Middle-Grade Mondays: Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Title: Ungifted

Author: Gordon Korman

Genre: Middle Grade

Date Published: 2012

Why I Read This Book: I saw this book at my local Goodwill and I thought it looked very interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

Review

Gifted is about an 8th grade boy who accidentally gets sent to a gifted school even though he is only an average student. The writing style of Gifted was very entertaining, but I had several problems with the book. Donovan is quite mischievous and almost never follows the rules. Gifted seems to show that lying and cheating are okay and I do not agree with this message. Also, gifted children are portrayed as always being socially awkward and having no common sense which is not always true.

Overall, the story and characters were very entertaining. Each character was unique and had their own personality. There were some really hilarious scenes in the book. I believe children of all ages (5-99) would find this book entertaining.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 3/5

Book Review: The Shack [MILD SPOILERS!!]

Title: The Shack

Author: Wm. Paul Young

Publish Date: July 1, 2001

Genre: Christian Fiction

Why I Read this Book: I have wanted to read this book for a while now. Many people had told me that I should read it. I listened to the audiobook version that I bought at my local Goodwill.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

Review

Looking at other reviews of The Shack on book retail sites and Goodreads, I clearly see the impact that this book has had on many people. The Shack has changed peoples lives, but it did not do this for me.

It took me a while to gather my thoughts about this book. The beginning was incredibly engaging and interesting; I did not want to stop listening to it. The engaging plot had me wanting more of this narrative, but this is not what I found. As the book progressed, I felt like it was more of a preaching than a narrative.

Much of the novel is spent with Mac talking to God. Each of the trinity is physically present and attempting to change the way that Mac thinks about the world. Mac is depressed. He has lost his daughter to a murderer. His family seems to be falling apart. As the Trinity speak to Mac, They comfort him and he begins to draw closer to Them. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. God loves us as we are. We do not have to change before we come to God; He changes us when we are willing to accept His love and all that He has sacrificed for us. I love this aspect of the novel, but there are certain things that the Trinity speaks about in The Shack that do not necessarily line up with the Bible.

One of the main things that I do not believe lines up with the Bible is when the author talks about how there should not be a hierarchy in family, in politics, or between us and God. The Bible says that God establishes kings (Daniel 2:21) and states that the husband is the head of the household just as Jesus is the head of the church body (Ephesians 5:23).

Even though I do not agree with all of the theology that the book presents, I do believe in the heart of the book: God loves us and wants us to know him intimately.

I want to end this review with an excerpt from 1 John 3:1:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ due to difficult themes (such as a missing child and murder)

Overall Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Numbers Game

Title: Numbers Game

Series: Numbers Game (Book 1)

Author: Rebecca Rode

Publish Date: March 10, 2015

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone. 

To get her life and boyfriend back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

Review

My favorite part about Numbers Game was the well developed characters. Many characters where introduced in this novel and each had a unique personality and unique goals/ambitions. Because the characters were so well developed, it was easy to predict what the characters would do next in the story line.

Numbers Game was very predictable. There were only a few things in the plot that surprised me. I believe that it was intended to be suspenseful, but it was not well executed. Additionally, there was a predictable love triangle in this book as well. This book was very similar to every other Dystopian novel out there.

I believe that I will continue reading this series just to see where the plot goes and because I enjoy the characters so much.

I would recommend this series to those who love Dystopian and are looking for a fast-paced and action-packed read.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action

Overall Rating: 3/5

Graphic Novel Review: The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Title: The Plain Janes

Series: Janes (# 1)

Authors: Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Publish Date: May 2, 2007

Genre: Graphic Novel

Why I Read this Book: I read this book during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. I found this graphic novel at my local library.

 

About Book 1 (from Goodreads):  

Noted young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and artist Jim Rugg launch Minx with the Plain Janes, a story about four girls named Jane. When transfer student Jane is forced to move from the confines of Metro City to Suburbia, she thinks her life is over. But there is the lunch room at the reject table she finds her tribe: three other girls named Jane. Main Jane encourages them to form a secret art gang and paint the town P.L.A.I.N. - People Loving Art In Neighborhoods. But can art attacks really save the hell that is high school?

Review

This was not my favorite graphic novel. On the positive note, I loved the illustrations and the overall concept. This graphic novel started out with a lot of potential, but I thought that it fell flat. There was no resolution to the plot at the end of the first graphic novel in this series. I did not enjoy the ending of it at all. I was enjoying the side plot in which the main character was in the city when there was a terrorist attack and a man that was near her when the attack took place went into a coma, but I did not enjoy the resolution of this plot line.

I do plan to continue the series in the hopes that the plot line will be more resolved.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: any

Overall Rating: 3/5

Graphic Novel Review: The Lost Boy by Greg Ruth

Book Title: The Lost Boy

Author: Greg Ruth

Publish Date: August 27, 2013

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Plot (from Goodreads):  

Some mysteries are too dangerous to leave alone . . .

Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town. After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place. But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, Nate is thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago. Now, as strange happenings and weird creatures begin to track Nate, he must partner with Tabitha, a local girl, to find out what they want with him. But time is running out, for a powerful force is gathering strength in the woods at the edge of town, and before long Nate and Tabitha will be forced to confront a terrifying foe, and uncover the truth about the Lost Boy.

Why I Read this Book: I loaned this book from the library.  I have seen positive reviews about the book around the blog-o-sphere.

 

Review

Overall, this book was decent and worth the read.  The book was not really my cup of tea, but others may really enjoy this book.  I got this book from the library because I was looking online for clean graphic novels that others have loved.  I found a lot of positive reviews of this book, so I decided to read it myself.

My main complaint about this book was that it was hard to follow the storyline.  I loved the illustrations of the book, but I felt like the story line needed a little more work.  It was difficult to tell when the story was a flashback or not.

The Lost Boy did have a unique and exciting storyline.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ghost stories.
 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age, some "scary" content

Overall Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Relentless by Dave Donaldson

Book Title: Relentless

Author: Dave Donaldson

Publish Date: March 7, 2013

Genre: Christian Nonfiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  

Relentless takes an honest look at some of the tragic problems many people face who are struggling against the odds and fighting a losing battle. But bigger than all these problems are the hearts and desires of the relentless individuals who are joining forces with others and allowing God to do something great in and through them. Do you feel a movement of hope gaining force all around you, drawing you toward making the world a better, safer, healthier, and hope-filled place? Then you may be part of the relentless: people who never of helping the needy because they believe in, and live from, the apostle Paul's words. "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Why I Read this Book: I was given an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review.

 

Review 

I enjoyed the overall message of this book: As Christians, we need to reach out and help others.  There were some things that really bothered me about this book.  I felt like the book was relying on the guilt factor in order to get you to help others.  I also felt like the book was a promotional for certain organizations, mainly Convoy for Hope which the author founded.

I really enjoyed some of the messages in this book.  For instance, it showed how Jesus looked at others with compassion and how we should do the same.

I also enjoyed the personal testimonies and the other stories that were told in the book in order to evoke emotions from the reader and to show why the author was moved to serve.

Overall, I found the book depressing as it talked about all the people who are suffering around the world.  It has always been one of my strongest desires to help others and it hurts to see others suffering.  I do feel led to serve others, but I do not think that this book approached this topic in the best way. I feel like the book Thrive by Mark Hall approached this topic a lot better than this book did.

If you are looking for organizations that serve others and want to know more about these organizations, than I think this would be a good book for you.  Personally, this book did not live up to my expectations.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 3/5

Blog Tour and Review: Rylee Everley Series Books 1 and 2

The Rylee Everley Series

By S.M. Knowles

Young Adult ~ Paranormal Romance

Unusual Awakening

Book 1

With tears and a tight hug, Rylee Everley’s dad left for Afghanistan with the Army Reserve. Since his deployment, her mom has been distant, her sisters are constantly fighting, and Rylee, at only thirteen years old, has to be the glue to keep them together. While her mother stays locked in her room, Rylee has been forced into the role of parent.

Now, two years later, a freak accident involving a bus at school promises to restore some normality to her family. In spite of not knowing how their father is, her mother is happy and her sisters don’t seem to fight as much as they used to. Rylee herself is seeing more of her friends and is even trying to sort out her own feelings about Brock Parker. However, something dark threatens to disrupt that normality for personal gain, and that darkness is willing to break every rule to get what it wants.

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The first book in this series was not my favorite book.  There was not much of a plot and there was a lot of confusion about how the storyline was progressing.  The pace of the book was really slow and I took several breaks while reading this book.  That being said, there is a lot of potential in this book.  The characters were pretty interesting and that minor romance plot was also interesting.  I enjoyed the emotions that this book led me to have.  The sadness that was in Rylee's family because of her father being gone was really touching.  I believe that with some further edits, this book would be amazing.  I incredibly enjoyed the last 10-20% of the book when the pace of the plot really picked up.

Rating: 3/5

Awakening Dream

Book 2

Since her father disappeared while in Afghanistan, Rylee Everley has been taking things one day at a time. After burying their friend over the summer, she and her friends returned to school for their junior year. While her friends are worried about career choices and the future, she hangs on to a secret. Witches exist, and they live here among us. She has been asked to help vanquish a half witch who has caused some problems with only a wisp trapped in a necklace to help her, her own manifesting gifts, and cryptic dreams to guide her.

To top it all off, her childhood friend, and crush, has been acting really strange ever since he started dating Adysin. He ditched the football team, and he acts like a totally different person. They were once so close, and now she finds herself missing him and feeling guilty for pushing him away. Is this just concern for a friend she’s feeling or could it be love? Can Rylee save her childhood friend from a witch who’s willing to go to any length and pay any price to keep him?

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Wow!  This book was really great!  The pace of the plot really picked up in this book and it was packed with adventure!  The paranormal aspects of this book were not incredibly unique, but they were certainly interesting and heightened the plot and the emotions in the book.  I cannot say much about the plot, since this is the second book in the series, but this series is well worth reading!  I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.  I will be buying it as soon as it comes out.

Rating: 4/5

S.M. Knowles was born in Elmira, New York where she was swept away in a whirlwind to the Land of Oz--Independence, Kansas. Her parents were relocating for working opportunities and decided that this would be the perfect place to start new roots. Little did she know that this place would contribute to the inspiration for the first book she wrote in her Rylee Everley Series.

While growing up, S.M. would travel the roads around her house while imagining she was somewhere else. Her imagination would take her everywhere, making the long hot summer days seem shorter throughout her fantasies.

At the age of twelve, she decided to write her first book. Filled mostly with dialog, she filled up one-hundred pages, front and back. After taking the book downstairs to show her mom, and persuading her to buy her more paper, she excitedly ran back to her room. As she barreled through the door, S.M. tripped over items left on her floor, and her papers came raining down in her room. Discouraged, she stood there in tears, picking up her papers and throwing them in the trash. Her work had no organization, no numbers on her pages, just a child fulfilling a joy that she would put down and not pick up again.

When she became older, she joined the military for something different. In that time, she was able to explore many places and even met her husband in Iraq. After coming home, she started her family in Arizona and went back to school, earning a Master's degree in Adult Education and Training.

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Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review: Lost and Found

 

Tour Schedule

 

Lost and Found by Karey White

Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she's done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it's time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home.
 
Blake feels like he's been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he's on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he's going home, and that's that. But that's before he discovers his flight has been cancelled.

When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

 

 

Review

I enjoyed this book, but I could not get past the premise.  Two people meet at an airport and they decide to cancel their plans and spend two days together.  I do not think that this is realistic.  I really enjoyed the romance aspects of the book and the other parts of the book, but I could not get past this premise.

 

 

Rating

5/5

 

Author Karey White

Karey is a USA Today best-selling author. She grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, cook, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four wonderful children.




 

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The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series

Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors.




"Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love."




Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford




Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin




Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson




Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White




Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver




Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

 

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash




Ends 5/12/14




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Children's Book Review Tuesdays: "Think about..." Books

Book Title: Does a Beaver Sleep in a Bed?

Author:  Harriet Ziefert

Illustrations by:  Emily Bolam

Publish Date: January 28, 2014

 Why I Read this Book: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from Edelweiss.  This in no way influenced my review.

Find It Here: Amazon (affiliate link)

Review

This book shows where all types of animals sleep.  It is very educational.  This would also be a good book to read when trying to get a child to sleep in a "big boy (or girl) bed".

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  3-7

Overall Rating: 5/5

Book Title: Does a Camel Cook Spaghetti?

Author:  Harriet Ziefert

Illustrations by:  Emily Bolam

Publish Date: January 28, 2014

 Why I Read this Book: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from Edelweiss.  This in no way influenced my review.

Find It Here: Amazon (affiliate link)

Review

This book teaches children what different animals eat.  It is very educational, but has adorable illustrations.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  3-7

Overall Rating: 5/5

Book Title: Does a Woodpecker Use a Hammer?

Author:  Harriet Ziefert

Illustrations by:  Emily Bolam

Publish Date: January 28, 2014

 Why I Read this Book: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from Edelweiss.  This in no way influenced my review.

Find It Here: Amazon (affiliate link)

Review

This book shows different tools that animals use.  This seems to talk about evolution of humans.  The story line was not as great in this book as in the other books.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  3-7

Overall Rating: 3/5