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By:
Becky Laney,
on 9/23/2016
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Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia. Brandon Sanderson. 2009. Scholastic. 299 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: So there I was, hanging upside down underneath a gigantic glass bird, speeding along at a hundred miles an hour above the ocean, in no danger whatsoever.
Premise/plot: This is the third book in the Alcatraz fantasy series. IN this one, Alcatraz and company arrive at last in the Free Kingdoms, in Nalhalla. Alcatraz wrestles with fame and ego in this one. Though raised in the Hushlands in a Librarian-controlled nation, he's FAMOUS in Nalhalla already, even starring in his own book series. (The book series being written by the Prince himself). Open up one of his books, and his theme music plays. You don't really get more famous than Alcatraz Smedry, of course, it's not really, truly HIM that is famous, more an idea of him. Also in this one, Bastille is put on trial. Will she be stripped of knighthood? How long will her punishment last? I should also not forget to mention that the LIBRARIANS want to come to peaceful terms and end the war at last. But Alcatraz and his friends suspect the WORST. But so many people want peace that they seem willing to give the Librarians the benefit of the doubt....
My thoughts: This one is an action-packed read full of fun and humor. I love this series. And I think I enjoyed this third book even more than the first two books. Folsom was a great new character to introduce--loved his talent, by the way. And it was nice to meet a librarian who wasn't evil for a change!!!
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/20/2012
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Gods and Warriors. Michelle Paver. 2012. Penguin. 320 pages.
The shaft of the arrow was black and fletched with crow feathers, but Hylas couldn't see the head because it was buried in his arm. If you love action and adventure, you should really consider picking up Michelle Paver's new book, Gods and Warriors. This middle grade novel is set in ancient Greece during the Bronze Age. It stars a young boy, Hylas, who may or may not fulfill prophecy. But he isn't the only one readers will meet, two other (human) characters have a role to play: Telamon, the son of a chieftain and Hylas' best friend at the start of the novel, and Pirra, a young girl betrothed to Telamon against his wishes. The other star of this one is not human, she is a dolphin named Spirit.
I loved this one!!! I just loved it! I loved learning about Hylas, Telamon, and Pirra; but especially about Hylas and Pirra. It was very interesting to see this relationship development. For they are thrown together in desperation. Both needing the other to survive, both having strengths and weaknesses, both uncertain about so many things. It was interesting to see how circumstances helped them come to trust one another, to become friends despite their differences. I also loved Spirit, the dolphin, who has a very significant role in the novel!
Action, adventure, and drama!!! This one has it all. I'd definitely recommend it!
Read Gods and Warriors
- If you like action/adventure stories with light touches of fantasy and mythology
- If you like plot-driven stories with fast pacing
- If you are looking for a new series to begin
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/10/2012
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Raider's Ransom. Emily Diamand. 2009. Scholastic. 368 pages.
Cat puts up his nose to sniff the breath of wind barely filling the sail, and opens his small pink mouth to speak.Knowing that I could never quite do justice to Raider's Ransom in my review, let me encourage you to just pick up this one and give it a try. I can't promise that you'll love it. But. You just may. It's that kind of book. The kind that actually delivers what it promises.
If you like action/adventure quests, I think you'll really, really appreciate Raider's Ransom. I think you'll enjoy the world Diamand created in the novel. I think there will be scenes that stay with you. I think you'll enjoy not only her world-building but her characterization and storytelling too.
The heroine of Raider's Ransom is a young girl, Lilly. She may be young, but she's a fisherman with a small (very small) boat of her own. And to the dismay of some, she's the owner of a cat, a sea cat. Not something to be taken lightly in her community of survivors. When she's at home, on land, she stays with her grandmother. But. Readers don't get a chance to see a more relaxed Lilly. For the novel opens with Lilly discovering the tragic truth: when she was out sailing her vessel, out fishing, the raiders (or should that be Raiders?) attacked her village. They were looking for something specific, the attack wasn't just random. I don't know if that makes things better or worse for Lilly since one of the things they were looking for was her cat. The Raiders kill Lilly's grandmother, and kidnap the Prime Minister's daughter. One might think that they kidnapped her for a nice ransom, but, they had something even more in mind. They return without their sought-after object, a particular jewel. And that's only the beginning. The problem? Well, I can't talk about this one without revealing too much. I think this is one of those that is best discovered all on your own. Trust me.
So. I won't go into details. But I will say we get another narrator. And that proves most interesting indeed! For I certainly wasn't expecting it at all.
This one went above and beyond all my expectations. It really did. It surprised me in a good way.
Read Raider's Ransom
- If you like survival stories or starting over stories;
- If you like action/adventure stories with a quest, a journey, a mission
- If you like action stories with battles and close escapes
- If you like dystopias, novels set in the future with a society quite unlike our own
- If you like good storytelling
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx. James Rollins. 2011. HarperCollins. 370 pages.
Most days people don't kick you in the head. For Jacob Bartholomew Ransom, it was just another Monday.If the second book hadn't caught my attention, I don't know that I would have picked up the first novel in the series, Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. This is Jake's second adventure, and it is just as action-packed as the first. I definitely recommend you read the series from the beginning. Because many--if not most--of the characters are introduced in the first book. Even though this book has a different setting, in a way. The books do share a villain.
I don't know how to talk about this one without spoiling the first novel. With fantasy series that is often the case. I can only say that it was a quick read, a very quick read, and quite a satisfying one! I am still liking Jake and his sister, Kady. I'm liking their resourcefulness, their strength. The pacing, the plot, the characters, everything works.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/24/2011
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Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. James Rollins. 2009. HarperCollins. 400 pages.
First sentence of prologue:
The man fled down the steep slope of the jungle mountain.By the second page of the prologue, I was hooked. He had me with: "Few people had ever set eyes on the giant mountain; even fewer had ever walked its slopes. And only one man knew its secret. He had learned the truth. The Mountain of Bones...was no mountain." Even before the real story of this one started, I just had to know what happened next.
First sentence chapter one:
From his school desk, Jake Ransom willed the second hand on the wall clock to sweep away the final minutes of his sixth period history class.This fantasy novel stars Jake Ransom and his sister, Kady. Their parents were great adventurers, great archaeologists, but they've been missing (and presumed dead) for just over three years. The novel opens with the two children being invited to a museum exhibit (in London) featuring some of their parents' last finds. Jake definitely wants to go; in fact, he feels he NEEDS to go. Kady, well, she isn't sure how she feels about it. She isn't sure if seeing the exhibit will make her feel better or worse about her parents deaths.
But this is no ordinary exhibit, it holds great excitement, great danger, for the two...it is the beginning of all their adventures...
I really, really enjoyed this fantasy novel. I thought it was very compelling, very exciting, very difficult to put down. It so easily could have been a premise-driven novel with underdeveloped characters, but, for me, I thought the characters were done nicely. It's still a plot-driven novel--very action-packed with danger and thrills--but the characters do matter.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Twenty-One Balloons. William Pene du Bois. 1947. Viking 180 pages.
There are two kinds of travel. The usual way is to take the fastest imaginable conveyance along the shortest road. The other way is not to care particularly where you are going or how long it will take you, or whether you will get there or not. I should have believed my mother. She's been trying to tell me that this was a good read for many, many years. And she was right. This is a good read. I'm not sure I'd say it was the
best, best book I've ever read. Or the best Newbery I've ever read. But this book is anything but boring! It surprised me in all the right ways.
The hero of this one is Professor William Waterman Sherman. This teacher-turned-adventurer left San Francisco in August of 1883 hoping to spend about a year in his balloon. He'd chosen his design carefully and thoughtfully. And he was so excited at the thought of being away from it all--all the cares, all the stress, all the worries of this world. He wanted FREEDOM and then some. But that wasn't to be...
For an accident leaves him stranded on a "deserted" island. The island's community does NOT want to be discovered by the world, so any visitors are welcomed permanently in the community and renamed. I don't want to give away all the quirks of this one though! But I found this one to be quite a read!
Enjoyable and satisfying...a great way to spend the afternoon.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Swift Rivers. Cornelia Meigs. 1932/2004. Walker. 288 pages.
It was the summer that Chris Dahlberg was seventeen that he mowed the high meadow alone for the first time.
I can't say that I LOVED Swift Rivers. But I can say that I did enjoy it--most of it at least. I checked it out from the library not really knowing what to expect. My plan was to give it a chapter or two to see if it was even something I wanted to read. And it was. Chris Dahlberg is a great hero for an adventure story. After his parents' death, his Uncle became responsible for him. But this responsibility didn't include love and respect. Chris works hard day after day after day with no one to really appreciate him. Since the Uncle absolutely HATES his father--Chris' grandfather--when Chris decides to leave home for four days to check on his grandfather, the Uncle forbids him, warning him that if he leaves he shouldn't bother coming back. For he'll never, ever, ever welcome him back into his home. Knowing that the grandfather is getting older, knowing that there must be a reason why he didn't come to help the mowing this year--like he has every year since he can remember--he makes his decision. He just has to see if his grandfather needs help. He needs to see if grandfather is ready to make it through the winter. The uncle is true to his word, but that doesn't turn out to be such a bad thing. For Chris and his grandfather and a helpful neighbor or two come up with an idea. It's a bit of a risk, it's not really been done before, but if it succeeds, it will be the start of something big. Chris and his grandfather are determined to enter the logging business, to cut down trees, and float the logs down the river, etc.
Half of the novel is the adventure of the logs-down-the-river. How this journey changes Chris. So it's a coming-of-age adventure story set in the 1830s. It's an industrious novel--one that focuses on men hard at work. It's a dangerous job that requires focus and skill and determination.
I liked this one because I liked Chris. I didn't necessarily love all the descriptions of river rafting. But even though I wasn't loving each and every page, I still enjoyed it for the most part.
© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
The Trumpeter of Krakow. Eric P. Kelly. 1928. 208 pages.
It was in late July of the year 1461 that the sun rose one morning red and fiery as if ushering in midsummer's hottest day. His rays fell upon the old city of Krakow and the roads leading up to it, along which rolled and rocked a very caravan of peasants' wagons. Don't judge a book by its cover. Or, at least don't judge
this book by its cover! For appearances can be deceiving, The Trumpeter of Krakow is anything but boring! It's an exciting adventure story with elements that reminded me of some great fantasy novels! (It stars an alchemist and his "student" who is obsessed with finding the philosopher's stone.)
The Charnetski family has come to Krakow seeking protection. The father (Andrew Charnetski) has relatives in the city, and he's hoping to find sanctuary there until he can have an audience with the King (Kazimir Jagiello). But when he arrives, he learns that his relative has died--been murdered--and that the rest of the family has fled. Knowing that his family is in great danger--especially if the man seeking to prevent him from entering the city comes back to cause trouble--he returns to the market to think out his options. Joseph, the son, happens to rescue a young woman from an attacking dog, and in doing so wins the gratitude of her uncle. An invitation is extended to Joseph and his family, and lodgings are arranged. Around the same time, Andrew meets an important man in the city, Jan Kanty, who listens sympathetically and offers great advice. Sell your horses and your cart, change your name, and become the trumpeter in the tower of the Church of Our Lady St. Mary. Andrew is happy to follow this advice closely. He even teaches his son to play the trumpet hymn (Heynal) that is to played four times every hour. There is a story about this hymn, and a legend of sorts about a trumpeter. Readers learn of this at the very beginning, for it is set several centuries before this adventure even begins.
There is never a dull moment in The Trumpeter of Krakow. For there are the neighbors above and below to keep things interesting. The most interesting, perhaps, being the alchemist, Kreutz, he is the distracted uncle of the grateful girl, Elzbietka. He has a student, Johann Tring, a young man that makes many--including Joseph and Elzbietka--nervous. The two--in varying degrees--are obsessed with finding out the secret of how to make gold, fascinated with the philosopher's stone. The niece feels that Tring is a bad, bad influence on her uncle, and that Tring is leading her Uncle into dangerous territory.
And of course, never for a minute forget that this family is being pursued. Why? Well, the family DOES have a secret, they have something in their possession that drives people mad, something that people are willing to kill to have.
By:
Becky Laney,
on 6/29/2011
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The Boy at the End of the World. Greg van Eekhout. 2011. Bloomsbury. 224 pages.
This is what he knew:His name was Fisher.The world was dangerous.He was alone.And that was all.I definitely enjoyed Greg van Eekhout's The Boy At The End of the World. If you like survival stories or action-adventure stories or post-apocalyptic stories, then this one may be for you. Fisher, our hero, is truly the boy at the end of the world. There's a good possibility that he's the only human left on earth. At least the only human awakened from his pod. And if the other arks on earth look like Fisher's, well, the world could be in trouble.
But he's not completely alone in the world. He's guided by a robot, Click, and together they set out on a journey. To find other arks--other survivors, perhaps, and to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the bad guys--the evil robots that have destroyed Fisher's ark. (Not that it was *his* ark. But the ark that housed his pod.)
The Boy at the End of the World is imaginative. The author has created quite a world--an unfriendly world--for our hero to try to navigate. Some of the creatures that have evolved or survived-long-enough-in-the-world-to-evolve are quite interesting. (Though they take some getting used to perhaps.) I did enjoy this one. It was a quick read with plenty of action and suspense.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/18/2011
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The Throne of Fire. Kane Chronicles #2 Rick Riordan. 2011. Hyperion. 464 pages.
Carter here. Look, we don't have time for long introductions. I need to tell this story quickly, or we're all going to die.The sequel to Rick Riordan's
The Red Pyramid. Once again it is narrated by a brother-sister team, Carter (14), and Sadie (13). These two were raised apart and they're only now getting to know one another. But surviving dangerous situations one after another after another has helped these two bond a bit. Though they still bicker over who gets to tell what as the story unfolds. In this adventure, the two are looking to piece together the Book of Ra (it is in three sections, each hidden in a secret location). They're hoping the Book of Ra will help them resurrect Ra, a retired Egyptian god. A god they're hoping will be strong enough to help them defeat Apophis. And to add to the pressure, they only have a week to do it.
I'm not a big fan of how this one is told. Of how the book(s) are being recorded on audio, of how both are hoping that by sharing their stories other magicians will step forth to help the two battle the forces of evil and save the world.
And I'm not a big fan of the alternating narrators. It's not that I dislike either Carter or Sadie. It's just that I feel if it was told by one character, that maybe just maybe I'd connect more with the story? I'm not sure if it's the way the story is told or if it's just the story itself.
While I'm mentioning all the little things I didn't quite love, let me focus on the "romance." For me. It distracts from the story. To have Carter DROP EVERYTHING because he discovers the location of a certain someone?! To leave the saving the world to his sister and her friend just so that he can find her, "save" her, and maybe just maybe see if she feels the same way about him as he does about her?! I mean when I got to that section I was like YOU'RE KIDDING ME?! HE'S REALLY GOING TO DO THAT? And I felt the same way when Sadie left Carter--earlier in the novel--to go London so she could celebrate her birthday party with some friends. I mean the world is ending in less than five days and instead of finding a way to STOP it from ending, you want to party?! And Sadie's interest in Anubis and Walt?! It felt weird to me. Not necessarily her having crushes on them both. But on either one being even remotely interested in her in that way. I mean she *just* turned thirteen. And Walt is sixteen. And Anubis--well he's a god, and she's human. I thought the book had more than enough drama without Carter and Sadie being distracted by puppy love.
So what did I love? Well, I loved how compelling the second half of this novel was. I mean once the action starts, it STARTS. And it's hard to put it down once it starts getting good. Once things start to come together, I wasn't distracted by the things that didn't quite work for me. I just had to keep reading; I had to know what happened next.
The Throne of Fire has action, adventure, and drama. Also mythology--Egyptian mythology--of course.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. C.S. Lewis. 1952. HarperCollins. 256 pages.
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His parents called him Eustace Clarence and masters called him Scrubb. I can't tell you how his friends spoke to him, for he had none.The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is one of my favorite, favorite books. There are seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia, this is the third. Yes, third. For there is NO other way to read the books then in their
proper order: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magicians Nephew, and The Last Battle.
This third adventure stars Lucy and Edmund Pevensie and their cousin, Eustace Scrubb. These three are transported to Narnia--much to Lucy and Edmund's delight and Eustace's horror and disbelief--through a magical painting. Lucy remarking one day that the ship in the picture looks Narnian, that those waves look like they're moving. Once on board this ship, they meet King Caspian. They join him on his quest to find his father's missing friends, these "seven lost lords": Lord Bern, Lord Octesian, Lord Restimar, Lord Rhoop, Lord Mavramorn, Lord Revilian, and Lord Argoz.
The book is a series of adventures; these adventures being loosely tied together by their one mission, one quest, of discovering the fate of these seven lords. They are NOT out to save the world, NOT out to save Narnia from a dark and evil threat. They are adventuring for the sake of adventuring. They are facing risks, yes, because they are curious and brave and loyal. But they are not facing risks because there is evil lurking and threatening to destroy everything they know and love. Why mention this? Well, if you saw the movie, you might have gotten a different idea of their adventures.
What do I love about this one? The characters and the stories! I love to see how Eustace is turned into a dragon. I love, love, love how he's restored and healed by Aslan. That scene being oh-so-magical! (And the movie? Well? They don't quite capture it the way the book did. They changed things throughout.) There are so many elements that I just loved in this one! Lucy "helping" the invisible dufflepuds, Dark Island and the albatross, etc. And then, of course, there is Reepicheep!!!
So do I recommend this one?! Yes!!! How did I feel about the movie? Well, there were places I enjoyed it. But they rearranged things; they changed things; they added and subtracted. And there were a few scenes that just felt tedious. (The big scene that is supposed to be the climax; the big battle). But it was a beautiful movie. It was compelling even if it was different. Were the changes necessary? I'm not convinced they were. Especially how they felt the need to add conflict and tension between the characters--when there wasn't any in the book. But it wasn't a horrible adaptation.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. R.L. LaFevers. 2008. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 400 pages.
The lace on my party frock itched horribly.
Theodosia is back in her second adventure. The first being Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. Theodosia is an eleven year old who takes advantage of her parents' neglect. She enjoys her independence. She needs time for her research. She needs her freedom to work undercover as well. Which is why Theodosia hates the fact that her grandmother is insisting on a governess. Theodosia doesn't need a governess to slow her down! How can Theodosia save the world, save Britain at the very least, if she is always being watched? And the world does need saving...make no mistake about that. Chaos is on the rise again in the second book. This time the 'magical' artifact--ancient Egyptian artifact of course--is a staff with the ability to raise the dead. Can Theodosia keep the staff out of the wrong hands?
I enjoyed this one.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Peter and the Sword of Mercy. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. 2009. Hyperion. 528 pages.
From the prologue: Charlemagne, Conqueror of Europe, knelt before the stone altar. He was seventy, but with his reddish beard and full head of hair, he looked much younger.
From the second prologue: Queen Victoria lay dying.
From chapter one: James Smith, surrounded by a throng of home-bound commuters, climbed the steep stairs leading out of the South Kensington Underground station.
This is the fourth novel in the series. The first three are: Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon. This fourth book is set twenty years after Peter and the Secret of Rundoon. This one bridges the gap between these newer books and the original book Peter Pan. Wendy, Molly's daughter, is one of the main characters.
So what is it about? Lord Ombra is back. Again. This time he is possessing the body of one of the Prince's advisors, Baron von Schatten. And he's working with some cruel people. And he has a plan. A BIG plan that is very bad news for the few remaining Starcatchers (and their allies, like the four "lost boys" who returned to England). Of course, if he succeeds it's bad news for everyone. Once Molly has been kidnapped, it is up to Wendy to find her way to Peter and find a way to save the world.
I liked this one. I didn't love it. I think I am just tired of this villain. It had action and adventure. It was a good fantasy, with fairies and mermaids. But it didn't thrill me. Perhaps if I'd read it closer to the others, then I'd be more enthusiastic. But. Every book doesn't have to be thrilling.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Beyond the Grave: The 39 Clues #4. Jude Watson. 2009. Scholastic. 192 pages.
If Amy Cahill had to list what was wrong with eleven-year-old brothers, their habit of disappearing would be numero uno.
Or maybe the fact that they existed in the first place.
And then there was the whole burping the alphabet thing...
The search for the 39 clues has taken this loosely-supervised brother-sister team to Egypt. How much trouble can Dan and Amy get into while exploring tombs, shops, and museums? Quite a bit as you might guess.
Beyond the Grave has a good bit of substance--much more than I was expecting. Dan and Amy explore their feelings about their grandmother Grace's death. They talk about her. They talk about what she meant to them. About the memories. About the legacies. I know an adventure book that explores emotions! I wasn't expecting that either. But I must say I liked seeing the human side of the team.
There is plenty of action and adventure within this fourth adventure.
The first three: The Maze of Bones, One False Note, The Sword Thief.
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
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on 6/17/2010
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The Sword Thief (The 39 Clues #3). Peter Lerangis. 2009. March 2009. Scholastic. 160 pages.
They were toast.
Amy Cahill eyed the battered black duffel bag rumbling up the airport conveyor belt. It bulged at the corners. The sign above the belt said THANK YOU FOR VISITING VENICE! RANDOM PIECES OF CHECKED-LUGGAGE WILL BE SEARCHED in five languages.
"Oh, great," Amy said. "How random is random?"
The search is on in this third novel in the 39 Clues series. Amy and her brother, Dan, are still pursuing the clues with the "supervision" of their nanny. But things aren't getting off to the best of starts. And these two might just have to trust one of their enemies--a family member of course--if they're to continue in their quest. Will trading secrets with one another be enough motivation to stay a team for a whole clue? You'll just have to see for yourself.
I actually liked this one better than One False Note. I'm not quite sure why. (It could be a timing issue. It could be I knew more what to expect since I'd just read the second book.) While I don't love this series, while I don't even really like this series, it does have a few good things going for it. The books are short. The books are well-paced. They're packed with action and adventure and mystery. And for the target audience--kids--I think the series has plenty of appeal.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
One False Note. Gordon Korman. 2008. Scholastic. 160 pages.
The hunger strike began two hours east of Paris.
One False Note is the sequel to Rick Riordan's The Maze of Bones. In the first book, readers are introduced to Dan and Amy Cahill. These two children are just two of the people who accept the strange challenge set forth in Grace Cahill's will. They are just part of the mad clan dashing frantically around the globe trying to unearth the family secrets and piece this puzzle together. Time matters. Loyalty does not. Can any person be trusted?
In this second adventure, the two are trying to puzzle out how Mozart figures into the family secret. Where is the clue hidden? And why do they need to go to so many boring--at least boring-to-Dan--museums to solve the mystery?
I'm not the biggest fan of this series--well the two I've read so far. But I am not the target audience for this one. I think they are quick reads. I think they're well-paced. I think there is enough action and adventure and mystery involved to keep readers reading. (At least if readers are initially hooked.)
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Captured (Prometheus Project #2) Douglas Richards. Paragon Science Fiction. 256 pages.
Ryan and Regan Resnick were sure their lives had been ruined forever.
Yesterday I reviewed Trapped, the first in the Prometheus Project series by Douglas Richards. Captured begins six months after the close of Trapped. And it follows the adventures of this brother-sister team as they continue to explore an underground alien city. (Their parents--both brilliant scientists--are part of this secret project too.)
One night Ryan and Regan decide to have a sleepover in their parents' lab. (They want to skip the boring-to-them dinner party their parents are hosting.) When they awake, they learn that everyone on the project--well, everyone in the secret-city--has been captured. The alien leader--an escapee from prison--is unaware that there are two children on the loose. Can these two children save the adult members of the team? Can these two children defeat the alien threat?
I enjoyed this one. It may not be the most sophisticated book ever written. But it sure is entertaining. And is it really any more unbelievable than the series books I was reading as a kid? Not really. I think both books would be a good introduction to the science fiction genre for the younger crowd.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Trapped (The Prometheus Project #1) by Douglas E. Richards. 2010. (May 2010). Paragon Science Fiction. 192 pages.
Ryan Resnick sat on the floor of the attic and examined the contents of yet another cardboard storage box in the dim attic light--a magnifying glass, a pair of high-powered binoculars, an old phone and various picnic supplies. He shook his head and frowned.
Ryan and his sister, Regan, are two bright children, for the most part. After overhearing their parents talk about their secretive jobs--a conversation that oh so conveniently mentions passwords for the security system--curiosity gets the best of them, and these two decide to sneak into their parents' workplace to find out the truth. At first they are just looking for the real reason why the family had to move across country on such short notice--just six weeks. Especially since their parents have always refused other job opportunities saying that they were happy to stay put. But the truth is bigger than Ryan and Regan can imagine.
What is the Prometheus Project? Well, you'll have to read and see for yourself...
I liked this one. It was a quick read--a fun read. If I'd read this one as a kid, I'm sure I would have become a science fiction fan at a much younger age!
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/31/2010
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Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Chrystallia. Brandon Sanderson. 2009. October 2009. Scholastic. 336 pages.
So there I was, hanging upside down underneath a gigantic glass bird, speeding along at a hundred miles an hour above the ocean, in no danger whatsoever.
That's right. I wasn't in any danger. I was more safe at that moment than I'd ever been in my entire life, despite a plummet of several hundred feet looming below me. (Or, well, above me, since I was upside down.)
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Chrystallia is the third in the Alcatraz series by Brandon Sanderson. The first two are Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians and Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones. If you're familiar with the first two books, then you know what to expect from this third installment--more of this "true" story of Alcatraz Smedry. If you haven't read the first two, then Alcatraz will tease you and tease you until you do. He's just like that, you know.
This book sees Alcatraz (and friends) returning to Chrystallia, one of the Free Kingdoms. Well, it's a return for everyone else. For Alcatraz who was raised in the Hushlands, everything is brand new. But the city--the kingdom--is in danger. And it may be up to Alcatraz (if he can keep himself from getting a big head) to save the day. You see, Alcatraz never knew he was famous (in the Free Kingdoms), that he was the star of a series of books. (I love that the books play a theme song when you open them!) Of course, those adventures of Alcatraz were pure fiction. But it doesn't seem to keep Alcatraz from losing focus--at least not in the very beginning. Can Alcatraz remember what is most important in time? (What's most important? Remembering that librarians are evil and out to rule the world, of course. And the librarian threat is much closer than they know!)
I enjoyed this one. I didn't love, love, love it like I did the first book in the series. But I still found it to be great fun. I still love the humor. I still love the narrator.
Summarizing is when you take a story that is complicated and interesting, then stick it in a microwave until it shrivels up into a tiny piece of black crunchy tarlike stuff. A wise man once said, "Any story, no matter how good, will sound really, really dumb when you shorten it to a few sentences."
For example, take this story: "Once there was a furry-footed British guy who has to go throw his uncle's ring into a hole in the ground." Sounds dumb, doesn't it?
I don't intend to do that. I intend to make you experience each and every painful moment of my life. I intend to prove how dreadful I am by talking about how awesome I am. I intend to make you read through a whole series before explaining the scene in which I started the first book.
You remember that one, right? The one where I lay tied to an altar made from encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed by the Librarians? That's when my betrayal happened. You may be wondering when I'm finally going to get to that most important point in my life.
Book five. So there. (107-108)
Characters in books, you may have noticed, rarely have to go potty. There are several reasons for this. Many books--unlike this one--simply aren't real, and everyone knows fictional characters can "hold it" as long as they need to. They just wait until the end of the book before using the restroom.
In books like this one, which are<
By:
Becky Laney,
on 1/7/2010
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The First Escape. G.P. Taylor. 2008. Tyndale. 288 pages.
In the dining room of Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children, all was not well.
This is a strange book defying all my categories. It's not a traditional novel--roughly half of it is told in graphic (illustrated) form. But it's not a traditional graphic novel either since a good bit of it is in prose. It's published by a Christian publisher, but, for the most part except for one little scene I would say that you'd never be able to tell it was "Christian." What it is, without a doubt, is an action/adventure story.
What I noticed from the start was the writing. Taylor really knows how to set the mood and tone.
Shards of lightning blasted from a black morning sky and burst upon the heath outside. Rain beat and battered against the lead windows that reached upward in vast stone arches. Staring down upon a sheltered gathering of children was the pointed face of Isambard Dunstan himself. The noted explorer's likeness had been captured in stain glass for two hundred years, a look of dread upon his face and a scowl upon his lips. He had left the house to be a home for children abandoned by their parents, but no one who had the misfortune to live there was sure whether his action was a blessing or a curse. (1)
His descriptions have a way of not only telling but showing as well.
A large wooden door swung open and a fat cook barged through.
In her stubby fingers she carried a massive post of brown gruel that steamed and gurgled like the rumblings of a cow's belly. She glanced up at the image of Isambard Dunstan, who scowled at her as she began ladling the food from the dirty tureen into 166 bowls.
Every eye gazed hungrily. Sniveling noses sniffed each bowl as it was passed from one hand to the next. Fingers dipped quickly into the gruel and then popped into mouths as each child waited to begin breakfast.
"No one eats!" screamed the cook, spitting the words from her toothless mouth. "You eat when I eat and not a moment before." The fierce look on her face dared anyone to take one morsel without her permission. If there was one thing Mrs. Omeron hated more than children, it was children who ate before she did. (3-5)
This one just had a way of drawing me in and making me want to read more. He hasn't even introduced the main characters yet but I'm hooked all the same.
Who are the stars of this one? Twins. Sadie. Saskia. Known to everyone at that place as
Them. These Dopple twins are about to be put through a series of tests or hardships as they face separation for the first time. One of them is about to be "adopted" by a mysterious woman. The other is left in the "safety" of the school. The truth is both twins are about to face danger. (The remaining twin has the fortune of befriending a boy who just happens to be named Ganger. Erik Ganger.)
The art. This one is heavily illustrated for a traditional novel. Black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout, and almost every chapter has a graphic novel portion that is illustrated in full color. There is very little "tradition" maintained in the layout of this one. (Even
Stewart, Trenton Lee. 2009. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma. Little, Brown Young Readers. 391 pages.
In a city called Stonetown, on the third floor of an old, gray-stoned house, a boy named Reynie Muldoon was considering his options.
This is the third book in the series. (The Mysterious Benedict Society; Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey) It follows the continuing adventures of four super-smart kids: Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. These four kids live (along with their guardians and protectors) with Mr. Benedict. They are trying to keep the Whisperer out of the hands of the evil (boo, hiss) Mr. Curtain, the twin brother of Mr. Benedict. But trying to keep the world safe isn't all that easy. Danger is always lurking.
The kids are as clever as ever. Solving puzzles and riddles, thinking their way out of impossible-seeming situations. Working together as a team. Using each other's strengths and balancing out each other's weaknesses. It's got plenty of action and adventure.
Personally, I found this one to be a bit boring. I don't know why the action just didn't thrill me this time round. I loved the first one very much. Liked the second. But found this third to be just okay. For me. Remember this is all subjective. And you may love this one! I would still recommend it to fans of the series. It does provide resolution. And it is fun to revisit these characters again.
(Review copy provided by publisher.)
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/28/2009
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Logsted, Greg. 2009. Alibi Junior High. Simon & Schuster. 244 pages.
I hate airports. I've been in airports all over the world, but they're basically all the same. Places of painful partings and awkward greetings.
Our hero, Cody Saron, is new to town. His father, an agent for the CIA, has left him in the care of his aunt, Jenny, and for the first time, he'll be attending a real school. He knows plenty of stuff--very smart, very observant--but he doesn't know the basics even of how to survive in junior high. How to interact with kids--both sexes--his own age. How to attend classes without getting in trouble with the teachers and coaches. Whose fault is that? Does Cody have an attitude problem? Or are the teachers seeing what they want to see? The book is from his opinion, and from his perspective at least plenty of the teachers (and principal) are jerks, they just have it in for him no matter what. (It was weird how I was getting the Speak-vibe from this one. The two have little in common. At least on the surface.) Can Cody survive his first year of junior high?
Did I like this one? Mostly. It was enjoyable. A quick and easy read for sure.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Avi. 1990. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. 278 pages.
Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however, this is no Story of a Bad Boy, no What Katy Did. If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it.
Set in 1832, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is an exciting adventure--a sea adventure, I might add--starring a young girl, Charlotte, as she learns some of the harsher facts of life aboard The Sea Hawk. She seeks passage home to America. Her father has made all the arrangements. But something unusual, something dangerous is happening aboard ship. The problem is, can Charlotte discover the truth about the dangers before it's too late? Who should she trust? The captain? Or the crew? One thing is for certain, her life will never be the same again! For better or worse...
What did you think of the opening? Did it grab your attention like it grabbed mine? I don't know what I was expecting with this one, but I don't think I expected this one to be quite so exciting. Don't get me wrong, it's still historical fiction. And I know that historical fiction isn't for every reader. But there is action and adventure and some mystery as well. It's not about being prim and proper and dressing up to have tea.
This one received a Newbery Honor.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Ursu, Anne. 2007. The Siren Song. Simon & Schuster. 435 pages.
Once, not so long ago, inside an ordinary middle school in an ordinary city in an ordinary state in the middle of an ordinary country, a small redheaded eighth grader was doing something very ordinary indeed. Charlotte Mielswetzski (Say it with me: Meals-wet-ski. Got it? If not, say it again: Meals. Wet. Ski.) was in the school office calling her mother. And lest you think she was calling her mother for some interesting reason, let me assure you she most certainly was not.
It's been months since Charlotte and her cousin, Zee, saved the Underworld from Phil. But the consequences of their actions are still being felt. For one, Charlotte's parents--especially her mother--have not forgotten. Charlotte is still ultra-grounded. For another, Phil has not forgotten either. And Philonecron isn't going to be forgetting anytime soon. He's bent on revenge. He wants Charlotte to suffer...and then some. How's a guy like Phil go about taking revenge? By trying to enlist some help from his grandfather, Poseidon, of course. He certainly can't expect to win all on his own, now can he? Not when he got beat so badly by an eighth grader.
Charlotte and Zee are in danger. Though Charlotte is the one he hates above all, Zee is still part of Phil's evil plans and schemes. So both are definitely in danger...though neither realizes it in time to save themselves some trouble.
Action. Adventure. Greek mythology come to life in the modern world. While the first book explored Hades and the underworld, this one explores Poseidon's realm or kingdom--the sea.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2009. Sent (The Missing, Book 2). Simon & Schuster. 313 pages.
Jonah was falling, tumbling over and over, down and down, through nothingness and absence and void.
Jonah and his sister, Katherine--being true friends--couldn't let Chip go alone. True, they didn't know where he was going exactly, though they had a handle on why, but whatever hardships come their way, they'll face together. Jonah and Chip are both adopted. But their mothers, their birth mothers, didn't come from the twenty-first century or even the twentieth. No, Jonah, Chip, and others like them--like Alex--are children "rescued" by future time travelers. You can read all about this mystery in the first novel in the series...Found.
Who is Chip? Who is Alex? I mean who are they really? These two kids are royalty. Chip being Edward V, and Alex, his younger brother, being Richard, the Duke of York. And now all four children are being sent back in time--by one faction of the future time travelers--to the fourteenth century. Chip and Alex were sent back in time to restore the past to what it should have been, to try to prevent damages to the timeline. But now that Katherine and Chip are part of it, plans have shifted a bit.
How well do you know your history? What do you know about the fourteenth century? If you're like Chip, Alex, Katherine, and Jonah, the answer is not much. What they do know--what soon becomes obvious--is that Chip/Edward and Alex/Richard are in danger. Richard of Gloucester is making a power play for the throne. And if history is destined to repeat itself, then these two may not be long for this world.
What did I like about this one, I mean, besides the time traveling bits? Well, I liked that Margaret Peterson Haddix uses a great historical mystery to tell her own story. What happened to those two boys has always been a mystery. Was Richard III a murderer? Did he hire someone to kill these two boys? If they did die of unnatural causes, how did they die...and when. Where the two skeletons unearthed centuries later really and truly their remains? Where these two smuggled to safely? Did they live out their lives in hiding? Is Richard III a monster like William Shakespeare portrayed him? Is Richard III evil incarnate? Or has history done him a great injustice?
This one offers a little history and mystery which combined with the more science fiction elements of the story make for a compelling read.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Totally need to buy this one for the elder son! Sounds like he'd love it. Thanks, Becky!