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.

Book Review: The Reader

Title: The Reader
Author: Traci Chee

Rating: 3/5

Teen Reviewer: Nanditha Prashanth

The Reader by Traci Chee is book number one of the series (Sea of ink and Gold). Its a riveting fantasy novel about a young women of the name Sefia. Sefia is a brave girl who lives her life on the run and will continue to because of unfortunate events. After her father was viciously murdered, she heads toward the forest with her aunt Nin by her side. Aunt Nin is the only person Sefia could call as family, who was known to have unexplainable magic within herself. They survive day and night in the wilderness together, hunting and steeling what they need to survive. They are constantly put under the stress of new threats toward there life and possessions. But one day as Sefia heads to the market, her aunt Nin is kidnapped and Sefia is suddenly left the way she was nearly a decade ago. She takes it upon herself to find the aunt that gave her life through struggle and tragedy. The one who cared for her as her own mother would have. Her only clue left now is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father. The object comes to be a book she realizes after, as she comes from a society where reading isn't a known activity to the existence. The remainder of the story entails a dangerous journey taken by Sefia to rescue her aunt. Sefia comes to realize the magic behind the books, the true spirit. She comes to realize that nothing is as it seems when the end seems to be were the beginning starts.

The Reader is a book that will bring out the true reader in everyone. It resembles the magic and passion people have for books. Its a book that will make you realize the beauty of books. It has a strong moral that will for sure make you realize that nothing truly is as it seems. I gave this particular book a 3 out of 5 because it took me a great deal of time to understand and get through. There was a lot of action and small details which got very confusing at certain instances. But I am sure that people who have a great sense of imagination will cherish every moment of this book.

Book Review: Magnus Chase and the God's of Asgard

Title: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Hammer of Thor
Author: Rick Riordan
Rating: 4.5/5
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi

 Magnus Chase is an einherjar (a soul that died bravely and lives in Valhalla) that had already saved the world once from a wold called Fenris, had another mission to retrieve the hammer of Thor. He was informed by a friend that the hammer was hidden in a tomb located at Cape Cod. Gathering three of his friends, he travels to Cape Cod and opens the tomb. But instead of finding the hammer, he finds the Skofnung Sword. This turns out to be an evil scheme of Loki to free himself by cutting his restraints with the Skofnung Sword and starting Doomsday. Loki plans to trade the hammer for the sword. Magnus and his friends go to Alfheim to find the Skofnung Stone and to the Giant King to gain info. After, they finally go to Loki’s Chamber and fought giants that were working with Loki. During the fight, Magnus’s team takes the hammer, but Loki was set free by the Skofnung Sword. Right when Loki was about to kill them, Thor, Heimdall and Vidar came to the rescue. Even though Loki escaped, Thor got his hammer back. And Magnus’s team prepared for the next battle against Loki.

The novel is very interesting and filled with Norse mythology and amusing scenes. It relates to characters in the previous Percy Jackson books a little.

Book Review: Original Fake

Title: Original Fake
Author: Kirstin Cron-Mills and E. Eero Johnson
Teen Reviewer: Turner Sykes
Rating: 5/5 Stars

This book is about a boy named Frankie who works for Geno at Pizza Vendetta and does art. Frankie despises his sister Lou because he feels she steals his identity. One day, a girl named Rory sees him paint the Abominable Snowman in the school cafeteria and shows up at his work with her brother David. He helps them do projects for their famous uncle, Uncle Epic. When Frankie catches Lou on tape committing a flash rob, he uses this to his advantage and plots to get back at her.

I really liked this book, as there were many twists and unexpected occurrences. Although the book was confusing at first, by the middle of the book I was drawn into it. Another great read!

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Book Review: Gamescape

Title: Gamescape
Author: Emma Trevayne
Teen Reviewer: Se Choi
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Synopsis: Miguel Anderson lives in a technologically advanced world where everyone plays a virtual reality game called Chimera. Miguel and his friends play it day and night to level up and gain rewards. His obsession over the game weakens his heart and a doctor tells him that he will die soon. Shortly after he hears this he is invited a compete in a competition. He joins and plays all sorts of levels with a team of players. After an accident he gets a biomech heart implant. Then one of the gamemakers talks to him that he controls his life because he can stop his biomech heart from working any time he wants. Miguel continues to play the game and he and his teammates learn that the gamemakers are toying with them. The bosses of the gamemakers cause wars to break out across the globe and turn against the gamemakers with the weapons they made. 

 

Review: The author wrote the character's thoughts and actions very well. The book makes you think "What would I do in a situation like this."