The Son Of Neptune

As I said in last weeks blog, I’m reading an awesome book and that is the exact awesome book I shall review this week. Your probably saying “tell us the book already!” or well actually scratch that, your probably thinking it because people will possibly think your mad for shouting at a computer screen. It actually thee second one of a book I have already reviewed. So now It’s a sequel. I love the word it’s so funny sounding. Anywho, where was I? awh yes. Wow, I just realized something. It seems I’m actually writing this in speech form. I must be mad, talking to myself, and I know that because I’m learning it in English. Oh yes. WHO’S NOT LISTENING NOW, MISS. TELLING ME I DON’T LISTEN BECAUSE THE MOMENT YOU LOOKED AT ME I WAS ASKING THE GIRL NEXT TO ME THE TIME!!!!

Okay, I’m getting off track. Apologies. Here’s your review.

The name of the book I have read for two weeks, go’s by the name of, The Hero’s Of Olympus: The Son Of Neptune. As I said it’s a sequel and it’s just as awesome as I said. Maybe even as awesome as the first one. Maybe. Possibly. Yes. Even though The Lost Hero was amazing! The Son Of Neptune seems to have had me stuck in just a tiny bit more.

In The Lost Hero, three demi gods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:

Seven half-blood shall answer the call, 
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath, 
And foes bear arms to the Doors of death.

Who are the other four mentioned in the prophesy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea…

With an ever-expanding cast of brave-hearted heroes and formidable foes, this second book in the Heroes of Olympus series offers all of the action, pathos, and humor that Rick Riordan fans crave.

If your interested in this in anyway. Which you should be, but in every way possible. Here is a link to read the first chapter.  http://www.rickriordan.com/Files/Documents/Son_of_Neptune_preview.pdf

I have to say Rick Riordan is absolutely bonkers, completely mad. But he is also amazing! I seriously don’t know how he has written so many books and made every single one as amazing as the last. It’s unbelievable.

“The thing about plummeting downhill at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter - if you realise it’s a bad idea when you’re halfway down, it’s too late.”

“What? You run? Coward! Stand still and die!”
Percy had no intention of doing that.”

“Would Grandmother scold him? Would she say, “Frank! Thank the gods, you've come. I’m surrounded by monsters.”
More likely she’d scold him, or mistake them for intruders and chase them off with a frying pan.”

I recommend this book and the one before, to ten’s and up. I would give it nine out of ten stars. It was amazing and I can’t wait for the next book!!! I have so many questions!!!

I hate waiting.

The Outsiders

At the moment I reading an amazing book but unfortunately I’m not finished it yet so I can’t write a review on it this week. But of coarse I still bought another new book at the weekend, I guess its just a hobbit. I apologies but I love saying that, I say it every chance I get. Okay back to writing my blog. So I haven’t actually finished a full book for this week, but don’t worry I’m still going to write a review.

So I've decided to write a review on a book I read in English. I know usually the books they make you read in school are usually really boring, dull and you hate every moment of having to read it, not to mention when reading it you want to throw in in a box, lock it with a thousand chains, cast it out to sea and hope a shark finds it, thinks it’s a fish and tier it to pieces (maybe, just maybe that was a bit over dramatic).

BUT! In this case I loved every last moment of this book. It was amazing I can’t even express how much I loved this book. I actually finished the book before everybody else in the class for technically I read the book twice. I think I should start review the book now.


So this week I’m going to review The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. It’s an amazing read. I have to say I’m very surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I would definitely read it again. It’s full of action and adventure.

Ponyboy Curtis belongs to a lower-class group of Oklahoma youths who call themselves Greasers because of their greasy long hair. Waking home from a movie, Ponyboy is attacked by a group of Socs, the Greasers’ rivals, who are upper-class youths from the west side of town. The Socs, short for socials, gang up on Ponyboy and threaten to slit his throat. A group of greasers comes and chases the bullies away, saving Ponyboy. Ponyboy’s rescuers include his brother soda pop, a charming, handsome high-school dropout, and Darry, Ponyboy’s oldest brother (Darry assumed responsibility for his brothers when their parents were killed in a car crash). The rest of the greasers who come to Ponyboy’s rescue are Johnny, a sensitive sixteen-year-old; Dally, a hardened street hood with a long criminal record; Steve, soda pop’s best friend; and two-bit, the oldest and funniest group member.

I can’t tell you anything else about the book or I’d rune it for you but I can tell you its AMAZING! It is very funny. I love Hinton’s use of nicknames and teen language makes this a true to life reading experience and you will end up rooting for the group you wouldn’t root for in real life--the Greasers.


“You can’t win. You know that, don’t you? It doesn't matter if you whip us, you’ll still be where you were before, at the bottom. And we’ll still be the lucky ones at the top with all the breaks. It doesn't matter. Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs. It doesn't matter.”

“Shoot, this house ain’t dirty. You ought to see my house.”
“I have and if you had the sense of a billy goat. You’d clean your house up ‘stead of dummin’ ‘round ours”
“Shoot kid, if I did that, my mom would die of shock.”

“Don’t you know a rumble ain't a rumble without me!”

Over all I loved this book! I would recommend this book to thirteen and up. I would give this book ten out of five. It was amazing, funny with lots of action adventure.

(The movies equally as amazing!)

The Grimm Legacy

I read The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman. that’s quite an strange and lovely name and I think she should have put it in the book. It’s a very Interesting name and It would have been intriguing to read that it was one of the characters. I loved to read a sentence saying “Run away!”, screamed Polly Shulman or “who’s your favourite, luigi or Mario?”, questioned Polly.

Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales; seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye. Snow White’s step mother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime or captured by the thief.

I had actually picked out this book a few weeks ago, Its cover caught my eye. So last week I got it and only after I had bought it had I read the back to see what it was about. It sounded good and exciting and it was. There was suspense in some parts but not many.

There are a few things I didn’t like about the book unfortunately, flaws it had. The plot was quite weak and it was very slow until about 100 pages in. there was as much action as I hoped for. It seemed more of a teenage book more than an exciting fantasy book. It actually took some effort to finish it. I would be sitting in bed and I’d be wide awake, I’d pick up the book, read it and then suddenly couldn’t keep my eyes open it would be straight off to sleep.

"The one who asks questions does not lose his way”

“Good,” said Dr. Rust. “Take Elizabeth up to stack nine and show her the ropes.”
“But the ropes are on stack two.”
“I mean metaphorically.”

I’m not saying the book was exactly bad, it just wasn’t very good. It was still funny, there was a bit of suspense. You see I love fairy tales and the Grimm Brothers fairy tales are the best so reading about some of my favourites was good.

Also I had to write a short story about a modern fairy tale in English and I have to say this book gave me some ideas so hopefully I get a good grade on it. Over all it was good book.

I would recommend this book to more a younger age maybe ten and up. They would probably find it more interesting than a fourteen or fifth teen year old. I would have to give this book 8 out of ten stars. I think that Polly Shulman did a very good job at this book and I have to say the illustrations for the cover were incredible.

If you like magic, mystery and fairy tales mixed into reality then this is the book for you.

Coraline

Do you like books about mystery, adventure and another world were you other mother wants to love and keep you forever and wants to sew buttons into your eyes? If so I have the perfect book for you including all of these things. My favourite Neil Gaiman novel, Coraline. This is an Tremendous book I would definitely recommend you do NOT read this at night in the darkness on your room. I assure you if you do you will find yourself trembling under your bed wishing you took my advice.

Coraline Jones is a very ‘different’ She and her parents move into an old queen Anne style house that has been subdivided into four flats. The other tenants include Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, two elderly women retired from the stage, and Mr. Bobo, who is training a mouse circus. The flat side coraline’s remains empty.

Coraline is a fantasy tale in which Coraline Jones, a smart, feisty and inquisitive young girl, home from school for the summer holidays finds herself very bored indeed. Puzzled by a mysterious locked door in her new home, she finds the key and unlocks it - only to find a strange parallel world concealed behind it. A world which mirrors and distorts her own. Going through the door leads Coraline into a series of adventures which are both fantastical and frightening…

“I don’t want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted just like that and it didn’t mean anything? What then?” 

“We…we could be friends.

We COULD be rare specimens of an exotic breed of dancing African elephants, but we’re not. At least, I’M not.”

“The names are the first thing to go, after the breath has gone, and the beating of the heart. We keep our memories longer then our names.”

“When your scared, but you do it anyway, that’s brave.”

I would write about my favourite character but I can’t because you see I watched the movie way before I read the book, so  Wyborne 'wybie' has always been my favourite. He has always been my favourite so when I found out he wasn’t actually in the book I nearly didn’t even read it. So I’m recommending you read the book then watch the movie.

I would say ages eleven and up would love this book. It is quite spooky but funny. When your finished you will be wandering what go’s on in Neil Gaiman’s head half the time. I have to include thee illustrations were mind-blowing! Dave McKean captured the moments off the scenes remarkably.

I usually don’t say this but, actually scratch that I have NEVER said this but unfortunately this time the movie was better than the book. I’m so ashamed.. I’m going to go and sit with my head down in shame…

(Shhh.. But I have always loved that movie and there is no way the book could have been better! Its scary but amazingly awesome)

The Dead Of Winter

This week I sort of read The Dead Of Winter by Chris Priestley. By sort of I mean that I didn’t technically finish the hole book, I couldn’t actually finish the book. You see I read before I go to sleep so that’s around eleven o’clock, but this book was a Gothic horror so it was quite scary. I’m terrible when it comes to horror movies. This is the first horror novel I’ve come across so far. I usually read books that have a bit of comedy in them but this book was not one bit funny.

This book is about a boy called Michael Vyner who recalls a terrible story, one that happened to him. Michael’s parents are dead, his mother by an illness and his father in the war sacrificing himself to save a friend. After his mother’s funeral he goes to stay with the kindly lawyer, executor of his parents’ will… Until he is invited to spend Christmas with his guardian in a large and desolate country house. When he arrives he sees something not quite right when he sees a woman in the mists who mysteriously disappears. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself as he is kept from his guardian and finds himself spending the Christmas holiday wandering the silent corridors of the house seeking distraction. But lonely doesn't mean alone, as Michael soon realises that the house and its grounds harbour many secrets, dead and alive, and Michael is set the task of unravelling some of the darkest secrets of all.

When ever I read the book I got scared, the details where so exact, so it was like when I looked my eyes I could see what was happening. I get extremely scared at horror movies and so I thought that by reading a horror novel it wouldn’t be so scary but I was wrong, it was even more scary. I have to say though it was a good book from what I read.

If you’re a fan of horror but don’t like visual gore and sickening descriptions, The Dead Of Winter might just be the book for you. Chris has done an amazing job on this book. This is a nail-biting story of haunting and terror by the master of the genre, Chris Priestley.

Skulduggery Pleasant : Kingdom Of The Wicked

This week I read Skulduggery Pleasant : Kingdom Of The Wicked by Derek Landy. Six hundred and seven pages of complete genius. I bought It on Monday and finished on Thursday because I was going to meet Derek Landy on Saturday. I’ve actually never finished a book so fast ever but I’m not surprised because I love his books. I was way to exited to meet him so I had to finish the book so I could ask him questions, plus after I get the book signed by him I will never let another living soul touch it.

This skulduggery Pleasant was about a new breed of sorcerers. All over Dublin normal people with no magic at all are gaining wild and unstable powers over night. Some powers like becoming a werewolf or thinking there a butterfly.
But then there is a way bigger problem called Kitana. A normal seventeen year old girl who with her friends have been infected with these unstable powers. They become corrupted by the power of the gods and are going to tear the city apart if someone does not stop them. Looks like it's going to be another one of those days for Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain.

I have read lots and I mean LOTS of series’ of books, but I have to say that Skulduggery Pleasant will always be my favourite. I loved death bringer the most out of the series but this on comes in a close second. It was amazing thought, not even amazing it was EXTRAORDINARYLY amazing!

I could not put this book down at all. When I woke up I would read for an hour or two. Then if we went somewhere in the car I would have read. Then while I wait for dinner to cook I would of went up to my room and until it was ready, then of coarse when I go to bed I would read at least fifty page before going to sleep.

My favourite character would have to be Ghastly Bespoke who has scars all over his face. Ghastly is a trailer who makes clothes and suits for sorcerers. But these clothes are they armour so they protect you from injures. He is completely awesome and is super funny. He can be very stubborn but is mostly good-natured. He is kind and caring. Although he is gifted with the use of magic, he prefers fighting with his fists and would probably rather live a normal life without magic if he could.

Some of my favourite quotes are:

“Emergency Valve Regulators,” she repeated. “So you do know what your doing?”
“Not really,” he said yanking another wire. ‘I made up that term to keep you happy. I’m just pulling all the red wires because they’re the pretty ones”.

“you look angry,” he said.
“you put me on hold.”
“for a very good reason.”
“you put me,” she said very, very slowly, “on hold.”

“You’ve done what?”
“I know,” he said. “You’re impressed. You send me out for bread and I come back with a boy. Well, not literally. That would be weird. Even for me.” 

Derek Landy was my first favourite author and after reading over fifty books he still is. I would recommend  this book to elevens and up and would give it ten out of ten. I can not wait for the next book!!!

When I met Derek Landy on Saturday I asked a lot of questions, like if you poked Skulduggery in the eye would it hurt him, since he’s already dead. Before we left he said that he was only going to write three more books and I nearly died to the thought of the books ending. Derek also said that the theme of the next book will be war. That all the characters will come back, resolve things and a lot of people will die. I can’t wait to read the next book but until then I am going to re-read some of the Skulduggery Pleasant books.

                   

The Graveyard Book

This week I read Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard book. Which my cousin picked out for me to read at Chapters the biggest and best book shop in Ireland. I actually stayed up till  half three finishing the book and It was amazing, I have to say it was one of the best single books I’ve read. It was really good at the start because I was in complete suspense but then by the middle it gets a little slow. The ending is the best part though.

The Graveyard Book is about a boy called Nobody Owens, Bod for short, who is a normal boy. Well he would be a normal boy is he didn’t live in a graveyard being raised and educated by ghosts. They found Bod who had wandered into the graveyard as a baby minutes after his family had been murdered by Jack. Bod was then claimed by the graveyard, so the ghosts could protect him. Even though the are dangers and adventures for him in the graveyard, Jack still lurks out in the real world waiting for Nobody Owens.

I was quite sad when it ended. I would have loved if it had been longer or even a sequel to the fascinating novel. I would definitely read  it again.

One of my favourite characters would be Silas. Silas is Bods’ guardian. He isn’t exactly dead but he’s not alive. that’s one of the things I found quite interesting about him, he is very mysterious. Apart from providing food for him Silas is also his teacher. He is the kind of teacher who may seem demanding now and then but is always thinking for your interest at heart. Silas disappears from time to time going places. Apart from Nobody he is the most interesting. It would be absolutely mind-blowing if Neil Gaiman wrote the life story of Silas.

Neil is an astonishing writer, I never heard of him before I read The Graveyard Book. Usually after I read a book and write my review I look up the author and see what other books they wrote, but because this novel was so great I couldn’t wait. I was amazed to find out the he had wrote Coraline and Stardust, I’m actually going to go out and buy them. I can’t wait to read them because he put so much detail into this book and I love the way it was adventurous and exhilarating but also scary from time to time.

“Jack leaned over, raised his right hand, the one holding the knife, and he aimed for the chest… and then he lowered his hand. The shape in the crib was a teddy bear. There was no child.”

“He couldn’t push the minds of the dead as he could the living, but he could use all the tools of flattery he possessed, for the dead are not immune to either.”

“Silas went out for one final journey before sunrise. He found the tall house on the side of the hill, and he examined the three bodies he found there, and examined the pattern of the knife-wounds.”

I would recommend this book to ages nine and up its one book you can’t live without reading. I would give this novel ten out of ten.

I am buzzing to read more of Neil Gaiman’s novels.