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Book Reviews

August 1, 2014 posted by Nichole

The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 1 (The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel #1) by P. Craig Russell (Adapter), Neil Gaiman

It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child.

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completelynormal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.

There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy—an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family.

Each chapter in this adaptation by P. Craig Russell is illustrated by a different luminary from the comic book world, showcasing a variety of styles from a breadth of talent. Together, they bring Neil Gaiman’s award-winning, nationally bestselling novel The Graveyard Book to new life in this gorgeously illustrated two-volume graphic novel adaptation.

Volume One contains Chapter One through the Interlude, while Volume Two includes Chapter Six to the end.

My Review:

First of all, I have to start out this review by mentioning that I read this book in a single setting. It maybe took me three hours to read the whole thing start to finish. That’s partly because it’s a graphic novel and there’s not a whole lot of text, but it was also, obviously, a really good book.

I really enjoyed all of the pictures in this book. Usually I have a tough time getting into graphic novels, but I was captivated from the very first page. I really felt a connection with the main character and enjoyed witnessing his life in the graveyard progress from infancy to age ten. The pictures were so amazing and they captured every single detail from the text. It was really amazing!

My one big complaint with this book is that it’s very hard to read. The text was awful on my eyes. Sometimes it slanted at weird angles and I often had to go back and reread pages because I read it wrong the first time. It was made even worse by the fact that sometimes the characters showed misspelled words in their bubbles to indicate their lack of education or that they were from a different time period. It was really difficult and annoying for me to have to squint to read the text. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t walk away from the book with a killer headache. So if you are a person who has a tough time reading weird or small print, then I don’t think this is the book for you.

Another thing I found slightly confusing was how we started out with Bod being like 2 and then he was 10 by the end of the book. I expected all of the stories to be more linked together and follow a time line. It was sort of confusing to me how some stories really didn’t relate to others and jumped around a big. That’s not to say they didn’t work together, though! It was just like a progression of Bod’s childhood throughout the years. I would have liked to see more of Jack, though, and not just a few snippets here and there. However, I think that’s going to be a bigger plotline in the second book.

Overall, I thought that the writing and the images were superb. This is a book that I would recommend for younger readers, especially for younger boys (or girls) who tend to dislike reading. I think that the images will really draw them into the story.

Pages: 192

Publication Date: July 29th, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: :

Book Reviews

July 29, 2013 posted by Nichole

Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she’s never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s searching for someone too. He’s also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other’s best hope for finding answers.

My experience with Under the Never Sky was sort of funny, because I knew nothing about the book when I bought it at Barnes and Nobles. I’ve heard about that book, and I knew that people LOVED it (and Perry!), but I really just had no clue what it was about. When I was in B&N, I decided that I was not in a dystopian kind of mood. The thought brought me down. I just wanted something paranormal. When I was browsing through the new YA section, I ran across the second book in the series, Through the Evernight. Again, I knew nothing about this series. Honestly, the second book looks like a paranormal book. I didn’t even consider reading the back of it, because I’d heard such great things and it was OBVIOUSLY a paranormal book cover. Uhm. No. I was wrong. It ended up being a dystopian book!

I wish that I could join the crowd and say how much I loved Under the Never Sky. I want to be one of those girls who gushes over how awesome and hot and spectacular Perry is! I wish that I was gaga over Aria and Perry and craving the next book. Now, I didn’t DISlike Under the Never Sky. There really was nothing THAT wrong with it. Here comes the but…..I found it boring. I didn’t care for any of the characters. I wasn’t fascinated with the world that Rossi created. I wasn’t even blown away by a single scene. I was just bored. I don’t know if this happened because I was in such a dystopian funk. I really didn’t want to read a dystopian book. It actually got to the point that I set Under the Never Sky down around halfway through it and picked up Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette. I just wanted something paranormal. When I eventually went back to Under the Never Sky, it didn’t get any better for me. I stayed bored throughout the entire thing. It got to the point that I just skimmed probably the last 25% of the book. I had read it consistently up till then, but by that point, I just didn’t care what happened anymore.

The thing that bugged me most about this book was how unrealistic everything was. Now, I know that dystopian is supposed to be unrealistic, but that’s not what I’m talking about. First complaint: some things made absolutely no sense! How did Perry get into Aria’s world in the beginning of the book? They unlocked a door to let themselves out. How did that let Perry in? And how did Perry miraculously run across Aria when she was dumped off in the desert? Because he’s really just going to stumble on her and know who she is RIGHT. AWAY. Not. No. Also, Aria and Perry HATED each other. I mean…they didn’t have a single cell in their bodies that liked each other. Normally that’s fine, because there’s a progression of feelings over time. Not in this book. It literally went from them hating each other all throughout the book. And then BAM! A page turned and all of a sudden Perry had feelings for Aria. A few chapters later, Aria had feelings for Perry. WHAT?! No. That just doesn’t work for me.

Veronica Rossi’s writing is very beautiful and smooth. There was a lot of detail….probably too much for my personal taste. She’s obviously a great writer. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t rock my boat. It was okay. It wasn’t bad by any means. But….I don’t think I’ll be reading the second one. I barely even know how the first one ended, because I just didn’t care. I think that a lot of dystopian lovers are going to enjoy Under the Never Sky, and I would encourage everyone to read it based on how popular it is right now. It sucks that it wasn’t for me, but I gave it a shot!

Kiona previously reviewed Under the Never Sky and gave it 5 stars! Check out what she had to say here.

If you liked Under the Never Sky, you should check out:

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Gravity by Melissa West

The Ward by Jordana Frankel

Pages: 374

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: :

Teaser Quote “She looked up. “A world of nevers under a never sky.”
She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up.”

Book Reviews

February 9, 2013 posted by Nichole

The Ward - Jordana Frankel

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

The Ward revolves around a sixteen-year-old girl, Ren, who loves to live life dangerously. Ren and her sister, Aven, live in The Ward, which is pretty much where the poor and the sick live. To help provide for her little family, Ren races each month to get money. But that’s not all. Ren also works for the government as a spy. Her job is to constantly be on the lookout for a fresh water source.

This dystopian novel is placed several years in the future. There is a deadly illness that passes from person to person known as the HBNC virus, or the Blight. There is no cure for the HBNC virus. What it does is it creates a bunch of tumors on various parts of the body, and then it slowly kills off the carrier. Ren’s little sister, Aven, eventually catched the HBNC virus, and Ren must find a way to help her.

The Ward started off a little confusing during the first 2-3 chapters, but it picked up soon after that. Once the book picks up, you’re placed in a racing zone, watching Ren and her competitors fight to be the champion. That part of the book was really awesome and exciting to read about. I wish that more of the book had actually been about the racers and the competitions. The whole experience has let me know what kind of book I want to see published and read about. The racing aspect of the book was a definite plus.

I wish that the book hadn’t been centered around finding a cure for Aven and this whole disease taking over New York. I love dystopia novels. I think that there is something special and wicked cool about creating a world unlike our own, and I dig reading them. But it bogged me down a bit in this book. The main character, Ren, was constantly upset and whining. Obviously she had a good reason to be upset. Her sister was dying and she was stuck working for the government and lying to her friends, but when I’m reading about a main character who is always upset or depressed, then that also weighs down on me. Not to mention that I didn’t really like Aven’s character. I know that we don’t get to see much of her in the book, but she bugged me whenever she made an appearance. So I got the concept of the book, and I knew what was happening, but it was just really weighing down on me.

Almost every girl who reads knows that it is all about the boys. If an author creates an amazing male character, that can really amp up how amazing the book is going to be. But if an author creates a male character that’s unattractive and unappealing, that can really bring the book down a few notches. Unfortunately, I hated both of the main male characters. I found Callum to be overly sensitive, annoying and weak, and I found Derek to be rude, stupid and also annoying. When you add in the fact that I wasn’t an overly huge fan of the main character, Ren, you’re in for a disaster. There was not one character that I really liked in this 465 page book and that killed me.

Fans of lots of love and romance in books will also be disappointed. Sure, Ren had a crush on Derek and paid more attenion to Callum later in the book, but there really was no romance. I expect to see maybe a little bit more of it in the second book, but that department was a little bland.

When reading dystopian novels, one must understand that there are going to be some things that are just totally unrealistic. However, there has to be some semblance of reality when you’re not looking at a world full of paranormal activity. There was a lot of detail in this book that either made absolutely no sense or just didn’t add up as time progressed. I also found myself reading sections and not really understanding what was happening. Things were jumping around a little too fast and things would happen without the right support. Like my creative writing teacher said. If there is a gun introduced at the beginning of the story, that gun needs to be used before the ending. Some things were not clarified. Other things jumped without having something to balance it out.

The Ward was a great start for a 2013 debut novel, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I have been dying for this book, and I really expected a lot more from it. The last 20 pages, I was just dying to put the book down. I don’t want to feel that way with books. I will say, though, that my copy is an ARC. I received this book several months before you guys will be able to read it, so some of the stuff that I have complained about really might be better executed in the final copy. However, I do think that dystopian fans will be a little let down.

Pages: 465

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: April 30th, 2013

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: I’m pounding against the glass, now wishing it would crack. Water splashes inside the mobile, all around me. Grimy, icy slush finds my mouth. I close my eyes, struggling to get out through the roof, pushing against it. My Rimbo drops into the sunken city. I open my eyes despite the cold and the water. Beyond the roof, giant-sized buildings loom, towers of brick with the windows crashed in. I can’t stop looking- I can’t stop trying.

It takes less than a minute for the water to reach my neck. (51.)

Book Reviews

December 27, 2012 posted by Nichole

The Bully Book - Eric Kahn Gale

The rules governing middle school are often a mystery, but for Eric Haskins, they’re a mystery he needs to solve, and fast. He’s a normal, average kid, until sixth grade starts. For some inexplicable reason, the class bully and his pack make Eric the Grunt. Even his best friend since first grade turns on him. Eric can’t figure out why he’s the Grunt until he hears about the Bully Book, a cryptic guide that teaches you how to “make trouble without getting in trouble, rule the school and be the man” and how to select the Grunt-the kid who will become the lowest of the low.

Eric Haskins may be this year’s Grunt for now, but he’s determined not to stay at the bottom of the social ladder forever. Hilarious and compelling, The Bully Book is a must-read for every tween, tween parent, librarian and educator!

Eric Haskins has just started 6th grade. Up till now, he’s been perfectly normal. He’s had good friends, even a best friend, Donovan. He’s done pretty will at school, he’s never been bullied or gotten into any real fights. Life has always been pretty good for Eric. Of course, that all changed the moment he walked into his 6th grade homeroom class and was labeled the “Grunt.”

What exactly is the “Grunt?” That’s exactly the question that Eric wants to know. Everyone liked him before, so why all of a sudden is he the social outcast? Now, Eric is being constantly bullied by people he’s never even met. He’s being beat up, picked on, humiliated. Poor Eric has got some real trouble on his hands, and he doesn’t even know what he did to cause it.

On a mission to find out what the “Grunt” truly is, he starts to investigate. Shockingly enough, Eric soon learns that he’s not the only Grunt around! In fact, there seems to be one for pretty much every grade level starting after sixth grade. Teaming up with his fellow grunts, Eric sets out to find out exactly why he’s the grunt, what made him the grunt, and how to stop his tormenters and ruin their Bully Book once and for all.

The Bully Book was very hard for me to pick up, because I’ve experienced some of the bullying and trauma that Eric was subjected to. I felt like I was going to be placing myself into an unsafe situation which made me a little uncomfortable. Once I picked up The Bully Book, I finished it in an entire setting. I read The Bully Book in under 4 hours, which is the fastest I have read any book since elementary school.

Eric’s story was so realistic that it simply broke my heart throughout most of the entire book. Bullying is a very real thing that goes on in this world, especially in public schools, which is something that Eric Kahn Gale portrayed very nicely. I was captivated from the very first journal entry, and it lasted until the very last page.

One thing that I loved about this book, and it’s probably going to offend some, is how realistic Eric Kahn Gale portrayed the teacher’s in this story. Many teachers out there do not stand up for their student’s who are being bullied. They ignore it, don’t notice it, blame the victim, etc. Is that harsh? Maybe, but that’s what I experienced. I never had a teacher stand up for me, and I went to many different schools. Many teacher’s will not do anything unless the student who is being bullied directly confronts the teacher about it. Why should the student have to say anything? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are plenty of cases out there where the teacher’s really don’t know that bullying is going on. However, there are MANY cases where they should know. It’s not the student’s responsibility to ask for help. It’s the teacher’s job, and they need to stand up for their student’s.

The substitute teacher in The Bully Book made me so mad. I just wanted to jump into the story and throttle that stupid woman. If student’s were using their vocabulary words to harass another student right in front of me, I would do something about it. I would get student’s suspended or expelled over that, because bullying is NEVER acceptable. NEVER. I was really offended for Eric, and I wish just one person would have really stood up for him.

Another thing that bothered me during The Bully Book were the parents. A parent should know when their child is miserable. They should know when something is wrong. You may not want to admit to yourself that your child is being bullied, but odds are that it has happened at least once. You need to ask your children how other student’s treat them. It doesn’t matter that it’s an uncomfortable conversation or if your child gets angry that you brought it up. What matters is that you took an interest and made sure that they were safe. I honestly, for a large part of this book, thought that Eric was going to commit suicide from the torture that he was receiving. Never once did an adult take an interest in him. Never once did his mom say, “Eric, is everything alright at school?” And his dad? His dad laughed! Not at the fact that Eric was being bullied, but he turned bullying into some sort of joke. It’s not a joke. It’s not funny. It’s actually rather disgusting. And the parent’s in this book disgusted me even more.

I was hoping for a little bit more with Melody, Donovan and Colin, three of the main characters in The Bully Book. Donovan had been Eric’s best friend since the first grade, and, all of a sudden, he hated Eric. He went along with Eric being the grunt and he turned into a complete and utter asshole. I was hoping to see a change in Donovan, and I didn’t. I also wanted to see more interaction between Eric and Donovan. It didn’t matter if it was good or bad interaction, but I really feel that their story is unfinished.

I absolutely despised Melody’s character. Melody played a good friend to Eric, and he also had a really big crush on her. Melody ends up dating the guy who labeled Eric the Grunt, and she watches him get beat up and bullied and doesn’t do anything about it. This is actually very common. I understand that these are sixth graders, but sixth graders are not babies. They know right from wrong, and Melody was definitely in the wrong almost 100% of the time. She’s lucky she wasn’t my kid, because I would have never put up with that. I just wish that we had seen a little more interaction between Melody and Eric towards the end of the book. They definitely have a lot to hash out, and we didn’t get to see that. I’m not sure if there will be a second book, but there’s a lot in The Bully Book that needs to be resolved and finished out.

Then we come to poor, little Colin. Colin was my absolute favorite character, and only a slightly lesser geek in the sixth grade population than Eric. He was so sweet and lovable, and I wish we would have seen Eric and Colin grow into very close friends. That’s what I expected to happen from the beginning, and I was very disappointed that that didn’t happen. I wasn’t very thrilled with how Eric treated Colin, and I really hope to gain the opportunity to watch Eric apologize and have them grow into very close friends.

This book definitely hit a lot of my triggers. If you’ve been bullied, then The Bully Book might be a little difficult for you to read. The messages in it are amazing, though, and I definitely think that everyone should give it a chance. Most importantly, I think that people who haven’t been bullied or people who have bullied other people should read this book. It’s important that you know how you’re making others feel when you pick on them. It’s not ok, and it’s not something that I will or would ever forgive. Bullying is a big issue in America and it needs to stop. The Bullying Book was an amazing read that took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. My heart broke, my eyes welled with tears, and I swear my blood pressure rose massive amounts. I got angry, sad, happy, fearful….all these emotions that I can’t even describe to you guys. I definitely will be looking out for more work by Eric Kahn Gale. Great book!

Pages: 240

Publication Date: December 26th, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “I hate the Bully Book and I hate the Grunt.”

“Stop making fun of Colin. It makes you sound like an idiot. And stop calling people gay. I don’t even know why that’s an insult. There are real gay people in the world, you know, and there’s nothing wrong with them. Calling someone gay, like it’s a bad thing, is like calling someone a dentist- it doesn’t make any freaking sense!”( Pg 139 ARC)