Thursday, February 9, 2012

Double Identity


“A thousand times today I've started to open my mouth, started to squeak out, "Can you tell me...? But then I'd look into the front seat, at my mother's silent shaking, my father's grim profile, the mournful bags under his eyes, and all the questions I might ask seemed abusive. Assault and battery, a question mark used like a club. My parents are old and fragile. I'd have to heartless to want to hurt them.” 
― 
Margaret Peterson HaddixDouble Identity
Margaret Peterson Haddix is an amazing writer. This book is intense and not like any ordinary book you would read. Bethany a thirteen year old girl is suddenly dropped off at her aunts house that she never even knew existed. Leaving her mom crying uncontrollably and her dad very angry she walks with her aunt inside. Her dad tells her he will call her as soon as he can, but soon for her father takes a couple of weeks. Bethany has no idea why her parents did this to her. A couple of months later her mother calls and tells Bethany some very interesting news Bethany wasn't supposed to hear. Bethany's aunt Merlin then has to explain what the phone call is all about and that is when things start to change. She finds out that she has an older sister (well you could say it was her sister) who died in a car crash a couple of years back and receives a package from her father containing four birth certificates and ten thousand dollars. After that everything starts making sense to Bethany. Everything plays out and she goes through a few more adventures learning more about her "sister". That involves meeting her older "sister" Elizabeth's best friend Joss. I can't tell you how the story ends but it was good. 
The setting is mainly at her aunt Merlin's house. This is where Bethany gets all of the information she never knew before. Her aunt Merlin's house is an older one. Bethany actually ends up sleeping in her mother's old room that she had when she was little. Haddix (author) describes the setting in very good words that makes you able to picture everything very well. I am a person who can't picture things very well and this book was very easy to picture. 
I would reccomend this book it is very thrilling how everything in Bethany's life changes when she founds out she has a "sister". It is a pretty easy read to, so it is worth reading it. This book always had me guessing what was going to happen next, but i was always pleasantly surprised when it came out a different way. I loved reading Double Identity!!

The Maze Runner





James Dashner's The Maze Runner thrilled me with every action and mind twisting question!
This book is not for someone who wants to fall asleep while they read.  It seems like in every chapter something new and exciting happens.  You never know whats going to happen next with this stirring novel!
This exhilarating  book is about a teenage boy called Tomas who wakes up in a pitch black room, and he can only remember is his name.  He then finds himself in the Glade (wich is in the middle of a maze) surrounded by other boys close to his age.  Whats going on?  Where am I? Who are these guys?  Is all that he can think of right then.  Tomas later figures out the rules in the maze and what their knew purpose is in life-to stay alive and find a way out.
I personally loved this book and could not seem to put it down.  This book is filled with action, and a lot of it!  This book is for the action lovers!  It also has a little romance and mysterious events.  Trust me you will never be bored with this book!  This book really makes you stop and think what would I do if I were him?
A connection I made with this book is about how you can end up in a place unfamiliar surrounded by strangers but you somehow can make a close realation ship with someone that will last a life time.

It knows I'm done, he thought.  After all that effort, here he was, surrounded by Grievers.  It was over.  Not even a week of salvageable memory, and his life was over. - The Maze Runner

Friday, February 3, 2012

Matched



“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.” 
― Ally CondieMatched

Ally Condie's novel matched, (book one of the Matched trilogy) is about a seventeen year old girl named Cassia Reyes.  Cassia lives in a world where the society (government) has perfected every possible way of living a perfect life.  They give specific meal portions to each individual and everyone is assigned a specific occupation.  The society has strict rules; for example, no running in public, no owning a vehicle, only two hours of leisure time a day, no owning jewelry, and no one learns how to write, etc.  However, the one requirement that effects Cassia's life the most, is the match banquet.  Every year, everyone who is at the rightful age of seventeen, must attend the Match banquet. At this banquet, each girl and boy are matched to who is most like them and who is most likely to fall in love with them. They will spend the rest of their lives together with whoever their matched to. Cassia is overwhelmed when she is matched to her best friend Xander.  Nothing has happened like this in years but she does not mind at all.  She loves Xander.  What she does not know, is everything in her life will change later that night when she looks at her micro-card of Xander.  A picture of Ky Markham, a childhood friend, shows up on the screen.  Is she matched to Xander, or Ky?  Does anyone know about this?  Was all of this just a mistake?  Will she choose to find out about Ky's mysterious past?  Which will she choose and what events will take place?  Find out for yourself in this mind-grabbing novel.  

When I first read this book, I could not put it down.  It gives a message that everyone can stand up for what they believe in, and each person should be given the right to choose who they love.  I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and stories that talk about rebellion.  Of course there is romance in this book also. :) Whoever you are, I think you should read it!



Monday, January 9, 2012

Laurel's podcast

http://www.box.com/s/j74cc0tdtveb551si02y

Fablehaven 5

In the last book of the Fablehaven series, Kendra and Seth find them selves on another extremely dangerous adventure. But this time the fate of the world depends on them when an evil man and demons try to open the Demon prison!!!!!! To open the prison would mean certain destruction and the entire world would be destroyed!!!!
Kendra and Seth are not alone though. In the book they meet many good people who are willing to help, including a pair of wacky satyrs, a unicorn who Kendra has a major crush on, and two grandparents they thought were dead!
I would have to say that my favorite quote in this book would have to be when Warren said, " I'm surprised to be alive. That would have been a very big belly flop in a very dry pool."
Find out what happens by reading the fifth book of Fablehaven!!!!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012


This book is about Percy Jackson who doesn't remember anything and is getting chased by two gorgons who want revenge on him because he killed their sister Medusa. He gets help from two demigods named Frank and Hazel. Once they defeat the gorgons they take Percy into their demigod camp were they get a quest. Percy, Frank, and Hazel are to go and free Thanatos, the god of Death, because monsters are no longer going to Tartarus and souls are escaping from the Underworld. I really love this book so far it has action and comedy. One of my favorite quotes from this is when Percy said,“They're Lares. House gods.", "House gods," Percy said. "Like...smaller than real gods, but larger than apartment gods?”. I think that anybody would love this book

Hunger Games



This book is about a girl named Katniss that lives with her mom and her little sister. Katniss's father died, and now Katniss has to hunt for her and her sister like her father had taught her. There are 12 districts in the Hunger Games, and a Capitol that is over all 12 districts. Every year one boy and one girl are picked to compete in the Hunger Games. When they were picking Katniss's little sister was picked. Katniss didn't want her little sister to have to fight, so she volunteered to take her place. The boy that was picked was Peeta. But Katniss had sort of fallen in love with Peeta before that, because he gave her bread. During the games they decide neither of them want to kill each other, so they have to find a way to not kill each other, and both win.






“Winning means fame and fortune.Losing means certain death.The Hunger Games have begun…”