Book Review: Left Handed Fate

Title: The Left-Handed Fate
Author: Kate Milford
Rating: 3/5
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

Synopsis: Lucy Bluecrowne and Maxwell are aboard the Left-Handed Fate to find and build a machine that could end the war with the US. The US were allies with France, and Britain was alone. When the Left-Handed Fate was near The US, they were attacked by an american ship. There was a fierce battle but eventually, the americans won and took all of them as prisoners. The captain of the americans put Oliver as the prize-captain of the Left-Handed Fate. Oliver was only 12 years old but was still made the captain. As the new prize-captain and crew sailed out, they were stopped by a french ship that were asking for Max because they wanted the machine as well. Lucy recommended Oliver not to give in, so he let the prisoners join the prize-crew to escape and fight off the french ship. Then Oliver agreed to Lucy and Max to find the parts to this machine in a place called Flotilla. In Flotilla they put the ship in a secret dock and head out to find and make the parts to the machine. They met people that could make some parts of the machine, and also found some parts as well. But then the french caught up with Max and kidnapped him. But luckily he escaped. When Max made the machine he was horrified to see that it could almost think like a human. Max and the machine communicated by writing in strips of paper. But suddenly men in black suits came and threatened to kill Max if he used the machine to kill others. So Max changed the machine into a firework launcher. And when the french found out, they stopped hunting for Max.

Review: The book was slightly boring and confusing in the beginning, but every other part of the book was exciting and strange.

Book Review: The Kids of Appetite

Title: Kids of Appetite
Author: David Arnold
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

Synopsis: When Victor’s dad dies, he and his mother are deeply saddened. But after a while his mother moves on and finds a boyfriend named Frank. But Victor himself does not move on and constantly thinks of his father and listens to songs his dad used to listen to. Still not used to his father’s absence, he loathes Frank and would never accept him. Because of this, he was extremely upset when Frank asks his mom if they could marry. That is why he rushed out of his house screaming with a backpack and his father’s urn. He runs out into the cold night and meets a girl named Mad. Mad brings Victor to a greenhouse were her friends Coco, Baz and Zuz are. They all agree to let them stay with them and to call him a chapter. He was called a chapter because he would be part of a book that Baz was writing. In the next following days, the group name each other the “Kids of Appetite” and became very acquainted with Victor. Victor tells them about a rare disease he has called Moebius syndrome when he cannot blink or move his jaws much. In return, the Kids of Appetite share their stories and help Victor find the places his father liked most and spread his ashes there. Then, one night Victor found out about Mad’s abusive uncle when she was at her grandma’s house and injured him. But then Zuz came from nowhere and fought him until Mad’s uncle accidently got stabbed by a pair of antlers in the room. But the police was convinced that Baz was the one guilty of Mad’s Uncle’s murder. But Mad and Victor slowly convinced the police with stories that Baz was not guilty. When they were done telling their stories, he found out that his mom went missing, so Victor went to the one place that he did not have time to go to, the Empire State Building. And surely, his mom was there waiting for him. Together they spread the last of his ashes from the top of the building.

Review: Kids of Appetite shows very realistic emotion for each character and the chapters always start in the present and then goes back to the past. I think this is very unique and special. That shows that the book is filled with thought and well thought out. This novel is truly a work of art and makes the reader think of why the characters think this way or what the writer was thinking while he made this book.

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Book Review: On The Edge of Gone

Title: On the Edge of Gone

Author: Corinne Duyvis

Rating: 4/5

Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

When a comet is scheduled to hit the earth, Denise and some people on earth go to shelters meant to protect them from the impact and debris. Everyone else has left the earth to go to another habitable planet. Denise and her mom were going to the shelter, she gives her old english teacher a ride to her shelter. When they reach the shelter, it turns out to be a generation ship. The captain of the Nassau allows them to stay in the ship for two days but no water use or eating the ship’s supplies. Denise looks around the ship and immediately does not want to leave.She stays in the Nassau in comfort and stays inside the ship during the impact. But when Denise’s mom takes a shower when she gets high, Denise and her mom are kicked out of the Nassau. Despite Denise’s sorrow, the friends that she made in the Nassau visit her daily. When a tsunami comes toward the place she lives in, she saves her friends by quickly notifying them of the tsunami and getting them safely into the Nassau. In thanks, the captain grants her a spot on the Nassau, but not her mom. Denise constantly takes care of her mom when her physical state gets weaker. She also looks for her sister that disappeared shortly before the comet crash. Denise helps the ship in any way possible, like cleaning or training with a teacher. When she borrows a water scooter to find blue barrels filled with supplies that escaped during the tsunami. During a search she finds her sister in a canoe with a barrel. When both the sisters talk to the captain, he lets her sister stay because she found the supplies. But at the end Denise’s sister trades her spot for her mom. And Denise and her mom goes to space while her sister stays behind to help refugees in shelters.

This book shows the main character’s thoughts thoroughly and realistically. Denise’s reactions are precise and shows how we would react to a crisis.

Book Review: A List of Cages

Title: A List of Cages
Author: Robin Roe
Rating: 4.5/5
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

Adam Blake is a senior and helps Dr.Whitlock become friends with troubled students. When he is assigned to assist a boy named Julian, he remembers him as his foster brother from many years ago. At first, Adam sees Julian as a un-social and awkward kid. But after Adam invites Julian to spend time with his senior friends, Julian brightens up and enjoys spending time with him. Adam’s friends also enjoy it when Julian spends time with them, they support him and go to the plays he performs in. But Adam or his friends do not know what goes on inside Julian’s house. After his parents died in a car crash, Julian was sent to Adam’s house for a short while until his Uncle Russell lied to Adam’s family and made Julian live at his house. Julian was not allowed to watch TV, have a phone, or be social. He was constantly beat for little mistakes and was given old cloths. Russell used all the money Julian’s parents left for him for himself. After Russell found out about Julian’s friends, he was beat and put in a trunk for a long period of time. Adam worried about Julian being absent from school and went to his house when Russell wasn't there. Adam found Julian half dead in the trunk and rushed to the hospital. He looked over him and refused to leave his side. After Julian recovered, he was returned to Adam’s family.

The novel was amusing at some points and also moving in others. The two different perspectives throughout the book shows us in depth of how each main character feels about the world, others around them, and each other. These details give a realistic touch to the novel.