Thursday, July 26, 2012

Mini Review: The Last Dragon, 12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn, and Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

Title: The Last Dragon
Author: Jane Yolen, Rebecca Guay
Pages: 141
Publication: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Summary taken from goodreads: 
Master storyteller Jane Yolen (Owl Moon, Sword of the Rightful King) and celebrated fantasy artist Rebecca Guay (Swamp Thing, Magic: The Gathering) weave a textured and lyrical tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way.Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew -- with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.
2 STARS - IT WAS OKAY

MY REVIEW: 

The beginning really wasn't that interesting, so it took me a while to get into the story.

Most of the characters were really two-dimensional and uninteresting, so that also made it hard for me to want to finish reading this graphic novel.

On the bright side, the art was interesting, and I loved the colors and shading.




Title: 12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn
Author: James Proimos
Pages: 128
Publication: November 8, 2011 
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Summary taken from goodreads: 
It’s Wes Anderson meets Holden Caufield in this wry and funny novel about a boy who is sent to live with his uncle when his father (a bestselling self-help author) dies.  
James “Hercules” Martino has until the end of the summer (a.k.a. two weeks) to accomplish the twelve tasks given to him by his Uncle Anthony. The tasks will take him to the far reaches of Baltimore, lead him to a Beautiful and Unattainable Women, and change the way he sees his past, present and future.
3 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

This was one insanely quick read.

Herc was a pretty cool protagonist, always chill and nonchalant about most things while simultaneously being hilarious and clever when he spoke. His relationship with his uncle was funnily endearing.

My only problem was the whole love at first sight thing in the beginning. Luckily, he learned his lesson. Or something.  




Title: Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Edited by: Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
Pages: 403
Publication: August 1, 2009 
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Summary taken from goodreads: 
Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside) and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr. 
With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!
2.5 STARS - I LIKED IT ENOUGH

MY REVIEW: 

Maybe it was because I wasn't in the right mood when I read most of the stories, since it was really hard to connect or like half of the characters.

These were my favorites:
One of Us by Tracy Lynn
Quiz Bowl Antichrist by David Levithan
The Quiet Knight by Garth Nix
Freak the Geek by John Green
The Truth About Dino Girl by Barry Lyga
This is My Audition Monologue by Sara Zarr
The Stars at the Finish Line by Wendy Mass

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