Raider's Ransom by Emily Diamand was a very good read. This book is very interesting. At first, it seems like it's a story that took place long ago, when pirates roamed the seven seas and attacked other vessels and cities to raid them for goods. But after reading for a while, it becomes apparent that this story actually takes place far in the future. The story happens in the year 2216. The world has had lots of flooding, and much of England has been destroyed. People in England believe that technology was the cause of all the terrible natural disasters that have happened in the world, and have tried to destroy them. The religion in England basically teaches that technology is bad, and if you use it, you'll be cursed. In Greater Scotland, they still use technology, but much of it has been destroyed by natural disasters and also by angry people during the time called the Collapse where people went around destroying computers and other technology.
The main character in this book is Lilly Melkum. She lives in a tiny fishing village, and has grown up without any knowledge of technology. All those things were destroyed long before she was born. She lives with her Granny and her seacat in a little hut up on a hill. She and her best friend, Andy, have always dreamed of buying a big boat when they grow up and sailing all over the place. This dream is crushed when raiders attack her village while she is away on a fishing trip.
The raiders come and kidnap the Prime Ministers daughter who was staying at their village with an aunt, and because of a rumor of a seacat in the village, they attack Lilly's house and kill her Granny. When Lilly returns, her world has been turned upside down. Her Granny is dead, and she moves in with Andy. But that's not the end of it. The Prime Minister blames the villagers for his daughter's kidnapping, and drafts most of the men, including Andy, into the army for an attack on the Raiders. The others, he holds prisoner and threatens to hang.
Lilly wants to do something to help, but she doesn't know how anyone will let her. She overhears a conversation between the Prime Minister and his sister, and also a seemingly impossible conversation between the Scottish Ambassador and an unknown person. She suddenly knows what she can do. She sets out with a stolen jewel, a letter, and a disguise on her little fishing boat with her seacat in tow to rescue the Prime Minister's daughter from the Raiders.
The other main character is Zeph, the son of the Raider Boss who has kidnapped the Prime Minister's father. His father wanted to start a war with the English, so he could wipe them out. Zeph runs into Lilly on her journey, and after a strange turn of events, they become friends. But Lilly doesn't really trust him, because he's a Raider, one of those people who killed her Granny.
Through thick mud, dangerous fog, storms, cannons, torture, ghosts, talking jewels, fake uncles, treason, capture, and treachery, it is interesting to watch how the relationship between Zeph and Lilly change over the course of the book.
There were a few things about the book that I didn't really like. The whole book is written in first person present tense. I've mentioned before that I'm not sure I really like reading books in present tense. They're a little harder to wrap your brain around what happens in what order, since everything is happening now. But the main problem was that it was written in first person from the point of view of two different people: Zeph and Lilly. While it was definitely interesting to see the story unfold from each of their perspectives, it was rather confusing to know who was speaking. They switched at new chapters, but not neccessarily every other one. I never knew who was speaking until part way through the first page of each chapter, since there wasn't anything that identified who was speaking at the beginning of each chapter.
The other thing I didn't like very much was the ending. It had a terrible cliffhanger ending. When I first saw the book, it appeared to be a stand alone book, but it turns out there's a sequel - which, luckily, has already been written.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The Last Girls of Pompeii - 2012 Book # 2
The Last Girls of Pompeii by Kathryn Lasky was a very interesting book. I really like historical fiction, because it helps the reader see what might have happened in historical events. It helps people realize that those things happened to real people and see what those people might have felt or been experiencing at the time.
The two main characters in the book are a girl and her slave. The girl was born with a crippled arm, and she always feels that she needs to hide her arm when around other people, especially ones that she doesn't know. Her slave is actually more like her best friend. They've been together since the girl was born, the slave being just four years older than the girl.
From the title, I knew that the volcano had to erupt somewhere in this story, and the anticipation for that built up the further through the book I got. It actually was the main reason I didn't want to put the book down. I knew what was coming, and I didn't know how it was going to affect the characters I had been reading about.
I think this book has a lot of good historical facts in it. The reader can really learn a lot about what life was like in ancient Roman times. They learn a lot about how marriage worked back then, since the main character's sister was planning her wedding, and also learn a lot about how people born with disabilities were viewed in that day as well. The book also includes some about the gladiators, since the girl slave's brother was a gladiator. Also, there is quite a bit about mythology in the book as well, since it was a part of people's daily lives in that it was their religion that they had at the time. I think the book was very educational as well as a good read.
However, I thought the ending was terrible. I guess I shouldn't have expected much better, since I knew the volcano was going to erupt sometime. Other than the very ending, the book was great.
The two main characters in the book are a girl and her slave. The girl was born with a crippled arm, and she always feels that she needs to hide her arm when around other people, especially ones that she doesn't know. Her slave is actually more like her best friend. They've been together since the girl was born, the slave being just four years older than the girl.
From the title, I knew that the volcano had to erupt somewhere in this story, and the anticipation for that built up the further through the book I got. It actually was the main reason I didn't want to put the book down. I knew what was coming, and I didn't know how it was going to affect the characters I had been reading about.
I think this book has a lot of good historical facts in it. The reader can really learn a lot about what life was like in ancient Roman times. They learn a lot about how marriage worked back then, since the main character's sister was planning her wedding, and also learn a lot about how people born with disabilities were viewed in that day as well. The book also includes some about the gladiators, since the girl slave's brother was a gladiator. Also, there is quite a bit about mythology in the book as well, since it was a part of people's daily lives in that it was their religion that they had at the time. I think the book was very educational as well as a good read.
However, I thought the ending was terrible. I guess I shouldn't have expected much better, since I knew the volcano was going to erupt sometime. Other than the very ending, the book was great.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Stravaganza: City of Ships - 2012 Book #1
The first book of the year was City of Ships by Mary Hoffman. This is the fifth book in the Stravaganza series. This is a series of books about two parallel worlds that are hundreds of years apart. Children from Earth in England are "chosen" to be stravaganti who can then stravagate between their world and the parallel world called Talia, which is very similar to Italy in the late 1500s.
In this book, the girl who was chosen as the new Stravagante is Isabel. She has a twin brother named Charlie, who, Isabel believes, is amazing at everything. He's really popular in school, he gets really good grades, and he's the captain of the swim team. Isabel only has a few friends, tries to make herself kind of invisible at school, gets pretty good grades - but not as good as Charlie's - and is afraid of the water. She is always comparing herself to her twin, and thinks of herself badly because of it. Then, one day, she finds a red bag with tesserae in it - the tiny pieces that are used to make mosaics. Isabel loves art and is fascinated by the bag. She falls asleep holding the bag, and finds herself in Talia where she is immediately welcomed by Flavia, her Stravagante in the city of Classe.
The next day in school, one of her classmates asks to talk to her, and asks about her last night. He had known about her finding the bag and wondered if anything had happened. She learns that a handful of other students at her school are Stravaganti who have visited Talia as well, and soon becomes great friends with them.
Things are going well for Isabel when she finds out about an impending war on the city of Classe. The di Chimici have allied with the Gate people and are planning an oversea attack on Classe. Isabel doesn't know what she can do to help with this situation, but she tries to be involved as much as she can. It doesn't make it any easier for her when her brother stars to wonder why her sister is acting so differently than she used to.
The only problem I had with reading this book was the fact that it has been awhile since I have read the first four books of the series. In the book, it kept referring to things that had happened in the previous books, and I wasn't always entirely sure what it was reffering to all the time. Overall, I thought this was a great book to read to start off the year.
In this book, the girl who was chosen as the new Stravagante is Isabel. She has a twin brother named Charlie, who, Isabel believes, is amazing at everything. He's really popular in school, he gets really good grades, and he's the captain of the swim team. Isabel only has a few friends, tries to make herself kind of invisible at school, gets pretty good grades - but not as good as Charlie's - and is afraid of the water. She is always comparing herself to her twin, and thinks of herself badly because of it. Then, one day, she finds a red bag with tesserae in it - the tiny pieces that are used to make mosaics. Isabel loves art and is fascinated by the bag. She falls asleep holding the bag, and finds herself in Talia where she is immediately welcomed by Flavia, her Stravagante in the city of Classe.
The next day in school, one of her classmates asks to talk to her, and asks about her last night. He had known about her finding the bag and wondered if anything had happened. She learns that a handful of other students at her school are Stravaganti who have visited Talia as well, and soon becomes great friends with them.
Things are going well for Isabel when she finds out about an impending war on the city of Classe. The di Chimici have allied with the Gate people and are planning an oversea attack on Classe. Isabel doesn't know what she can do to help with this situation, but she tries to be involved as much as she can. It doesn't make it any easier for her when her brother stars to wonder why her sister is acting so differently than she used to.
The only problem I had with reading this book was the fact that it has been awhile since I have read the first four books of the series. In the book, it kept referring to things that had happened in the previous books, and I wasn't always entirely sure what it was reffering to all the time. Overall, I thought this was a great book to read to start off the year.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2011 Book List
1- Once Upon A Time: Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie
2- Once Upon A Time: The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
3- Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
4- No Talking by Andrew Clements
5- The Janitor's Boy by Andrew Clements
6- Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
7- Once Upon A Time: Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey
8- The School Story by Andrew Clements
9- The Jacket by Andrew Clements
10- A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
11- Trackers: Book Two - Shantorian by Patrick Carman
12- Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
13- Hawksmaid by Kathryn Lasky
14- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. La Fevers
15- Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. La Fevers
16- Theodosia and the the Eyes of Horus by R.L. La Fevers
17- The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
18- Once Upon A Time: The World Above by Cameron Dokey
19- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Flight of the Pheonix by R.L. La Fevers
20- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Basilisk's Lair by R.L. La Fevers
21- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Wyvern's Treasure by R.L. La Fevers
22- Dragon's Egg by Sarh L. Thomson
23- The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
24- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wyrm King by Tony DiTerlizzi
25- An Enola Holmes Mystery: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
26- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
27- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Journey by Kathryn Lasky
28- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Rescue by Kathryn Lasky
29- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Siege by Kathryn Lasky
30- Summer Switch by Mary Rodgers
31- A Billion for Boris by Mary Rodgers
32- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Unicorn Tale by R.L. La Fevers
33- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Shattering by Kathryn Lasky
34- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Burning by Kathryn Lasky
35- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Hatchling by Kathryn Lasky
36- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky
37- Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig
38- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixie's Song by Tony DiTerlizzi
39- Choke by Obert Skye
40- Pendragon: The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale
41- Samuel Blink and the Runaway Troll by Matt Haig
42- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem by Tony DiTerlizzi
43- Greek Ransom by Michael Malaghan
44- The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket
45- Theodosia and the Last Pharoah by R.L. La Fevers
46- Dead Wrong by Clair Poulson
47- Freefall by Trace Hunter Abramson
48- Lockdown by Traci Hunter Abramson
49- The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
50- The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda
51- The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
52- Aldwyns Academy by Nathan Meyer
53- Crossfire by Traci Hunter Abramson
54- Backlash by Traci Hunter Abramson
55- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The First Collier by Kathryn Lasky
56- Smokescreen by Traci Hunter Abramson
57- Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub
58- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Coming of Hoole
59- The Butterfly Box #3: The Perfect Fit by Michele Ashman Bell
60- Chasing George Washington by Ronald Kidd
61- Brianna, My Brother, and the Blog by Jack Weyland
62- Classic Starts: Grimm's Fairy Tales by Deanna McFadden
63- Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
64- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: To Be A King by Kathryn Lasky
65- Century Quartet: Ring of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario
66- Century Quartet: Star of Stone by Pierdomenico Baccalario
67- Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
68- The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
69- The 39 Clues #11: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson
70- Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin and the Rage Tide by Margaret McAllister
71- I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912 by Lauren Tarshis
72- The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
73- The List by Melanie Jacobsen
74- Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? by Jerry Spinelli
75- The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright
76- A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
77- The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
78- The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield
79- A Distant Thunder by Anita Stansfield
80- Winds of Hope by Anita Stansfield
81- Shelter from the Storm by Anita Stansfield
82- Report to the Principal's Office by Jerry Spinelli
83- Ranger's Apprentice #10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
84- The Silence of Snow by Anita Stansfield
85- Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
86- The Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
87- Lord Edgeware Dies by Agatha Christie
88- Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
89- Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson
90- Not My Type by Melanie Jacobsen
91- The Heroes of Oympus: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
92- Century Quartet: City of Wind by Pierdomenico Baccalario
93- The Faeman Quest by Herbie Brennan
94- Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
95- Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
96- A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson
97- Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger
98- The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
99- The King's Ransom by Jude Watson
100- The Secret School by Avi
2- Once Upon A Time: The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
3- Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
4- No Talking by Andrew Clements
5- The Janitor's Boy by Andrew Clements
6- Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
7- Once Upon A Time: Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey
8- The School Story by Andrew Clements
9- The Jacket by Andrew Clements
10- A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
11- Trackers: Book Two - Shantorian by Patrick Carman
12- Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
13- Hawksmaid by Kathryn Lasky
14- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. La Fevers
15- Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. La Fevers
16- Theodosia and the the Eyes of Horus by R.L. La Fevers
17- The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
18- Once Upon A Time: The World Above by Cameron Dokey
19- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Flight of the Pheonix by R.L. La Fevers
20- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Basilisk's Lair by R.L. La Fevers
21- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Wyvern's Treasure by R.L. La Fevers
22- Dragon's Egg by Sarh L. Thomson
23- The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
24- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wyrm King by Tony DiTerlizzi
25- An Enola Holmes Mystery: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
26- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
27- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Journey by Kathryn Lasky
28- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Rescue by Kathryn Lasky
29- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Siege by Kathryn Lasky
30- Summer Switch by Mary Rodgers
31- A Billion for Boris by Mary Rodgers
32- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Unicorn Tale by R.L. La Fevers
33- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Shattering by Kathryn Lasky
34- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Burning by Kathryn Lasky
35- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Hatchling by Kathryn Lasky
36- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky
37- Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig
38- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixie's Song by Tony DiTerlizzi
39- Choke by Obert Skye
40- Pendragon: The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale
41- Samuel Blink and the Runaway Troll by Matt Haig
42- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem by Tony DiTerlizzi
43- Greek Ransom by Michael Malaghan
44- The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket
45- Theodosia and the Last Pharoah by R.L. La Fevers
46- Dead Wrong by Clair Poulson
47- Freefall by Trace Hunter Abramson
48- Lockdown by Traci Hunter Abramson
49- The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
50- The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda
51- The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
52- Aldwyns Academy by Nathan Meyer
53- Crossfire by Traci Hunter Abramson
54- Backlash by Traci Hunter Abramson
55- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The First Collier by Kathryn Lasky
56- Smokescreen by Traci Hunter Abramson
57- Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub
58- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Coming of Hoole
59- The Butterfly Box #3: The Perfect Fit by Michele Ashman Bell
60- Chasing George Washington by Ronald Kidd
61- Brianna, My Brother, and the Blog by Jack Weyland
62- Classic Starts: Grimm's Fairy Tales by Deanna McFadden
63- Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
64- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: To Be A King by Kathryn Lasky
65- Century Quartet: Ring of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario
66- Century Quartet: Star of Stone by Pierdomenico Baccalario
67- Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
68- The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
69- The 39 Clues #11: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson
70- Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin and the Rage Tide by Margaret McAllister
71- I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912 by Lauren Tarshis
72- The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
73- The List by Melanie Jacobsen
74- Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? by Jerry Spinelli
75- The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright
76- A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
77- The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
78- The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield
79- A Distant Thunder by Anita Stansfield
80- Winds of Hope by Anita Stansfield
81- Shelter from the Storm by Anita Stansfield
82- Report to the Principal's Office by Jerry Spinelli
83- Ranger's Apprentice #10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
84- The Silence of Snow by Anita Stansfield
85- Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
86- The Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
87- Lord Edgeware Dies by Agatha Christie
88- Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
89- Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson
90- Not My Type by Melanie Jacobsen
91- The Heroes of Oympus: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
92- Century Quartet: City of Wind by Pierdomenico Baccalario
93- The Faeman Quest by Herbie Brennan
94- Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
95- Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
96- A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson
97- Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger
98- The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
99- The King's Ransom by Jude Watson
100- The Secret School by Avi
The Secret School - 2011 Book #100
The 100th and last book for this year is The Secret School by Avi. This was a really good book. It was about a girl named Ida, living in the early 1900's. She wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, and her best friend wanted to study electricity. Everything was going great. They were both going to take the exit exam and get ready to go to the high school the next year when something happened. The teacher of their one room schoolhouse had to leave suddenly, because her mother had a stroke. The director of the school board decided that he wasn't going to get a new teacher until the following school year, and school would be closed for the rest of the year.
Ida didn't know what to think about that. What she thought was her only chance to get to high school was now ruined. If she had to wait until next year to take the exit exam, her family's farm might not be doing as well as they were this year and might not be able to pay for her to go to the high school in town. She didn't know what she was going to do. Her best friend Tom came up with a solution: she could be their teacher. He suggested that she could be their teacher and keep the school open so they could all finish out the year, and both of them could take their final tests. Ida decides to do it, but she knows that the director of the school board wouldn't approve, so they do it secretly. All the kids vote and decide that they want to keep the school open and have Ida as their teacher. They all promise not to tell their parents, so they can keep coming to school.
Things start out okay, but there are problems. Ida has a hard time trying to be the teacher while still helping out at home on the farm and keeping up on her studies. She finds herself getting busier and busier and wonders if keeping the school open is worth losing herself and all that she wants to do. And what will happen if someone finds out about the secret school? Will it all be for nothing?
I think this book has a really good message about education and reaching your goals and doing what you think is right. It was a really good read, and I think it was a nice book to end the year with.
Ida didn't know what to think about that. What she thought was her only chance to get to high school was now ruined. If she had to wait until next year to take the exit exam, her family's farm might not be doing as well as they were this year and might not be able to pay for her to go to the high school in town. She didn't know what she was going to do. Her best friend Tom came up with a solution: she could be their teacher. He suggested that she could be their teacher and keep the school open so they could all finish out the year, and both of them could take their final tests. Ida decides to do it, but she knows that the director of the school board wouldn't approve, so they do it secretly. All the kids vote and decide that they want to keep the school open and have Ida as their teacher. They all promise not to tell their parents, so they can keep coming to school.
Things start out okay, but there are problems. Ida has a hard time trying to be the teacher while still helping out at home on the farm and keeping up on her studies. She finds herself getting busier and busier and wonders if keeping the school open is worth losing herself and all that she wants to do. And what will happen if someone finds out about the secret school? Will it all be for nothing?
I think this book has a really good message about education and reaching your goals and doing what you think is right. It was a really good read, and I think it was a nice book to end the year with.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A King's Ransom - 2011 Book #99
A King's Ransom is the second book in the Cahills vs. Vespers series, written by Jude Watson.
This does give away a little bit of the previous book, just as a warning. I'll try not to give away any huge secrets.
At the end of the last book, Amy and Dan after delivering the art piece the Vespers wanted, they were surprised to get another message telling them of another task they had to do. Amy and Dan had thought that once they delivered the art, their friends would be let go. But now they had another task, and this one seemed harder than the last one.
The Vespers want a world map that went missing 80 years ago. No one seems to know where it is, and they only have 4 days to find it, or something will happen to one of their friends that are still being held hostage by the Vespers.
Amy and Dan have to do research and follow clues to find the missing map. They don't know who they can trust. They don't know who are their friends and who might be a Vesper in disguise. As they are searching for the map, Amy notices how Dan pulls inside himself more and more. He's changed since they finished the clue hunt two years ago, and now all this is pulling him deeper and deeper inside. What she doesn't know is that he plans to recreate and take the serum from the 39 clues that are in his head to end all of this once and for all.
Meanwhile, their friends that are being held hostage have no idea what is going on. They don't know where they are, who has kidnapped them, are why they were kidnapped. They try to figure this out while they also try to maintain their sanity as they sit day after day in the same room.
This book is full of even more exciting twists and turns as the pressure builds up on Amy and Dan.
This does give away a little bit of the previous book, just as a warning. I'll try not to give away any huge secrets.
At the end of the last book, Amy and Dan after delivering the art piece the Vespers wanted, they were surprised to get another message telling them of another task they had to do. Amy and Dan had thought that once they delivered the art, their friends would be let go. But now they had another task, and this one seemed harder than the last one.
The Vespers want a world map that went missing 80 years ago. No one seems to know where it is, and they only have 4 days to find it, or something will happen to one of their friends that are still being held hostage by the Vespers.
Amy and Dan have to do research and follow clues to find the missing map. They don't know who they can trust. They don't know who are their friends and who might be a Vesper in disguise. As they are searching for the map, Amy notices how Dan pulls inside himself more and more. He's changed since they finished the clue hunt two years ago, and now all this is pulling him deeper and deeper inside. What she doesn't know is that he plans to recreate and take the serum from the 39 clues that are in his head to end all of this once and for all.
Meanwhile, their friends that are being held hostage have no idea what is going on. They don't know where they are, who has kidnapped them, are why they were kidnapped. They try to figure this out while they also try to maintain their sanity as they sit day after day in the same room.
This book is full of even more exciting twists and turns as the pressure builds up on Amy and Dan.
The Medusa Plot - 2011 Book #98
The Medusa Plot is the first book of the series Cahills Vs. Vespers which is a sequel series to the series The 39 Clues. The book was written by Gordan Korman, but the series is written by a team of authors.
This book starts out with several members of the Cahill family getting kidnapped, including an attempt on Amy and Dan Cahill. Amy and Dan escaped, but soon find out that several members of their family and others they love have been kidnapped, including their gaurdians Nellie and Fiske. They receive a message from a Vesper One telling them that there is a task they need to accomplish or one of the hostages will die. Vesper One is a member of a secret evil organization known as the Vespers that Amy and Dan have come into contact with once before when they were retrieving a family ring that their aunt Grace had left for them. They had barely managed to escape with their lives, and Amy felt sure that that was not the last time they would cross with the Vespers. They knew that the Vespers meant business, so they had to do what they asked.
What were they asked to do? Deliver a famous painting that was known to be held in one the highest security art museums in the world. Amy and Dan call on other members of the Cahill family to help them with their mission in order to save the lives of those they love. But there's a time limit, and they run into one problem after another.
This book is an easy read, but also very engaging. The plot is unique and exciting and keeps the reader on their toes. Unexpected things happen, and just when you think you've figured it out, something happens that throws all your ideas out the window. It's a fun read.
This book starts out with several members of the Cahill family getting kidnapped, including an attempt on Amy and Dan Cahill. Amy and Dan escaped, but soon find out that several members of their family and others they love have been kidnapped, including their gaurdians Nellie and Fiske. They receive a message from a Vesper One telling them that there is a task they need to accomplish or one of the hostages will die. Vesper One is a member of a secret evil organization known as the Vespers that Amy and Dan have come into contact with once before when they were retrieving a family ring that their aunt Grace had left for them. They had barely managed to escape with their lives, and Amy felt sure that that was not the last time they would cross with the Vespers. They knew that the Vespers meant business, so they had to do what they asked.
What were they asked to do? Deliver a famous painting that was known to be held in one the highest security art museums in the world. Amy and Dan call on other members of the Cahill family to help them with their mission in order to save the lives of those they love. But there's a time limit, and they run into one problem after another.
This book is an easy read, but also very engaging. The plot is unique and exciting and keeps the reader on their toes. Unexpected things happen, and just when you think you've figured it out, something happens that throws all your ideas out the window. It's a fun read.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Escape From Zarahemla - 2011 Book #97
The latest book I've read is Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger. This book is a sequel to his book Passage to Zarahemla. It's about the same family that includes Kerra, Brock, and their dad and Grandpa Lee. This time, after a flood wipes through the area, Kerra can hear the whistlers again.
A couple of her little cousins go out exploring and find a dying Nephite. They run to get help. It turns out that Kerra's dad knows the Nephite. He tells her dad that his wife and child are still alive, and that he's the only one that can save them. Kerra knew that her dad had been sad about something, and now she knows what it was. He got married during his time in the Nephite world and has just found out that his wife had a child. They find the rift is open again, and Kerra's dad is determined to go through it and save his family from the Gadianton Robbers. Grandpa Lee, Brock, and Kerra are determined to go through as well. Kerra wonders if she will be able to see Kiddoni again, the Nephite she met the last time the whistlers were there and the rift was open. She knows exactly how her dad feels.
The four go through the rift and find themselves in Nephite time in the middle of a war between the Nephites and the Gadianton Robbers. As they try to find their loved ones, they are faced with enemies new and old, including demon jaguars and their evil master Akuhuun. The book takes the rifts to an extreme level as the groups find themselves jumping through rift after rift that send them jumping through time and space.
This book ties this new series together with Chris Heimerdinger's other series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. While this seems really strange to me, I am glad that now he will only have one series to work on, so hopefully, the next book will come out soon. The next book will be a continuation of this story, but also will be the eleventh book of the Tennis Shoes Series.
A couple of her little cousins go out exploring and find a dying Nephite. They run to get help. It turns out that Kerra's dad knows the Nephite. He tells her dad that his wife and child are still alive, and that he's the only one that can save them. Kerra knew that her dad had been sad about something, and now she knows what it was. He got married during his time in the Nephite world and has just found out that his wife had a child. They find the rift is open again, and Kerra's dad is determined to go through it and save his family from the Gadianton Robbers. Grandpa Lee, Brock, and Kerra are determined to go through as well. Kerra wonders if she will be able to see Kiddoni again, the Nephite she met the last time the whistlers were there and the rift was open. She knows exactly how her dad feels.
The four go through the rift and find themselves in Nephite time in the middle of a war between the Nephites and the Gadianton Robbers. As they try to find their loved ones, they are faced with enemies new and old, including demon jaguars and their evil master Akuhuun. The book takes the rifts to an extreme level as the groups find themselves jumping through rift after rift that send them jumping through time and space.
This book ties this new series together with Chris Heimerdinger's other series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. While this seems really strange to me, I am glad that now he will only have one series to work on, so hopefully, the next book will come out soon. The next book will be a continuation of this story, but also will be the eleventh book of the Tennis Shoes Series.
Friday, December 23, 2011
A Christmas Thief - 2011 Book # 96
Around the holiday, I always try to read at least one Christmas story. This one, A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson was quite a short one. It was only about 70 pages long, but it definitely portrayed the true spirit of Christmas. The story is about how one family's nativity set disappears. At first it was thought that it might have just been misplaced, but when they notice some sports equipment missing from their garage as well, they decide that it must have been stolen. The daughter immediately suspects the neighbor boy that has been giving her trouble for as long as she can remember, and she wants to go out and demand that he give it back to them. She thinks it wouldn't hurt if the boy got arrested and sent off somewhere as well. Then he wouldn't be able to give her any more trouble.
Her parents luckily, don't let her do that. Her mother wants to find out what happened to the nativity set, but she doesn't want to offend her neighbor if they wrongly accuse her son of stealing it. So they set out on a secret mission to find their nativity set.
One thing leads to another, and the daughter starts to see what Christmas is all about. It is a really good story. My only complaint is that it was only 70 pages long.
Her parents luckily, don't let her do that. Her mother wants to find out what happened to the nativity set, but she doesn't want to offend her neighbor if they wrongly accuse her son of stealing it. So they set out on a secret mission to find their nativity set.
One thing leads to another, and the daughter starts to see what Christmas is all about. It is a really good story. My only complaint is that it was only 70 pages long.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Five Little Pigs - 2011 Book #95
Five Little Pigs, written by Agatha Christie is a good read. This book, unlike the last book I read, is long enough that it gives the reader time to think about the crime and try to decide what could have happened. Also, all the clues are there for the reader to see and figure out what happened if they can. Although I didn't figure it out all the way, I figured out part of the mystery and could clearly see after it was explained how the detective Hercule Poirot came to the conclusion that he did.
This story is about a girl that comes to Hercule Poirot with a problem. Her mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband sixteen years previously. The girl at the time was too young to know what was going on, but had just recently been given a letter that her mother left for her in which her mother claims that she was innocent. The girl asks Hercule Poirot to find the truth, so he goes and talks to the five people who were at the place where the crime took place and asks them to remember what happened at that time.
New things pop up that weren't ever mentioned during the trial or even at the time of the trial, and the people involved start to really wonder if the lady really did kill her husband or not.
The one problem I had with this book was that the ending is kind of abrupt and left me wondering what happened after the end of the book.
This story is about a girl that comes to Hercule Poirot with a problem. Her mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband sixteen years previously. The girl at the time was too young to know what was going on, but had just recently been given a letter that her mother left for her in which her mother claims that she was innocent. The girl asks Hercule Poirot to find the truth, so he goes and talks to the five people who were at the place where the crime took place and asks them to remember what happened at that time.
New things pop up that weren't ever mentioned during the trial or even at the time of the trial, and the people involved start to really wonder if the lady really did kill her husband or not.
The one problem I had with this book was that the ending is kind of abrupt and left me wondering what happened after the end of the book.
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