Student Book Review: New Moon

New Moon is one of the continuing of The Twilight Series. Bella Swan's unusual life in Forks, Washington becomes ever more unusual. When her vampire boyfriend, Edward, suddenly leaves, Bella is heartbroken in a way only a teenager can be, leaving time on her hands to develop a friendship with Jacob Black, another boy with a strange family background. But it also gives Jacob the chance to really get close to her and finally get his chance to try and convince Bella that Edward is bad for her.

But little does Jacob know, Bella is hearing Edward’s voice when she is in danger, so she goes out of her way to take risks so she’ll hear him berating her for being stupid. It’s the sort of desperate, idiotic move someone would make if they were 17 and thought it was the only way to reconnect with their loved one. This is where Jacob Black comes in. Bella initially uses him to get into riskier behavior but his genuine friendship starts to bring her relief from her bereavement and starts a little love interest which confuses her on who she loves or even wants to be with.

For information about this book please go to Denton High School library or watch the movie trailer below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYBF3HKzrmE&feature=share&list=PL41BD206FEF9DB226 New Moon Movie Trailer - Official (HD) - YouTube

                                                                                                Reviewed by She'Keya P.

Student Book Review: Lock and Key

                                   Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

It all begins with a young 17 year old girl named Ruby who gets abandoned by her mother before her birthday. Ruby lives in the filthy bug infested house in the hopes that her mother will return for her. She continues to live there while trying to not cause attention to the fact that she’s living in a house without parents since she’s underage. Soon enough a social worker finds out about how Ruby’s living and sends Ruby to live with her sister Cora, whom she hasn’t communicated with for 10 years. Cora now has a good life; she’s a lawyer married to an entrepreneur. Although Ruby is not allowed to go back to her old home she continues to wear her key around her neck just to remember her life before joining her sister’s. After getting used to being in the new environment she begins to lower her walls and starts making friends. Later she meets a boy named Nate, who is her neighbor. Ruby begins to like him despite how perfect Nate’s life seems. She later begins to unravel things that help her discover Nate’s life and hers aren’t as different as she thought.

            This book is such a good book and I enjoyed it very much. It’s heart-warming at times and you’re able to get into it and think about how you’d feel in Ruby’s situation and even in Nate’s situation. Overall it’s a book that I could stick to and finish reading in one day. I highly recommend you go to your nearest library DHS students because you’ll fall in love with the characters and hold sympathy for them just as I did.

Click here to view a book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTsBv6qKclA

                                                                                         Reviewed by Brenda P.

Book Review: A Bride's Story

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori

*A YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens 2012*

I was first drawn to this book by the absolutely stunning artwork.  Mori is such a talented artist.  I was amazed by the detials she was able to put into the clothing and landscapes.

A Bride's Story is a historical fiction manga, set in the early 1800s on the central Asian silk road.  Amira is a 20 year old girl who has recently been given in marriage to a boy 8 years her junior.  While this may sound awkward to our modern ears, his maturity and leadership  make it believable.  Amira is a super cool chick who is an expert horsewoman, can shoot a hawk out of the sky with her bow and arrow, and is generally just the nicest person around.  When her old family decides they need her back so she can be married off to a more politically affluent family, her new family and town rally for a big throwdown.  Dotted with little day to day experiences of life during this time period, I found myself entranced by the characters and the lifestyle.  The character of Mr. Smith, an Englishman living in the area in order to conduct research, helps give clarity on certain cultural habits and beliefs. 

Romance, cool horsebackriding, great fights, and some awesome shots with a bow make this a great read.  It's worth it just for the illustrations! 

Book Review: The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievfater

Blue has always been told one thing, that if she kisses her true love, he'll die.  Raised in a family of psychics, Blue herself doesn't seem to have any powers herself. That is, until she sees the spirit of a boy named Gansey on the corpse road.  There are only two reasons why Blue would see a spirit on the corpse road, either he's her true love, or he's going to die within the year. 

On the other side of town live four boys who attend the local rich boy school of Aglionby, but really spend their time pursuing a lost and buried king, as ancient as Arthur. 

I wasn't sure if this book was going to be realistic fiction, fantasy, romance or supernatural.  It ended up being a little bit of everything.  One word to describe this book?  Eerie.  And super cool.  Okay, that's four words, but it was. Full of spinetingling secrets and slowly unfolding mysteries, Raven Boys was hard to put down.    Maggie Stievfater is an expert at casting a mood, sinking you deep into the emotion of the characters and the giving the reader a sense of place.  Like Mark Zusak's The Book Thief, Steivfater offers tiny pieces of the story at a time, waiting until the very end to tie it all together in a black lace ribbon.

This is the first book in a trilogy, but unlike some other books in a series, Raven Boys doesn't leave you hanging at the end.  Well, there's definitely some unresolved questions, but no worries. There is enough sense of closure to give you patience for the next book.

Book Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus

by Erin Moregenstern

In one word, this book was MAGICAL. Marvelously imagined.  Finishing this book was like waking up from a dream, only to wish I could go back to sleep.  Like the circus itself, the characters play dark and light against each other in a meticulously balanced dance.  While there are many times I am sad that a book is over, I rarely want to go back and read the book again immediately.  The only reason I brought it back to the library is because I want you guys to read it too! 

Here's the description from the publisher :
    
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Check out the website for the book trailer and a special extra scene from the book!

http://erinmorgenstern.com/the-night-circus/