Review: The Trials of Apollo Book 3

The Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze
By Rick Riordan



Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 448
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (from the inside flap): It's bad enough that my father, Zeus, turned me, the once divine Apollo, into a mortal tennager with acne, flab, and the unfortunate alias Lester Papadopoulos. On top of that, he has enslaved me to a pushy twelve-year-old named Meg, and he expects me to liberate five ancient Oracles from a trio or evil Roman emperors. (How, I ask you, when I have no godly powers?)

So far, I've managed to restore two Oracles and receive a prophesy about "mazes dark," "lands of scorching death," and a "master of the swift white horse." Now Meg and I must journey through the Labyrinth, parts of which are venting hellfire, to find the third emperor. Bit is our cloven guide, Grover Underwood, up to the tas? Are any of us? I have my suspicions about who the third emperor is... a villainous tyrant I never wanted to run into again.

Also - and I haven't told my travel companions this - I fear I'm growing weaker by the day. The longer I stay mortal, the less confident I am that I will ever be able to regain my place on Mount Olympus. It's time to call on Piper McLean and her boyfriend, Jason Grace, two of the seven demigods who sailed on the Argo II, to see if they will defeat the emperor and free the Oracle for me.

Wait. Scratch that. I mean, of course, that they will help me do those things.... Yes, that's what I meant, Father. Really.

Review: I have waited for a long time for this book to come out because I enjoyed the first two books in the series. My parents got this for me for my birthday and I finished it the next day. It was that good. Both characters from this series and from Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series (you should check it out) combine to try to stop an evil emperor and save an Oracle. The book is fast paced with many twists and turns which I found enjoyable.

Once I finished reading this book, I just stared at the back cover for a while hoping that more pages would magically appear because I wanted more. This is one of those books that you can't decide whether to hug it or throw against the wall because all of the emotions that are attatched to it.

I recommend this book but in order to understand the plot you have to have read the first two books in the series.

Review: The Secret Language of Sisters

The Secret Language of Sisters
By Luanne Rice


Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 352
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary (from the back cover): When Ruth Ann (Roo) McCabe responds to a text message while she's driving, the car flips. She winds up in a hospital bed, paralyzed. Roo has locked-in syndrome--she can see and hear everything around her, but no one knows it. She's trapped inside her own body, screaming to be heard.

Mathilda (Tilly) is Roo's sister and best friend. She'd texted Roo and inadvertently caused the accident. Now, Tilly must grapple with her guilt and her growing feelings for Roo's boyfriend, Newton--the only person who seems to get what Tilly is going through.

But Tilly might be the only one who can solve the mystery of her sister's condition... if there's time.

Review: I saw this book and decided to read it because it talks about sisterhood and I have two younger sisters of my own. I am so glad that I did! This book really shows what it is like to be a sister. Luanne Rice shows all of the joys, pains, sadness, and struggles of sisterhood through her two main characters in a way that I have never read before. The book is very relatable and enjoyable which makes it fun to read. I had a good time reading this book and really thought about what it meant to be a sister. Would I go to the same lengths that Tilly does for her sister? The sister that is her best friend and family?

I would recommend this book to read.

Review: The Giver

The Giver
By Lois Lowry


Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 240
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary (from the back cover):  Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no going back.

Review: I had to read this book for English class last year and liked it decently enough. I was thinking something along the lines of, "It has a good plot, good characters, it was entertaining, yep, it was a good book. Welp, onto the next one." But then this last week I saw it in the library and decided to read it again just for fun and it was so much better!

I remembered why I liked this book so much! Jonas is an excellent main character with so much curiosity and kindness that it carries the plot better. The Community's setting gives the book an even better edge because of how the people work. All they know is their lives. They have no idea what is going on in the rest of the world and frankly, they don't even know what lies beyond the Community. The people have no memory of pain, loss, or sadness and so it makes the world seem so much simpler. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it to others to try. My only complaint with it was that the ending was a little weird because of how Lois Lowry describes it. The ending also doesn't wrap up the story as much as I would like it to which also made it less appealing.

Hello World!

Hi! So this is my first official post and review. I thought I might start out with a book that I know and love so here we go!

Out of My Mind
By Sharon M. Draper

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 295

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (from the back cover): Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school-but NO ONE knows it. Most people-her teachers and doctors included-don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days have consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows... but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind-that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice... but not everyone around her is ready to hear it. 

Review: From the very first page I was enveloped in this book. Melody is such a wonderful and relatable character that I couldn't help but fall in love with her and root for her throughout the book. Every success I cheered for and at every failure my heart sank. Melody's perspective on life and even just the ability to express words and feelings really hit me. I mean, do we really take the time to appreciate just the natural ability to talk? To be able to tell our family that we love them or to thank someone for doing something?

Draper does an amazing job at capturing the essence of Melody and her family in a realistic way. This book is filled with humor, sadness, tragedy, and joy that leaves your senses reeling. I'm sad that there is no second book after this but I applaud Sharon Draper for this novel and everything that it introduces to the world.

I say that this book is an excellent read and that readers will enjoy it tremendously!