Rippler by Cidney Swanson

General Analysis

Book Title: Rippler

Author: Cidney Swanson

Publish Date: June 15, 2011

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

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Plot:  Samantha has a unique gene that gives her the ability to turn invisible, or ripple.  There is a danger in possessing the gene.  The gene itself is not deadly, but there are people that want those who possess the rippler gene dead.  Will they be able to figure out the secret behind the gene and how to stay alive?

Why I Read this Book:  I found this book free on Amazon and the cover really popped out to me.  The cover is so gorgeous!!! After reading the synopsis on Amazon, I knew that I had to read this book.

Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book.  It was full of suspense.

In Depth Analysis

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It was filled with plot twists and action.  Although sometimes predictable, this book really kept me on my toes and wanting to read more.  It did not take me long to get hooked and wonder were the time had gone after reading over 40% of the book at one time.  The suspense was really well placed and well written.  The romance was perfect for a young adult book.  The only negative thoughts that I had about this book is that it was poorly written in parts and the writing style was not very well developed and also there was a few curse words in the book, especially near the end.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  I would recommend this book to ages 13+.  There was some cussing in the book, but that was the only inappropriate material in the book.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Everwild

Throughout writing this blog, I have realized something:  each book is very unique from another and that is what makes reading them so wonderful.  Because of this, I have decided that I am going to try out a new reviewing format.  Each books is unique, so I do not think the reviews should be so structured.  Let me know in the comments if you like this format or if I should continue with how I was writing reviews before.  Thanks for reading my blog!

General Analysis

Book Title: Everwild (second book of the Skinjacker Trilogy)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publish Date: November 1, 2009

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy

Plot:  The Chocolate Ogre wants to help those that are stuck in Everlost reach their light.  Mary Hightower wants the population of Everlost to grow, not get smaller as the children in Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel.  Allie the Outcast continues to desire to travel to her home and find out what happened to her parents the day that she died.  Each meet exciting adventures along their way.  Will these three meet up again, or will they live in separate areas of Everlost?

Overall Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED this book.  Neal Shusterman never ceases to amaze me with the originality that he puts into each one of his books.  The story was full of plot twists.  In this book, we really get to know the characters that we have come to love from Everlost and learn to love them even more than we did before.

In Depth Analysis

Neal Shusterman is one of my favorite authors.  He really knows how to include action and suspense throughout his novels.  His characters are always changing (sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst).  In Everwild, Shusterman really develops the personalities that we began to love in Everlost.  We really get to know each character.  Although the book is written in third person, Shusterman allows the reader a glimpse into the thoughts of each character which really connects the reader to the book.  

Even though I felt like I knew each character in the book, the characters contuinually did things that I did not expect.  This novel is filled with a lot of plot twists that Shusterman introduced oh so well.  The action and suspense were really bumped up in this novel, and it ended up being a much better novel than Everlost.  If this novel was a recipe, I would say it included a hand full of of action, a pot full of suspense, and the perfect amount of romance.  Everwild ended in a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to read the next novel in this amazing trilogy, Everfound.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  I would recommend this book to ages 12+.  The novel is a little bit dark.

Overall Rating:  5/5

Future Reviews and Reads

Of course, I cannot wait to read Everfound, but I am not sure when I can get my hands on a copy of it.  I do not think that my library has a copy of this book.

As always,  you can check out which books I am currently reading on the right side of my blog.  Additionally, I am always up for suggestions of books to read.  Please leave them in the comments.

A Review on the Volume 1 of Two Manga Series: Death Note and Kingdom Hearts

As you may or may not know, I am a huge fan of manga and graphic novels.  My favorite part about them is being able to see what the author envisioned for each of the scenes as he or she was writing.  I also like that they tend to be quicker reads than novels.  In the last week, I have started reading two manga series: Death Note and Kingdom Hearts.  Here is my review on the first volume of each of these manga series.

Death Note

General Analysis

Book Title: Death Note, Volume 1: Boredom

Author: Tsugumi Ohba

 Illustrator:  Takeshi Obata

Publish Date:  October 10, 2005 (United States)

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy

Plot:  A teenage boy, Light Yagami, finds the Death Note that a Shinigami dropped on Earth. The holder of the Death Note has the ability to kill anyone on earth as long as he knows their name and knows how they look.  Light decides that he wants to use the Death Note to rid the world of criminals and to make a utopia where everyone is no longer harmed by these criminals, but Light does not realize what he has gotten himself into when he starts to use the Death Note.

Overall Thoughts: I really enjoy this series so far.  The plot is very intense and the characters are believable.  The story is filled with action and suspense.

In Depth Analysis

Characters:  The characters are really believable.  They have a depth to them that is rarely seen in manga.

Writing Style:  The writing style for this manga is amazing.  The plot is very well thought out and very intricate.  As soon as you feel you understand all the rules of the Death Note, another rule is sprung on you that changes the plot dramatically and keeps you on your toes.

Likes:  I love the plot and the development of both the plot and the characters.

Dislikes:  I do not like that this is such a dark read, but the plot is so enjoyable and so mind boggling that I continue to enjoy the story that is presented.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  Because of the dark nature in the manga series, I would recommend this to teenagers 16 and above.  There is not and cussing in this first volume, but the book is very violent.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Kingdom Hearts

General Analysis

Book Title: Kingdom Hearts, Volume 1

Author: Siro Amano

Publish Date: October 11, 2005 (United States)

Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy

Plot:  When a storm hits his island, fourteen-year-old Sora is swept into a mysterious land where he meets Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, who are on a mission to find King Mickey and return him to his throne at Disney Castle.  (Taken from GoodReads because I could not think of a description due to the confusing nature of the plot).

Why I Read this Book:  I have played the video game and wanted to know more of the story behind the video game.

Overall Thoughts: The plot was very confusing and I did not understand what was going on most of the time.  I loved the idea of the story line, but how it was presented was lacking in quality.

In Depth Analysis

Characters:  Most of the characters we already know from Disney, but the author has put a good amount of originality to them while keeping the characters true to their nature.

Writing Style:  The writing style of this volume was were I thought the manga was lacking.  The beginning of this volume was very confusing and the story line was really hard to follow.  There were so many questions left unanswered.

Likes:  I love the idea of the plot in this series.  The way the author integrates the stories that we already know from Disney into a brand new story is very creative and original.  I love to speculate which story from Disney will integrate itself into the story line next.

Dislikes:  Writing style (see above)

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  There does seem to be a dark nature to this series; therefore, I would recommend this book to ages 12 and older.  The darkness of the manga does not seem to be too overwhelmingly scary.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Future Reviews and Reads

I am continuing to read The Language of God by Francis S. Collins and Jesus Freaks by dc Talk.  They continue to be quite good.

I am also reading Everwild by Neal Shusterman, which is the second book in the series entitled Skinjacker.  It is much better than the first book, Everlost, which I also enjoyed.

I am also reading Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaker's Journey which is very interesting.  I am learning os much about the filmmaking process.

City of Bones

General Analysis

Book Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publish Date:  March 27, 2007

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy

Plot:  Clary Fray stumbles upon a world that most humans do not see.  This world is full of Demons, Shadowhunters (who kill said demons), vampires, and much, much more.  The world that Clary thought she knew starts to tumble as she struggles to understand why demons would be interested in killing a mundane, those that normally do not see the shadow world, and why Clary is the only mundane known that is gifted with the Sight.

Overall Thoughts: I really began to love this book after the first 100 pages or so.  The action and intensity of the story is something that cannot be compared to most books.

In Depth Analysis

Characters:  The characters are very defined and full of depth.  The way that the characters relate to one another is described in wonderful detail and really makes the characters enjoyable.

Writing Style:  The writing style is amazing and very suspenseful.

Likes:  I loved almost everything about the story.  The way the story is told is incredible and leaves you wanting more.  The characters are lovable, even those that you love to hate.

Dislikes:  I did not like that there were a few sexual references, cussing, and references to drugs.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  I would recommend this to teenagers and older that are able to handle violence.

Overall Rating:  4/5

Everlost

General Analysis

Book Title: Everlost

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publish Date: October 1, 2006

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy

Plot:  Nick and Allie are caught halfway between life and death.  They live in a place called Everlost which is filled with things that no longer exist.  They no longer need to breath or eat, yet the desires to do so still exist.  The longer that kids exist in Everlost, the more they begin to forget about how they were and who they were in the living world.

Overall Thoughts:  I thought this book was wonderful, but not as wonderful as other books by Neal Shusterman.  I recently just reread this book.  The first time that I read it was in high school and I loved it just as much as I did when I was in high school.  The only thing that I did not like was that the story was not as good as I expect from Shusterman.

In Depth Analysis

Characters: The characters are very in-depth with their own unique personalities.  Each has their own story which I was delighted to read.

Writing Style:  The writing style is wonderful as always.  Filled with suspense and action, Neal Shusterman never ceases to amaze me.

Likes:  I love the way that every character in Shusterman's books always have a story that makes them who they are.  It makes the story easier to relate to.  I also love the suspense and the action that is in all of his novels.  Shusterman always has unique ideas for each of his books and it makes reading each book of his an adventure.

Dislikes:  This book was fun to read, but seemed to have been written for a younger audience than most of his books.  I did not find it as enjoyable as his other books, but it was still a fun read.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  I would recommend this book to middle school and high school students.  The writing style is more for this younger audience.  The only thing that may not be appropriate for young audiences is the darkish subject matter of the book, death.  Neal Shusterman handles this subject in a light and enjoyable way and in a way that is appropriate for all ages.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Future Reviews and Reads

I just finished a book that was a Read and Review book on Goodreads called Genesisthat is part of the XII Saga by Jason Rowe and Brian Palmer.  It was not an enjoyable as I hoped.  My review for Goodreads is located here.  I may do a review for my blog on this book soon.

I am starting a book soon called The Why of Things that I got from a giveaway on Goodreads.  I am excited to be starting this contemporary novel by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop.

I am also still reading The Language of God by Francis S. Collins and Jesus Freaks by dc Talk.  I am greatly enjoying both of these Christian Nonfiction books.

The Gathering

General Analysis

Book Title:  The Gathering

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publish Date: April 12, 2011

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Similar Author/Books:  I think that the writing style is very similar to Neal Shusterman in the way that the author, Kelley Armstrong, leaves a lot of suspense to the main story line.  As the story progresses, you learn more about the main plot of the story and as soon as you think you have figured out the plot, Armstrong throws in a new bit of information that makes the story even more action packed and thought provoking.

Plot:  Maya, age sixteen, has grown up in a small town on Vancouver Island.  The town is a medical research community where even the residents do not know what exactly is being researched.  Maya takes care of injured animals that she finds in the forests around the medical town, but it seems when she is around they heal quite quickly.  Things seem strange even for this small town, when the number of cougars in the area seems to be increasing and they all seem to be attracted to Maya.