THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN
by Sherman Alexie
illustrated by Ellen Forney
236 pp. Andersen. £6.99. (Ages 14 and up)

ISBN
9781842708446

Rating: ? Stars

This book is about an Native American boy that is called junior. Junior is a poor boy that lives in the reservation* filled with Native American people. Junior is always bullied by most of the people in his school. One day, a teacher tells him to go to a new school to find hope for the himself, but he upsets his best friend. He goes to the new school and got bullied a few times but, after he manage to protect himself he made new friends. Not everything was perfect in his life…

    This book is very interesting. This book has many emotions to it. Some parts are funny, gross, sad, crazy and awesome. When there is a part that is sad or makes you angry, the author puts in a joke to make you laugh. The book also has pictures that tell more about the character. the book tells a story of real person from the reservation.
*reservation means a place that keeps Native Americans

    The most interesting part of the book is when Junior got to be a normal kid in school. He didn’t get bullied or teased by any of the students that bullied him the first day he came. You know how he did that? He punched the bully! I know its bit violent but I found it’s quite funny, because the bully became nice after junior punched him and it’s also wrong to do that! Then the next day the boy who got punched by Junior was friends with him.

    The most emotional part for me was when his best friend died. His best friend was a dog from the reservation. The dog was very sick so the dad of junior had to put him down. Every time I read that part I cry. Maybe you aren’t that emotional but you’ll find a part that will break your heart. Most of the book is emotional.

    The worst part is when junior got bullied by 3 mean people. They also life in the same reservation. Every time junior goes to the bar they always bully him even though they are already adults. But his best friend had a better idea; his idea was to cut their hair. You know that it takes ages for a Native American to grow their hair. Well it’s a great idea. The next morning they still didn’t know who cut their hair.

    This book is very funny and interesting. It tells you about a real human being who lives in a real reservation. This book also tells a moral that Sais not to bully others that are different from you. When you get bullied always stand up for you self. This book is a good for children to read and learn new things about the world. Never stop reading about the world.
Thank you

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YOUNG WEREWOLF

YOUNG WEREWOLF
by Cornelia Funke
64 pp. Barrington Stoke Ltd. £6.99. (Ages 8 and up)

ISBN
9781781122686

Rating: ? Stars


When I stared to read chapter 2 I noticed that I saw a dirty word called "stupid". So, if I changed it to "not very good" it would make it a better book.

Wonder how does the boy called Matt turn in to a werewolf? Read the book to find out.

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SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE

SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE
by Marcus Sedgwick
384 pp. Orion £9.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9781780621098

Rating: ? Stars


    How do writers describe the world in the books that you read? Take a look at a book you are reading, or have read recently and find a description of a person, place or thing. I would bet in most cases that the writer notes how things would look if you could be there and see what the writer describes. How often do the books you read have descriptions of the smell, feel, and sound of things? If you can see and have normal vision then imagine if you did not or were even born blind. What would it be like? How would a writer describe the world from the perspective of a person with a visual impairment?
    Marcus Sedgwick, author of She is Not Invisible, performs several incredible feats of writing. For example, although he is a sighted person himself, he takes on the perspective of not being able to see and instead describes the world through the other senses. Most impressively, like a magician, he performs this and other deeds without drawing attention to them. I was particularly moved by a few passages that inspired the title. In those, the main character (described by my reviewing partner below) talks about how sighted people seem to be the ones who are visually impaired because they do not truly see what and who are around them. Are there people you do not see? Are you paying attention to the way the world smells, feels and sounds? That’s a dad’s perspective on the book; here is a daughter’s:
    This book was more interesting than other books because it was a bit like a puzzle. It was like a puzzle because Laureth (the main character) had a father with a favourite number that he sees everywhere. Is it coincidence, or is the universe trying to tell him something? This book was also interesting because as the main character was blind and, because the story was written in first person, the writer couldn't describe how anything looked, only how it felt, smelt, sounded and tasted.
    This book was about a blind girl called Laureth and her little brother Benjamin. The main plot of the story was that her father had mysteriously disappeared in New York, so, while her mother was away, she took her little brother to New York to look for him. While there she had to save her father’s safe from burglars and do lots of other adventurous things before finally finding him.
    My favourite character was definitely Laureth because she was very brave and strong minded. I like how she became so courageous because she was blind and she did not want anything or anyone to hold her back. I think she shows that it doesn't matter if you are blind, deaf or unable to speak, you can still do anything you want.
    I think all ages should either read, or have this book read to them. However it might be best for people 10-years-old or older to understand the complexities of coincidence and the thoughts of a teenager.
also on the Guardian Children's Books Site

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FRANKIE VS THE MUMMY'S MENACE

FRANKIE VS THE MUMMY'S MENACE
Frankie's Magic Football book 4
by Frank Lampard
Illustrated by Mike Jackson
112 pp. Hachette £4.99. (Ages 5 and up)

ISBN
9780349001630

Rating: ? Stars


    This book is about four characters that are friends and go on a school trip. Suddenly they start to play football at the museum, so the teacher called Mrs Murray tells them off. But suddenly they go on a magic adventure to the pyramids to see the king's sister. But they did not have any football tickets for the ancient king.
    I liked the book because I like football – mostly for tackles! I think 6 and 7 year olds will like this book because it is about time travel and because the book is short. I like the ways that the writer makes the book exciting and fun to read.

also on Guardian Children's Books Site

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Where In the World is Avery?

As some of you may have noticed, I have been pretty MIA as of late. Why? Simply put, life. It's been quite an adjustment going from being a full time grad student (graduated with my Masters of Library and Information Science in August!!!) to a full time grown-up- from (rather unsuccessfully) trying to find a job in my field, to working the holidays at my current job, a gourmet chocolate store (my GAWD, it's just holiday after HOLIDAY- from Halloween, to Christmas, to Valentines Day, to Easter, all of which people want copious amounts of chocolate- A chocolatier gets no time to all but breathe from October to April), and everything else in between.

Plus, it doesn't help that I've been in a book rut for what seems like AGES (a lot of which is, admittedly, to blame on my recent discovery of Netflix)- for the first time in years I didn't read over 100 books in a single year and I've only read 4 books this year so far (though I have read "Ignite Me" three times already, so maybe that counts for something). Which therefore has resulted in me falling a bit out of love with blogging.

So what does this mean for the blog? You, unfortunately, won't be seeing much from me until I can once again find my groove- though, in the next two months you'll see about 6-8 ARC reviews!

Thanks y'all for sticking with me during my "MIA" phase- I appreciate you more than you'll ever understand!

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"Cress" by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 550

From Goodreads: "Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can."

Admittedly when I first heard about Marissa's "Lunar Chronicles" series I was skeptical- it sounded like there was way too random plot elements tossed into a 400 page YA book than could possibly ever work. However, when I actually delved into the world of "Cinder", I quickly learned that that was anything but the case. It's sequel, "Scarlet", was an even stronger book, if possible, and hands down one of my most favourite books of 2013 (featuring one of my most favourite YA couples EVER, Wolf and Scarlet). Therefore, as you can imagine, when it came time for "Cress" I did everything in my power to get my hands on a copy- and, again, I was anything but disappointed.

I think that the biggest strength of these books, this book especially, is how seamless and effortless they appear when you know that that is anything but the case for author Marissa Meyer. It is truly mindblowing how many classical fairytales she has woven together- and done so from the very first book, dropping Easter eggs, so to speak, all along the way (for instance, briefly introducing Cress and making mention of Winter in "Cinder"). Furthermore, while there are a number of fairytale retellings in YA, especially as of late, I think that Marissa's stand out from the bunch, as she has truly made each of them her own.

Another strength of this book is it's pacing, after reading it it truly felt as if I had read four books instead of one, simply because of everything that happened in it. That being said, not once while reading it did I ever find myself overwhelmed, instead, being intrigued the entire way and flipping through the pages as quickly as I possibly could to see what sort of situation my favourite cast of characters would get into next. On the note of characters, you would think that with so many main characters in one book that they wouldn't get as much attention that they deserve in the way of development, but that is anything but the case- they have as many differences than they do similarities- from Cinder, to Cress, to Scarlet, to Iko, to Thorne, and on.

The only real complaint about is this book is that I wish that Scarlet had played a larger role in it- though what little role she did play in this book managed to bring on the FEELS that I so desperately wanted between her and Wolf after their book. Furthermore, this book was, like the others, a fair bit predictable, however, I am was happy with this fact because it means that much of the theories that I had thought of about the series were true!

All in all, there's no questioning it- Marissa Meyer is one of the most ingenious and unique YA authors that we've seen in quite some time, she never ceases to amaze me with her ever-growing skills and abilities. Though I only recently read this book, I know that I will be rereading it soon because I can't bear to be away from these character/ world for too long! Furthermore, the next year or so will be absolute torture waiting for the last installment in this series, "Winter"!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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Book Review: Conning for Keeps (and giveaway)

About the Book
EBook: 110 pages
Release Date: February 3, 2014
ISBN: 978-1662664719
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Lovers undercover…

Secret Agent Marissa Jones has a gift. A con artist to the core, after deep hypnosis she can turn into someone else entirely. Marisa’s gift has gotten her into hot water over the years, but now more so than ever. With her smoking hot partner by her side, she needs to convince him that not only is she her true self, but also that she can be trusted—even in spite of her past.

…or traitors to the cause?

Trevor Harris has his own issues with the mission, he’s got revenge to seek, a cursed painting to secure, and Marissa’s sugary-sweet alter-ego to ignore. But when he releases Marisa from her mental cage and things get a little too hot, he ends up finding out what falling for a con artist really means—bigger trouble than ever before.

I've been a fan of Seleste deLaney's work for a while. I read Gaming for Keeps when it came out and was thrilled when I heard it was going to be a series, TRAIT, and continue with Conning for Keeps.

The second TRAIT novella was just as fun and action-packed as the first. We meet Trevor and Marissa, both agents of TRAIT who are sent undercover to bring down Leo Canalis, the head of a large mob organization.

It should be simple, but Trevor and Marissa have feelings for each other that they aren't supposed to act on. They also don't know how the other feels about them. Which causes even more trouble now that they're thrown into a situation where they must prove that they're a loving, engaged couple.

You all now have a chance to enter to win this fast, fun, sexy read below. And be sure to check out book one, Gaming for Keeps.

About Seleste:
Seleste started on her career path as a young child. Stories of talking animals soon gave way to a love of superheroes and science fiction. Her first foray into the world of romance came at age twelve when she envisioned a sweeping epic love story of two people thrust together and torn apart again and again by fate. As she recalls, the plan was for them to admit their love on his deathbed. But, as is often the case with pre-teen girls, a story of that depth gave way to other pursuits, and sadly it is completely lost other than vague memories.

After that, she occupied herself with short stories for a while, and then poetry until after she had earned a degree in chemistry, spent time as a high school teacher, and became a mother of two. Then she delved into writing fiction once more.

She never lost her love of the fantastic, and her stories now always reach into other realms. The worlds and people she creates occupy as much of her time as the real world, and she is most fortunate to have a family that understands her idiosyncrasies and loves her anyway.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveawayBe sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour: Entangled in Romance.

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