I love reading and writing, and so I will post book reviews for you guys. I know that not everyone enjoys reading, but I hope that my book reviews will get some people motivated to read some good books. If you would like me to review a book, give me the title and I’ll try to read it. Enjoy!
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
This book was recommended to me, and the title and plot description lured me in. Code Talker is a book about a Navajo who leaves his family to fight in WWII. He eventually grows to become a Code Talker. Back in WWII, Navajo language was used as code, unable to be cracked by the Japanese. Now, there are many Indian-to-soldier books out there, but this is, by far, the best I’ve read so far. What’s interesting about it is that it is written from the point of view of a grandfather telling a story to his grandchildren. Really, we are the grandchildren, and we accept his story with honor. The three key points to this book are characters, plot, and writing.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This book is a classic. The last classic I read, Lord of the Flies, disappointed me greatly. This book, however, is leagues better. It is about Atticus Finch, a white man who is appointed to defend a black man against an unreasonable rape charge. This takes place during the Depression-era, a time where whites and blacks were still divided. At the same time, Atticus is trying to keep his kids away from the contagious disease that has swarmed the town: prejudice. The story is told through the eyes of his very curious daughter, Scout Finch. The two key points to this classic are characters and plot. You grow to know these characters so well that it feels like you know them personally…like…Facebook friend personally. OK, Facebook friend isn’t a good example. You feel like you know them as well as you know your closest friends and closest family. Their personalities are established that well. Atticus is one of my favorite characters from a book, now, because he’s a relatable, hard-core character, in his own way. The characters will have a lasting impression, and every time you hear ‘classic,’ you’ll think Scout, Jem, Atticus, and the rest of the amazing cast of characters. The plot is a long, huge moral message about life. It doesn’t only talk about racism. In fact, it lightly talks about abolishing racism. It talks more about other things, and other messages in life. Seeing the characters grow and advance in the plot is interesting. Over all, To Kill a Mockingbird is a Filet. Is it one you would want to pick up for a thrilling read? No. Is it one you want to pick up for a great lesson or book report? Yes. It will give you a lot to think about, and raise questions. Books that do that are the ones with substance. The writing is great, and there is a huge amount of symbolism, leading to endless amount of discussion. This classic is worth a read.
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Dark Hours by Gudrun Pausewang
This book was translated to English, which is why the author’s name is wacked out. I was afraid that the translation would make the writing sound choppy, and make it a hassle to read, and even though it sounds a bit different, it works. It’s about Gisel, a fifteen year old girl who is burdened with her three younger brothers at a train station. Her grandmother is nowhere to be found and her mother is going into labor. An air-raid siren begins to blare, and so our story starts. The three key points to this book are characters, writing, and plot. The character development is amazing. At first, the vague German names and brief descriptions of the brothers left you feeling unsure of their personalities. But, as you progress, you understand them perfectly. You see them all grow and depict their personalities one by one. It’s very interesting to see how they react in desperate situations. The writing, thankfully, wasn’t disjointed or choppy. Like I mentioned before, it’s translated from German, but within a few chapters, you adapt to the German names and lifestyle of World War II. The writing describes everything as you would like, and the author paints a perfect picture in your mind about the setting and atmosphere. Lastly is the plot. The plot isn’t what I thought it would be. The author takes her (yes, it’s a she) sweet time describing everything, and the plot has tension all the time. The only issue I encountered is that it could drag at parts, but it’s not a huge issue. What really bugs me, however, is that I know that the main character will survive. The story is told in the point of view of a grandmother, who is writing this true story for her granddaughter, so it’s told as I, I, I, I. The ‘I’ is the grandmother as a teenager. And, since the grandmother obviously survived, given the fact that she’s writing this letter, I know that no matter what happens, she’ll survive. It slightly bothered me, but for most people, it won’t matter. Over all, Dark Hours is a Porkchop. It wasn’t bad, and it had a great message about strength and war, but I wouldn’t read it again. It’s a good book to have read, but the issue for me was that the author explained everything. Everything is handed to you on a silver platter. All of the loose ends are tied up, whereas I would have preferred to have inferred certain things. But the author explains everything to you, which made this book feel lower level. I like to figure things out myself, but then again, this is a story from a grandmother to her granddaughter, so I guess that loose ends have to be tied up. If you like World War II, you will like this book.
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Out of the Blue by S.L. Rottman
This book is about Stu, who is the son of an air-force mother. She is the new base captain in Minot, North Dakota, and for the seventh time, he is moving. Base captain is a huge position. She basically runs the Air Force Base. In other words, she’s basically 10th Prestige. Stu’s brother is away at college, his dad is in Nevada with his sick grandmother, and so he is basically alone. His neighbors have some issues, and so the story begins. The three key points to this story are characters, writing, and plot. You don’t love the characters right off the bat. In fact, you actually despise some of them. But, as time goes on, you start to get more chapters and more page time for each of them. You slowly begin to piece their personalities together. The characters turn out to be fairly interesting, and Stu is seen growing as the story progresses. Overall, the characters are relatable, and feel human emotions. The writing is done well. The author takes time to tell you what Stu is feeling as important events are happening. There are points in the story where your heart is beating and you can see things play out infront of you, and others where the author lets your imagination take over.There was a healthy balance of both. The plot has its ups and downs. I must say, the first half of the book is slow, and not very interesting. It’s basically a huge foreshadow. But you get a huge payoff when the second half of the story starts. Out of the Blue is a story with a strong moral, a realistic vibe, and some great writing and characters. It’s a T-Bone, and you should pick it up.
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The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan
If you’ve read my Cowboys and Aliens review (which is on the Sci-Fi Page under Movie Reviews) then you know that I can’t stand anything to do with the west…this book’s cover basically IS the west, and yet I still picked it up, pulled in by the description of it. It’s about Aiden and Maddy Lynch, siblings who are the last alive of their family. Their whole family has been swept away by disaster and death, and they are the only ones who remain. When Jefferson J. Jackson finds them and offers them to join a journey on the Oregon Trail, which houses some of the most rugged, roughest territory in the States, Aiden has to accept, for the well-being of himself and his sister. This book tells of that journey. The three key points to this book are characters, writing, and plot. The characters, though this sounds weak, are human. They will get upset about things they shouldn’t, they will do things that are immoral, and they are relatable. You actually stop and think…Would I do this? Yes, I would. The author doesn’t just make things happens because she wants them to. There is a deeper inner voice that these characters have that motivates them. The characters are strong and you understand them perfectly. These characters are metal and concrete…in other words, solid. They are solid and deep. The writing, once again, is honestly solid. The writer tells it to you straight. How does the character feel? What does the environment look like? What’s the atmosphere? She keeps you in the loop no matter what. Plus, the lengthy conversations are interesting, told with voice and bad language used appropriately. That fact leads me to say that this book isn’t for younger children. There is a host of bad language and some adult themes and intense moments. The writing, however, is amazing. Lastly, because the plot is unpredictable, you don’t know what will pop up next. You wonder, ‘what if this guy is infected?’ or ‘what if so-and-so is really so-and-so?’ There is a mystery and tension that is always about, considering how much danger the characters are in. The book is a Filet. Though I thought that this book would just be tumbleweed and Kansas, it exceeded my expectations by 1000. You should read it now.
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The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
S.E. Hinton wrote this story when she was 16. 16! I don’t underestimate young writers, because I am aspiring to become one myself, and so I gave this book a shot. Let’s get the good news out of the way right now: It’s small, and it’s short. I get the fact that some readers have the attention span of a fly, and this story will compensate for that. It’s roughly 180 pages, and it is a relatively short story. Nonetheless, it is still a rich story. It is about Ponyboy (yes, that’s his real name) who lives in a neighborhood where there is a division between the rich kids and poor kids, or, as it is put in this book, Socs and greasers. Ponyboy is part of a group of greasers, consisting of his brothers and friends, all very different and unique. The conflict starts when one night, things go way too far. The three key points to this story are plot, writing, and characters. The plot takes many random turns, and they are very satisfying and surprising. They are because they appear at the last minute, when you least expect it. It’s like driving down the street, knowing where the lights are and expecting a smooth ride, but then, all of a sudden, bam! You’re hit by a car, and it feels great. This story wastes no time, and yet there are so many subplots and personalities that are displayed just for the heck of it…but it is great! You understand this group and what they are like from their pasts and personalities, and it gets the story flowing quickly and smoothly. The plot is very enriching, and it is a story well told. This book dwells in mature topics: gangs, smoking, loss of family, abuse, and some other dark topics. Though this was written at the age of 16, it is written appropriately. The writing consists of many slang terms and apostrophes, and words such as y’all, ain’t, etc. There are many fragments and conjunctions, considering the fact that most of the characters are uneducated. Still, the writing comes across clearly. The book stresses a huge tone on every page. I could hear these characters and see them, not because of descriptions, but because the way they are explained: to the point. The book is very natural, and none of the dialogue feels forced. The writing is casual, and fits the perspective of a teenager very well. The story’s plot and writing shine, but the characters have a bond I can hardly explain. Every book, movie, or video game I encounter that has a group or team, usually with guys specializing in certain areas, either has or lacks a bond between the guys, which is important. This was where The Losers, a movie, fell short, but where The Expendables succeeded. I could believe that these guys were a team. They each had their own personalities: aggressive, protective, scared, cool, etc. All of the personalities are set in stone without being bland or cliched. The characters have a brotherly bond that comes out through the text, every page and every word, and every time there is danger for these boys, you feel for them. You feel for them because you understand how close they are, which is key. Over all, the Outsiders is a T-Bone. It is a very great story, very great book, and I recommend reading this as soon as you’re ready for a weekend book.
