A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

The world already knows Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, Calvin O'Keefe, and the three Mrs--Who, Whatsit, and Which--the memorable and wonderful characters who fight off a dark force and save our universe in the Newbery award-winning classic A Wrinkle in Time. But in 50 years of publication, the book has never been illustrated.  Now, Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of tessering and favorite characters like the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast. Perfect for old fans and winning over new ones, this graphic novel adaptation is a must-read.

I had never read A Wrinkle in Time before reading this and I loved it! I really loved the story and how each character  played a certain role to the story and the outcome. The pictures were good, would have been amazing in color but still good and the depicted  the story well. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more classics turned graphics soon. Classics are the best but the worst to try to understand sometimes so this is my favorite way to get the best of both worlds. I would highly recommend this to kids 10 and up.

Holes

This winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award features Stanley Yelnats, a kid who is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake: the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

I loved this book. The characters, the story line, and how things all connect in the end to leave us with a happy ending. I feel like everyone read this book as a kid, even though I still count as a kid I think I would have loved it even  more if i was younger then I am now (16). But still, wow, I am so glad I own a copy of the book so my future kids can read this and also my siblings. Everyone should read it, any age group can and do read it, but I would say 12 and under will love it the most. One of the best things about the book to me was the fact that there was that one character that I loved to hate, like if-I-was-there-in-real-life-I-would-have-tried-to-kill-type people. But that is one of my favorite parts to some books, I want to have some emotion toward someone in the book, whether it be anger, pity, or love. This book was well written and 233 pages long so a shorter book with a faced paced plot. I would seriously recommend it to all age groups but mostly kids around 12.

The Giver

A Newbery Medal–winning classic is reinvented in a gift edition format with illustrations from the acclaimed artist Bagram Ibatoulline.

Since winning the Newbery Medal in 1994, Lois Lowry’s The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time.This new illustrated edition, a celebration of the book’s standard of excellence and of Lowry’s illustrious writing, makes a perfect gift. The text is complemented by thirteen
new illustrations from the acclaimed artist Bagram Ibatoulline. Also included are a new introduction by the author and her inspiring Newbery Medal acceptance speech. The new content and gift packaging now make it easier than ever to introduce young readers to this riveting modern classic, and provide a fresh edition for its legions of fans.

The story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.

The Giver is the first in the trilogy of books that includes Gathering Blue and The Messenger.

So I decided to read this because the movie is suppose to come out this August (2014). I have heard nothing but great things about the series and that gave me the push I need  to read it. And I am glad I did. Its a dystopian novel that is set in a perfect world on the surface but as the story goes on, Jonas finds out how corrupt it really is. There was so many time during this book I was shouting "yes!" under my breath. The only thing I disliked was the ending, how it was a cliff hanger and it seemed to just end, not really having an ending, it kinds of just stops. But in the end i loved it and I defiantly want to get the rest of the series to read one day. 

Flowers for Algernon

With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.

Let me just say, I know now why this book sold over 5 million copies. It blew my mind, like seriously, it did. It was written in a "diary" format but they were really progress reports the scientists had him keep for a record of how he was feeling, thinking, doing, etc. And one thing I really loved about this book was the growing plot, but also that the progress reports changed in length and style and also the spelling and grammar changed as he got smarter. So I thought that was cool and a important part of the story. This is a spoiler, but the book doesn't have a happy ending, as much as I hoped it did, I had the feeling it wasn't going to and was correct. It was still a decent ending though in my opinion that is.  It had the story all wrapped up and there wasn't any loose ends to wonder over later. After all of those things I would say its a pretty good book and I would recommend it. 

The Moon and More

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer. 

Okay so this was the first Sarah Dessen i have ever read, another first for this reading year and i must say before i thought all the hype is about nothing. Now i know i am wrong. I felt like it wasn't amazing but still really good, one thing i really enjoyed was her writing style. How she is very descriptive of everything, which some authors are not. So that was a plus a minus for this one at least was that i wasn't a fan of the ending, it was fair but nothing amazing  like i had hoped it would be, not a happy or a sad ending more of a neutral one. Which i guess is okay just not my favorite kind of ending, especially when there was a couple of lose ends that i really hate having in any ending. But i guess people did say this was one of their least favorite books of hers. In the end i would recommend this to someone who is looking for some good teen chick-lit. 

The Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel

Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked to the magical land of Oz where they meet the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Mike Cavallaro transforms L. Frank Baum’s world of Oz into a manga-influenced graphic novel. 
This book is crazy cool, I haven't read any graphic novels so this was a great first one.I now understand the hype about manga and graphic novels. I really enjoyed the story and the graphics were good, i thought it pulled the pictures and the words together well through out the story.  It also doesn't have unnecessary descriptions of things clearly spelled out in the pictures, one thing that totally annoys me. This is a very quick and easy read. I read it in only 30 min. All in all I really enjoyed this little dip into the pool of graphic novels and i was well pleased,and i will defiantly read more in the future.

Hollow City

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it “an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

OH MY GOSH. This book is amazingly even better then the first one, which is hard to beat but it has. I seriously read this book in like a day. Like you can't ever put it down. I HAD to read it, i had to know what happened next! I wasn't disappointed in the least, amazingly creepy can't-believe-they-are-real pictures throughout the book that are incorporated into the story it makes for one heck of a ride. I loved Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children and this one a great second book in the series, the third one is in the makings, i hope it comes out soon. I love the plot and all the twisted and turns. There are so many moments you say i can't believe it and the surprises never end! I seriously recommend Hollow City and the first book, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Both are amazing peculiar reads.

Inkheart

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. 
This is INKHEART--a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.
This book was a lot of fun to read! Oh my gosh the loop holes in this story are pretty large, like nowhere do you get a solid age of Meggie, i guessed her to be around 12 or 13. Also in the beginning it sounded like  the story was set in a midevil time period whan it is really set in the present time. Maybe i was the only one confused through the whole time but there were a couple others too that there seemed to be a small gap in the story. Not that i am complaining much it was just sometimes hard to follow along. But i would say in the end, it was a great read and i enjoyed it, a good mix of the "real world" and fantasy in a hefty 534 page novel. It is actually a kids novel for around 8-12 year old but i feel like older kids will get more out of it and the story then those that are 8. I would recommened it to someone who like fantasy/adventure book with a nice long story. 

Crank

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless. 
Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.

This book brought up so many mixed emotions for me. Sadness, anger and a little disbelief. I guess this is a sort of a spoiler but this book has to do with a girl's struggle with drugs, how she got started and the consequences of it. It was kind of a struggle for me to read, it was a mix of disbelief that people my age do this kinds of stuff to themselves and the fact this is loosely based on a true story is kind of scary. I love the way which Ellen Hopkins writes. In the poetry way the story is written, in verse i believe its called? But it is my favorite style of writing and i hope to read more of her books and find more authors like her. It is a little dark at some parts of the book and you feel like stopping and not reading any more of the horrors she has to go through but you get hooked so easily on her story, and the way Ellen writes you just cant stop. I seriously read this book in like 3 or so hours and i couldn't put it down until the end, and then i sat and had to just absorb the story and how the story was a lesson. One thing i disliked is that she does really say anything against using drugs but i felt like the book itself is a testament to the havoc drug wreaks on your body and mind. How easily you can get hooked, how hard it is to stop. This book feels so real and is a lot to take in but i would seriously recommend it but only for older teens, as for some of the content. But in the end and all is said in done, a amazing, gripping read. 


 Here is a page from Google that is a sample of the writing of Crank. 

The Diviners

Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurled in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....

Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray opens a brand-new historical series with The Diviners, where the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties hides a mystical horror creeping across the country.

This book was, different... It was a mix between historical fiction,fantasy, and a murder mystery all wrapped up in one big pretty book package! Its a pretty long book coming in at almost 600 pages, it isn't a quick read! I even read pretty fast and i took my 3 days to read the whole thing, and i had a hard time putting it down those 3 day's. On thing i liked about this book is that the ending is a little bit of a cliff hanger but not a total one, The author wraps up most on the loose ends in the last couple chapters but leaves some mysterious hints at the end. Those will be continued in the sequel coming out in August 2014. Its a series but i don't know how many books its going to be in the end when all is said and done. But all in all i really enjoyed this book and was drawn fully and easily into the world of New York in 1926. It was easy to get sucked into the story once the mysterious deaths started happening, it was hard not to want to read and read until you found out what happened. It was fast paced and a well worth my time read. I didn't like some of the things they mentioned, but all in all i would recommend it to those who like Historical fiction with mystery and a fantasy edge to it. 

Finding God in the Hunger Games

The Hunger Games has swept into popularity for good reason—it’s a great series. And though God is never mentioned in Suzanne Collin’s books, there are many spiritual themes that run beneath the story line. Finding God in the Hunger Games contains 30 devotions based on lessons that can be learned from the Hunger Games series. Written from an evangelical Christian perspective, this book will inspire those who want to grow closer to Jesus Christ and understand Biblical principals as they are illustrated in Collin’s work. These biblically-based devotions contain spoilers to the series and are not part of the Hunger Games series.

With short little devo's its the perfect thing for a Hunger Games fan. I have also read and reviewed the Les Mis version of this book and LOVED It as the story is one of my favorite books and movies. And this one is just as good. I would highly recommend this to all Hunger games fan that are looking for a good devo to use in there Christian walk. One thing i ind of dislike is that i think there should be an area to take notes and maybe more application questions thrown in too but  other then that it's a great little gem of a devo. I received this book for review through Bookcrash, i was not made to write a good review, only to voice my opinion.

Cruel Beauty

The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in a dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny.

But on her seventeenth birthday, when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is as she expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new husband.

Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.

For fans of bestselling authors Kristin Cashore and Alex Flinn, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away.

This book blew my mind. To put it mildly of course. It was ll i would want in a retelling of a classic love story.  A good happy ending, characters that are only slightly similar to the originals and a deeply beautiful story. I was in love with this on page one and read it literally in a couple of hours and stayed up till midnight just to find out the ending. It gripped my mind and didn't let go till i had read ever word. I can't wait to read more by this Amazing author, that she was home schooled (like i am) is a plus. But i love her writing style and how the book didn't weave back and forth between the two main characters all the time like most books do, it stayed with Nyx. Her side of the story through out the book. That was a refreshing change! And the book is just so pretty! There are roses through out the book, which ties into the original beauty and the beast story which i thought was pretty darn cool to do. I would say, all in all and amazing read which is now taking its honored place in my favorite book list. And has defiantly been my favorite read so far of 2014. I would highly recommend it to someone looking for a good YA twisted story book romance type novel. 

I recieved this book through www.epicreads.com where i won this advanced readers copy. I was not made to write a review. 

The Program

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

There are some hard to believe parts to this book, like that pills could wipe away only parts of someone memories and leave others there and that it could cure depression. I feel like that's a little far fetched but not as far as some other stories I've read.  The story line was good and well structured and written. I was very happy with the story as a whole. The ending was good and was a slight cliff hanger, evidence of a sequel (coming out April 2014) were i the story will continue with what happens next, which i cant wait to find out! This is the first book i have read by Suzanne Young and i really enjoyed it, i look forward to reading more by this Author. I don't normally talk about this but the cover is so cool! especially that underneath the dust jacket the book is printed on! I have seen more and more books made in this different but awesome way, i wish all hard covers were this cool. Anyways, i would recommend this book to all teens, older ones will probably enjoy it more then younger ones. 

Tunnels

The New York Times Bestseller! The story of an outcast boy, his eccentric dad, and the scary underground world they discover through secret TUNNELS.

14-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when Dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a secret subterranean society. "The Colony" has existed unchanged for a century, but it's no benign time capsule of a bygone era--because the Colony is ruled by a cultlike overclass, the Styx. Before long--before he can find his father--Will is their prisoner....

Okay i want to start out by saying this book was very... different. I thought the story line was slightly far fetched and at parts confusing. The Authors would jump from one person to another and i would never know sometimes who was doing the "talking". That was annoying and i thought the book could have been less drawn out, it could have been condensed a little bit to make it better for younger readers. Like what older child or tween wants to read an almost 500 page book? Not many. So that was something that could have been improved on. But i think the story is a good one, in parts of the book but in some parts left much to be desired. But it was a decent story for maybe younger kids who want a mysterious adventure. I might recommend it.