Insanity

Insanity
Cameron Jace
226 pages
Mad in Wonderland

Summary (Direct from Cameron Jace's website) http://cameronjace.com/books/insanity/

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamonds, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

Opinion:
We are in a mad world.  It is a fast-paced, semi-confusing book.The structure of the book is reflective on how mad Alice truly is, as well as the truths she uncovers every second. The whole book is over a period of about three days, but with as much stuff as Alice is doing it seems so much longer. The characters were definitely interesting, especially each Wonderlander's backstory. If the facts and places said in the book are true, then the world just gets crazier everyday. I want to see if there are little cat statues pasted on those churches around England. I have heard of a similar thing in York, England:

 

Cats are all the rage these days, but in the town of York, England they have been celebrating felines with a tradition of public cat statues for over a century.
With a strong concentration in the city center, the cat statues of York are scattered on eaves, rooftops, and chimneys all around the town. The original pair of metal felines date roughly to the turn of the century, and it is believed - though it's likely apocryphal - that they were designed to scare the rats from the nearby river.
Then, in the 1980's, architect Tom Adams commissioned sculptor Johnathan Newdick to create several new cat sculptures, and use the historic originals as inspiration for a new town tradition. Adams placed a cat sculpture somewhere on each of the buildings he designed in the area and soon other business and building owners started following suit, creating a new identity for the town and a small cottage industry of cat-related tourist shops.
There are now 22 cat sculptures throughout the city and many businesses offer maps of the "York Cat Walk." However due to constant theft and new additions to the public collection, many of the mousers listed on the maps prove as elusive as any real cat.

 http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cat-statues-of-york


There is mystery is who put up those cat statues, definitely not Lewis Carroll. Besides the book being really wild and a little scatter-brained, I think it was an interesting one. If you are ready for some deep thinking, then I recommend this book to you, But i don't think its a good idea to multi-task while reading this one, because you will be in for quite a headache. Be ready for a lot of questions and a series full of answers.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. How am I doing with these reviews or what do you think about this book?  Language is not a barrier.
P.P.S. If you want to know more about the York Cat Walk, here is their  official website: http://catsinyork.com/

Magyk

Magyk
Angie Sage
564 pages
Septimus Heap Series

Overview: From Amazon. com (http://www.amazon.com/Magyk-Septimus-Heap-Book-1/dp/006223692X)

The Magyk Begins Here
Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son, disappears the night he is born, pronounced dead by the midwife. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across an abandoned child in the snow—a newborn girl with violet eyes. Who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to the Heaps' beloved son Septimus?

My Opinion:

Magyk was cute. It was the epitome of fairy tale books.It had different switching points of view. All the characters were interesting as well. Its a great book for kids of the maximum age of 12. I just wish the book spent more on this royalty. That was the part that truly hooked me.

P.S. Leave a comment por favor.

Free to Fall

So sorry that it has been 3 long weeks since my last post. School has picked up, causing me to not have a chance to read books and review them. Luckily, I have some free time today! :)

Free to Fall
Lauren Miller
473 pages 

Summary: From Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Free-Fall-Lauren-Miller/dp/0062199811)

From the author of Parallel comes a high-stakes drama set in the near-future.  Imaginative and thrilling, this "intricately plotted, intellectually rich thriller...will please a range of readers, from those searching for a page-turner to those wishing to thoroughly engage the mind." (Publishers' Weekly, starred review)Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision-making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is to follow what the app recommends. When she's accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn't use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going her own way, questioning Lux and listening instead to the inner voice she's been taught to ignore--a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

My Opinion:
This book made me free to fall into my feelings. Anticipation, worry, and satisfaction were my top 3 feelings. I was in love with Rory and North. Sure she was difficult at times but when you life begins to tilt upside with no warning i think you are allowed to have several messed-up days. North was her calm in the storm and his other persona is sooo cool. Why cant I have that type of super smart bad boy imaginary boyfriend? I always knew Hazel was a little too much; but when her truth was revealed, I loved seeing this other Hazel. Dr. Taurus was interesting as well. Also, i noticed mid-through the book that she was given an ethnicity. Interesting right? Liam was okay. He was pretty much just filler to me.  As you can tell, i had a deep love or hate for all the characters

Overall, this book was good. It drew me in and wouldn't let me put it down. I liked this world the author built. My question though is if it is supposed to parallel ours, because it is only in 2030, why were event in 2013 off a little bit. Some of the timeline seemed a little off-kilter. Besides my interest in dates,i really enjoyed this book and i recommend for you to read it as well.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. Comments tell me what I'm doing right and need to change.
P.P.S This is a Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Book.

Sorry no review this week

No review this week. I haven't read any books. I will definitely have one next week!

The Darkest Part of the Forest

Darkest Part of the Forest
Holly Black
239 pages

Direct from Holly Black's website: http://blackholly.com/books/darkest-part-forest/

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.
At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointy as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.
Until one day, he does…
As the world turns upside down and a hero is needed to save them all, Hazel tries to remember her years spent pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

My Opinion:
This book just hooked me in and didn't let me go until the last page. Hazel and Ben are amazing. Jack is wonderful. And Serevin is the perfect fairy prince. There is a mystery but it slowly and surely unfolds. I can relate with Hazel: wanting to save her town and protect her loved ones at all cost. Even the point about boys. Relationships aren't something i am good at. Hook up and leave.
Fairy tales and mysteries are my favorite types of stories. Fairies are known for their  good and bad deeds and well this town knows them both. The blessing of a fairy sounds wonderful, but magic always come with a price. I would love to be able to play music like Ben, but the price of the music being too strong seems like too much. This world is wonderful and pulls me in so much. I was deeply affected by each page and i couldn't turn the pages fast enough. At the end tears of joy were brimming up about to fall over, all of the characters got a happy ever after. And that's all i ever ask for.
I recommend you read this story. It was GREAT! Now do you think there will be a sequel?

P.S. Please leave a comment <3

We were Liars

We were Liars
E. Lockhart
225 pages

Direct from E.Lockhart's website :  http://www.emilylockhart.com/books/we-were-liars

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate,
political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

My Opinion: 
This book was amazing. Each new part of the book revealed more and more. The revelations got me. I never would have gotten the ending when i first opened the book, but after going through this journey with Cadence i see the puzzle pieces connecting more and more. Andddd itttssss soooo sad. I finished the book during my lunch and i just wanted to cryyyy. I recommend this book to others. Its wonderful. We were liars is very short. It took me only a couple of hours over the course of two days to finish it. When i had a chance to read,i just wouldn't put it down. I loved all the characters and all the assumptions i had about them in the beginning were thrown out at the end. I see each character a little differently after both Cadence and I found out the truth. Please read this wonderful book and expect the unexpected. The bonds surrounding the Sinclair family are hard to break. Its crazy as we unravel them one by one into a glorious finish. I'm telling you now that E. Lockhart has an interesting mind to come up with this intricate of a plot. Its like a bowl on ice cream with sprinkles. You consume the story quickly until the last scoop is there. And once you have consumed that scoop as well, then the mystery is unraveled  bare before you and you wish you had savored that innocence  and ice cream a little more.

P.S. Please leave a comment behind.
P.P.S. This is a Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl book.

Say what you will

Say what you will

 Cammie McGovern 

343 pages

Summary:Direct from: Cammie McGovern's website
 http://www.cammiemcgovern.com/my-books/

Amy and Matthew didn’t know each other, really. They weren’t friends. Matthew remembered her, sure, but he remembered a lot of people from elementary school that he wasn’t friends with now. Matthew never planned to tell Amy what he thought of her cheerful façade, but after he does, Amy realize she needs someone like him in her life.

As they begin to spend more time with each other, Amy learns that Matthew has his own secrets and she decides to try to help in the same way he’s helped her. And when what started out as a friendship turns into something neither of them expected, they realize that they tell each other everything—except what matter most.

My Opinion

I dont know, but this book resonates with me. This romance seems more probable to me than other romance novels. Sometimes those see so unrealistic. I could see the romance happening in McGovern's book.Amy and Matthew were so humanlike. I was hooked. I started reading early that morning and a good 3-4 hours later, i had finished. And i actually felt satisfied. Actually the main theme of the book might have been, besides romance, destroying stereotypes. I felt like the stereotypes/ predictions I had about people just didnt come through. McGovern's characters were fleshed out too.I lovee that she talkeed about mental illnesses. They are all around us, but not a part of dsily conversation which is sad. Cerebral palsy and OCD are out there and they aren't bad things nor do bad people have them. That's another lesson you will learn. Very nice. Overall, i can see why this is a Helen Ruffin Reading bowl book. It twas very very good and i recommend it to you

P.s. Please leave a comment below.

Native Son

Native Son
Richard Wright
502 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Native-Son-Richard-Wright/dp/0062357255

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Richard Wright’s powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.

Opinion:
(Sigh) This book. I just couldn't deal. The outcome of the book was laid out before me right after Bigger Thomas first committed his crime. After that scene, I was done with the entire book, but since it is summer required reading I had to complete it.[Spoiler] It truly was sad about Bessie, especially how the court showcased her. Death should be respected. Her body didn't need to be shown to the world. That irked me. Especially how nobody seemed to care and just viewed her as a thing. [End Spoiler] Overall, the entire court scenes weren't my favorites. It was completely unnecessary to have almost 100 pages on his days in court and for Mr. Max's speech to be 20 pages of it. I didn't want to read all of that. It was interesting, especially since Max brought many issues to light that affect blacks today. He brought up oppression and how it was/ is something America is having difficulty with. I especially liked his words of black America being a nation inside a nation.

All of Max's words were so thought provoking. He was my favorite character truthfully.Its so true in that fictional 1930's and even now (the news and the increasing black body count are testaments to that). It was a wonderful speech and one that somebody should say in real life to the mass someday, but for a courtroom I felt like it was too long and a little unnecessary. That could just be my opinion. I see how Native Son could be revered as a classic due to Wright's progressiveness in bringing light to the plight of my people, but the story overall was just uninteresting and a little unrealistic to me. Certain parts of Bigger's personality seemed realistic to me, while others seemed stretched thin and forced to fit the new stereotype that Wright wanted to portray. Overall, I think the introduction and analysis to the story attached in the copy I have was the most interesting.  It actually spoiled a little of the story for me, but I didn't mind. I don't really recommend reading the book. My father has read it and truthfully, he didn't even remember the plot. In the analysis, that author compared Native Son to the Invisible Man and said the Invisible Man was a much better book in terms of plot and message undertone about the lives of blacks. The Invisible Man is actually my father's favorite book. If you decide to read Native Son, please be over the age of 16 or at least very mature (the book deals with serious issues like rape, murder, public masturbation, and gore) and have wonderful reading comprehension, as well as overall understanding where Richard Wright was coming from when he wrote this book (a different time, but where in some aspects we can relate).


P.S. Please leave a message/comment below. What do you think?
P.P.P.S. Bigger Thomas did not rape Mary, but Bessie was raped since she didn't truly give consent in her last scene.
P.P.S #BLACK LIVES MATTER

The message:

Ferdinand and Isabella

Ferdinand & Isabella
Paul Stevens 
(Introductory essay "On Leadership" by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.)
111 pages
World Leaders Past & Present Series

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Ferdinand-Isabella-World-Leaders-Present/dp/0877545235

A biography of the king and queen whose marriage led to the unification of Spain and who increased the country's power by conquering the Moors and sending Columbus to America.

Opinion:
This was a very informative book. Its a non-ficition book about the lives of Ferdinand and Isabella, the King of Aragon and Queen of Castile (Spain regions). You might know of them as the people who funded Columbus's excursion. They did much more than that though, these monarchs helped as well as hindered their country at the same time. It starts with Columbus asking the monarchs for funding for his new trade route. The first thing I learned was that Columbus was 40 years old at the time of the trip, as well as being a very arrogant person. I visited Spain in the summer of 2014 and noticed that the actions of these monarchs really did affect Spain, from then to now. The facts in the book are so interesting. In AP World History, I learned about King Henry the 8th, who had 6 wives and actually created a new branch of Christianity in order to be allowed to have a divorce. "Divorce, Beheaded, and Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived."

World History is such an interesting topic, since its so very hard to fathom sometimes that while one very fabulous event is happening in one country, halfway over the world something else noteworthy is occurring. You have to look at the times and just be amazed. Maybe its just me. I do get weird notions. Overall, I really liked this book. It reminds me of my younger days where I would read tons of historical fiction or just historical books in general (usually biographies). I am a history buff, so this book is recommended to other history buffs, people who like Spanish history, or just people who want to one-up your friends on cool/interesting/fun facts. FYI, the book is in the reading level of a 5th grader, or at least I was able to read this in the 5th grade. Its very easy to understand, though there are a few technical terms.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. I want to know how I'm doing. Like or nah?

Rings of Enchantment

Rings of Enchantment
Alicia Rivoli
759 pages
The Enchantment Series


Overview: Direct from Amazon.com  http://www.amazon.com/Rings-Enchantment-The-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00C79JREM

Everything is About to Change...
The enchantments protecting the kingdom of Mere are growing weaker. Jacan, recognizing the change, sends his army of Umbra through the shadow portals to wreak havoc on the cities outside Mere’s walls of protection. He feels his own powers have begun to weaken. That could only mean one thing, the heir of Nebula has returned.
As Preston approaches Mere he is discovering more of his father’s stories are coming to life around him. He is struggling with the thought that he will be the King, and that one day he is expected to marry the Princess of Mere. When Preston takes a wrong step and finds himself alone, he uncovers something that his father never told him. Will he discover all the pieces of the puzzle in time with danger around every corner and Jacan and the Umbra getting closer?
Chloe’s magic builds with each challenge from The Master Puzzler and the evil creatures that inhabit Mere. She quickly becomes a skilled sorceress as she fights alongside an unlikely companion. Can Chloe learn to control her magic before it consumes her life source? Will she accept what is yet to come?
Follow the epic journey of Preston, Megan, Chloe and Jason in their quest for victory and their struggle to take their rightful places in the kingdom of Mere.

Opinion:

Wow this book was long. The readers knew the eventual predictable outcome. It was obvious from the start who the Princes and Princesses were. I liked the road to the ending. It was creative. Excellent worldbuilding if i do say so myself. But besides that, this was a cute read. I suggest reading the first book in the doulogy as without it you will be kinda lost. Its been a while since i read the first book so it took a while before i caught up with the storyline and remembered the characters. Fair warning: the book is reallly long.



P.S. Please leave a comment behind.

Broken Spirits

Broken Spirits

S.A.Hunter

424 pages

Scary Mary Series

Overview: Direct from S.A. Hunter's website http://www.sahunter.net/p/scary-mary.html

Mary has been through a lot recently. She defeated a Shadowman, saved Vicky from a coma, and got a date to homecoming. She's ready for life to settle down and be a bit boring so she can catch her breath and process everything that she's been through. But she isn't going to get any downtime.
She may have defeated the Shadowman, but it isn't done with Mary, and it has her number. Literally. Now a scary monster is calling her house and Mary can't block its number. What does it want? How can she get rid of it? And what will she do when it decides to come visit?

Opinion:

This time the series’ title really embodies the storyline. Mary is scary. This girl has gone through so much. I am amazed she can still function after killing Mr. White and seeing the Shadowman. However, stuff just got worse from there in my opinion. A couple of surprises come in the relationships of her friends: Rachel, Kyle, and even Vicky. I think they need to stop mentioning Cys in a boyfriend potential type of way; that is crazy. Let the girl experience relationships please. The antagonist in this book scared everyone. The phone calls were the creepiest. If I got creepy phone calls following me all the time, I would have called the police. The antagonist's "apprentice" was the real curveball. I did not expect it; truly, I did not expect most of the stuff in the book. Now the remaining mystery is who exactly this mystery caller savior is. I recommend reading this series. Its highly original and one that I enjoy and will continue to support.

P.S. This book cover is beautiful.
P.P.S. Please leave a comment below or the ghosts will come for you.

The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales

The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales
Oliver Sacks
209 pages

Summary: Direct from Oliver Sacks webiste http://www.oliversacks.com/books-by-oliver-sacks/man-mistook-wife-hat/

Here Dr. Sacks recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders: people afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual aberrations; patients who have lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts; who are no longer able to recognize people and common objects; who are stricken with violent tics and grimaces or who shout involuntary obscenities; whose limbs have become alien; who have been dismissed as retarded yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents.
If inconceivably strange, these brilliant tales remain, in Dr. Sacks’s splendid and sympathetic telling, deeply human. They are studies of life struggling against incredible adversity, and they enable us to enter the world of the neurologically impaired, to imagine with our hearts what it must be to live and feel as they do.

Opinion:
Wow! This book amazed me with the amount of neurology problems that can or are commonplace. I did not know about any of those technical terms except for autism, tumors, etc. Everything else was a completely new concept to me. The brain fascinates me. Its territory is still in the beginning stages. I do not know when we will completely understand the brain, but I know it is not anytime soon.

Agnosia and proprioception were the most fascinating to me. I am going to look more up on those subjects. The stories were interesting, especially Part One. I liked The Man who mistook his wife for a hat, The lost mariner, The dismembered lady, Hands, The president's speech, Cupid's disease, A master of identity, Reminiscence, A passage to India, The dog beneath the skin, Murder, and The twins were my personal favorites. Lol! That is almost about the whole book. The part I did not like was when they referred to some of the patients as idiotic, dumb, or stupid. That is not right or moral in my opinion. They are people too and using those word to describe their conditions as wrong. It is full of 24 short stories. Dr.Sacks himself is a very interesting character. In the stories, you can see his growth as a neurologist, as the time range varies. Besides all the technical terms, the stories themselves are the best part. In my opinion, just skip straight to the stories and do not read the post publications. I recommend this to everyone just for the experience.


P.S. Pinky and the Brain say leave a comment behind.

The Crucible

The Crucible
Arthur Miller
150 pages

Summary: Wikipedia.com (Sorry couldnt find a better one.)
The Crucible is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693.

Opinion:
This book was crazy. If this was how the witch trials really happened, I am twice as grateful to live in these times. It is sad to think everything happened because of vindictive little girls. Several people died because of them and many more would have if they had not confessed to stupid crimes. I feel like the Crucible displayed some of the deepest lows people have gone to for power and money. Gold, glory and god is pretty much the theme song for the whole book and real-life situation. Salem turned into a theological society and tiny government inside the United States. That is never going to happen again. I really do not have words for the stupidity in this classic and school summer reading mandatory book. Innocent people died and that was crazy and uncondonable. As you can most likely tell, I did not really like the book. Technically, it is a play. It includes the background of each character and the overall situation plus the actual characters in the play were the real people in the Salem Witch trials. That was the only interesting part to me since I am a history nerd. Unless you are required to read this book, I do not recommend it.

P.S. Please leave a review/ comment. GRACIAS!

Blood of My Blood

Blood of My Blood

Barry Lyga

359 pages

I Hunt Killers Series

Summary: Barry Lyga's website

Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz’s serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz’s own home in tiny Lobo’s Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he’s never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: “Like father, like son?” Who is the true monster?
The chase is on, and this time Jazz is the hunted, not the hunter. And beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet…the Crow King.

Opinion:

One word: Wow!!! This book series can mess you up and play with your head like Billy Dent. It starts right where the last book ended and then continues on a wild goose chase. Poor Jasper starts going down the path of insanity and all you can do is flip the pages faster. Connie starts changing. And well Howie stays the same. The book kept getting realier and realier and sacrier and scarier. I just don't know. It was a rollercoaster of feelings.  The book reminded me of a scary movie or just a movie with a really good plot; it sucks you in and for a full two hours you are a character in the movie observing all the antics. Then the lights turn on and you are back in yourself looking at the last page of the book. Blood of my blood hooks you exactly like that. I was amazed by every word and every action in the book. The history on serial killers integrated into the text just makes me want to find out even more. I especially loved the 5 years later aspect and Mama Dent's involvement. Barry Lyga is a fabulous writer. He is on my favorites list. We all need to watch out for his books in the future. I recommend you to read this series, I Hunt Killers. But warning it isn't for the faint of hurt, it involves a lot of blood and gore, especially since its about serial killers.

P.S. Please leave a comment below.
P.P.S.HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice)

Koe no Katachi {A Silent Voice}
Yoshitoki Oima
7 volumes

Summary:

I wish we had never met. I wish we could meet once again. A boy who can hear, Shoya Ishida, and a transfer student who can’t, Shoko Nishimiya. One fateful day, the two meet, and Shoya leads the class in bullying Shoko. But before long, the class shifts its target from Shoko to Shoya. Years later, Shoya feels strongly that he must see Shoko once again. The author Yoshitoki Oima’s comment: “People living in isolation. I wrote this story out of a desire to write about people living distant, isolated lives. Nothing would make me happier than if you all read my story

 Opinion:
Warning: This is a Japanese manga (comic book). Also, some portions of the book involve sign language without written translation. It doesnt diminish the story,as you can usually decipher what is being said.

I loved this manga. Everything was so beautiful from the feelings to the artwork. I can really understand where each character's motivation is coming from. Bullying is a serious problem in Japanese schools and all schools worldwide; it just gets worse when a person suffers from disabilities. This author showcased how bullying doesn't just affect the victim, but the victim's family, the bully, and the people who watched in silence. Some parts made me cry, some made me laugh, and others made me hit my head in exasperation. Ishida was such a relate-able character. Guilt became such a motivating factor for him. It made him a much more likable character than when he was younger. Nishimiya was a character who i never seemed to be able to get into her head, until the immediate end. Every character was relate-able truthfully, even the rude teacher. I've known a couple of rude teachers in my school career. This book series is a journey and when you reach the end; you will come out just a little bit differently. This solidified my desire to learn sign language. It also made me rethink bullying. Everyone always says bystanders are just as guilty, but once you actually see it/read it/ understand what people mean on your own then it wont click. Well, it clicked for me. I really recommend for you to read it. You can either buy the manga or read it online for free at Mangafox.com or Mangareader.com.

P,S, Leave a comment below please.

Part I: My father bleeds histoy

 Part I: My father bleeds histoy
Art Spiegelman
159 pages
Maus: A survivor's story

Summary: Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Maus-Survivors-Father-Bleeds-History/dp/0394747232)

A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself.

My Opinion: 
This book isn't just a story of the Holocaust, a blast to the past; it is a viewing into the lives of the survivors once the war ended and how it affects the generations after. Art is able to document of what the Holocaust did to him, even though he was not born then.His father's, Vladek, story is very interesting. Vladek loves his family and his wife very much. He has a be prepared for anything attitude that helps them survive. Some of his family even called him a worrywart. It was helpful during the Holocaust but horrible now. Anja was not my favorite character. She was such a fragile thing even before the war. Without Vladek's help, Anja wouldn't have survived. My favorite character was Mala. I don't know how she lived with Vladek. The story itself was amazing. Its extraordinary and truly sad. Due to the book being a comic and all the characters being animals, the message was much easier to swallow. If we had to visualize the atrocities yourself, then it would have had a much bigger impact to your feelings. I recommend this book for middle school to high school (youngest 5th grade). This is because the message will stick with them and they would be more open to understand and empathize.

P.S. Please leave a comment below.
P.P.S. SUMMER BREAK IS HERE!! EVERYINE HAVE A NICE, SAFE BREAK!

The Lost

The Lost
James Patterson and Emily Raymond
355 Pages
The Witch and Wizard series

Summary:

Whit and Wisty Allgood have fought and defeated their world's most pernicious threats: the evil dictator, The One Who Is The One, as well as his wicked father and son. But just as the heroic witch and wizard start to settle into their new roles in governance, a deadly crime wave grips their city, with all signs pointing to a magical mastermind every bit as powerful and heartless as The One. Now the siblings find themselves persecuted as the city turns against all those who possess magic. They're questioning everything, including each other and their abilities. Can they confront the citizens' growing hostility and their own doubts in time to face the new enemy barreling toward their gates?

My opinion:

I was wondering when the series would end. Back to back, the villians keep coming and they are all related to the One somehow. Its crazy. But since this is the last book, our hero's have to get their happy ever after. The villian is someone Wisty is attracted to again. It never seems to end for her. Janine and Whit seem to have hit a bump in the road with the Excision. I think her behavior about the process was out of character. After all they had been through, that was just crazy. The book overall was really good. It was full of suspense and I was able to delve into the story. I finished it very quickly and in the end I was very satisfied. This was a beautiful end to the series. Now if Janine was pregnant humm.

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P.P.S. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!