Book Review : I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061969559
• ISBN-13: 978-0061969553
• Available on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
  

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

Those who have an affinity for sci-fi or fantasy would most likely find this book interesting. I was intrigued by the concept of human-like aliens living among humans, which was why I purchased this book in the first place.

I understand how John Smith (or Number Four) wants to fit in and reside permanently in one place when he arrives in Paradise, Ohio. He is tired of being a fugitive and wants to live a normal life. What's more is that Sarah Hart, the pretty blond girl in his new school makes his heart beats faster every time he sees her. And he has a new best friend, Sam Goode.

I am Number Four is an action-packed, suspenseful novel by an author whose real name is unknown to the public. The first half of the book was engrossing, but I did not enjoy the ending as it turned to be peculiar, or I might say, strange. There were huge, monster-sized dogs tearing up the school, and our lovely, adorable Bernie Kosar turned out to be something else as well.

Perhaps not everyone will enjoy this book, but if you ask me, I'd say, "Give it a try!"

Rating:

When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.



Pittacus Lore is Lorien's ruling Elder. He has been on Earth for the last twelve years, preparing for the war that will decide Earth's fate. His whereabouts are unknown.

Book Review : Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385739230
• ISBN-13: 978-0385739238

Daughter of Xanadu is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble & The Book Depository

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling. Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.

I don't know much about Mongolian history, but it's true that I don't have a liking for the Mongols after watching movies and reading storybooks depicting their barbaric acts. But now I realize it's just the way a story is portrayed that influences the reader's mind, thanks to Daughter of Xanadu. When a same story is told in two different perspectives, we will have different perceptions and feelings after reading them.

In this book, our heroine, the 16-year-old granddaughter of Kubilai Khan - Princess Emmajin has no intention of getting married and become a good wife. She sole ambition is to get enlisted in the army and fight for the Khan to gain fame and glory in order to make herself comparable to men. She wants to help contributing a part in helping the Great Khan conquer the whole world. But as she eventually befriends a Latin merchant named Marco Polo whom she is initially assigned to spy on, she learns about the countries which is far off the borders of the Mongolian empire. Marco's words about the bad effects of wars start to prick her consciousness, and she thinks about the possibility of attaining peace through an alternative solution. As time passes, Emmajin and Marco begins to develop special feelings for each other.

While being historically accurate and highly entertaining, Daughter of Xanadu is also a thought-provoking novel. It questions the act of waging a war simply because of one man's aspiration to be the supreme world ruler. You will not fail to discover the brutalities and grittiness of war, which is portrayed vividly in this novel during the Battle of Vochan. However, I must say that I really admire Marco's wit in introducing a special tactic that proved to work against the Burmese King's troops. I love the part where Emmajin, Suren and Marco helped in capturing live dragons (crocodiles) to be taken back to Khanbalik.

In the front pages of the book, you will find a map of the Mongol Empire under Kubilai Khan from 1275 - 1276, with translations of ancient names of places to today's standard names. Also, there is a page on Emmajin's family tree. The author really deserves compliments for her meticulous research on the Mongolian lifestyle and culture. She describes the scenery of the wide stretches of land in Mongolia skillfully using beautiful words which makes me feel as if I were in that place. Included in the back is a glossary of some of the Mongolian and Latin terms which is used by the characters in the novel.

Dori Jones Yang has created word images so vivid that it is almost like watching a movie. She takes you on a brilliant Odyssey through the often-discussed-but-seldom-written-about Mongolian history through the eyes of the courageous royal princess herself. I heartily recommend this book to everyone, especially those who has a keen interest in the history of China and Mongolia or the founding of the Yuan Dynasty.

Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of Daughter of Xanadu for this review!

If you've read the book, feel free to take the quiz on Goodreads to test your understanding for the book!

Dori Jones Yang grew up in Ohio, the daughter of a bookseller, and fell in love with foreign travel at an early age. Among other languages, she speaks fluent Mandarin and has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong, where she was foreign correspondent for Business Week.

Her first book, The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang, was a Skipping Stones Honor Book in 2001, and was also awarded the Pleasant T. Rowland Prize for Fiction for Girls. Her most recent book is Daughter of Xanadu, set in 13th century Mongolia, under the Khubilai Khan.

Dori lives near Seattle with her husband Paul Yang; they have three grown-up children.

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Daughter of Xanadu is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble & The Book Depository

Book Review : Sweet Life by Mia King

Sweet Life by Mia King

Product Details

• Paperback: 337 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Books (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425221679
• ISBN-13: 978-0425221679
• Available on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
  

What if you got away from it all—and then it all got away from you?

When her husband gets a new job, Marissa Price leaves the island of Manhattan for the island of Hawaii. Paradise seems like the perfect place to find herself, save her marriage, and reconnect with her daughter. But Marissa discovers her new life is less about beaches and beautiful sunsets and more about cows and lava flows. Their new “home” is a fixer-upper. But what most needs fixing—her marriage— is the first thing to crumble when her husband announces he wants time apart to find himself. Pulled in opposite directions, Marissa is faced with the most important decision of her life—a choice that will define who she is, what she wants, and where her happiness lies.

This book is mainly about Paul and Marissa Price, a couple who decided to move to Hawaii, the paradise, with their daughter, Elizabeth 'Pansy' when Paul was promoted to GM, both of them believing that Hawaii will bring them a sweet life. But after two months, Marissa's marriage started to fall apart when she suspected her husband of having an affair with another woman.

I'm not particularly fond of any of the main characters in this book. Marissa seemed like a snobbish, materialistic woman who owns things that are only consisted of designer products. Paul wasn't much better either. He was kind of insipid, actually. He was very annoying throughout the book (except at the end), and this made me feel like punching him. He demandedd some time apart from his wife on Valentine's Day, and left the house without much explanation. Can anyone be more uncool than he?

I felt like the novel was dragging at many places. What can be summed up in the synopsis actually took 123 pages to be fully described. I think it would be better to reveal less in the synopsis if that is the case. However, the story gets better and better from the middle part towards the end. I didn't want to stop reading. I was anxious to find out whether Marissa would accept Tom's love. I wanted to know if Marissa's marriage will eventually end up with a divorce.

The supporting characters were more lovable in many ways. Jane, Kavena and Malia were wonderful people who played an important part in Marrissa's life - they were both tenants and supportive friends who offered advice and consolation to her whenever she needed them. She was really lucky to have met them.

To sum things up, Sweet Life is not an extraordinary novel that will leave you raving about its excellence, but it is still sweet, enjoyable and special in its own way. It offers you with a decent amount of Aloha and Hawaiian goodness that will leave you satisfied.

Rating: (Good!)

National bestselling author Mia King is the author of two novels, GOOD THINGS (Berkley, 2007) and SWEET LIFE (Berkley, 2008). Her third novel, TABLE MANNERS, will be published in 2009 by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin USA.

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Book Review : Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Dial (February 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803732740
• ISBN-13: 978-0803732742
• Available on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
  

When high school junior Natalie--or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the relationship column for her school paper--is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want. But the guys in her class won't give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected--especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing her cover?

Having not read any of Jody Gehrman’s other books, I opened Babe in Boyland, not knowing what to expect. The synopsis reminds me of Amanda Bynes' movie - She's The Man, K-Drama He's Beautiful and Taiwanese drama, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, in which the heroines go cross-dressing as a guy in a foreign place, but with different motives. I was a little worried that Babe in Boyland will fall into the same mold as the movies/dramas, but turns out, it doesn’t fall back on tired stereotypes. The cross-dressing is just a factor in the story that enables our gutsy heroine to find out the Top 7 Secrets about Guys.

In fact, Jody Gehrman does a great job in explaining how Natalie goes undercover as a new (male) student - Nat Rodgers - in Underwood High. The details on how she does certain things are brilliantly explained, like how she mimicks a guy's strut, how she practices to keep her voice low and manly, and ultimately: how she keeps her identity a secret to the guys at Underwood. She uses Natalie's character to give readers an insight on how people act around different surroundings, which is quite true considering how multifaceted us humans are.

This story is told from Natalie's (a.k.a. Nat Rodgers) perspective, which is a good choice since we get to see things through her eyes. What makes this book so entertaining is that the author has a wry sense of humour which never fail to make me chortle like a maniac. Really, it is hilarious! There was one particular scene where I laughed until my tears start rolling down, and my distracted little brother peeled himself away from his computer game to ask me what's wrong. LOL.

Although Babe in Boyland seems to be funny and cheery, it has a real depth within. The story itself actually offers truths about real friendship and why love relationships get strained or broken. Tolerance and acceptance is indispensable to maintain a loving relationship between a couple. With witty dialogues and realistic scenes, this book is bound to capture your heart.

Overall, Babe in Boyland is a refreshing, light and quick read. Jody Gehrman definitely deserves a bunch of compliments for creating such a highly lovable and enjoyable story. Well done, Jody!

Rating: (I ❤ THIS BOOK!)

I received an ARC of Babe in Boyland from the author for this review. Thanks, Jody!

Jody Gehrman is the author of six novels and numerous plays. Babe in Boyland, Triple Shot Bettys in Love, and Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty are her Young Adult novels, all published by Penguin's Dial Books. Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in the Land of Skin are her adult novels. Tart was a Booksense notable in 2005 and won an RT Bookclub critics' award. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco and L.A. She is a professor of English at Mendocino College.

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Giveaway dates: Mar 20-Apr 20, 2011
Countries available: US and CA

Book Review : Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman

Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (July 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1452018189
• ISBN-13: 978-1452018188
• Available at: Amazon /Barnes & Noble /IndieBound
  

What would you do if the love of your life was murdered by a deranged killer? Would you become a vigilante and seek retribution? And would this revenge affect those you care for in the afterlife? LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest for Nadine's Soul takes you on a journey inside the psyches of men and women forced to deal with the spiritual consequences of their decisions. Through the lives of a demon, two Angels, and a mysterious teenage girl, a plethora of politically and socially relevant issues ranging from the roots of genocide and sex trafficking to child conscription and religious fundamentalism are addressed in this fantasy thriller. Life as well as the afterlife converge in this novel to explain certain peculiarities of the human condition. Whether you are God fearing individual or an atheist, LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest for Nadine's Soul addresses moral and theological issues of interest for people of all backgrounds.

I think I should describe Logic of Demons as 'unexpected'. It started off with Devin mourning his wife, Bridget's terrible death. She was raped and killed by a serial killer caller Earl Gray. He wanted to seek revenge, and for a moment he considered calling off his idea, but finally decided to preserve justice in his own way - by killing the murderer with his own hands. Little did he know that his actions will lead to some unimaginable consequences in the afterworld - with him at the very center of it all.

In a way, this book presents readers with a debate between good and evil, and the twisted logic of those who think they are doing the right thing when actually they are committing a heinous act. I found this book to be interesting, and I was expecting some really exciting events to take place. And the author did managed to surprise me with his creativity, as well as his bizarre, one-of-a-kind storyline.

I really enjoyed Goodman's writing style. While descriptive, it is also straightforward and honest. He lets loose a piece of information in each chapter, clearing a path for the other events to take place smoothly as he continues to surprise readers with each page.

However, the second half part of the story made me left me in bewilderment. I couldn't grasp the author's message somehow. The ending left me a little disappointed, because I was expecting something more intense or action-packed. Nonetheless, H. A. Goodman did a good job with his debut novel. He has successfully created a story that will make you hold your breath in anticipation for the next page.

Pros: Original, creative, thought-provoking.
Cons: Perplexing at times.

Rating: - 3.5 stars (Very good!)

Thanks to H. A. Goodman for sending me a paperback copy of this book! :)

H. A. Goodman is a former financial advisor and high school history teacher. He has a B. A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California and has also worked at the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. He is currently an author of fantasy and science fiction novels. He recently combined his love for fantasy and international relations to write his debut novel, Logic of Demons, The Quest for Nadine’s Soul. H. A. Goodman currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Book Review : Star in the Middle by Carol Larese Millward

Star in the Middle by Carol Larese Millward

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: WestSide Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934813133
• ISBN-13: 978-1934813133
• Available at Amazon :: Barnes & Noble :: The Book Depository
  

At 16, Star's life has changed drastically now that she's become the mother of a baby boy. To learn what's best for him, Star's taking parenting classes at a center for teen moms. But she's having trouble keeping up with the baby's demands, and her grandmother is threatening to force her to put the baby up for adoption. To top it off, Wilson, a popular star athlete, is in denial about being the father. He doesn't know about Star's terrible, painful secrets. But as Wilson's friends and family push him to accept his responsibility, he learns the truth about Star's disturbing past, facts that change his life forever. Told from Star's and Wilson's points-of-view, Star in the Middle reveals a compelling snap-shot of the difficult lives of teenage parents.

Star In The Middle is a story about a girl named Star who gave birth to a son as a result of teen sex. She named her son Wil after his father. She faced a lot of difficulties in caring for the child's needs and planning her own future, which seems bleak so far. And her boyfriend, the one who impregnated her is running away from his responsibilities as a father. He convinced himself that the child was not his and was doubtful about his maturity and ability to be a father when he still called his mother "mummy".

This novel portrays the hardships of a single mother, the aftermath of unprotected teen sex and how this social issue is ruining teenagers' lives. The entire story is told from Star's and Wilson's (Star's boyfriend) alternating perspectives. Even though I tried my best to understand the characters' respective voices, I didn't manage to successfully connect with any of them. I failed to 'feel' the novel. I think the author's writing can be further improved with a little more emotion and descriptive words. There's not much going on, until the last part of the story where Star's dark secret originating from her childhood trauma starts to bubble up the surface.

When Wilson learned about why Star had been acting so strangely, he tried to locate the one who caused her so much sadness and heartbreak. His actions were rash and irrational. I think this is where the story starts to appear not logical. The climax came and went hurriedly and easily, and this gave me an impression of a messy ending. Still, I won't say I disliked this book, for there are some parts where I really enjoyed reading. I observed the author's creativity in writing and her good sense of humour. She also managed to surprise me sometimes, such as how Star's best friend --- Elizabeth, reacts to Wilson's denial (not acknowledging his son).

To sum up, this book offers readers a glimpse of what will happen if we do something without thinking the consequences. If you wish to have a child, please make sure that you are financially able to support his/her life, and that you are properly married. A kid who is born out of wedlock will be look down by others. Sorry, I'm blabbering again, isn't it?

Pros: Original, amusing scenes, interesting climax.
Cons: First half is plain, messy ending.

Rating:

This book contains teen sex and pregnancy, as well as one of the main character's dark past. Suitable for older teens only. Parental guidance recommended for younger teens.

Thanks to Carol for sending me a signed hardcover copy of this book! :)

I have always been a writer -- journaling, even as a child, was my way of getting to know myself and those around me. I think the most important thing that journaling taught me was to be patient. I have had the privilege of working with many wonderful children and young adults in my life. I found that it's children that bring out the best in me -- I love their spirit and their determination.

I have been married for forty years and have two wonderful children. They are both married to spouses that I would have chosen for them -- had they asked! Then there are the grandchildren -- six of them!

Carol Larese Millward