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

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
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

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6)
Human.4
Ender's Game

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