Title: Nothing But the Truth
Author: Avi
Pages: 203
Publication: First published in1991, current version published on January 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Summary taken from goodreads:
3 STARS - I LIKED IT ENOUGHIn this thought-provoking examination of freedom, patriotism, and respect, ninth-grader, Philip Malloy, is kept from joining the track team by his failing grades in English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, Philip concocts a plan to get transferred out of her class. Breaking the school's policy of silence during the national anthem, he hums along, an...moreIn this thought-provoking examination of freedom, patriotism, and respect, ninth-grader, Philip Malloy, is kept from joining the track team by his failing grades in English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, Philip concocts a plan to get transferred out of her class. Breaking the school's policy of silence during the national anthem, he hums along, and ends up in a crisis at the center of the nation's attention.
MY REVIEW: WARNING: THIS IS SLIGHTLY SPOILER-ISH
Omg, the ending!And no, the ending wasn't a cliffhanger. It was just the way the plot kept on building up and becoming even more complicated as time went on in the story that you're wondering how it'll all end, and then, BAM! It's over. No resolution.
At first, I was outraged that it ended just like that. I had expected a happily ever after most middle grade/young adult books I've read recently. And really, after all of the events escalated in the book, I wanted to see how the author would fix everything in the end.
But, after thinking it over, I think Avi made the right decision leaving the ending as it is because, like what it says on the cover, this is a documentary novel, and sometimes, life doesn't end with a happily ever after. Sometimes, you're left with just a sad scene that has a lasting impact in your life.
Anyway, other than the ending, I liked the rest of the book enough. The writing style was interestingly different --told in memos and transcripts of conversations-- and the characters were very realistic. You could understand their motivations and reasoning easily from early on in the book.
Title: Plain Kate
Author: Erin Bow
Pages: 314
Publication: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Arther A. Levine Books
Summary taken from goodreads:
The drizzle had broken into patches as they walked. As Drina scooped up the pale sand, Kate found herself standing in the smudge of shadow cast by the deadfall. She had never before noticed the way shadows gave things weight, made them look heavy and real and connected to the ground. Without hers...
She edged into the light. Her shadow looked strange and thinned. It seemed not cast against the ground, but floating above it, like a fog. What Linay had said was true: No one would notice this, at first. It was just an uneasy little change, like the half-felt movement of a boat that slowly induces a great sickness.
Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden talismans are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade”: a dangerous nickname in a country where witches are hunted and burned in the square. For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.
Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the angry town, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.
3 STARS - I LIKED IT ENOUGH
MY REVIEW:I would love to have a cat like Taggle. That is all. :D
Title: Don't Die, Dragonfly (The Seer, #1)
Author: Linda Joy Singleton
Pages: 288
Publication: September 1, 2004
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Summary taken from goodreads:
After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco.
Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger.
2 STARS - IT WAS OKAY
MY REVIEW:It was okay. Kind of predictable. Knew how everything was going to end up after the first few chapters.
Title: Standing Against the Wind
Author: Traci Jones
Pages: 208
Publication: January 10, 2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Summary taken from goodreads:
Patrice Williams was happy living in Georgia with her grandmother, then her mother lured her to Chicago and ended up in jail. Living in the projects, Patrice is an easy target for everyone. Not only won’t she stand up for herself, she cares about her grades—unlike her classmates. But that draws the attention of Monty Freeman, another eighth grader who asks Patrice to tutor his little brother. When Monty becomes her guardian angel, Patrice begins to think something stronger than friendship might be growing between them. Still, nothing will stop her from applying for a scholarship at prestigious Dogwood Academy—except her mother.
4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT
MY REVIEW:A short story that had great characters, a believable plot, and stuck true with the time period.
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