Wherever you Go

Grade C-

Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?
     As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?
     Told from the perspectives of Holly, Jason, and Rob,Wherever You Gois is a poignant story about making peace with the past, opening your heart to love, and finding the courage to move forward into the light.


My Review


The first 3/4 of the book was so dull. Reading about people being frustrated, confused and bored is frustrating, confusing and boring. I also hated the way it was written in the way that the point of view changed so often and without warning and you never knew from who's point of view you were reading when it changed because everything is written like "You wake up to a loud noise, or You find yourself in a room full of people.". I am all for trying to pull the reader into the story and making them feel involved but when it switched from a teenage girl to a teenage boy to a ghost of a teenage boy and the characters are always refered to as "you" it gets confusing and pull me as a reader out of the story. I got so sick of thinking -What the heck, who is the story being told by now? Tthen as soon as I figured out who it was it would switch again. Other people might like this style of writing but it wasn't for me at all. The last 90 or so pages things got pretty good, the story finally started moving and things started actually happening.
I think you are supposed to feel sad for the main character in the story because her mom is always gone and she has to take care of her sister who is about 9 years old and her grandpa with Alzheimer disease. I imagine that would be so hard, but honestly nothing in the story ever conveyed hard. Her sister was very well behaved and her grandpa although forgetful was docile and cooperative. The worst thing that happened was her sister cut her finger, there was no Dr visit or stitches or anything just a cut and that was as bad as it got. At the end of the story the main character (I cannot remember her name, I just finished this book that was over 300 pages long but I guess I just didn't care about the story enough to remember) was so frustrated and overwhelmed that she had to leave a note for her mom saying she just couldn't do it anymore and she needed help. I am 100% sure it would be too hard for any teenager to handle I just wish the story would have showed more of the struggles of her life because honestly most everything went very smoothly the whole story. I found the new boyfriend in the story to be too kind, perfect, thoughtful and involved. The kid was a rich boy from a broken home with a selfish mom, I just wasn't buying the perfect boyfriend thing. Rob the dead boyfriend was one of the the best characters in the story but even he wasn't great, at least I remembered his name right. Anyways I disliked the whole book except the last 90 pages when things got okay. The message of the book was nice, get help when you need it kind of a message. My very favorite part of the story, probably the part that kept me from quitting was Aldo (the grandpa with Alzheimer's). I love that he was clear thinking when he talked to Rob (the ghost boyfriend), I loved that he was still "there" and that he knew what was going on and that his granddaughter was taking care of him. I don't know anyone personally with Alzheimer's but I imagine that this part of the book would give them hope and some comfort that even though it seemed like their loved one was lost that they were still inside somewhere and that they know and appreciate what you are doing for them. I just thought it was so sweet to see things from Aldo's perspective. I found his character to be kind and deep and just overall a lovely man.

If you liked the book Hereafter you will probably like this book as well or vice versa.

Overall Grade C-

Bad-
-Book was too long
-Nothing really emotional, exciting or scary ever happens which made it dull.
-Too many of the characters were unrealistic or hard to relate to.
-Switched characters point of view too often and was always refered to as "you"

Good-
-Aldo's character
-The take on what Alzheimer's is like for the person suffering.
-The message at the end of the book about seeking help and taking care of yourself and your loved ones.

Surviving the Angel of Death

Grade B+

Synopsis
Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele's twins were granted the privileges of keeping their own clothes and hair, but they were also subjected to sadistic medical experiments and forced to fight daily for their own survival, as most of the twins died as a result of the experiements or from the disease and hunger pervasive in the camp. In a narrative told with emotion and restraint, readers will learn of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva's recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.


My Review
I love books about WW2, I think the people who survived are strong and amazing and I am grateful that there are those survivors who are willing to tell their story so that no one ever forgets what happened and hopefully nothing like it will ever happen again. The only down side of this book was it was a little too watered down and vague. I know it was written for a younger audience but it was just edited a little too much. I think that sometimes it is good for teenagers to know more details of how terrible and inhumane humans can be and what prejudice will do to people. Other than that I loved this book and I would recommend it to people who love WW2 books.

Growing up amish

Grade B-

Synopsis
One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today—the Old Order Amish.


My review;
It's hard to judge a book about someones life and opinions, especially when I have no idea what it is like to grow up Amish. I did enjoy reading this book, it was well written and never got boring. A few phrases were used WAY to many times, I remember thinking if he explains how the bishops in the church would pray in a rhythmic, soothing way one more time I was going to scream. I got the idea the first time I didn't need a description of what it sounded like every time a prayer was said when it sounds the same every time.
I am not discrediting how the author felt at all because who am I to judge how someone feels and thinks of their own family, community and religion. There were a few things about his opinion that I just did not understand though. I just did not understand at the end of the book what his problem was with his church or family or the way he was raised that made him so depressed and want to leave and hurt so many people so badly. He said that the community pulled together whenever anything bad happened to someone, like when his brother got paralyzed and the members of his church donated money to cover a bill that was somewhere along the lines of $80,000, And his father took the debt apon himself even though he didn't have to do that because his son was an adult. And his dad bought him a brand new buggie, exactly the one he wanted even though no one ever told him thank you (he claims in the book that he didn't really know he should say thank you, but come on thats just common sense when someone spends a lot of money on you, ever, for any reason you say thank you). And everyone always seems so nice and helpful but they never seemed to be able to do anything to make Ira happy. It felt like Ira always assumed the worst in everyone. At the beginning he even says that he is sure his birth was no big deal to his parents because Amish families all have a lot of children. But from my knowledge of the amish they consider children blessings and gifts from God, how could he think his birth was no big deal to his parents? And I am a mother and I don't care how many babies you have, there is no way to grow a child in your body, give birth and hold this new tiny life in your arms and think it's no big deal. Even "bad" people who have babies don't think no big deal, I'm not saying Ira didn't feel that his parents felt that way I just couldn't get from anything in the whole book what would make him think he wasn't so important to his whole family. They always loved him and helped him the best they could and forgave him no matter what he did to them.
I would have a hard time being amish because the work all day and the no technology after growing up with it would be so hard, but Ira didn't mind the hard work, he seemed to work just as hard or harder whenever he left the amish community. His biggest reasons for leaving seemed to be depression and wanting to drive a truck. Those just seem like crazy reasons to leave a family and a community and friends and everything for, especially because leaving did nothing to help the depression. His biggest problem was that his dad didn't talk enough, or at least not in the right way. Some men just don't say "I love you" they show it in their actions and I think Ira's father though not perfect gave and helped and sacrificed for all of his children. I guess I just wanted to understand why he really left and why he was so sure everyone that knew him thought and talked bad about him when they never did anything but welcome him back and love him and forgive him. Im not saying there was no gossip because there always is no matter where you live but I know as great as my neighbors are they would never do for me what Ira's did for him. I just felt sad the whole book, sad that Ira was so unhappy, all of the time. I just was rooting for him but he was just so frustrating sometimes. I loved the end of the book even though I am so sad how his relationship with his friend who helped him ended, I loved that Ira did find peace and I hope he now has a family of his own and that he doesn't feel alone any more. Overall 3 1/2 stars, I would have given more if I would have understood some of his reasonings a little more or if I would have learned a little bit more about the amish that I didn't know before. The cover is great and fits the story perfectly. 

Hereafter

Grade; D
Cover; Pretty

This wasn't the book for me, there just wasn't anything there that I enjoyed. The whole book is a series of wandering, bad dream, drowning, waking, Joshua repeat. Nothing exciting happens until the very end and then it's short lived. Every time Amelia finally starts getting any answers about anything she gets upset and vanishes or runs away. It was good enough to keep reading because I finished it but really to me this book was boring and depressing. What a terrible thing to have happen when you die, no memories no help no contact with anyone no smells or sensations no heavenly help only the occasional spat with a bad ghost and spending time with a teenage boy. The cover of the book was pretty though.

Mercy

Mercy a fallen angel continuously wakes up in other women/girls bodies. Mercy doesn't know who she is or why these things are happening to her. Mercy wakes up in the body of Carmen a teenage singer who has traveled to a small town with her choir group, she is staying with a volunteer family. She decides to help Ryan her host families son find his missing twin sister who disappeared two years ago.

This wasn't a bad book but not one of my favorite books or one I would read again. Too much time was spent on things that just didn't matter, like page after page after page about choir practice. Then at the end when it should have been really exciting and tense it was mostly just rushed and confusing. I'm not really sure who is bad and who is good in this book at all which is frustrating because you don't know who to like or who to hate. Really I only liked the style of writing, and the idea of the story, the rest was just lacking for me. On the plus side even though I didn't love the story it wasn't hard to keep reading the writing was good and the story has potential, I might even read the second book because the story might actually go somewhere because the idea of the book is really fun. 

Grade C

Average book, not to hard to keep reading but not one I am excited about.

The cover is pretty but vague 

Diagnosis Death

The first half of this book was really enjoyable, I liked the characters and the medical setting. The last half of the book went downhill for me. There were too many coincidences and the characters started talking and acting so so fake. It was like "Oh I'm a lawyer and you might be murdering helpless people and I don't know anything about you but I'm going to let you move in with my parents and be alone with patients and my pregnant wife." The ending also bothered me because everything resolved itself way too fast. The person behind everything all of the sudden just pops into Elana's head and she takes care of everything all by herself. Also no matter how bad someones life is I don't buy a dead husband, a phone stalker, 2 murderers, a peeping tom and a creepy somewhat boyfriend all in one year. Murderers happening and no legal action taken and so much help from people who don't even know you also were just a little too far fetched for me. I think I could have looked past all of that though if something really exciting would have happened in the process of catching at least one of the bad guys but 2 pages of suspense and action just aren't enough for me in mystery type books.
I would recommend this book to fans of other things that Richard L. Mabry has written. I didn't hate this book by any means I was just expecting more because it started out so strong.

Grade C

pages 288

I do like the cover and it does tie in with the story, only the cover is more dramatic than the story is.

The Goddess Test

Grade A+
Page Count 297
Author Aimee Carter


Synopsis;
Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn. 

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. 

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. 

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. 

If she fails...




My Review;
I LOVED this book, it is the best book I have read in a long long time and in my opinion deserves to become just as popular as Harry Potter or the Twilight series. The writing is impeccable and draws you into the story right on the very first page. The characters were well developed and varied and the main character was so good and so sweet without being someone readers can't relate to. I wasn't able to guess who the killer was until right before it happened and there are so many surprises along the way it makes it a story you never want to stop reading. I couldn't put this book down but I tried not to read too much a day because I didn't want the story to come to an end. I have been finished for 2 days now and have started another book but I am still pouting about being finished with this book. I don't buy a lot of books because between the library and Netgally I have plenty of books to keep me busy but this is a book I would buy in a heartbeat. The only thing I am worried about for the next book is it becoming another story about how a girl can't decide between two amazing guys who are both madly in love with her. It's been SO OVERDONE and I am really hoping that the next book doesn't follow that same pattern. But honestly I can't really think of anything in the first book I didn't like and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series and anything else Aimee Carter writes. This is a book that is definitely going on my list of favorite books.

SPOILER QUESTION

There was one part of the story I was confused about and if anyone else reads this book and can let me know that would be great!

Kate's mom dies and and Kate is killed and they are in the boat together and then Henry comes and takes Kate and carries her away. When Kate asks about her mom Henry says she agreed to give her life so Kate could live and that was the only way Henry could take Kate out of the underworld but then we find out Kate's mom is a goddess who took on a human body to raise Kate and that the body she was using died but she didn't because she is immortal. How did Henry get Kate out of the underworld if it took a life for a life? Kate's moms soul didn't really die so there was really nothing to trade for Kate's life. I don't know if it makes sense what I am asking or not but really it doesn't matter that much because I loved the ending and the whole story was amazing!

Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win

Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win 

Grade A
Pages 288
Synopsis from Netgally website-

Odd. Incredible. Innovative. Not Just Another Baking Soda Volcano.
In the way that Word Freak exposed the hidden world of competitive Scrabble players, now Science Fair Season pulls back the curtain on the highly competitive and high-stakes world of high school science fairs.
Each year, the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair brings together over 1,500 of the most talented students from more than 50 countries, with over $4 million prizes and scholarships at stake. Their investigations and experiments are breathtaking and mind-boggling, from creating bionic prosthetics to conducting groundbreaking stem cell research, from training drug-sniffing cockroaches to taking on big corporations. Not just a competition, it has become a recruiting field, with representatives from elite universities and the world's top medical programs attending these fairs looking to spot young prodigies, and even to get a jump on what's being researched.
Judy Dutton follows twelve of these remarkable teenagers and tells gripping stories of their road to the big competition. Some will win, some will lose, but all of their lives are left changed forever. With not just fascinating stories of imaginative projects, but also of compelling and interesting kids, Science Fair Season is Spellbound for the Bunsen Burner Set.
JUDY DUTTON is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. Since graduating from Harvard with a degree in English and American Literature, she's contributed to Cosmopolitan, Maxim, Glamour, Redbook, Women's Health, msn.com, and other magazines and websites. She is also the author of Secrets from the Sex Lab, an eye-opening look at the most groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the realm of sexual behavior.

My Review;
I loved this book, I'm so glad a read it. It isn't one I would normally pick up, I was never a science lover myself but these stories were amazing. There was a kid who was into radioactivity, a girl with Leprosy, a pretty actress who falls in love with science and more amazing stories of real kids who are really smart. The projects that the kids came up with were amazing, I never knew so much went into preparing for and competing in a science fair. I love the emphasis on help from teachers and parents and neighbors that encouraged and taught some of the kids in the story. I wish I would have had someone encourage me to be more involved in science. I always got above average scores on my SAT's but my classes in school were so dull, copying facts from the white board and reading chapter after chapter about rocks. I think if we would have been more hands on I would have LOVED it. I have three boys and this book reminded me about a book I have of fun science experiments for kids. I pulled it out and we have had a lot of fun doing some of the projects in the books. I hope like some of the other mothers in this book I can be an encouragement to my children and give them a love and an excitement of learning and trying new things.

The Iron Queen

Grade A+

The Iron Queen is Book 3 in the Iron Fey series

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I liked the first two books in the series but I LOVED this one. I love that Megan picked Ash and didn't do the whole -I cant decide between two hot guys-  thing that happens in so many other YA fantasy books. I love the idea of Ash being Megan's night, it was so romantic! I love that Megan isn't perfect, she says stupid things and makes mistakes but she is doing her best it just makes her so easy to relate to. I loved the ending, it was happy and sad and amazing, best ending in any book I have ever read! I love Grim, he makes me want to hug him and slap him all at the same time. Ash was romantic and so much more open in this book. Puck comes to terms with Megan's choice even though he still loves her he is happy to still be her best friend. I am so excited to read the next book in the series!!! The only down side to this book is that it ended but I will anxiously await the next book The Iron Knight written from Ash's point of view!

Book 1 in the series The Iron King

Book 1.5 Winters Passage 

Book 2 The Iron Daughter

One Hundred Candles

One Hundred Candles

By Mara Purnhagen

235 pages on my Sony Reader

Grade A-

The author of One Hundred Candles was so kind and allowed me to upload this book onto my reader from Netgally and I am so grateful she did. I was not able to read the first book of the series because unfortunately my library doesn't carry it, but it is one I am going to have to get my hands on so I can read it because I really enjoyed this book. Even though I didn't read the first book (yet) I didn't really feel lost reading the second book, there were things that were talked about from the first book that I wish I could know more about but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Charlotte is finally settled into a home and a school and is the daughter of famous parents who travel around debunking hauntings. Trouble starts when Charlotte's mom begins believing in the supernatural while her father firmly holds onto the belief that strange happenings are the result of residual energy left behind. Charlotte tries to balance a new romance a few new friendships, school, her parents fighting and the supernatural happenings all around her.
There were so many original ideas in what could have turned into a typical girl sees ghost story. I love the idea of residual energy and the power of good thoughts. I love that most things in this book dealing with the supernatural turned out to be hoaxes because when there were real demons or ghost it made it all the more intense. I loved the mixture of mystery, romance, family, friends, school, death, faith, friendship, belief and disbelief in this story. There were so many different aspects that it kept the story from getting boring even when nothing was happening. I know I like a book when I am excited to pick it up and reluctant to put it down and that is how I felt with this book.
There were only two things I could think of that I didn't love about this book. 1- Something would be happening and then all of the sudden the chapter would be over and a new one would start and a few days had past. It only took a page or two to pick up again but I found myself being pushed out of the story a little at the end of each chapter. 2- I don't know if I just missed it or what but one minute Charlotte's parents were on the brink of divorce and then the next minute he dad believed everything and they were in love again. Like I said maybe there were signs I missed because I was so into the whole demon chasing Chloe thing that I might have just missed it. Other than that though this book was awesome, I can't wait to read book #3 and book #1 in this series. Thanks again to the author Mara Purnhagen for allowing me to read your book!