The Spiderwick Chronicles

A 17-year-old avid reader who lives two doors down from me lent me her copies of The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DeTerlizzi and Holly Black. These 5 books follow Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, three kids who move to a new house where some old relatives used to live. Once they arrive, they come across an old field guide about faeries and other creatures and realize that they are in the midst of these creature--who all want the guide book.

This was a fun series. It really seems like it should be just one book--but I think it was purposefully split into five, probably to make it more manageable for the young readers it is written for. The books were super, super quick reads with lots of action and well-defined characters.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Salt

I saw Salt by Helen Frost on the new-book shelf at the library, and something it said on the front caught my eye: "A Story of Friendship in a Time of War." Since I really like historical fiction, I picked up the book and then noticed that it was about the War of 1812--which like never has historical fiction books--so I decided to read it. This book switches points of view between Anikwa (a member of the Miami tribe) and James (an American whose family lives at the trading post). The two boys are friends, but when the war comes to their land, everything changes.

This was a really good book. It is beautifully written--the language and such is just very well done. The story is sweet and thought-provoking, and I think it well portrays the different sides of the story. It was a pretty short read and just a nice book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Elite

The Elite by Kiera Cass is the sequel to The Selection, which I read a few weeks ago.  This book follows 17-year-old America, one of the 8 remaining girls in the Selection, the competition to be Prince Maxon's wife.

This was another really fun and addicting book....kind of a light, fluff read, but a great one. It was almost not a good book to read because I had a lot of trouble stopping when I needed to stop reading.  I loved following the characters and reading to see how things would turn out.  The book was a little too gushy at times, but I can't complain too much about a chick flick. I am hoping the series turns out how I want it to, but I will have to wait until book 3 (which doesn't come out until next spring).  I'm excited for it!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust

The Provo City Library's blog of new books reviewed Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport last year, and I have had it on my to-read list ever since. It is a nonfiction book that tells the stories of many Jewish people who resisted the Nazis during World War II. The book jacket ends with, "These resisters answered the genocidal madness and unspeakable depravity that was Hitler's Holocaust with the greatest weapons of all--courage, ingenuity, the will to survive, and the resolve to save others or to die trying."

This was an amazing and inspiring book. The Holocaust is absolutely terrible to read about--it is unreal what Hitler and the Nazis and others did to Jews during this time period. I cannot even fathom the horror that so many Jews went through, and while the past cannot be changed, I am grateful that I can at least honor the memories of those who suffered and died by reading books like this. The stories in this book were inspiring--from people rescuing Jewish children to planning escapes to risking their lives for others, every story amazed me as I saw the goodness of people in the absolute worst possible times. 

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Reached

I got Reached at the library to finish up the Ally Condie series. It follows Cassia and her friends as the Rising rebellion begins.

This was my least favorite in the series. It was a little slower of a read, and the conclusion seemed to drag on. It was also a little unnecessarily sophisticated at times (like describing medical things in a complicated way). I also was not happy with how the book ended. But, of course I wanted to finish the series, and I liked how things came together plot-wise. There were some clever twists and turns and fun surprises, so it was still a fun read.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Crossed

I picked up Crossed by Ally Condie (book 2 in the Matched trilogy) at the library and finished it in a day and a half. It continues Cassia's story, but this time, the book also follows Ky's point of view. As they both travel through the outer provinces, they search for each other and try to find out more about the Rising, the organization of rebels.

This was another super addicting book. I just had to keep reading constantly to figure out what happened. Again, though, I didn't 100% love it. It might have been the believability thing again--I often was interrupted in my reading by my own questions about whether it would have happened that way. I also think this book just had a lot of sad, negative things happening. There wasn't enough happiness to help me really love the book. But it was still a good book that I enjoyed reading. The plot and details about the Society and how it works are very engaging. And of course I already have book 3 from the library and will probably be finished very soon.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Matched

I have heard people recommend Matched by Ally Condie, and so when I saw it on a friend's bookshelf, I asked to borrow it. It follows Cassia, a 17-year-old in a dystopian society (comparable to those in Hunger Games, The Giver, and other such books). When there is an error in her "match" (who she is statistically best matched to marry), Cassia starts to question lots of different things relating to her society and its Officials and decides that she won't go down gently.

This was a really good book. It was very addicting, so I finished it in like 2 days because I just kept wanting to read to find out what happened. I liked the storyline, and I am excited for the sequel, especially because the book didn't really leave me hanging but just left me interested. I wasn't completely convinced by the book, though, in that I couldn't really understand Cassia's sudden obsession with Ky. (I won't elaborate on this since I don't want to give anything away if you want to read the book.) But, it was still a really great, engaging book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)