all of the "subjects" were picked, but it is before all of that happens. It is the story of the Scorch and how the Flare started.
Mark has had a crush on Tina forever, he just can't seem to get her to think of him as more than a friend. He never thought that sun flares destroying the earth would be the thing to open her eyes and bring them together. They have to escape New York City to get away from the scorching heat and smell of death. Groups of survivors have fled to the mountains to try to rebuild their lives and are doing a pretty good job of it. Mark and Trina have joined up with Alec and Lana (both former military), as well as other survivors, to start their own little community. They all think that the worst is over, until one day a Berg shows up and starts raining their little community with small darts.
The darts seem harmless enough, only killing if they hit someone fatally. The people that were just knicked by the darts, however, become sick and pass away within a couple of days. Mark and Alec realize that there is a disease spreading that started with the darts and it is mutating so that each person that gets it will manifest differently and will show symptoms at different times. Now no one knows if they are really sick or not and the only hope is to get to the nearby headquarters of their attackers and find a cure.
They encounter other people on their journey and start to see exactly what this disease is doing to people. They are full blown crazy and are saying nonsense and hurting eachother. They find a light in all the darkness though when they meet a 5-year-old girl who was hit by a dart but didn't become sick. Deedee is special because she is immune, and Mark makes it his lifes mission to get her to people who can use her to help others. They have to fight for their lives through a city full of Cranks to save Deedee and get her to safety.
This book will blow your mind. It is one of those books where it seems like there just isn't a way for the characters to win. The whole world is against them and they have to fight for their lives against Cranks and against themselves. This is the prequel to the Maze Runner series and I think you would be just fine reading it before the other books, or at the end like I did. If you do choose to read this before the other three, you will probably come back and read this one again becuase the author drops hints about the characters in the Maze Runner that you might not pick up on until you have read the series. There is a lot of sadness and death and crazy people in this book. I would not suggest it to anyone younger than high school. James Dasner's imagination continues to amaze me and I am sure that you will be amazed at what he comes up with when you read this book. 5 stars! Check it out and let me know what you think!
Just like the first two books in the series, "The Death Cure", by James Dashner, ties seamlessly to the book before it - "The Scorch Trials." Thomas and his friends are saved from The Scorch and are being taken back to WICKED headquarters. They are told that all of the trials are over, but are they really? They know that anything said to them by WICKED could just be another way for them to collect data on how the 'subjects' react. So they know to take everything they are being told with a distrusting ear. Everyone is given the chance to get their memories back and all but Thomas, Newt, and Minho agree to do it. Even though they were told they had the choice to do it, and they chose not to, the Rat Man decides to force them to do the procedure anyways. In an act of defiance the three boys (with the help of Brenda) fight off the guards and make their escape. In the process of leaving they look for the other gladers but can't find them anywhere, so they have to leave alone.
With their successful escape they find that the outside world is in turmoil and the small group has to find a safe place to hide. Denver is the city they pick and it is nothing like they expected. People are trying to live a normal life but are in constant fear of getting the Flare. No one touches each other, most people where masks, and everyone is afraid of everyone else. Despite all of the government's testing, people with the Flare are still in the city and it is spreading. When Thomas and his friends get kidnapped by bounty hunters for being immune, they are reunited with Theresa and the other gladers who were also kidnapped.That is when they find out that WICKED is collecting more immunes to run another set of trials on and the group that kidnapped them, the Right Arm, are formulating a plan to take WICKED down. This plan starts by Thomas voluntarily going back to WICKED to finish part 3 of the trials. He is the final candidate. He can easily infiltrate WICKED to plant a device to help the Right Arm take over the building.
What no one anticipated, however, was that part 3 of the trials meant performing a brain surgery on Thomas that would ultimately claim his life. Now they are on a race against time to take down WICKED while saving all of the immunes inside. Their journey takes them on battles through the headquarters, back to the maze to fight the grievers one last time, and through a flat trans that will hopefully lead to safety. Everyone has to fight for their life, and not all of them win, in this epic ending to the Maze Runner series.
Gah! There is so much more that I want to tell you about this book, but I don't want to give anything away! You will enjoy it so much more when you really don't know what's coming or what to expect. I kept writing things and then going back and deleting them because it was a key part to the story. If you want a more detailed summary then click here. This really is the perfect ending to this series. The characters are finally taking their lives into their own hands while finding a way to payback WICKED for all of the "kindness" that they received. This book is a nail-bitter and will keep you up at night worrying about what will happen next. I actually cried at one point. Just like the other two, I would suggest this book to high school age or older. This one is a 5 out of 5 on my scale. Believe me, you want to read this book. Especially after reading "The Maze Runner" and "The Scorch Trials". Then you can pick up "The Kill Order", which is the prequel to this series and will be posted on here soon. And of course, let me know what you think!
Can't get enough of James Dashner? Then check out his books "The Eye of Minds" and "The Rule of Thoughts".
"The Isle of the Lost" is about the children of Disney's villains. Cruella De Vil, The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent, and so much more. The villains have been banned to an island by King Beast (Beauty and the Beast) as punishment for all of their crimes in the various fairytale stories. On top of being banished, the island has a magical lid on it that blocks out all magic, so no one on the island has power any more. No one suffers as much as the children though, who have to deal with cranky evil parents that are power hungry yet powerless. 
