The Sweet Far Thing

Bray, Libba. The Sweet Far Thing. N.Y.: Random House, 2007. 832 pages. (Fantasy / Romance)

The Sweet Far Thing was a dramatic ending to the esteemed trilogy of the Gemma Swan series. In this book the Winterlands are threatening to take over the peace of the realms and are trying to take the magic that Gemma now holds. The alliances are being threatened with mysterious deaths and the clear blue sky is now a blood red sea of clouds. Gemma’s friendships are on the rocks and her love life is not how it used to be. Her father is addicted again, and always there is the still sad reminder of her mother s tragic death. Then, when it seemed that it could get no worse, something tragic happens. A forsaken birth of May has come, and the wrong people are coming out of the wrong door. Spence and its girls are in grave danger and Gemma doesn’t know if she can save them.

This book was a traumatic ending to the wondrous series. It was full of love, adventure, war, and loss. It had a little something for everybody in it. Even though it was full of happy times, I feel that it had twice as many sad times in the book. I will tell only this, I cried for hours after reading the last hundred or so pages. I give this book the label of traumatic. But, it would also be non-stop action because even though it was horrifically sad, it also was jam packed with action. I would only recommend this book to the people who have read the other two books in the trilogy because it would give too much away. But, if you have read the other two, then I recommend that you do read it because it caps off the series in a great way.

JenJen

Super Models of the World Party Girl

Calhoun, B.B. Supermodels of the World Party Girl. New York: Random House Inc., 1994 168 pages. (Realistic Fiction)

The book that I have chosen is called Super Models of the World Party Girl. It is about a girl named Cassandra. She has always dreamed about being a model. She normally gets everything she wants so when she is given the chance to compete with a bunch of other amature models she has a hard time believing that she might not get her way like she normally does!

This book is alright. I read the first one so I thought id give this one a shot. The first one is better :-D but this one was okay.(about 7 out of 10). Cassandra was a bit of a snob and it got me mad! But it was a good book!

Reviewed by Pass the Time

Angels in Pink: Kathleen’s Story

McDaniel, Lurlene. Angels in Pink: Kathleen’s Story. New York: Laurel Leaf Inc. 192 pages. (Romance)

Kathleen McKensie has never had a boyfriend. EVER. But when her bossy best friend Raina St. James makes her join the Pink Angels summer hospital volunteer job, that boyfriend problem might change. Right on the first day she catches the eyes of Carson, the two main doctor’s son. She makes herself not think about him because of her very ill mother. Kathleen cooks, cleans, and helps her mother when she’s not at the hospital. But when her mother is unconscious because of a blood problem she finds that Carson and his parents are the only ones to help. Will Kathleen and Carson form a bond? Or will she be boyfriend less for the rest of her life? Find out in the 1st book of the Angels in Pink series.

Wow! That’s all I can say about this book. Lurlene McDaniel makes images that pop into your head. Also I think this book helps you balances family and friend responsibilities. Most girls should read this because they can realize that even though you have a problem at home you can still have fun with your best friends outside of home. So people who want to learn lessons, read this book! And read Raina and Holly’s Story in the 2nd and 3rd books of the series!

Channee

Angels in Pink: Raina’s Story

McDaniel, Lurlene. Angels in Pink: Raina’s Story. New York: Laurel Leaf Inc. 190 pages. (Romance)

Raina St. James’ life is going perfectly for the beginning of her junior year. Her two best friends Holly and Kathleen have crushes, they love their volunteer jobs at the hospital as Pink Angels, and Raina and her boyfriend Hunter are the perfect couple. Well all this changes when Raina’s ex boyfriend Tony moves back to her school and threatens to ruin what she and Hunter have. Soon secrets unfold and Raina learns she has a long-lost sister her mother never spoke of! Soon enough Raina’s world turns upside down and she and Hunter have broken up and she has a new sister to deal with. At least she has Holly and Kathleen to lean on. But will she and Hunter forgive each other? And will she get used to having a sibling? Find out in the 2nd book of the Angels in Pink series.

This book is the kind of book I can’t put down! Page after page you find out something new! Angels in Pink definitely teaches you that even through struggles you have family and friends to lean on. Lurlene McDaniel’s has an amazing gift of writing and makes you never want to stop reading her books. I LOVE this book and I think teenage girls should read it to learn that everyone makes mistakes! After you read this book get the 3rd book in the series: Holly’s Story. I advise people to read this book!!!!

Channee

Bloomability

Creech, Sharon. Bloomability. New York: HarperCollins Publisher. 273 pages. (Travel Fiction)

Dinnie Doone has traveled all over the U.S. But one place she hasn’t traveled is Switzerland. So, her parents arrange for the Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max to take her there for a year so she can learn their family history. At first Dinnie thinks it’s kidnapping. But once she meets Lila a little spitfire and Guthrie her crush things look a little brighter for her. Once she goes to school she meets tons of people and learns tons of languages. Her winter is full of skiing and learning Italain. People keep telling her Switzerland is her home. Will she realize how much she loves Switzerland or will she be homesick from America forever?

Bloomability is an amazing book. It really teaches you how much family, friend, and your home is important to you. I love how the author shows all the detail in everything. It has so many lessons and can be funny in some parts. All I can say if you want to read about how important your home is to you, read this book!!!!

Channee

Princess in the Spotlight

Cabot, Meg. Princess in the Spotlight. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc. 257 pages. (Romance)

Mia is just getting used to being the Princess of Genovia since her father got his curable cancer. Somehow interviews, autographs, and royal dinners are getting easier! But when she finds out her mother is pregnant and marrying her Algebra teacher her whole world turns upside down…again!!!!! I mean her life is complicated enough already! On one regular day as she is moping about her life she gets a secret admirer note. Who is it from??? Will Mia accept her mom getting married and having a baby and find out who her secret admirer is? Or will she have a lovless life and dispise the baby and her stepfather? Find out in this funny, amazing book!

This book is halarious! Every girl who needs help on friendship, divorced families, and accpeting herself should read it! The author really shows and expresses how Mia’s life is so you can imagine it in your head. Sometimes a chapter can get really boring but the author makes the boring chapter jump into a huge event in the next chapter! I love this book so much and Meg Cabot has done an amazing job making a sequal to Princess Diaries!! So I really suggest that people read this book!

Channee

The Princess Diaries

Cabot, Meg. The Princess Diaries. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 283 pages. (Romance)

Mia Thermopolis is a five-foot-nine geek. She is flunking algebra, her crush doesn’t even know she exists, and to top it all off her mom is dating her algebra teacher!!! One day she finds out her dad is coming to visit…and that he has cancer. No worries for her though because it can be treated. But when she visits him at the plaza hotel and thinks what is a normal lunch doesn’t turn out to be one. SHE IS THE PRINCESS OF GENOVIA!!!!!!!!!! And it turns out that she has to move to Genovia with her father! There, she will rule along with her father and go to a fancy college that is not her first choice. You might think she is excited…but think again she is NOT at all excited to become a princess. She tries to keep it from everyone as long as possible. But when she gets a makeover things change. Boys start liking her, teachers treat her as royalty, and her bestfriend Lily can visit the palace! Will she like this new life at all? Or will she become scared and chicken out on becoming a princess? Find out in the next book in the series!!!!

This book is such a page turner. Every time I flip the page I want to read more and more. It’s about an everyday girl becoming a princess; I mean who wouldn’t want to read that? This book also teaches you that if you believe in yourself you and do anything! It’s also funny and can make you giggle out loud. I definitely recommend this book to teenage girls because not only is it funny but it teaches you good lessons in life! So read this amazing, funny, fantasy book!!!!!

Channee

Bratfest at Tiffany’s

Harrison, Lisi. Bratfest at Tiffany’s. New York: Little Brown and Company. 227 pages. (Realistic Fiction / Romance)

Massie Block just got back from her summer vacation and finds out her school, Octivian Country Day (OCD) has turned into Briarwood Octivian Country Day! Boys from their highschool have transferred to her school!!! But that is not good for Massie, she makes her bff’s Kristen, Dylan, Claire, and Alicia go on a Boyfast or no boys what so ever! She thinks boys make them look like idiots and less popular. But once Massie, Kristen, Claire, and Dylan go into an overflow classroom, Alicia can finally flirt with her major crush Josh! But once Massie finds out Alicia has been with Josh it tears them apart! Will Massie stop fussing over the boys?

I think this book is amazing! It is full of comedy, drama, and friendship. This book teaches girls to not let boys or anything come between them. One reason I think girls should read this book is because it is a page turner, you can’t stop reading all of the drama that happens! Also, Lisi Harrington really shows in her writing what a teenage girl’s life is like. So all I can say is, READ THIS BOOK!!!

Reviewed by: Channee

Loser

Spinelli, Jerry. Loser. N.Y.: Scolastic Inc, 2002. 218 pages. (Realistic Fiction)

The main characters in this book are Donald Zinkoff and his parents. This story takes place in a small town. The problem that Donald faces is, trying to get through elementary school with a good reputation and a lot of friends. But there are many problems with this because he laughs at almost anything, he has a problem with his stomach that makes him throw up 3-5 times a week, and one day at the end of 4th grade his life gets scared forever. At the end of the last and most important race of the day he causes his team to lose the championship. He is the slowest kid in class and after the 2 fastest kids in 4th grade give him about a 10- 15 yard head start he still loses and his team comes in last place. For the next few school years he tries to make a good new reputation in school.

One interesting event that happens in this book is one day while Donald is 7, his father takes him on a take tour son to work day. Donald’s father is a mailman and that’s what Donald had always wanted to be ever sense his father got the job. While Donald is delivering mail that he made himself over the past week he comes to this one house with a really old man staring blankly up the street. After Donald asked his father about the mysterious man, his father told him that the man has been staring for 32 years waiting for his brother to return from the war.

I thought this book was one of Jerry Spinelli’s better books because he described things very vividly, and was very specific in his sentences. If I rated this book I think I would personally give it a 6-8 because it was simple and well written. If I was to give this book a one word description I would say it’s interesting because it takes you through a lot of the different stages in the main characters life. One other thing I really liked about this book was the cover because it sticks out so much. The front and the back cover are of a chalk board with the word Loser on both but on the back is partly erased so it keeps you wondering.

Dangling on the Edge