The writing in this book is so beautiful. It is written simply enough to be easily understood and followed, but the language used is just perfection. The story is lovely and the many lessons woven into the plot are delivered so incredibly well.

The inspiration from Chinese folklore is woven together with an original story in a way that brings forth a modern Aesop feel. The main tale is constructed with several off shoots to smaller stories, much like the construction of Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle and the result is just magical and ethereal.

The characters are lovely and somewhat flawed, but all given the opportunity for a redemption arc. Without fail, each character is constructed in a way that makes them feel real, full of emotion and logical progression. They are believable and yet the overwhelming feeling of the story is something beyond this world.

I loved reading this book so much. It will definitely be one I will have on my own shelves and one that will go into my list of permanent recommendations.

This was a reread of a childhood favorite that I hadn't revisited in over thirty years. And I still loved it. Something like a female, tropical version of Hatchet, the plot was adventurous and atmospheric. I learned this time around that the story is actually based on a real historical figure, an indigenous woman who was left alone on one of California's channel islands. I also learned that there is a follow-up novel. WHAT?!?!?! Why did I not know this sooner? Needless to say, I will be tracking that down and reading it soon.

This is a fantastic middle grade book in terms of strong female protagonist. Karana is amazing. I found myself several times thinking, well...I'd be dead. Girl has got some skills.

Could I go for an adult version of this trope? Yes...yes I could. True, there is a lot of nostalgia attached to my rating of this book, but I still found it to be a fantastic middle grade level read. The writing isn't overly complex, but fits the story well. There is a great handle on description and things just made sense. I loved the animal interactions and the humanity that Karana shows (along with her introspection) despite being young and basically abandoned. There are a lot of good lessons in this narrative and I think it still holds up really well. I will be reading it to my kids in the future and I will continue to push it as a middle grade favorite.

Very well written novel. It speaks like a memoir. I will admit though, it was hard to read at some points. I felt so bad for Hadley. She seemed like a wonderful girl, but she just let Ernest walk all over her. She was so understanding...when I felt she should have stood up for herself more than once in a while. I think that making me feel so passionately about the characters is what made me like this book so much.

READ THIS BOOK. The story is sweet and simple...it's not too cutesy or too dramatic and there is no trying to hard. It just reads easy. It is great as young adult fiction, but it reads very well for adults as well. I loved this book. I read it all in one sitting and more or less bawled my eyes out. For the full review: http://erraticprojectjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-boty-fault-in-our-stars-by-john.html

This was one of those series where the sequel actually held up. Thank goodness. I loved this book almost as much as the first one. Unfortunately, I didn't have the third book immediately handy, so I found myself wanting to hold off on finishing. I put off reading it because I didn't want to get stuck with a cliffhanger. And while I do want to read the third one pretty badly, I have to say that the way it ended didn't royally frustrate me. Thank goodness again. I'm very impressed by Veronica Roth's writing. I'm really hoping that the wrap up of this series doesn't disappoint because the first two have set the bar nice and high.

I loved this book! My heart was in my throat most of the time and it very nearly made me cry, but the potential pain was totally worth it. This is one of those books that goes to the top of the list to read over and over again.

Wow. I loved this so much. A very honest portrait of a child with a disability. This is so lovely and so heart-wrenching at the same time. August is the best character. He is such a great example of taking what comes and learning to live the best with it. Very inspirational story. Definitely one to read to the kids.

This book was better than I had hoped for and that's saying quite a bit. I'd been looking forward to this read for a few years and finally pushed it to the top of the TBR. It was the perfect read for the pre-Halloween season. It's brilliant and breezy, a quick read with great detail and a fabulous creation of an alternative "normal". Fingers crossed that the whole trilogy holds out with the same intensity and greatness.