Bookworm Reviews: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

     Christopher John Francis Boone is a smart individual, with just a bit of behavioral problems. But that doesn't stop him from learning the names and capitals of all the countries in the world, or taking an A mathematics class, or investigating a recent neighborhood dog's death. But as he buries himself deeper and deeper into what seems like a simple mystery, much larger discoveries are made. But, will he like what he finds? And how can a mystery on a killed dog change his life?
     In this attention-grabbing novel, Mark Haddon creates a simple yet complex story. Told through a first-person point of view bursting with voice, this book must be read. Although it may not seem so at first, this book will get to your emotions, and it brings up the issues and feelings of everyday life through an intersting viewpoint. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is not just a novel nor a must to read, but perhaps something else all together. This book is a reminder of what we are capable of, and who we can be.

Look at this other Bookworm Reviews:

 Out of my Mind

Skyscraping

Or, check out this Phenomenal Reads with Emily:

 Landline

Made You Up

Phenomenal Reads With Emily: Landline

  About a week ago I finished Landline by Rainbow Rowell. It was truly an amazing book that was very realistic. I loved the characters, and enjoyed the plot. It was really different from other books I usually read, which is part of the reason why I liked it. In many books I read, the boy and the girl are together in the end, you you assume they live happily ever after. However, that is not the case in the real world. This book tells you about the fairytale part, the part where everything is happy, where the boy and the girl get together and you assume they will be together forever, and the realistic part, where after they are married, work, kids, and differences grow them apart.
   However this book also includes one other thing that puts it apart from other books; a magical phone. Yes, you read that right, a magical phone. In this book, the main character, Georgie, struggles what to do when she finds a phone where she can talk to her husband, Neal, from the past, while he and their kids are visiting his family for Christmas without her. Is this an opportunity to fix her struggling marriage. Or, is it an opportunity to stop it before it even happens? Georgie is not sure.
   I loved how the characters interacted with each other. Everything was so realistic. I really understood what the characters were going through, and why they did certain things. I loved how Rainbow Rowell really shows what the character are like through their actions. They all had their little quirks, and they all had their struggles. I loved every single character, and found myself rooting for every one of them.
    The ending of this book was fantastic. Ever read a book that was so good, but don't like the ending? That you find yourself thinking it was a bit too rushed. Well that didn't happen in this book I'm glad to say. It really summed up everything well, with also leaving a little bit of mystery. This book grabbed my attention and kept it. I think every one should read this book; it really is something quite special.

Check out another "Phenomenal Reads With Emily"

I'll Give You The Sun

Or check out a "Bookworm Review"

Skyscraping

Bookworm Reviews: Made You Up

     Recently, I finished Made You Up by Francesca Zappia (see Emily's review: Emily's Phenomenal Reads: Made You Up). When Emily told me that I should read it because it was "the best book ever", I have to admit that, at first, I wasn't so sure. I know that she is into teen books with romance in it, and there is nothing wrong with that. The only thing is, romance-themed novels aren't my favorite. But, I was surprised: I like it. This book is now my favorite fictional book, matter of fact. Oh, and don't worry for those of you who do not love the love, for Made You Up is so much more!

     In this wonderfully written debut novel, Zappia uses the fictional story of Alexandra ("Alex") Ridgemont to do all sorts of things. She, of course, creates an exciting romance. She gives readers a mix of mystery. She teaches readers valuable lessons through a book they will come to love. Additionally, she gives readers characters they will fall in love with and characters who they will truly hate. She creates that special bond (as mentioned in my Bookworm Review for Skyscraping) between readers and characters that causes true empathy for them. What more is there to ask for?

     In other words, this book is not just for romance lovers. Nor is it just for those who want to learn something new; discover the truth behind the mystery; like a good read. It is for ALL of those people. For her first novel, Francesca Zappia has done an astounding job. Seriously: both Emily and I find it amazing, which means...You MUST read it now!

Check out this other Bookworm Review: 

Skyscraping

Or, look at this Phenomenal Reads With Emily:

All the Bright Places

Oh, and definitely check out Emily's review on Made You Up:

Made You Up

Bookworm Reviews: Skyscraping

     Everything...everything...is changing for Mira. Everything she thought she knew about her parents and their lives seems to be wrong. Everything she found important suddenly doesn't matter. How can one event change everything? How can any of this be happening?

"How do you learn to fly when you haven't been taught how to fall?"

--Quote from back cover of 2015 copy of Skyscraping

     

     In this teen novel of poetic free verse by Cordelia Jensen, readers are taken on a journey through Mira's senior year of high school. When thinking back to my personal experience reading this book, I remember watching as Mira's life fell apart, feeling bad for her. I recall hoping that she would get better, hoping that she would find whatever it was that she needed to get her back on track. The fact that I felt that way and wanted those things for her tells me that I had a special bond with this character, and you do not have that kind of bond with every book. But, at the same time, I hated her. Why was she doing that? Just letting everything go away? It's interesting that I could feel both feelings for a single character (I think Jensen did a wonderful job), and you have to decide: will you give up on her, or do you have hope?
     Reading in poetic free verse might sound like an uninteresting concept. It's just a bunch of words scattered around the page, right? Wrong. That's because, in pieces with a poetic structure, there is always a deeper meaning. There is always something behind that stanza; line; metaphor...word. Finding that deeper meaning takes thought, and will actually boost your reading skills.
     All in all, I highly recommend reading Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen. Try your mind at reading free verse. Find out who Mira is, and love her; hate her. Discover what has been kept a secret from her. Watch as one event leads to the next like falling dominoes, falling and pushing and falling and pushing over and over again. The question is, what will become of Mira; what image will the dominoes create?

By Julia 

Check out another Bookworm Review:

If I Stay

Or, look at this Phenomenal Reads With Emily :

Made You Up

Summer Book Club with Friends!

     Reading. A lot of schools, including my own, require you to do so over your summer vacation. Some people, possibly including yourself, don't find the fun or need in this. But, it is important, and it can be fun. Even if you don't enjoy reading, having a book club can make it enjoyable. And the best part is, you only need at least one friend and enough copies of a book for each person.

Get your friend(s) on board with the idea. Before you can start your book club, you need to find a good group to have the book club with. But don't rush into gathering your group. Try thinking a little. A few factors might make some friends unsuitable for your book club. Ask yourself the following when looking over a friend:

1. Would they have time to get together (or at least chat electronically) for the book club?
2. Do they have a reading level similar to yours?
3. Would you enjoy having them in your book club? (After all, you're trying to have fun!)
4. (If others have already been invited) Is there enough room for them in the book club?

Pick a book. This might sound simple, but there is actually a lot of thinking involved! Is it on a good reading level for you? Will everyone in the book club be able to finish it on time (before summer vacation ends)? Is it interesting to all or most of the book club members?  Are you able to find enough copies of the book for each person? (This last question should also be considered when finding members.) If you need help finding books, you can look at our book reviews page!

Get started! From here on, a lot of the details are up to you! How do you want to do your book club? Will you have physical meetings or electronical ones? How many discussions will you have? How will you split up the book? Will there be assigned roles, or will everyone talk freely about their thoughts on the book?

Why should I have a "Summer Book Club"?

• It would make summer reading even better!
• It gives you a chance to hang out and interact with friends while doing necessary things.
• By having your own book club over the summer, you would be prepared for a book club you might have to do in school.

By Julia

Phenomenal Reads With Emily: Made You Up

  Recently I've enjoyed Made You Up by Francesca Zappia. This book is truly phenomenal. At first I only read it when I had the time, getting up to page 68, but then I began reading it more seriously, and over the course of two days I finished the rest of the book. While looking for good books to read over the summer, this book was number 4 on my list, but really should have been at least in my top three picks.

   I fell in love with this book almost instantly. From the cover, to the interesting prologue, and the great characters, this book is literally perfect. I couldn't stop reading! I just don't have the words to describe how amazing this book is (Miles does)! It was so hard to put it down I felt like it was super glued to my hands (fault of Alex). I loved how it was realistic. Everyone has their flaws. No one is perfect. All the characters had flaws and weaknesses, which made the book really relatable.

    Alex. Alex has Schizophrenia. This means that sometimes she has delusions, and is also very paranoid. She often struggles to figure out what's real and what's fake, so she takes pictures. I really liked her character. She is kind, and understandable. Everyone at her old school judged her because she is schizophrenic, so I feel bad for her. She just wants to fit in, and to be treated normally. This is why at her new school, she wants no one to know.

    Miles is a very interesting character. However, I still really liked him. His home life is not the best, but of course he doesn't tell anyone that. He has many layers to him, and even though the whole school is convinced he is a complete and total jerk, he is just misunderstood. He does things for people to earn money, for reasons I'm not going to mention (because it will spoil the book), but I'll tell you one thing: you won't see it coming!

    In this book, I found myself guessing what was real and what was not, and more often I found myself wrong than right. This book is a 

must-read. The characters are well thought out and relatable. The story is interesting and complicated. What's not to love about this book?
    Recently I have reread 1/4 of this book,(this part of this post is added on after it was published), and I completely fell in love with it all over again. The characters are amazing and have so many layers. I love the voice Alex's mind respond to things. For example

"Stop thinking about him, idiot!"

Oh, and how I love how Alex asks a Magic 8 Ball questions. Or more tells the Magic 8 Ball. Some things she says to it are not questions. This book is wonderful. Yes, Miles, it made me cry, but it also made me smile. And that smile is permanent.

Check out another "Phenomenal Reads With Emily"

I'll Give You The Sun

Bookworm Reviews: If I Stay

     Mia's whole life is torn apart on what seems to be an ordinary day. One moment she has everything: a wonderful family who loves and supports her, a loving boyfriend, a nice BFF, good hopes in following her dreams in music...and then smash! everything is different. Caught in the middle of life and death she must make a decision that will affect the lives of everyone around her, including her own. Will she chose to stay and live on, or will she go and join the loved ones who didn't survive? In this novel, Mia reflects on everything that has happened to her, and watches the events that happen while her survival is still uncertain. What will you uncover in this book? Romance. Loss. Uncertainty. Joy. Grief. Hope...
   
     Overall, If I Stay by Gayle Forman contains an idea that is so interesting and exciting that it clings onto the reader. For what seems like forever readers are flipping page after page, all the time searching for the answer to the following:

"What will happen if she leaves? If she loves? If she stays?"

Question above is from the summary on some copies of If I Stay.

By Julia

Check other Bookworm Reviews:

Out of my Mind

Every Soul a Star

Or look at this Phenomenal Reads With Emily:

All the Bright Places

Phenomenal Reads With Emily: I'll Give You The Sun

  You know you love a book when you ask Siri to call you one of the characters names. She now calls me Jude. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson is mostly about two twins named Noah and Jude, their family, and people they meet. Noah tells the story when he and Jude are 13-14 years old, and Jude tells the story when she and Noah are 16. Noah is a boy with little friends. He draws to pass time, while Jude is popular and surfs. Each twin has a secret that they are keeping from the other. Jude worries if she tells her secret, Noah will never talk to her again. Noah believes that by keeping his secret, he is protecting his family. All The characters are connected in wild and unbelievable ways.
   Now I'll Will talk about the characters.
   Noah: Noah is absolutely my favorite character in theis book. With only a few pages into his point of view, I already felt I knew him and was in love with his character. He is just do devoted, sweet, and super talented. His character was just simply perfect and likeable.
   Jude: Jude is also very talented, she just doesn't really know it. She is an excellent person, that you'd think is on a path to success, but she gets a little lost along the way. She starts hanging out with the popular crowd, and after something happens that hurts her family, and completely destroys her brother, she changes dramatically- and so does Noah.
    This book is great. I finished it in 5 days, because it was so interesting I couldn't put it down. I felt that the characters were extremely realistic and in depth. Jandy Nelson describes the characters like she actually knows them. Also, both characters are very relatable. There are many surprises in their path, all of which you will not see coming. I can not stress this enough; read this book. It will forever change your life. 5 out of 5 stars. Fantastic work Jandy Nelson.
                                                                          - Emily

Check out another "Phenomenal Reads With Emily":

All The Bright Places

Or look at this "Bookworm Review":

Every Soul A Star

Phenomenal Reads With Emily: All The Bright Places

 

  Recently I have read All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. Let me tell you this: I could not put it down. I finished this book in about 3 days, not because it was a quick read, but because I literally could not put it down. All The Bright Places is about two teens: Theodore Finch (Theodore Freak) and Violet Markey (Violet Remarkey-able). They first meet at a bell tower at their high school, and save each other from jumping off. Violet is depressed because her sister died, and she blames herself. Finch is mentally ill, and has been bullied most of his life. When they team up on a school project, they become friends. This is where their beautiful and tragic story starts.

   I came across this book looking for novels to enjoy over the summer. In an hour of looking, I found myself  with a long list of a little over 15 books, with All The Bright Places at the very top. I was so anxious to get my hands on this book, that I got it from the library the very next day. Jennifer Niven is a genius. I repeat, a GENIUS. This book is one of my new favorite books. If you do not read it, your life will not be complete (I might be exaggerating just a bit). Overall, this book was lovely.

                                                                                       -Emily

Check out another "Phenomenal Reads With Emily":

The School for Good And Evil

Or look at this "Bookworm Review":

Out of my Mind

Book worm reviews: Every Soul a Star

Every Soul a Star
By Wendy Mass

      A large group of people watch silently as the moon slowly covers the sun. It's getting darker and darker, making it seem more like nighttime than daytime. A group of newly made friends stand together, the performance that brought them together standing in the sky.              

        Ally stares up at the sky, taking in the beauty of it all. Bree stands still, looking up, up into the sky. Jack smiles as the solar eclipse takes place. It's so beautiful.
   
       Every Soul a Star is an attention-grabbing, heart-warming story about a group of friends who experience one of the greatest things in life. They all have different personalities, interests, and hobbies, but they manage to form a strong bond of friendship.
      Ally loves astronomy. Growing up on the Moon Shadow Campground helped her with that. She lives on the Moon Shadow Campground, which her family owns, with the rest of her family. Her parents moved there when she was four, knowing what would occur there in a handful of years.
      Bree, however, lives in a town. She hopes to be a model. Her parents, however, don't see what she sees in fashion. Her younger sister, Melanie, doesn't see it either. While Bree tries her best to look her best, her sister is getting straight A's. Bree plans on many things for the approaching summer, but when her parents tell her about their plans, her life seems to be thrown away.
     Jack is fatherless. He loves to draw aliens. Oh, and he can fly. Now let me give you some explanations to clarify the last sentences. His father left before he was born. All the evidence of his father are some pictures from the neck down. He draws the aliens and is good at it. Not everyone can draw. The flying, well, I shouldn't give it away! ;) ;) ;)

     These three kids, along with siblings and friends, witness something amazing. Through it all they learn a lot about friendship and themselves.

By Julia

Check out another Bookworm Reviews:

    Out of My Mind

Or check out  Phenomenal Reads with Emily!

The School for Good and Evil

Phenomenal Reads with Emily: The School For Good And Evil

Hello! I am writing you this from the nerd side! I'm here to tell you about books that I really enjoyed! Here's my first book that I'm reviewing, The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This book takes you through the fantasy word of Sophie and Agatha, two BFFs in their town of Gavaldon. In this fast paced adventure, the girls learn that it's the inside that really counts. Here you learn about both girls and watch as their personality change throughout the story. They become who you might not think they were in the beginning. Even though I am only on page 213, (there 488 pages), I can tell this book is going to be AMAZING!!!


                                                                                             Until next time,
                                                                                                    Emily

Also, write who your FAVORITE character is in the comments 4 this post! Go Team Leo Valdez,  from the Heroes of Olympus series!!

Book worm reviews: Out of my Mind

"Words. I'm surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions. Cathedral. Mayonnaise. Pomegranate. Mississippi. Neapolitan. Hippopotamus. Silky. Terrifying. Iridescent. Tickle. Sneeze. Wish. Worry." -First few sentences of Out of my Mind

 Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper is a delightful book. I had a fun time reading it. Out of my Mind is about a girl named Melody. She has a photographic memory and is the smartest kid in her school…but no one knows. Melody can't walk, she can't talk, she doesn't have much control of her body. She wants so badly to talk and when she finally finds a way she gets really excited. Join Melody as she takes on the world-one step at a time.

Out of my Mind
By Sharon M Draper

By Julia

Check out another Bookworm Review:

Every Soul a Star

Or look at Phenomenal Reads with Emily:

The School for Good and Evil

A Good Book to Read

I have read many books since I learned how to read. One of the best books out of all of them is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo. It is a great book about a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.
                                                       By Emily