Graceling

TITLE: Graceling

AUTHOR: Kristin Cashore

PAGES: 471

MY RATING: (2 out of 5)

BACK COVER BLURB: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...

MY REVIEW: I've seen so many great reviews of this book and how everyone loved it, but I just couldn't get into it. I really wanted to be able to like this book, and I hoped it would get better as I read further into it, but it didn't. I don't know, it was a very good idea for a story and Cashore's writing was fine, but the story line didn't do enough for me. It was very slow moving and it didn't seem like there was much going on in the story. I just think the story line could have been 'beefed up' a little more; adding in more action instead of just a long walk through the forest.

Anyone else have any opinions on this one?

Dizzy

TITLE: Dizzy

AUTHOR: Cathy Cassidy

PAGES: 247

MY RATING: (3 out of 5)


BACK COVER BLURB: It's Dizzy's birthday. Every year she looks forward to only one thing. Not a huge present. Not a fabulous party. Not even a cake. Just a letter, or a small homemade something. It isn't what comes every year, it's who it comes from. Dizzy hasn't seen her mother in eight years, and the only time she hears from her is on her birthday. It's the only thing she has ever been able to count on from her mother her whole life. But this year Dizzy's mom has a surprise for her. And Dizzy will never be the same....

MY REVIEW: This was a really cute book. It was very predictable, but it was still really good. It didn't take me very long to read it, as it's a pretty short book, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The character relationships are interesting and the whole book was just fun.

After

TITLE: After

AUTHOR: Francine Prose

PAGES: 330

MY RATING: (4 out of 5)

INSIDE COVER BLURB: The shootings in Pleasant Valley were fifty miles away, but at Central High a grief and crisis counselor is hired, security is increased, and privileges are being taken away.

No one knows why.

If you break the new rules the punishment is severe. And the rules keep changing every day.

School feels like a prison.

It's for their protection, yet fifteen-year-old Tom Bishop and his friends learn that things are far more sinister than they seem. Students and teachers begin disappearing.

There's no way to stop it.

Nationally best-selling and acclaimed author Francine Prose has written a haunting novel about what happens when protection goes too far and what it means to have freedom extinguished--in the name of safety.

MY REVIEW: I loved every minute of this book. The subject matter is so scary based on the fact that something like this could actually happen, and how easily it would be to accomplish something like this. The only thing that I would say I didn't like was the ending of the book. It seems as though it was left open for the possibility of a sequel, but I don't think it was. Now, if a sequel ever does come out, I'll be the first one there to buy it. Basically, this book is worth your time to read.

Just Listen

TITLE: Just Listen

AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen

PAGES: 371

MY RATING: (2.5 out of 5)

BACK COVER BLURB: Annabel Greene is the girl who has everything. At least, that's what she portrays in her modeling shoots. But Annabel's life is far from perfect. Her friendship with Sophie ended bitterly, and her older sister's eating disorder is weighing down the entire family. Isolated and ostracized at school and at home, Annabel retreats into silen acceptance. Then she meets Owen--intense, music-obsessed, and determined to always tell the truth. And with his guidance, Annabel learns to just listen to herself and gains the courage to speak honestly. But will she be able to tell everyone what really happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends?

MY REVIEW: This book was okay for me. I've been wanting to read a Sarah Dessen book for a long time and I finally got a hold of one. I do hope that the next book of hers that I read is a little bit better and holds my interest more. With all of that said, the book wasn't bad. It was alittle bit slow and slightly predictable, but a predictable book can be good sometimes. I've definately not lost hope for Dessen though and will be seeking out another of her books to read.

The Diary

TITLE: The Diary (Large Print Edition)

AUTHOR: Eileen Goudge

PAGES: 310

MY RATING: (3.5 out of 5)

INSIDE COVER BLURB: A bestselling author known for her storytelling prowess, "Goudge's characters leap from the page ready to engage readers" (The Denver Rocky Mountain News), and never more so than in The Diary, that begins when two sisters searching in their mother's attic are given the shock of their lives...

Elizabeth Marshall's grown daughters had no idea their mother's old diary would turn the image of their parent's happy marriage upside down. For upon reading the opening pages, they learn that the love of their mother's life was not their father! And the desperate-to-know answers to their questions reside with Elizabeth who, after a massive stroke, lies mute and near death in a nursing home. Will pages of her diary provide the truth they seek?

MY REVIEW: I had a good time reading this book. It seemed like a really fast read for me because I have never read a large print edition before, so it felt like I was flipping through the pages pretty fast, but then I guess I would have been even if it wasn't a large print book. The story line was very intriguing and kept you wondering what was going to happen next in the mother's diary and how her two daughters were going to react to it. Reading this book reminds you that everyone has a past, even your own parents. It makes me wonder about the past experiences of my parents before they met.