Give A Boy A Gun : By Todd Strasser
In "Give A Boy A Gun" you follow the lives of Gary Searle and Brendan Lawlor. Todd Strasser brings you in to what seems like a miserable life for both of these young men. Gary and Brendan start out as classmates and soon quickly become best friends. People referred to their friendship as an "unbreakable" bond. Along with friends Ryan and Allison, they navigate through and adjust to high school life. Every school has a school-wide ruling posse. In this case, the "popular" clique torment and humiliate the group of friends daily and soon Gary and Brendan can't handle it anymore. A darkness builds inside them and words start turning into actions. The book follows the events that lead up to the main plot. Gary and Brendan plan to shoot up the school and take the lives of those who bullied them with them.
To be honest, this was a heartbreaking novel to read. When I first started reading, I was overwhelmed how realistic it seemed. The way Todd Strasser wrote the book, how he included quotes and facts at the bottom of the page, really reeled me into the storyline. I felt almost relieved when I realized the book was fiction but then I did a double-take and became aware that tragic events like this happen all around the world, almost everyday! On a side note, if you are thinking of reading this book, ask yourself this : Am I mentally and emotionally ready for such a heavy topic like this? Although, this novel is for young, mature readers, hopefully it'll give them some insight on how to become, well, a better person. It brings me agony that kids can be so cruel. They make their classmates feel small and helpless. This can really affect the victim, making them think that even if they told someone, no one would care or believe them. I hope in the near future we can put a stop to bullying and gun violence.
Overall Rating : 5/5 Stars
To be honest, this was a heartbreaking novel to read. When I first started reading, I was overwhelmed how realistic it seemed. The way Todd Strasser wrote the book, how he included quotes and facts at the bottom of the page, really reeled me into the storyline. I felt almost relieved when I realized the book was fiction but then I did a double-take and became aware that tragic events like this happen all around the world, almost everyday! On a side note, if you are thinking of reading this book, ask yourself this : Am I mentally and emotionally ready for such a heavy topic like this? Although, this novel is for young, mature readers, hopefully it'll give them some insight on how to become, well, a better person. It brings me agony that kids can be so cruel. They make their classmates feel small and helpless. This can really affect the victim, making them think that even if they told someone, no one would care or believe them. I hope in the near future we can put a stop to bullying and gun violence.
Overall Rating : 5/5 Stars
The Uglies : By scott westerfeld
Tally Youngblood is about to turn 16 years old, which is the age you turn into a pretty. Tally is more than ecstatic to become a pretty because her best friend Peris had already gotten the procedure, due to him being 3 months older than Tally. She feels like she has lost her best friend so Tally decides to sneak into New Pretty Town, where the fresh pretties are housed. After nearly getting caught, she befriends a fellow Ugly who was also sneaking around named Shay. She tells Tally of a place called the "Smoke" where no one is considered ugly or pretty, you are just you. Tally doesn't want to go but after an unfortunate situation she decides to go forward with the plan. The pair plans to escape to it and when they do, they meet a young man named David. He had grown up in the outskirts. Tally and David begin to fall for each other. Shay, Tally and David take you with them as they plan, escape and help fellow Uglies of the "Smoke".
I thought this book was a total eye-opener. So much of the storyline is slowly becoming true and true. In society, people who are considered attractive and gorgeous are praised and looked up upon for being what? Being pretty? "Unattractive" people always get looked down upon just like the Uglies in the book. I saw many parallels connecting the narration of the book and the real world. I had just read a book that included a love story so when I read The Uglies, it just seemed too repetitive for my liking. I'm not saying I hated the book but I'm not a huge fan of romance so I began to get bored. If I had not read a book that included love beforehand, I think I would've enjoyed The Uglies way more than I do now. Although, this is my opinion and feel free to try out this book. I might try a different genre next time I read a book but if I can't find a good read, The Uglies series will be my first pick!
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
I thought this book was a total eye-opener. So much of the storyline is slowly becoming true and true. In society, people who are considered attractive and gorgeous are praised and looked up upon for being what? Being pretty? "Unattractive" people always get looked down upon just like the Uglies in the book. I saw many parallels connecting the narration of the book and the real world. I had just read a book that included a love story so when I read The Uglies, it just seemed too repetitive for my liking. I'm not saying I hated the book but I'm not a huge fan of romance so I began to get bored. If I had not read a book that included love beforehand, I think I would've enjoyed The Uglies way more than I do now. Although, this is my opinion and feel free to try out this book. I might try a different genre next time I read a book but if I can't find a good read, The Uglies series will be my first pick!
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
DElirium : By Lauren OLIVER
Seventeen year old Lena Haloway is over the moon to find out that in just a few months, she will be free of the horrible disease, love. In this dystopian novel, we explore what life is like in the future United States of America. Love, also called amor deliria nervosa has been declared a sickening disease. Once you turn 18, you go to the evaluators at a lab and they match you up to your future spouse. After that process, you are eligible for The Cure. Scientists do their magic and rid you of the disease. Lena's evaluation doesn't go as planned but she locks eyes with a guard and is instantly infatuated by him. She then cross paths with him again and they realize they cannot live without each other. The couple plans to run away to the Wilds but many things get in the way.
This book was definitely written for young adults. Some topics are a little more touchy than others and there is some bad language so beware if you do not like those sort of things. If you think you are mature enough, go for it! I personally love dystopian novels but I'm not too keen on romance. Although, the romance side of things didn't overshadow the point of the book so I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to. I felt terror inside of me whenever something bad was about to happen and the cliffhanger at the end made me want to dive straight into the second book! I highly recommend Delirium to those who have a thing for action and romance at the same time.
Overall Rating : 4/5 Stars
This book was definitely written for young adults. Some topics are a little more touchy than others and there is some bad language so beware if you do not like those sort of things. If you think you are mature enough, go for it! I personally love dystopian novels but I'm not too keen on romance. Although, the romance side of things didn't overshadow the point of the book so I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to. I felt terror inside of me whenever something bad was about to happen and the cliffhanger at the end made me want to dive straight into the second book! I highly recommend Delirium to those who have a thing for action and romance at the same time.
Overall Rating : 4/5 Stars
Hatchet: By Gary Paulsen
Set in the great wilderness of Canada, this survival-based story tells of a 13 year old boy named Brian Robeson. Tensions arise in his family, resulting in Brian having to go back and forth between his parents. A certain 'Secret' is tearing inside of him, knowing it would make the situation even worse if it gets out. His mother lives in the Hamptons while his father is now settling in the Canadian oil fields. An unknowing Brian hops on a plane to visit his dad, only to find out this is the first stage of his depressing journey. A few hours into the ride, he is now bruised-up, understanding that his plane had crashed. He sees that he has close to nothing, except for a hatchet his mother had sent with him. During his stay, he faces many struggles and obstacles that he must learn to overcome and adapt to, all while developing useful life skills.
This book was definitely a survival and drama-filled book. I personally am not a huge fan of both those genres, therefore I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to. On a positive note, Hatchet can build your knowledge about things you may have not known about survival. Like I said, the book was not as captivating as I thought, but there were many statements and twists that caught my eye. Despite my opinion, if you are interested in a book with lots of adventure and nature survival skills, give Hatchet a try!
Overall Rating : 3.5/5 Stars
This book was definitely a survival and drama-filled book. I personally am not a huge fan of both those genres, therefore I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to. On a positive note, Hatchet can build your knowledge about things you may have not known about survival. Like I said, the book was not as captivating as I thought, but there were many statements and twists that caught my eye. Despite my opinion, if you are interested in a book with lots of adventure and nature survival skills, give Hatchet a try!
Overall Rating : 3.5/5 Stars