Life As We Knew It ★★

Life As We Knew It is written in a journal entry format from the perspective of a teenage girl named Miranda. In the beginning she's just a normal teenage girl but her life gets turned upside down when an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it closer to the Earth.

From that point everything is thrown into chaos; there's tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, viruses, power outages, etc. After the initial shock of the moons change in orbit Miranda's mom makes her and her brothers go to the store and they stock up on as much nonperishable foods as possible.

The story follows Miranda as her and her family struggle to survive. It's an interesting story however there's not much of an actual plot beyond the moon getting hit into a closer orbit with the Earth and a bunch of natural disasters occur.

Beyond that, there's some confusing inconsistencies that don't quite add up. For one, it is stressed how dangerous the streets are and Miranda even encounters a few people raiding an abandoned house, yet she herself is never once attacked. Secondly it is made out to be like there is very little food yet at the end of the book Miranda finds out that the city hall is giving out food.

Another big issue is the science behind the book. The moon controls the tides but it is not explained nor likely that the moon could create earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Also it is stated that the scientists didn't know that the asteroid would hit the moon yet the power and trajectory needed to hit the moon into a closer orbit would be glaringly obvious to any competent scientist.

A smaller issue that bothered me was Miranda's friend, Megan, who is religious; however, she twists religion into something that it isn't. Megan stops eating because she believes that God will provide for her and most people who know anything about religion know that God will provide what you need, but food will not just fall from the sky and Megan would not suddenly need to stop eating. She eventually dies of starvation and her mother hangs herself due to the loss.

The idea behind the story sounds interesting, but it does not sound like there was any research or realism to the book. The concept itself could be very real, but everything afterwards is far fetched and unlikely.

Putting all the logistics aside, it was an enjoyable book with some interesting events (that don't really lead anywhere).

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic ★★★★

Distant waves incorporates a lot of different ideas - psychics and mediums, ghosts and spirits, an earthquake machine and time travel - into a famous historical event.

Suzanne Weyn writes about Jane and her four sisters who grew up in a small town based around spiritualism and psychic workings. When Jane and Mimi go to meet a scientist they once encountered when they were younger, their worlds turn upside down. They both fall in love, meet famous people, and Mimi goes on the trip of a lifetime.

Eventually, as fate would have it, Mimi and Jane meet up again on the Titanic along with Tesla, the famous scientist, Thad, Jane's boyfriend, and Jane's other sisters.

As Tesla prepares to test his invention something goes horribly wrong which leads to the sinking of the ship, so in order to help prevent their deaths, Tesla sends everyone forward in time; however, Mimi and Thad end up much farther into the future than he sent them.

The title is a little misleading saying as the Titanic only comes into the story towards the end of it however a lot also happens on it. Much of the book is used to lead up to the bigger events towards the end and thus the story seems to be a bit slow; however, a lot happens in the last hundred or so pages: a wedding, a proposal, a sabotage, and the most historical sinking of a cruise liner in history.

The plot of the book is a little scattered and a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It had some science fiction, historical fiction, and romance in it as well as some paranormal aspects to it that made it different from some of the other books I've read.

The Little Black Schoolhouse ★★★★

Sylvia Griffin

      The Little Black Schoolhouse by Sylvia Griffin takes an interesting folk tale and weaves it into the corruption of society, a little bit of religion, and especially the public school system.

       Linda is a new fifth grade teacher at Northside Elementary school. There she faces prejudices against her race, her gender, and her social status.

       The book opens up with Linda first hearing about the story of La Llorona who she learns to fear. It then skips ahead to her heading to a meeting for her teaching job at a new district that is all about reputation not at all about education or the children (though they make it seem that way).

La Llorona

     Linda is "stuck" with all of the students who are struggling academically and many of which come from some pretty shoddy home lives. As she struggles with the ridiculous rules of the school district, such as the playground and lunchroom duties, meetings, and the dress code for female teachers, she finds her premonition like dreams turn into reality.

      The book sometimes jumps to the point of view of a child just as he or she is about to die as well as the events leading up to the untimely death. In doing so the reader learns about "the others", a mysterious supernatural force that manipulates the children and eventually leads them to committing suicide.

      The children in contact with the "others" all come from what is considered a broken home with divorced parents that may or may not want them and parents who work all the time.

      To protect herself from her pervert of a principal, Linda couples with Leonardo who is sweet, kind, and generous, everything a gentleman should be and in the end they are set to be engaged.

     The ending of the book is abrupt with an interesting, if not far fetched, twist that explains some but not all of the events that occur throughout the book.

     I enjoyed the book due to its idea and themes of corruption and hypocrisy, but the whole book seemed to be one giant hyperbole (exaggeration) from the expectation of the teachers to the "others" and the cult that followed behind them.

    The characters were also interesting but weren't developed a whole lot. The children were given a small back story to explain their reasoning behind being easily manipulated to commit suicide and few adults had a back story at all to explain their actions. Greg, Ted, and Frieda disgusted me and made me want to smack them all across the face for prejudices.

Overall it was a great book, but the ending was too abrupt with a far fetched twist. 


    

Twilight Series ★★

So everyone knows Twilight, some love it, some hate it. I didn't mind it but it wasn't the best either. I will say that the movies were a lot better than the books which is something that I will rarely ever say, because books in my opinion, always have more detail and something about them that can't be captured on screen. 

Anyways the story follows the small town girl named Bella living in boring old Forks, Washington. She captures the eye of a mysterious boy, Edward Cullen, from school who turns out to be a vampire.

Edward Cullen

Being a vampire Edward has a few enemies who try to get to Bella in order to hurt Edward for whatever reason. Book one the vampire is just out to hunt Bella 'cause it's fun. Book two the mate of the vampire from book one comes back to kill Bella as revenge for Edward killing her mate. Book three Bella and Edward get married and oh look they're having a child. Book Four they're trying to protect their child from getting killed by the Volturi.

Jacob Black

Then of course there's the hot werewolf (not actually a werewolf just a shape shifter) boy, Jacob, who completes the love triangle.  Jacob believes that Bella should be with him because she wouldn't have to change for him. He's also alive and therefore will grow old with Bella, like a normal human. However he does what he can to protect Bella even if that means asking for the aid of his pack.

Bella Swan

Bella loves both Edward and Jacob but is more attracted to Edward and the world he lives in. She feels that it's more normal to her than her own human life. When Edward leaves she turns to Jacob for support and tries to do life jeopardizing activities, because she finds that Edward appears to her when she's in danger.





So throughout the second books she's pretty much completely depressed and does some, well, pretty stupid things. Though as a teenager in love her actions are more justified since as a teenager, things appear on a higher scale. Such as when a teenager wrecks a car, he/she is pretty panicked and thinks his/her life is over even though it's not.

The books are rather long and drawn out and I think it would have been better in three books but it was okay. The plot seemed a bit repetitive with nothing really very new in any of them. It does seem a bit over dramatic as well, but hey vampires and werewolves, why not? 

Anyways the movies make the story seem more entertaining and the actors fit their roles well: Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, and Kristin Stewart as Bella Swan.

Robert Pattinson acted as Art from How To Be, Tyler Hawkins from Remember Me, and Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Robert Pattinson

Taylor Lautner was Sharkboy from Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Frat Boy Andy from Grown Ups 2, and Nathan from Abduction.

Taylor Lautner

Kristin Stewart

Kristin Stewart has been Snow White from Snow White and the Huntsman, Lisa from Zathura, Maddy from Catch That Kid, and Melinda Sordino from Speak.

 Breaking Dawn Part 2 was probably the best in terms of visual effects due to the giant battle scene as well as even just the little training scenes. Bella as a vampire gets to show off her new strength and speed which makes for fantastic visuals.

The music in the movies are alright, most notably is Bella's song that Edward plays for her. The best scene is probably when Edward takes Bella up into the trees. The scenery is just breathtaking.

Overall the story was okay. Bella was rather pathetic in my opinion and Edward and Jacob had the capability of being so much more developed than they really were. The storyline itself was a bit cliche such as the werewolves vs. vampire thing, but at least they didn't have the vampire vampire hunter. The books were a bit boring and the movies were okay. I wouldn't exactly recommend the series but to a specific few I might.
 

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky ★★★★★

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky wasn't as well known until the movie came out starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson. 

Logan Lerman as Charlie

 Logan Lerman is well known from the Percy Jackson series as well as Hoot, The Three Musketeers, and the new Noah.

Emma Watson as Sam

 Emma Watson is most known for her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter series but has also had a role in Noah.




Both portrayed their characters beautifully. They're both wonderful actors with a lot of potential and I can't see where they go next.



The movie followed the book impeccably and that can't be said for many movies that are based off of books. There were a few scenes that I wish they had put in the movie from the book but overall it was wonderful.

The book itself was beautifully written. The use of letters made the content seem a lot more personal as well as relatable. It illustrates how difficult it can be for any teenager to find their place, especially in a high school setting.

Sam, Charlie, and Patrick

Charlie's trauma however sets him aside from everyone else, which is why he is probably attracted to Sam and Patrick's little band of misfits. They all have their problems, but they stick together like a family, which is a lot like the real world.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower illustrates the difficulties and trauma that people can go through, but also how friends can be like family and help us through the tough times. It shows how together we find our place in the world, and along the way, we can find that perfect song that makes us feel infinite.

We are Infinite.

Link to Perks of Being a Wallflower movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/
Link to Perks of Being a Wallflower book: http://www.amazon.com/Perks-Being-Wallflower-Stephen-Chbosky/dp/1451696191

If I Stay and Where She Went - Gayle Forman ★★★★★

If I Stay by Gayle Forman, is a beautiful and well written tragedy of Mia Hall. She is forced to make the decision to live without her parents and little brother Teddy, or leave her boyfriend, friends, and extended family behind. 

Stuck between life or death, Mia experiences the responses of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Some of them asking her to stay, some telling her its okay to leave. All the while remembering all the memories that she's had with each and every one in that hospital with her.  

This novel shows just how everything can change in a split second, and how much people really take for granted. It also shows how much one person can affect the lives of several.  

If I Stay will be showing in theaters on August 22nd and I am looking forward to seeing it. I will post a review of the movie shortly after. 

 

Where She Went continues three years after Mia's accident through the point of view of her boyfriend, Adam. He has become a successful rock star under the name of Adam Wilde, but he finds himself feeling depressed and lonely, and seeking answers. Mia Hall suddenly leaves him hanging after he had done everything he could to help her. From the pain of losing Mia he and his band become successful almost overnight. Then one day, he meets Mia and it's not how he always imagined it would be, until after the truth comes out and everything is brought to light.

With Adam you find out how one person made his world come crashing down, and within a day, fixed it again. 

If I Stay and Where She Went illustrate how two people can over come even the worst of tragedies, and how resilient people can be.

Link to Gayle Forman's website: http://www.gayleforman.com 

Link to If I Stay the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355630/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The House of Night Series - P.C. and Kristin Cast ★★★

The first book in the series, Marked, was the best out of the rest of them. It had an interesting plot, a strong female character, and it kept me wanting to read the other books in the series. 

However as I kept reading the story line seemed to have declined a bit. It got confusing at times and sometimes it was slow. There was a lot of filler with annoying teenage drama, and although a little drama isn't bad, there was a lot of it.

 

 The main character, Zoey Redbird, was initially this strong female character who was kind and humble, but as the story goes on, she becomes whiny and to be honest, a little pathetic. I understand that she has gone through some hardships and has the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she blows them completely out of proportion and she has some strong friends to help her out. 

Her friends also could have been developed more, they are also powerful and unique, yet the author does little to show that, instead they are seen trying to console Zoey or gossip.

 

House of Night Series

 

 Many of the books could have been combined into one, but instead were their own individual books that got tiring to read. 

Throughout the books certain places are described quite beautifully and I would love to jump in the books and see them for myself if I could. 

The language was interesting and it's an interesting concept, but it was, unfortunately, drawn out too long. 
 

The tenth book is coming out soon and though I am tired of the series, I have invested so much time into reading them that I almost have to see how it plays out. 

Link to House of Night website: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/
Link to P.C. and Kristin Cast's website: http://pccast.net/ 

Prophecy of the Flame - Lynn Hardy ★★★★★

Prophecy of the Flame is a great book for D&D fans and just anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure story. The plot line is one that anyone might dream of - being pulled into another dimension based on a game he/she is playing - however, the events that unfold are unique and keep the story invigorating.

Archmage Reba

 The characters are all very different from being arrogant and annoying to somewhat cute and childish. 

The main character Reba is a head strong woman who takes advantage of her new found power but has a good heart and thoroughly tries to help everyone. However the more she uses her magic the more dependent she becomes on it which could lead to some major problems down the line in the coming books. 

Her friends all have dynamic personalities that are used sometimes as comedic relief and support Reba throughout the story. 

Archmage Reba and the Crusaders of the Light

Though the book does not focus on character development as much as it does the plot line, the reader is still able to see their development through their actions and Reba's thoughts. The personality of the characters seem very realistic and they all have their flaws and back stories (though they are not talked about much) which make each character interesting to read (even if the can get annoying and make me want to slap them sometimes).

 The downside of this book (there's one in every book) is that there are a few points in the book in which the characters get rather intimate that would be inappropriate for the youth, but they are easy to skip over and does not take away from the story. It is heavy on the action with some romance and thus makes a great read for all readers. 

I am interested in reading the second installment in the series and am looking forward to seeing where the story goes.










Link to Lynn Hardy's website: http://lynnhardy.blogspot.com/
Link to Prophecy of the Flame book one: http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Flame-Book-Lynn-Hardy/dp/0615170765 
Link to Prophecy of the Flame book two: http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Flame-Book-Loves-Price-ebook/dp/B004KKXSOQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406676248&sr=1-2&keywords=prophecy+of+the+flame