The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally caved and read The Hidden Oracle. It was great. I was expecting to be disappointed like I was in the new Magnus Chase series (which I finished and though, "Well, I've aged out"). I was happily surprised. It looks like Trials of Apollo will be back on the level of Rick Riordan's earlier books. It feels most like the classic Percy Jackson and the Olympians than anything else he's written recently.

The Cover:

The Cover:
I love this cover. It shows Apollo, separated from his godly side (symbolized by the statue of the sun god that stood in front of the Colosseum) in a NYC alleyway, with trash cans in the foreground. I love it! It symbolizes the story well, has a nice design, and actually ties into the story. A+ cover

Official Description:
How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

Point of View:
First person from Apollo's perspective

My Review:
The Hidden Oracle is the first book in Rick Riordan's new series that I can tell will be amazing. The chapter title are all bad haikus from the god of poetry, there are fun cameos by previous characters, and new monsters. 

The characters are all great. Riordan did not follow his usual crutch of using his previously well-liked characters for every scenario (though they did occasionally feature). He made new characters, a lot with a different set of powers than we are used to. Apollo was especially great. He is funny, self-absorbed, and still mildly heroic, definitely a fun character to read about. The supporting cast was also well-developed and entertaining to read about.

The story was exciting, despite few grand quests. In fact, the characters didn't even leave the border of Camp Half Blood for the majority of the book, but it still kept my attention.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hidden Oracle. I think that Rick Riordan has finally gotten his stride back. I look forward to reading the sequel (and the rest of the series)! I would recommend reading The Hidden Oracle. It could be a standalone, but it does contain spoilers for the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series. 

Phrase:
Combat ukelele

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
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The Sword of Summer
Five Kingdoms series

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The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! After reading (and loving) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, a friend recommended The Future of Us. I loved the concept and most of the execution.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Josh and Emma in a blurry picture, probably an image found on an old computer screen. It's a pretty lackluster cover. C- cover.

Official Description:

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long—at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right—and wrong—in the present. 

Point of View:
Alternating first person between Josh and Emma

My Review:

I loved the idea behind The Future of Us. It was a time travel novel without the traveling. What would you do if you could tell where you would end up in fifteen years, and every action you made influenced your future?

The Future of Us was funny and kept my attention. The characters were mostly interesting and well-developed, with the exception of Emma. Emma was oblivious to everything around her and constantly whined. Every time her point of view started, I was upset and couldn't help but think, "Please go back to Josh!" The characters other than Emma were likable though.

The only major problem I had with this book was how predictable it was. You knew that Emma would be irritating and which romantic pairs would end up together. There was no surprise to it.

Overall, I would recommend reading The Future of Us. It was not one of those books that everyone should read, but it was pretty good. The writing style was engaging, most of the characters were wonderful, and the idea behind it was compelling.

Audiobook Review:
I listened to the audiobook read by Stephen Kaplan and Mary Ellen Cravens. They did a nice job, perfectly adding emotions and differentiating speakers. However, occasionally song lyrics to very well-known songs would be used, and they did not even read the lyrics in rhythm. It threw me off every time. Also, whenever Mary Ellen Cravens said, "Emma", which was frequently, it was incredibly shrill.
Overall, a good audiobook but not perfect!

Phrase:
The Bonfire

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Thirteen Reasons Why

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Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished Twelfth Night for my english class and thought I'd give you guys a quick review!

The Cover:

Official Description:
Set in a topsy-turvy world like a holiday revel, this comedy devises a romantic plot around separated twins, misplaced passions, and mistaken identity. Juxtaposed to it is the satirical story of a self-deluded steward who dreams of becoming “Count Malvolio” only to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the merrymakers he wishes to suppress. The two plots combine to create a farce touched with melancholy, mixed throughout with seductively beautiful explorations on the themes of love and time, and the play ends, not with laughter, but with a clown’s sad song.

My Review:
I really enjoyed Twelfth Night. It was fairly easy to read. The language was complex, but with footnotes, it was pretty simple to understand. It was also really funny. The witty exchanges between characters often had me laughing. 

It is defintitely worth the time to read,which isn't much because it is a play, probably only a few hours worth of reading time. It's fun and creative and has a lot of irony. I'd recommend it, especially if you are looking for a straightforward Shakespeare play.

Phrase:
Yellow stockings

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The Importance of Being Earnest

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The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally got around to reading The Crown by Kiera Cass. It finishes the storyline of Eadlyn's selection process.

Previous Books in The Selection series:
The Selection (#1)
The Elites (#2)
The One (#3)
The Heir (#4)

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Eadlyn in a fancy dress in a hall of mirrors. It fits the theme of these books' covers, but, while pretty, is still a bit boring. B- cover.

Official Description:
When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.
Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

My Review:
The Crown was very similar to the other books in this series. If you liked those, you will like The Crown. I swear these books are like reality TV, its a bit trashy, but you gobble it up.

In this particular book, I was disappointed to find it predictable. From her choice of husband to some of the major conflicts, it was predictable. There were a few big twists that I wasn't expecting, but the majority of the book was expected.

The characters were interesting and unique for the selected and Eadlyn. However, Eadlyn's siblings were not unique and indistinguishable.

Overall, I would recommend reading The Crown if you've liked the earlier books in the series. It's very similar and has a nice conclusion.

Phrase:
Power grab

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Firestarter by Stephen King 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally finished Firestarter! I feel like I've been working on this book for months; it just didn't catch my interest.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Charlie's face behind a veil of fire. There are many editions of Firestarter but this is one of my favorite covers. B+ cover.

Official Description:
First, a man and a woman are subjects of a top-secret government experiment designed to produce extraordinary psychic powers.
Then, they are married and have a child. A daughter.
Early on the daughter shows signs of a wild and horrifying force growing within her. Desperately, her parents try to train her to keep that force in check, to "act normal."
Now the government wants its brainchild back - for its own insane ends.

My Review:
Firestarter was a bit boring. Despite the title, there were four fires in the entire book. Four. It had great promise of excitement, but it fell short and dragged on.

The writing was also disorienting as it jumped between the present and the past without any notice. You could easily be halfway through a scene before realizing it happened twenty years ago and then having to reread the already boring scene again.

The characters were largely unremarkable. Charlie and her father, Andy, were okay characters, definitely not something I will remember anything about within a few months.

Also, little research went into the science behind Firestarter. I'm not a biologist or anything, but I took the generic Biology class that everyone has to take, except Stephen King apparently. Small inaccuracies throughout the book completely threw me out of the story. (For example, using water as a control injection instead of saline, which could possibly kill someone.)

That being said, the action scenes were intense and exciting.  However, these scenes were few and far between.

Overall, I would not recommend reading Firestarter simply because it was boring. Stephen King's books are always hit or miss, and, for me, Firestarter was a definite miss.

Phrase:
Necromancer

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Moby Dick by Herman Melville 2.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Over summer, I was tasked with reading Moby Dick. I kind of hated it. It is definitely not one of my favorite classics, anyway.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows the great white whale (or Moby Dick) while the crew of the Pequod try to hunt him down. This is one of the many covers. I like the use of the whale, but it makes it seem more exciting than it was. B cover.

Official Description:
Moby-Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopaedia of whaling lore and legend, the book can be seen as part of its author's lifelong meditation on America. Written with wonderfully redemptive humour, Moby-Dick is also a profound inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception.

My Review:
Moby Dick was a difficult read. It is hard to engage with the book. Moby Dick was full of descriptions of life in the 1800s and on whaling ships as well as whale facts. While the descriptions were vivid, they caused the story to drag. 

There was very little plot. The focus of the story was less on the story and more on educating the reader about whales. The same was true for characters. They were only mentioned on the rare occasion that the story needed to progress. A few of the characters, such as Ahab and Queequeg, were distinguishable, but the rest could easily have been exchanged or even removed without noticing.

Overall, I would not recommend reading Moby Dick. It's long and a bit lacking in plot/ characters. However, if you want the person sitting next to you to be impressed, this is the book for you. It will definitely make you seem more cultured!

Phrase:
Coffin

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How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon #2) by Cressida Cowell 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! Ever since I read the first book in this series, How to Train Your Dragon, I have had a copy of How To Be a Pirate in my room waiting to be read. That was two or three years ago. Last night, I finally decided to get it out of my to-read pile, and it was pretty good, for a book marketed to elementary school kids.

The Covers:

 

The Covers:
They shows the process of the viking tribe of Berk trying to learn how to be pirates in order to find a great lost treasure. B covers.

Official Description:
Follows the further adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as his Viking training continues and his father leads a stranger and the Hairy Hooligans to the Isle of Skullions in search of a pirate's treasure.

My Review:
How to Be a Pirate way a fun, quick read. It continues the story of How to Train Your Dragon, but could be read as a standalone.
There are some exciting action scenes, lots of humor that would appeal to younger audiences, and likeable characters.
I didn't like it quite as much as I enjoyed the first book, as the plot was less defined. That being said, I'd definitely recommend it for lower school aged kids. It will keep you entertained, for sure!

Phrase:
Left-handed!

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100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Ever since reading Winger (and its sequel Stand Off) I've been wanting to read more from Andrew Smith. While I didn't finish 100 Sideways Miles thinking that it had become my favorite book, like with Winger, I still was blown away.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a dead horse falling "100 sideways miles" to land on Finn and his mom, leaving him epileptic and with a scar on his back and his mother dead. It's an important part of the book and also gives off the general weirdness that is central to this book. It fits really well. A+ cover

Official Description:
Finn Easton sees the world through miles instead of minutes. It’s how he makes sense of the world, and how he tries to convince himself that he’s a real boy and not just a character in his father’s bestselling cult-classic book. Finn has two things going for him: his best friend, the possibly-insane-but-definitely-excellent Cade Hernandez, and Julia Bishop, the first girl he’s ever loved.

Then Julia moves away, and Finn is heartbroken. Feeling restless and trapped in the book, Finn embarks on a road trip with Cade to visit their college of choice in Oklahoma. When an unexpected accident happens and the boys become unlikely heroes, they take an eye-opening detour away from everything they thought they had planned—and learn how to write their own destiny.

My Review:
100 Sideways Miles was a fresh book. It was witty and creative. I know that I knew have, nor ever will read another book quite like 100 Sideways Miles. It had a different and interesting way of looking at things. Finn's way of understanding the world was new and offered a cool alternate perspective of life.

The characters felt real. From the situations they found themselves in to the typical teenage banter, they were accurate. Andrew Smith definitely understands teenagers, and you can tell through his characters.

The only drawback of 100 Sideways Miles was its plot. It was set up as an introspective book, but there wasn't quite enough of a plot line to support it. There was only two major events in the whole book. I thought it caused the story to go by a bit slow.

That being said, I still found myself hooked to the book and excitedly turning pages. It was good, mostly through characters and writing style, so the thinly spread plot wasn't a huge drawback.

I'd recommend reading 100 Sideways Miles if you want to read something different and character driven. It's a weird book, but in a good way.

Phrase:
  :|:

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Winger / Stand Off

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! One of my friends mentioned this book in passing to me and I am so glad I picked it up! It was a beautiful book, just really good.

The Cover:

The Cover:
I love this cover! It shows Ari's pickup truck parked, looking up at the stars.  The title is decorated with things that make up the book, as well as stereotypically Mexican things.  It gives off the same feeling that this book gives off.  A+ cover.

Official Description:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Point of View:

First person from Ari(Aristotle)'s point of view.

My Review:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was amazing.  It focused on Ari who was angry and a little sad and confused.  He meets Dante in the boredom of summer.  They become friends but that doesn't stop the world from throwing hurdles in their way.

The book itself flowed kind of like a mind does, moving from point to point in a way that flowed and were related to each other, but the plot wasn't nearly as important in this book than Ari's thoughts.

Even with a very loose plot, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe kept me on the edge of my seat. I was unable to put it down, finishing it in less than a day.

The characters were beautiful. They were complex and think in a way that really nailed the teenager thought process. There was nothing that made the characters incredibly unique; they were just normal kids dealing with their internal problems, which was refreshing. It was also a very diverse cast of characters, especially focusing on Mexican heritage.

The writing itself was wonderful. I painted beautiful images and was just artfully created to give a complete picture of the scenes in the book, while inspiring strong emotion.  A very well written story.  Benjamin Alire Saenz can write!

Phrases:
Legs
A real Mexican

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Perks of Being a Wallflower
Winger
The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

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United as One (Lorien Legacies #7) by Pittacus Lore 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finally finished the Lorien Legacies series.  I've been reading this for probably five years at this point and enjoyed its conclusion.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It fits with the rest of the series design wise.  It has the symbol for unity.  It's a fairly simple cover, nothing impressive.  A- cover

Official Description:
The Mogadorians have invaded Earth. Their warships loom over our most populated cities, and no country will risk taking them head on. The Garde are all that stand in the way, but they’ll need an army of their own to win this fight.
They’ve teamed up with the US military, but it might not be enough. The Garde need reinforcements, and they’ve found them in the most unexpected place. Teenagers from across the globe, like John Smith’s best friend, Sam, have developed abilities. So John and the others must get to them before the Mogs, because if they don’t their enemies will use these gifted teens for their own sinister plan.
But after all the Mogadorians have taken from John—his home, his family, his friends, and the person he loves most—he might not want to put any more lives in danger. He’s got nothing left to lose, and he’s just discovered he has been given an incredible new Legacy. Now he can turn himself into the ultimate weapon. So will he risk his life to save the world, or will he realize that power in numbers will save us all?


Review:
United As One was a great conclusion to the Lorien Legacies series.  It was mostly full of fight scenes with the occasional emotional scene between characters we've known for seven books, or even those we've only known from one.  

It starts directly after Fate of Ten.  If you are not familiar with the ending of the last book, I recommend rereading the last few pages before you start United As One.

This book kept me interested, had fun characters, but started getting a bit silly.  It required a bit more of a stretch of the imagination than the previous books required.

If you've read the previous books, I'd definitely recommend continuing and finishing the series.  I'd also recommend the entire series if you have not read it.

Phrase:
Hello, Pittacus

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Human.4
Ender's Game

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