"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read" ~Groucho Marx

Search This Blog

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York City: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1997. 309 pages. (Fantasy)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first novel in the wildly popular series by J.K. Rowling, spins the highly imaginative tale of an incredibly remarkable young boy. Born into a family of some of the most famous wizards of the day, Harry Potter is gifted with innate powers that are only aggrandized as he ages. These powers make themselves seen in extraordinary ways. As an infant, the most feared dark wizard in the magical world attacks and kills Harry’s parents, intending to end the helpless child’s life as well. Incredibly, Harry somehow manages to survive the attack with only a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, while the dark wizard’s powers are completely destroyed. For the early years of his boyhood, Harry is forced to reside with his only living relatives, the Dursley’s. These muggles, as normal humans are called, possess an extreme abhorrence for anything having to do with magic. Because of this, they make every effort to destroy Harry’s freedom, eliminate his happiness, and suppress his magical powers. But this family cannot tamper with fate, and Harry’s destiny is greater than anyone could have possibly known. He is soon whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he is immersed in magic, spells, and mysteries. With the help of his newfound friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must face evil time and time again. This evil seeps into his life in the form of school bullies, the ghosts haunting the grounds, and the mysterious secret Hogwarts is hiding. When he discovers the peril that the school and its students are facing, Harry summons up his strength and courage to face the greatest challenge of his life thus far.

So, I finally did it. For years, I have been scolded by my friends for not having read the Harry Potter series. For all of the excitement they create, I knew there must be something extraordinary to them. And, what do you know? I read the first book and now I am hooked. This tale of friendship, enemies, and magic is extremely entrancing, as it pulled me into its colorful world from the moment I opened the cover. The imagery is so vivid that I felt as though I could see the flickering, candles hovering above the tables; could feel the cool, London breeze tugging at my cloak; and could taste the sweet pumpkin juice at the welcome feast. At a time in my life when my reading list is filled with classics and largely serious literature, this series is a refreshing reminder of childhood imagination and the adventure books I have always loved. I urge anyone with a love for impossibilities, creativity, and adventure to sink their teeth into this juicy series and experience the magic for themselves. I look forward to finishing these books and sharing my reaction with other avid readers. Enjoy!

Reviewed by: DancingPenguin96

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Just Like That

Qualey, Martha. Just Like That. NYC: Penguin Company, 2005. 233 pages. (Mystery)

Hanna is an eighteen year old senior in a Manhattan High School. Her mother is a drama teacher at a music and art school in Long Island known as Wipple. Will Walker is a fourteen year old boy whose father is a congressman. Will’s older sister, Aerin, is a well known singer and song writer. Her band was in a car accident and only she survived. Now everyone thinks Aerin got in the car accident on purpose. Nobody likes Aerin, a former music student at Wipple. Hanna and her boyfriend just broke up and Hanna is regretting it. She went down to a lake and saw a happy couple on an ATV having a great time. She talked to them and eventually made them mad at each other. Hanna left the lake and went home. In the morning she heard that the couple had fallen through the ice. The girl was found by an unidentified jogger, frozen and dead on the ice. What happed? Is Hanna guilty of murder?

I would not read another book by Martha Qualey because this book is too confusing. I had to read each paragraph at least twice so that I could understand it. It is a very good book, but it doesn’t make sense. It skips around and forgets about other things that she doesn’t come back to until a couple chapters later. The chapters are so long you feel like it will never end. You never have a good breaking point because the chapters never seem to end.

Reviewed by: fizzyjunior31