The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

     This book, called The Alchemist, by Michael Scott is a book that I couldn't put down. Here is what it is about. There is this couple that was over 500 years old that could drink a potion sort of thing every month and stay young. When they met it was like that love at first sight sort of thing and he knew that he was going to marry her. Perenelle basically mastered all the arts of magic and Nicholas mastered alchemy, but was better at it than Perenelle.
     Their job was to protect a book that could destroy the world or save it and they had to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Long before us in this book there were Elders. Before them were the Earth Lords and before them were the Archons. Each were very powerful and wanted to rule the world. The Elders overthrew all of them and either trapped them or killed them. So at the time being they were the rulers for many centuries. Then then it jumps to the future and it is Nicholas and his wife who want to live ordinary lives and keep their powers a secret. But all that is going to change.

     A pair of twins work for them, one named Josh who works for Nicholas, and one named Sophie who works for his wife. The Flamels have been looking for a pair of twins with gold and silver auras (gold and silver auras are very rare and means you have a lot of power) and have found plenty, but they have all died or gone crazy insane from a process called the awakening. When Sophie is asking questions about the awakening she says, "We're going to be trained as magicians?" "As magicians and sorcerers, as necromancers, warlocks and even enchanters." Flamel smiled. I just think that's funny.
     But when they find these two they know they are different. Then they get attacked from a character who wants to take the book from them and give it to the dark elders. The dark elders are the elders who want the world to themselves and to get rid of all the humans. Then they started using magic on each other and it is very exciting. I can imagine what they are doing from how descriptive it is and it seems too me that it is really cool. But every time they use magic it drains power from them and they have to wait a while before they use it again or else they will burn up and die within seconds.
    When both Josh and Sophie have been awakened (which does not happen until the third or fourth book) they have extraordinary powers and it's amazing what they can do. There are many characters in this book that I have not mentioned and they are pretty cool, each with his/her own special talent that they are best at. If you want to learn what happens in all the books and all the awesome adventures and monsters they face then I suggest you read this series of books. Also, if you are a person interested in magic, adventure, and action then this is a book for you.

Quantum Prophecy Michael Carrol

 The ability to look into the future, A Blessing? Or a Curse?- New York Times        Science-Fiction   
                                           Michael Carrol

                In Quantum Prophecy, you will learn.

 Ever seen a human jet? A human fork lift? Now you can...
This Book is about 2 boys named Colin Wagner, and Danny Cooper, They live somewhere in Europe that is urban and busy. They are walking home from school with another good friend of theirs', Brian McDonald when Brian's sister, Susie, comes biking around the corner, right as a school bus comes down the road. She is about to be hit when in the blink of an eye, Danny has ran out into the middle of the road, picked Susie up and carried her to safety on the far side of the road. Brian is astonished. When he is going to bed that night he realizes that Danny is a super human. Colin, that very same night, gains the ability of super hearing, able to hear everything going on in the near  by area. Danny learns not only is he super fast, but he can see parts of the future, including his own.  Colin and Danny are super humans, they are the off spring of supposed to be disappeared heroes of a long time. Danny and Colin have to decide what to use their powers for, self use or to save the world from villains.

I really liked this book because it has some decent action and good dialogue and story back round. This book brings super man to other people.  My favorite genre is Science Fiction because it brings things that are fake but that could become real in the coming years. I reccomend this book to those who like to read action books.

Later in the book They come upon a building that is guarded very closely, and Colin needs to get inside. A friend of his leads them inside into a shooting frenzy, with bullets flying everywhere Colin has to find a way to his friend Danny's rescue. Many people died during this fight and Danny's father died as well.

I had a connection with Danny, seeing as he has a step-father too I guess. I have a step dad too and sometimes he can be a real pain but when it comes down to it I have spent more time with him than I probably will with my own father.

 The ability to look into the future, is something you do not want.- Danny Cooper

 

The Help

   "What does it feel like to raise a white child when your own child is at home being taken care of by someone else?"

         Katherine Stockett's historical fiction novel and hit movie, The Help, is definitely a novel that grabs your heart! You want to root for just about every character! It is based on what civil rights were like in the South during the 1960's.

         Aibileen Clark was just your average help. She did everything Mrs. Leefolt wanted, steered clear of trouble, and took care of Mrs. Leefolt's beloved baby, Mae Mobely. One day, Miss Skeeter, Mrs. Leefolt's best friend, comes back from Ole Miss only to upset the balance. Skeeter, an aspiring writer/journalist wants to find out the truth behind black society and being the Help. The first to confess reality, despite the fact that it could lead to trouble, was Aibileen. She told Skeeter everything from bus rides, church, her own son she hardly ever had time with, and being Mrs. Leefolt's help. Many of the other maids in Aibileen's community wondered how she could have possibly done this, she could potentially end up in jail! Dismissing their confusions, soon others joined in the what was to soon be Skeeter's book about the help. Boy did they have a lot to say? By doing this, many old friendships, jobs, and new friendships hung in the balance. These were changing times and everyone wanted to be a part of it.

     What I really took away from this historical fiction novel was the theme. I think Stockett is trying to express through writing that there really shouldn't be any segregation between races. She wants us to all be equal and express ourselves. We must always stand up for ourselves. It truly is an inspiring novel.

      I strongly recommend this book! If you like a little humor, history, and inspiring stories you would love this book! The Help contains so many characters you just want to root for the whole way through your reading. Stockett tells you what life was like for blacks and whites and what would happen if they got mixed. She explains very historically accurate. I couldn't put it down! Stockett leaves you wondering what will be said by the help or the white society girls next! 

The Way We Fall

"Most people think the scariest thing is knowing that you're going to die. It's not. Its knowing that you might have to watch every single person you've ever loved - or even liked - waste away while you just stand there." 

Kaelyn has enough troubles already. Her best friend just left to go to his dream college, her brother Drew seems to be becoming more distant, her mom has started working night shifts at the gas station, and her dad seems to be spending more time at the hospital than he does at home. 

And then it all changes. Kaelyn goes over to Rachel's house one day to work on a school project when all of a sudden Rachel's father comes out and starts hugging everyone, babbling like a baby about who knows what. Although she's a little bit stunned, Kaelyn thinks nothing of it. That is, until her father tells her that Rachel's dad died the next day.

"It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be babbling your secrets and chatting with strangers like they're old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead."

What starts out as a single case soon turns into a full epidemic. Within a few weeks, the whole island gets quarantined. Will Kaelyn be able to protect herself from the virus while trying to save those she cares about the most?

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way the Megan Crewe wrote it as a journal that Kaelyn kept during the epidemic. I was able to make a good connection to this book because right before I started reading it, I had watched the movie Contagion. Like The Way We Fall, Contagion is about a virus that sparks an epidemic. Although it isn't a happy story, I really liked the idea behind it. The Way We Fall is an extremely good book that I would highly recommend to all.
-Natalie Freeze

Paranormalcy

Kiersten White's Paranormalcy is a gripping, funny tale about love, dreams, and "mythical" creatures, with the end of the world as a possible outcome. 

Faerie ex-boyfriend? Shape shifters? Vampires? A mermaid for a best friend? At the International Paranormal Containment Agency, these things are nothing out of the ordinary. From the time she was a child, 16-year-old Evie has had the ability to see through glamours. Someone who might seem normal could be a werewolf, vampire, or  a shape-shifter. Her job is to go out into the world to find those paranormals and bring them back. But now, she finds dead paranormals with a mysterious glowing hand print. Her dreams are filled with mysterious prophesies. Could her strange ability be linked to the deaths?

I love the style this book is written in! Evie's funny, sarcastic voice does a great job of lightening up an intense scene. This strong heroine shows her style! White is one of the best authors I've seen for teen fiction. The ending scene can only be described as "epic." This hilarious urban fantasy will have you laughing at every page.

I liked this book because there is no profanity or swearing. Evie, the book's protagonist, is a strong female that is easy to root for. In this book, there is also romance for the lovers. If you like zombies, werewolves, vampires, mermaids, or other creatures of the night, then this is the book for you! I end this review with a hope that you will love this book as much as I love it. In the words of Evie: "Have a bleep bleep day!"

The Future of Us

In 1996 less than half of all American high school students had ever used the Internet.

Facebook would not be invented until several years into the future.

Emma and Josh are about to log on to their futures.

Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler work together to create a very exciting tale about two high school students logging into their Facebook accounts, seven years before it's even created. I know what you're thinking. "The Future of Us" sounds like some stupid love story about teens and love. Cue rolling of the eyes. But, suprisingly, it's not. "The Future of Us" is about two kids who log onto their future Facebook account, fifteen years into the future, and see everything. Their spouses, careers, homes, and status updates. It's all there. Except, everytime they refresh the page, their futures change. As they realize all the problems in their life in the future, they go crazy trying to fix it. At first Emma sees her futures marriage is in danger. Before she thinks it through, she finds her future husband in the phone book, and calls him. She finds out that she meets this guy at college; her dream college. She simply tells herself she's never going to go to Tampa State, even though its her dream. She refreshes the page, and miraculously, she's married to a different guy named Kevin.

Potentially messing up their lives even further, they realize how delicate the future really is. For example, Josh finds out he's married to Sydney Mills, the hot and popular Junior. He also has three kids, two twin girls and a little boy. Only problem? She doesn't know he exists. Without trying to, he sticks up for her in class, drawing her attention to him. The next time they check his page, Josh and Sydney are expecting. Their first child.

I turn the chair to look directly at her. "Come on, even if it's a prank, don't you want to see who they say you end up marrying?"

Emma thinks about it for a second. "Fine," she says.

I click on the photo and a new screen appears. We watch the large square in the center slowly fill from top to bottom. First, choppy ocean waves. Then a man's face. He's wearing black sunglasses. Then his fingers, gripped around the sword-like nose of a fish. When the picture has fully loaded, we see that the man is standing at the bow of a fishing boat.

"That fish is huge!" I say. "I wonder where he is? I guess it's supposed to be Florida."

"He's hot!" Emma says. "For an older guy. I wonder where they got this picture."

We're startled by a rapid knock on Emma's door, followed by her mom entering the room.

"Do you like your new computer?" she asks. "Are you two surfing the World Wide Web with all those free hours?"

Emma moves slightly in front of the monitor. "We're researching swordfish."

"And future husbands," I say, which gets the back of my arm a sharp pinch.


I actually really loved the style Asher and Mackler wrote the book. The book is written in a switch from Josh and Emma, so you can really connect with both characters individually. By the way they styled the book, you could really see the different personalities of the two. The writers did a fantastic job on describing the two, and getting the sense of Emma and Josh and how they think differently as a boy and a girl. There were parts that were so entertaining and funny, I absolutely loved it. This book can definitely can go into the comedy category.

Personally I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. I finished it in two days! It was different than I was used to, and a different idea for a book, which I really liked. It was so interesting to be able to see really how sensitive our futures are, and how easily they can be changed by one little ripple. I think almost anyone would enjoy this book. Since you get two sides to the story, it can connect to boys and girls too. Plus, this story is packed full of humor. Who wouldn't like that? If you choose to read this book, I know you wouldn't regret it.

Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass is well written intriguing tale of love, magic, and survival that I couldn’t put down.

All she wanted was freedom. “Run and disappear into the mountains and live in solitude in the dark green wild, with a pine needle carpet and a blanket of stars overhead” she once said. But Adarlan’s greatest assassin is kept in the salt mines, preventing her to fulfill her dream. When the prince offers to sponsor her in a contest that could make her free after five years of servitude to the king that sits on the throne of glass, she takes it. But first she must win the contest to become the King’s Champion. Her name is Celaena Sordothien.

Celaena lives in a fictional world where tyrants rule. Unfortunately many nations are ruled by tyrants. Many of those tyrants get others to do their dirty-work for them, and if Celaena wins the contest she will be doing the dirty-work. In this world there are remnants of magic, like Stonehenge. In hers there are ruins, strange magical symbols. The name of her world is Erilea, ours is Earth. The two worlds are similar but different.

I loved the book Throne of Glass. It is a brilliantly written novel, and it never gets boring. This book had me filled with suspense. It is filled with action, bravery, romance, and magic. If you like any of those things, you really ought to read Throne of Glass.