Parker by Richard Stark

Summary

“After a bank heist gone awry, Parker hobnobs with excessively moneyed citizens of West Palm Beach while impersonating a Texan oilman looking to buy property. The true object of his affection is a $12 million stash of jewels that he aims to steal from under the noses of a hundred socialites, a hit man, and six other thieves who have an unhealthy love of explosions. When things turn sour, Parker finds himself shot and trapped – and forced to rely on a civilian to survive.

Now a major motion picture starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, Parker is Richard Stark’s beloved antihero at his best: ruthless, violent, and performing his job with deadly panache.”

-From back flap of book

Review

This was quite an interesting book. A little different then I thought it was going to be, but enjoyable non the less.

I probably would have never picked this book up had it not been for the fact that the movie version of it has just come out and I wanted to see it.

Parker was initially called Flashfire but it was changed when the movie was created.

Richard Stark apparently did an entire Parker series which I may or may not read, but this book is like the 12 in the series or something. This series does not seem to have to be read in order to understand this book. I read it and understood it perfectly fine.

This book did have some curse words in it. The S word was used constantly and there was a few F words dropped here and there, usually by the criminals when they were mad or getting really excited ( :/ )

I don’t really know anything about the movie except what I saw in the trailer and it looks like it will stay pretty close to the book. I would say reading the book first as it did come before the movie.

This book will most likely be found on Barnes & Nobels new mystery shelf as they have brought it back to life.

Check this book out and let me know what you think

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5

Summary

This TV show happens some time between Episode II and III while the Clone Wars was in full swing.

Review

This TV show is definitely addicting if you like Star Wars. I know that a lot of people are not terribly interested because they don’t think that it will be that good, but I have to say, that it is very interesting and very enjoyable.

I reviewed Season 1-4 here. This season, in my opinion, was one of the best so far. It had so much going on and wow, the ending of this season was a knife to the heart.

The animations in this TV show have definitely progressed in my eyes and in the eyes of the director, David Filoni. In the beginning they did not have many complicated sets, but as the TV show progressed, they started to do more complex creatures, more complex environments, and more explosions.

Click here to see some information on the huge explosion, see how it was made, and see the scene.

This season had a lot of cliff hangers and definitely had an underlying story running through the entire thing. You also really got the see different emotions from the characters as well which I really liked. As the season came to the end you could see Ahsoka’s struggling, and Anakin’s struggling as well with their opinions and emotions. Also through this entire season, you could see Anakin starting to go downhill. Then in the last 5 minutes of the last episode, you could see what was going to happen as everything was starting to unfold.

I have never seen, in an animation series, a more memorable, unforgettable, emotional, unsatisfying finale EVER! When I say unsatisfying, I do not mean that in a bad way. I mean that I want more now and I dont think that there will be more as I am not sure if there will be a season 6. I was crying during the season finale and I never cry over an animation. But still, when I think about it, I get a sick feeling in my stomach and I get the lump in my throat. THE BEST FINALE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT LIKE NOW!

I have no idea when it will come out on DVD as the season just ended last Saturday. But, never the less, you should start watching from Season 1!

If you like it as much as I do and have opinions on anything, leave it in the comment or email me at

mylibrarycardworeout at gmail dot com

I would to discuss as M.O.M has no interest in discussing it at all.

I hope that you enjoy.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Summary

“‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ With this famous declaration Jane Austen launches into the story of the five Bennet sisters. It is a story that on first reading is full of suspense, surprise and, ultimately, satisfaction, and which on re-reading commands, in addition, admiration for the author’s supreme skill in managing a deceptively complex plot to its triumphant conclusion. First published in 1813, and Austen’s most popular novel in her own lifetime, Pride and Prejudice has since been widely recognised as one of the finest novels in the English language. The volume provides comprehensive explanatory notes, an extensive critical introduction covering the context and publication history of the work, a chronology of Austen’s life, and an authoritative textual apparatus. This edition is an indispensable resource for all scholars and readers of Austen.”

-Book Description from Amazon.com

Review

It took me a while to read it, but it was definitely a good novel. Also it was nice to read it this year as this is the 200th year anniversary of Pride and Prejudice.

I honestly would never have picked this book up had it not been for the fact that I had to read it in my English class. My mom always goes on how I read so many books, but many of them aren’t great quality. Modern books=short sentences and simple stories.

So when I had to read this book for English, I was excited and a little like, ‘this may be a terrible book, WHYYYYYYYY?!’ So when I found out that I enjoyed it, I was shocked.

This novel definitely does have a different language thought. There are sentences that can run for an entire paragraph and do not have any real punctuation marks.  It is also really confusing as to who is who in the story in the beginning. After a while you do get used to it though.

The storyline was quite good as well. In modern-day books, there is either some type or action or there are short choppy sentences. In this, they may spend an entire chapter describing one persons personality (a chapter sometimes only being about 1 and a half pages.)

You got really close to the characters also as you spent a lot of time with each one if it was either through descriptions, or just general interaction with them through other characters.

When you start this book, you will most likely want to put it down as it is difficult. Okay, let me rephrase that. It is not difficult like solving a complicated algorithm, or cracking some binary code ( ), but it does require concentration and a little work on the readers part. It is worth it though. You get to see how courting was in the dinosaur days (you know, the day when most parents lived (M.O.M)), and you get to see what society was like.

I really liked the imagery in this book as well. They would go into great detail describing things which was really nice because you got a great understanding of how a character looked or what their personality was like. This, in my opinion, made you feel more part of the story and it was easier to enjoy. You were too busy trying to understand the story and who was who to have time to create a person with a personality in your head.

My English teacher provided some great links which help in understanding the book, and I will add them as they really do help.
1. Here is a link that takes you to ‘austenbook’. It takes the entire story and turns it into a Facebook timeline. Really easy to understand and a great way to see it in a modern-day view.
2. Cliffnotes has a great list of all the characters. Great to use when you are just starting the book so you can understand who is who.

I also suggest, and M.O.M is going to scold me for this, Sparknotes. DO NOT USE SPARKNOTES TO READ THE ENTIRE BOOK! I had quizzes on each chapter as I read the book and what I would do is read everything that was assigned and then use Sparknotes as a general summary. I will tell you this now though, it does not have every detail and if your teacher asks specific questions, then YOU WILL FAIL!

My teacher also assigned this study guide with a bunch of questions which were really helpful. Click here to see it, but this link will take you to a link which automatically downloads a word document.

Overall this is definitely a classic book and everyone should read it. A book is not always something that you are able to just sit down and read. Sometimes you have to use something called a brain, you know that grey mass in your head. It is really useful to use and you may actually learn a thing or two.

Also, try to pick up an older copy. New copies are okay, but older copies, with the yellowed pages and the musty smell really add to the reading experience.

If you have not already read this book, you should definitely read it.

SPARKNOTES DOES NOT COUNT!

If you have read this book, leave a comment letting know what you thought or shoot me an email at

mylibrarycardworeout at gmail dot com

I would love to get into a conversation about this book as there is so much to talk about.

Happy Reading!

There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury

There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury is a short story but it was one of the best short stories which I have ever read. This story was only about 4 pages, but within those 4 pages, so much happened. Click here to see the PDF version of the story.

One of the qualities which I loved in the story was the personification. Ray Bradbury personified everything. There were no people in the story so the story was told from, in a sense, the point of view of the house and what the house was experiencing. Just the first few opening lines show that it is going to be an interesting story.

“In the living room the voice-clock sang, Tick-tock, seven o’clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o’clock! as if it were afraid that nobody would. The morning house lay empty. The clock ticked on, repeating and repeating its sounds into the emptiness. Seven-nine, breakfast time, seven-nine!”

-Excerpt from the short story

The house talks and protects itself. The house gets scared. The things that work inside the house get angry. There are also quite a few similes and metaphors in this story too. I cannot really say much about the story because it is so short but the story just is generally about what the house does when the people are all gone and how life goes on. The short story was really sad but I cannot say why. This is a definite read and it is great for when you have like 10 minutes to do nothing. It is so short but you get so much out of it.

I hope that you try this short story as it really was well done.

Destiny of the Republic: A Take of madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

*Just found this somewhere in my drafts and did this review a while ago. Decided to get it up now

Summary

“The extraordinary New York Times-bestselling account of James Garfield’s rise from poverty to the American presidency, and the dramatic history of his assassination and legacy, from bestselling author of The River of Doubt, Candice Millard.

For a man forced into the presidency, the legacy of James Garfield extended far beyond his lifetime, and Destiny of the Republic revisits his meteoric rise within the military and government with meticulous research and intimate focus. Garfield was a passionate advocate of freed slaves, a reformer at odds with Republican power brokers and machine politics, a devoted father, and a spellbinding speech-giver. Four months after taking office he was shot twice by an unhinged office-seeker, Charles Guiteau, and a nation already recently fractured by war shattered, leaving the wounded president at the center of a bitter, behind-the-scenes struggle for power. Examining the medical reform spurred by Garfield’s unsanitary medical treatment, and reflecting on the surprising political reform brought on by his former political enemy Senator Roscoe Conkling, Destiny of the Republic passionately brings President Garfield’s unknown-but-widely-felt legacy into focus.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

I would normally never have chosen this book as I don’t usually read nonfiction but this was a very interesting read. It is all facts but you really do learn a lot about Garfield. I personally never knew that we had a president named Garfield. I also never knew that Alexander Bell had over 600 lawsuits due to his telephone invention. There is not terribly much to say about this book due to the fact that it is a nonfiction but it does have nice imagery. I really enjoyed reading this book. I originally thought that I was going to hate it, but it really read like a novel and was quite enjoyable.

There is a lot of politics so it does get a little confusing at a few points but you can usually figure out where it is going. There is also some gruesome imagery as they talk about what happened to Garfield once he was shot. It was described in great detail what was seen so that is something to watch out for.

I definitely recommend reading this book as it was really interesting. I recommend it for people over the age of 14/15 due to the fact it is for mature readers and will be hard to follow for the younger readers. It is an adult book.

So go and get this book and I hope that you enjoy.

Oh and there are pictures XD.

Expendables 2 (2012)

Starring

Sylvester Stallone – Barney Ross
Jason Statham – Lee Christmas
Jean-Claude Van Damme – Vilain
Jet Li – Yin Yang
Dolph Lundgren – Gunnar Jensen
Chuck Norris – Booker
Bruce Willis – Church
Arnold Schwarzenegger – Trench
Terry Crews – Hale Caesar
Randy Couture – Toll Road
Liam Hemsworth – Bill The Kid

Summary

“The cast of The Expendables, with newest members Billy the Kid (Hemsworth) and Maggie (Nan) aboard, are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Well. This was an interesting movie, to say the least. Definitely full of testosterone – a complete guy movie. It was rated R and it went with the rating. There was constant swearing and a lot of violence and blood. Most of the blood really was not realistic, but there was a lot of it. The swearing was constantly going on (what do you expect when you get a bunch of BIG guys and stick them together in stressful situations.)

Stallone did direct, write, and star in this movie, and I was impressed. It was quite well done. It did have a good story, good actors, good acting, great action and fight sequences, most of it was realistic, and it was extremely funny.

You would not expect a movie like this to be funny, but I was constantly laughing as there were references to the characters that the actors played in other movies, and just jokes going on all the time.

I would say that this is a movie for 16 year olds and over because of the violence and swearing. There really was nothing sexual in it, except maybe a few brief references.

There were a lot of explosions and a lot of people dying. There was also a big character death which changed the entire course of the movie. You really did not expect it.

I also do like the music in it. The soundtrack is one thing which I do love about movies, and will frequently listen to if it was worth it. This one is not in the same caliber as Avengers and Tron, but it was still quite enjoyable to listen to and well done.

I do recommend seeing it if you are interested in this type of movie as it was well done. It is not on my top 10 list but it was still enjoyable.

And yes there will be a third one, or so Stallone said. I didn’t see Expendables 1, but maybe one day when I have some time to kill I will. I don’t think seeing the first movie is needed to understand this one

Hope that you enjoy.

Warning: The trailer does have a lot of action and shows violence.

Tiger’s Destiny by Colleen Houck

Summary

“With three of the goddess Durga’s quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger’s curse. But the trio’s greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga’s final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

It’s a race against time–and the evil sorcerer Lokesh–in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers’ true destinies once and for all.”

- From Amazon.com

Review

alslkjdflijwlelflja! (excited jumble)

I cannot believe that I had not reviewed this yet. I mean it came out September of last year and I did get the ARC of it so I had it in like July or something. My lame excuse is that I was told not to review it until the book came out, and then the ARC did not have the last chapters (darn you Colleen Houck for the suspense) so I had to get the new copy to do a good review, then I started school and….well I will be simple and blunt…I forgot! Yup, I forget a lot of things and my mom calls me a bobble head XD.

But being home sick and not doing ANYTHING made me bring out some interesting books and series and that included the Tiger’s series. I decided to pick up the last one as I had only read it once and read through it again, and boy did it bring back some great memories of the series. Then reading a little further, it hit me that I had never done a review of it. So here it is and yes, it will be another glowing review.

Well this is the second to last book of the series, as she has said that there will be a fifth book. Reading this, I did not know about the 5th book and how it ended, it made you sad, so I am happy that there will be another one.

The story follows Kelsey, Ren and Kishan on their journey to break the curse and her battle for the two men she loves and which one she will choose. A lot of the book was about her finding her way through her heart and trying to find out which of the two men she really loves. She knows who she loves but she just cannot accept it because she is afraid after everything which has happened, and during all of the tests which she is put through during the book she finds out who she really needs. They are also sent into the past where they meet the young goddess Durga and accompany her into battle where they battle the villain, Lokesh.

This was probably one of the saddest books out of them all, as there was a character death, and it had an ending which you did not expect.

The story line was absolutely amazing though. There was such amazing creatures described as well. There were phoenixes, demon/human like creatures, qilin, and many other fantastical creatures…all of which were described in such great detail that you really had to control your imagination (what you don’t have that problem as well?)

Also another great thing about this book is the cover.

The cover is so colorful and has so many layers and textures. I have loved all of the book covers as they all have a similar idea but the theme is different (the first one a white tiger as it was about Ren, the second with a black tiger as it was about Kishan, the third with an ice dragon as they were visiting dragons that represented the different elements, and the phoenix on this one to represent new life and truth which she had to find and courage and knowledge.)

This is definitely a curl-up-in-bed-with-your-cat-and-a-good-cup-of-tea book of a snuggle-infront-of-the-fireplace-with-a-cat-and-hot-chocolate book (yup, those are my two book reading perfect situations.)

If you have not read this series already you have to go out and give this a try. They are absolutely amazingly well done and a must read.

A movie will be coming out in 2015 and I am definitely looking forward to that and am ecstatic about the last book which I believe is coming out in the summer.

Let me know what you think of the book, if you are interested in reading it, thoughts on the cover, or any other comments you have about the book and/or series. Love to hear from you.

Happy Reading!

Soulbound by Heather Brewer *Legacy of Tril*

Summary

“Tril is a world where Barrons and Healers are Bound to each other: Barrons fight and Healers cure their Barrons’ wounds in the ongoing war with the evil Graplar King. Seventeen-year-old Kaya was born a Healer, but she wants to fight. In Tril, and at Shadow Academy, where she is sent to learn to heal, it is against Protocol for Healers to fight. So Kaya must learn in secret. Enter two young men: One charming, rule-following Barron who becomes Bound to Kaya and whose life she must protect at all costs. And one with a mysterious past who seems bent on making Kaya’s life as difficult as possible. Kaya asks both to train her, but only one will, and the consequences will change their lives forever.”

-From HeatherBrewer.com book synopsis

Review

Now this is definitely going to be one book series that I am going to be excited to read and follow. There are very few series that make me want to read the ENTIRE series. The few that I either am in the process of reading or have read are Alex Rider, The Tiger Series, Warrior’s (the one about those cats), Harry Potter, and The Mortal Instrument series. Those are really the only series that I have/am currently followed/ing. This series, the Legacy of Tril will be added to that, as it was just so well done.

I have never read anything like it. It was an entire new world which was created, and really didn’t go off any story line which I have read before. There were no vampire, no werewolf’s  and no aliens. It was based in a realistic world and everything was so believable. There were these creatures in the book called Graplars. For some reason I pictured them all as fiercer Toothless the Dragon from How To Train Your Dragon…and less cute.

But that was the image that I had in my mind the entire time for some strange reason. Then there was Trayton who I pictured as the Groosalugg from Angel :/ But maybe a little more handsome.

I saw Darius as Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, but a little more bad boy style and older.

I imagined Kaya as this tall, well-built girl with brown hair, and the rest kind of I was left to imagine. My image of her kept changing as she kept changing through the story.

It is hard to really describe it because it was not like anything else I have read. It was just a really good book and you HAVE to read it. The language was not too complex, but the story was a little confusing at some parts because of all of the characters and what was happening, but if you really concentrate, it wasn’t too hard.

So go and get this one. But don’t burn your fingers, ‘cus this one is Hot Off the Press.

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

Summary

In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home on suburban Long Island. George and Kathleen Lutz knew that, one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers, and sisters in that house. But the property complete with boathouse and swimming pool and the price were too good to pass up. Twenty-eight days later, the entire Lutz family fled in terror. This is the spellbinding, best-selling true story that gripped the nation, the story of a house possessed by evil spirits, haunted by psychic phenomena almost too terrible to describe.

-From Amazon.com

The Amityville Horror (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Review

WOW! This truly was a Halloween novel and definitely something you want to read during the month of October.

The thing which I really liked about the book is that it is actually a true story and which added to the scariness and creepiness of the novel

There was not really anything gruesome and inappropriate, but it was all based around suspense and just weird things happening to this family. You never actually found out what was terrorizing  them and you never knew where it came from. You also never found out what its purpose was. That also added to the mysteriousness of the story. Since it was a true account, many of the mysterious events were never explained. Many “ghost-hunters” went to the Lutz’s house and tried to find out what was causing all of the terror, but nothing was ever found or recorded. Some psychologists posed the idea that there may have been a mass hallucination by the family and the town.

James Brolin, George and Kathy Lutz during an interview on Good Morning America marking the launch of the first film version in July 1979 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It would take to long to describe what I mean by that, but do a little research on this. It really is interesting but don’t read it in the dark. There were some really interesting theories put into place about what was going on.

Also don’t read this book in the dark when you are home alone. Definitely not a good decision (on my part).

But this is a really good book to read for Halloween. So go and check this book out from your local library. And let the horror begin.

*There are also movies based on the book. I am going to be watching it soon, and will be reviewing it

“Should You Feel Bad About Reading Stephen King?”

There is that ongoing debate of teaching and supporting your child to read. But what do you give them? Something which will be a learning experience or something that will whet their appetite for reading. Lots of younger male readers like R.L Stein with his captivating  story lines and interesting books. His stories are great to read but they aren’t all “substantial” material and you may worry about your children if they don’t read “substantial” material. As older readers we are constantly drawn to different books some of which are just wall paper. You may feel guilty after reading Stephen King for example. His books are great but they aren’t the same as Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations, so you may feel that guilt after reading the books.

But this interesting article discusses this issue.

It is really thought-provoking so go and check it out.

The Mist (2007)

Summary

A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

-IMDB.com

Review

Yup, that summary just about covers the entire movie. That was technically what the entire movie was about. But it was absolutely terrifying. There was a lot of blood and it was extremely gruesome. It was R so it does fit its rating. This is definitely not a movie for people under the age of 15/16. Also if you are squeamish with blood don’t watch it, and the same with spiders. I hate spiders and I didn’t remember then in the book and there was a huge sections with spiders, and now I am even more scared. The blood in this movie was not terribly realistic but when you are captured in the movie it does not make a difference.

I had to watch this on a Macbook computer screen because I was so scared I would not be able to make it. I made it through the movie, but I think I am now regretting it. I dream about it now. I am fine reading it, but this movie was  just really creepy.

The ending was also really terribly sad. I cried and I was depressed a few days after the movie.

It does stay quite close to the book, but there are a few things which are different, like the ending and a few other moments.

There is no sex in this movie or romance of any sort. But there is a lot of cursing. Many 4 letter words were used, but I may have been doing the same thing in their situation. It was really realistic.

It was a really well done movie and it was acted really well but do be careful.

Warning: Trailer does contain some frightening images for younger children. 

The Mist by Stephen King

 

Summary

After the summer storm the mist arrives.

But it’s no ordinary mist.

Things are in there…creatures that want blood.

In this terror filled short story, Stephen King writes about a bunch of people stuck in a supermarket with nowhere to go, a store with the front covered by plate-glass, and a crazy religious lady.

What is in the mist?

Where did it come from?

Who will survive?

Will anyone?

Review

Scary. This was a terrifying short story as you really got close to the characters and you really started to feel what they were feeling. I got scared and had to put it down quite a few times to take a break. Also this is not a good things to read just before you go to sleep (I learnt the hard way.)

Even though it is scary, it is still an amazing read. I absolutely loved it and I would definitely recommend it.

I cannot really say too much about it due to the fact it is so short. But I can say that the creatures are really terrifying, there is a lot of blood and gore talked about (all of which seems realistic), and there is a lot of swearing. But I think this all added to the effect of the book.

I definitely loved it but would recommend this book for people over the age of 15/16 due to the bad language and terror.

But please do check this out. You may find this book in Skeleton Crew which is a collection of his short stories. So if you cannot find this story alone, look for Skeleton Crew and it should be the first story.

Read this book, but next time, think again when you see that shadow in the mist. It may just be coming to get you.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shiver and Linger comes a brand new, heartstopping novel.

Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition – the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

-From Amazon.com

Review

I did not finish this book because of one reason. Some of the violence. I really thought that the story line was amazing and it was a great fantasy novel, but it was just not one for me. It is about these water horses and how they are tamed for the ‘Scorpio Races’. I got about a quarter of the way in and I just didn’t want to read more.

If the author, Maggie Stiefvater, reads this review (as some authors have done(much to my surprise)), I do not want her, or you, to think that this was a bad book. On the contrary, it was an amazing book and had a great story line and maybe I will pick this book up later, but for me, I just did not want to read about the bloody parts of the book. There are not many parts like that, but the ones that are, are quite graphic.

I really do recommend this book if you are interested in that type of story line as it really is a good read and many people will and have enjoy/enjoyed it (obviously as it was #1 on the NY times best sellers list.)

So please do give this book a try, it is really a good read and the characters are interesting and the story line is intriguing and interesting to read as well. I just was not in the mood for this book right now. I will probably pick it up again some time in the future and have a different view on it .

Enjoy!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Photo credit: Eckhart Public Library)

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa

Summary

Violet Paz has just turned 15, a pivotal birthday in the eyes of her Cuban grandmother. Fifteen is the age when a girl enters womanhood, traditionally celebrating the occasion with a quinceañero. But while Violet is half Cuban, she’s also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American. Except for her zany family’s passion for playing dominoes, smoking cigars, and dancing to Latin music, Violet knows little about Cuban culture, nada about quinces, and only tidbits about the history of Cuba. So when Violet begrudgingly accepts Abuela’s plans for a quinceañero–and as she begins to ask questions about her Cuban roots–cultures and feelings collide. The mere mention of Cuba and Fidel Castro elicits her grandparents’sadness and her father’s anger. Only Violet’s aunt Luz remains open-minded. With so many divergent views, it’s not easy to know what to believe. All Violet knows is that she’s got to form her own opinions, even if this jolts her family into unwanted confrontations. After all, a quince girl is supposed to embrace responsibility–and to Violet that includes understanding the Cuban heritage that binds her to a homeland she’s never seen. This is Nancy Osa’s first novel.

-From the hard cover edition

Review

Such a sweet little book. This was definitely a coming of age novel and just overall a really great book to read.

This was one of the books on my summer reading list for my Spanish course. This book does have many Spanish phrases, some of which you have to have the basic knowledge of Spanish to understand. But if you do not speak Spanish, you can still read this book because most of the words are really similar to the english word. I liked this effect because it made it really feel like you were really there and part of what was happening. It just added this effect to the book.

The story was really sweet too about a girl, Violet, and how she thinks she is different. She has all of these “half talents” and she doesn’t have a boyfriend and is a Sophomore in high school. Later she meets a boy who you have to assume later becomes her boyfriend. It follows her process before her quince party and what is happening in her life and how she is maturing.

There was also quite a lot of humor in this book. I had many laughs while reading it and I throughly enjoyed it. It is a shorter book which is nice as many books now are so large, a small one is a pleasant relief. But it does not have to be long to get the point across and for there to be a really nice story.

This is a really lovely book and I definitely recommend it and I hope that you enjoy.

Kill Switch by Chris Lynch

Summary

Daniel wants to spend one final summer with his beloved grandfather, before Daniel leaves for college and his grandfather succumbs to dementia. But when Da, a former systems analyst for the Department of Agriculture, starts to let things slip about people he’s killed and countries he’s overthrown, his old “friends” come back to make sure he stays quiet. Was Daniel’s grandfather really involved in a world of assassinations and coups, or is all this just the delusion of a crumbling mind? Daniel and Da take to the road, fleeing rom threats seen and unseen. Daneil doesn’t know if he can save his grandfather, or if Da even needs to be saved. Or what the transation might cost Daneil Himself.

Printz Honor author and National Book Award Finalist Christ Lynch explores two remarkable characters in this stunning teen novel.

-From Inside Flap of Book

Review

I do not have much to say on this book. I only got like 15-25 pages into this book. I really disliked it for one reason. The person view kept changing. It was in first person, then third person, then second person. I was just so confused as to what was going on.

I really just did not like the book. The summary made the book to be really interesting, but from the first sentence, I just could not stand it.

I am someone who really likes the entire book to just stay in one point of view. It is a creative idea, I will give the author credit for that, but my grammar/english teacher always corrected me on the person view changing so I find this to always bug me now.

I personally did not enjoy it but if you would like to give it a try, tell me how you liked it.