Take a photo of a barcode or cover
The presentation for this book is wonderful. The book cover, chapter design, and illustrations are what drew me in. The purple theme is fitting because y'know royalty=princess.
STORY:
In I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (256 pages), May and Libby bond over Princess X a character they mutually created in fifth grade, May wrote and Libby drew. Their friendship comes to a drastic halt when Libby passes away in a car crash. May thought Princess X died with her best friend, but apparently, Princess X is very much alive.
Here's a quote I like from the book, that I actually wrote down:
I really liked that detail.
So, concerning the story, junk got real very fast. No lie, page nine hits the reader clean in the face. Pfft, it probably rearranged your nose.
I thought I knew who the great antagonist, Mr. Needleman, was but I was wrong!
CHARACTERS:
I liked reading about these characters a lot.
May was likable but a bit bland. Of course, she knew that as well because Libby's the one who brought liveliness to their lives.
Libby's half-Asian (half-Japanese to be exact) so there's 50¢ of diversity. But, she dies in the first ten pages so...
Anyway, I liked Libby a lot, to the point, I wished she would have narrated the story. For me, May could've been Princess X and let Libby shine by herself. Also, there was so little reaction for Libby's dad.
Patrick was a lot of fun!
My favorite would have to have been Jackdaw! He seemed a bit like an anti-hero. I don't know many people who would have done as much as he did.
OVERALL:
A pretty good thriller with a few surprises, 4 out of 5 stars! I wanted a cupcake more of suspense, but I acknowledge I had to read this book quickly (before its due date). Maybe I needed more time to ruminate on the ending. And for those who don't enjoy it, there was NO ROMANCE.
I recommend this book for any teen, though some of the hacking/computer stuff could possibly make someone paranoid.
STORY:
"The princess became their alter ego, their avatar, their third best friend" (pg 8).
In I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (256 pages), May and Libby bond over Princess X a character they mutually created in fifth grade, May wrote and Libby drew. Their friendship comes to a drastic halt when Libby passes away in a car crash. May thought Princess X died with her best friend, but apparently, Princess X is very much alive.
"Nobody ever... (pg 172)" [I forgot to write down my favorite quote from the book in its entirety, and I've already given the book back to the library. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ ]
Here's a quote I like from the book, that I actually wrote down:
"The cement turned a satisfying cherry red, like the pavement was bleeding" (pg 1).
I really liked that detail.
So, concerning the story, junk got real very fast. No lie, page nine hits the reader clean in the face. Pfft, it probably rearranged your nose.
I thought I knew who the great antagonist, Mr. Needleman, was but I was wrong!
CHARACTERS:
I liked reading about these characters a lot.
May was likable but a bit bland. Of course, she knew that as well because Libby's the one who brought liveliness to their lives.
Libby's half-Asian (half-Japanese to be exact) so there's 50¢ of diversity. But, she dies in the first ten pages so...
Anyway, I liked Libby a lot, to the point, I wished she would have narrated the story. For me, May could've been Princess X and let Libby shine by herself. Also, there was so little reaction for Libby's dad.
Patrick was a lot of fun!
My favorite would have to have been Jackdaw! He seemed a bit like an anti-hero. I don't know many people who would have done as much as he did.
OVERALL:
A pretty good thriller with a few surprises, 4 out of 5 stars! I wanted a cupcake more of suspense, but I acknowledge I had to read this book quickly (before its due date). Maybe I needed more time to ruminate on the ending. And for those who don't enjoy it, there was NO ROMANCE.
I recommend this book for any teen, though some of the hacking/computer stuff could possibly make someone paranoid.
Boy X by Dan Smith (274 pages), started off terribly slow. I picked this book solely off of its cover because the main character looked like a person of color. I am always ecstatic for some diverse fiction.
STORY:
I was not super enthused with the beginning. It felt like a lot of telling and not enough showing. Also, Isabel just magically appeared like, "Hey boo, I'm 'bout to be a main character." I understand Ash, the actual main character, did not know anyone, and the first person he saw was her, but I wish their introduction would have been more imaginative.
This is a really dark book for kids due to all the deaths, viruses, and again that dystopian flavor. For me, it teeters between Young Adult and Children's Fiction because the subject matter is mature, but the writing itself seems like it's catered to a younger audience than teens.
CHARACTERS:
Ash starts out as a confused kid who does not know anything or himself, really. To be honest, nothing jumped out to me about Ash's personality. He was somewhat like a reader-insert because he behaved how the average person would with his circumstances. With that being said, I did not dislike them and I thought his "I am Ash McCarthy" mantra was cute.
Besides Isabel'sboring uneventful introduction, I liked her. She's been dealt a crazy situation and tries to maneuver through it while being Ash's emotional support. She was not a damsel-in-distress either.
OVERALL:
It took at least a hundred pages for this book to become exciting. I almost dropped it on page 83, but I am glad I stuck with it.
The reveal of what Ash's mother was really working on in the laboratory, from the mouth of the least-expected person, kept my interest. I think Boy X's strength was in its climatic moments, which is ironic because most books have better build-ups and bad climaxes
"It might help if there is someone to share it with you, someone to strengthen you, but sometimes you have to accept things for what they are- learn to live with them" (pg 51).
STORY:
I was not super enthused with the beginning. It felt like a lot of telling and not enough showing. Also, Isabel just magically appeared like, "Hey boo, I'm 'bout to be a main character." I understand Ash, the actual main character, did not know anyone, and the first person he saw was her, but I wish their introduction would have been more imaginative.
This is a really dark book for kids due to all the deaths, viruses, and again that dystopian flavor. For me, it teeters between Young Adult and Children's Fiction because the subject matter is mature, but the writing itself seems like it's catered to a younger audience than teens.
CHARACTERS:
Ash starts out as a confused kid who does not know anything or himself, really. To be honest, nothing jumped out to me about Ash's personality. He was somewhat like a reader-insert because he behaved how the average person would with his circumstances. With that being said, I did not dislike them and I thought his "I am Ash McCarthy" mantra was cute.
Besides Isabel's
OVERALL:
"Like a superhero?"
"No." He felt embarrassed at the suggestion. "Not like that. More like..." He tried to think of a way to explain it. "More like when you play a video game for the second time and it lets you keep all the upgrades" (pg 124).
It took at least a hundred pages for this book to become exciting. I almost dropped it on page 83, but I am glad I stuck with it.
The reveal of what Ash's mother was really working on in the laboratory, from the mouth of the least-expected person, kept my interest. I think Boy X's strength was in its climatic moments, which is ironic because most books have better build-ups and bad climaxes
Beautiful, gorgeous artwork and character designs! Unfortunately, Olive is very dull but Maps is a cutie!
This book started off a little meh to me, and there are some cringy moments. Also, I think I glossed over the part where Mio starts calling her sword he/him, which is fine because that humanizes it.
STORY:
In The Name of the Blade by Zoë Marriott (368 pages), Mio takes her deceased grandfather's katana (Japanese long sword; think samurai) to a costume party as a part of her Rukia cosplay. Guess what? It was not a good idea, as it births a bunch of evil and dreams.
Dreams play a big part in this story (I know the dreams trope is cliche but a little fantasy never hurt), and I like that because I generally enjoy stories where the character finds a connection between their dreams and the real world. Something that happened that was equally cliche and not really a spoiler was the arrival of the warrior, Shinobu. And yes, I enjoy the main character's inanimate object turns into a human and becomes their partner or potential love interest trope as well.
We were the night itself" (pg 346).
The Name of the Blade is an okay book. Nothing that's going to make you do cartwheels, but a good read for a lazy afternoon. If you are into Asian folklore, specifically Japanese, there are a lot yokai present like nine-tailed kitsunes (foxes) and Nekomata.
I am not super-inclined to read the sequels, but a small part of me wants to see if Mio and her dad's relationship will get better/worse and what happens with Shinobu afterward.
STORY:
"You will do what is necessary," said Shinobu, not a trace of doubt in his voice. "You will do what must be done. And you will do what is right. You will always do what is right, Mio" (pg 297).
In The Name of the Blade by Zoë Marriott (368 pages), Mio takes her deceased grandfather's katana (Japanese long sword; think samurai) to a costume party as a part of her Rukia cosplay. Guess what? It was not a good idea, as it births a bunch of evil and dreams.
Dreams play a big part in this story (I know the dreams trope is cliche but a little fantasy never hurt), and I like that because I generally enjoy stories where the character finds a connection between their dreams and the real world. Something that happened that was equally cliche and not really a spoiler was the arrival of the warrior, Shinobu. And yes, I enjoy the main character's inanimate object turns into a human and becomes their partner or potential love interest trope as well.
We were the night itself" (pg 346).
The Name of the Blade is an okay book. Nothing that's going to make you do cartwheels, but a good read for a lazy afternoon. If you are into Asian folklore, specifically Japanese, there are a lot yokai present like nine-tailed kitsunes (foxes) and Nekomata.
I am not super-inclined to read the sequels, but a small part of me wants to see if Mio and her dad's relationship will get better/worse and what happens with Shinobu afterward.
I couldn't get into this story, but the artwork was perfect! Drake was the cutest character, a lovely shy guy. As far as Ashton and Margret, well, I didn't like either of them.