Catching Fire

     Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is an incredible read.  I usually hate sequels because they are pale imitations of the original, but this book is even better than The Hunger Games.  I read this book in a day because I could not put it down.
     Catching Fire starts a few months after The Hunger Games have ended.  Katniss and Peeta live next door to one another in the Victory Circle, but are further apart than they were during the games.  They rarely talk to one another anymore and Katniss is confused about her feelings for Gale and Peeta.
     President Snow appears unexpectedly to threaten Katniss' family if Katniss does not stop the rebelling colonies.  When Peeta hears the threats, he proposes to her and the two spend their victory tour acting madly in love.  When they fail, President Snow determines the Quarter Quell tributes will be reaped from the victors in each district.  Katniss and Peeta reenter the arena.
     The new arena brings new threats and new opponents inside the arena; forces outside the arena are controlling Katniss and Peeta in ways they can not understand.  Tick Tock, the countdown begins.
     This book is action packed but character driven.  I could not stop reading this book.  I was surprised by the plot twists and the way everything fit into the bigger scheme behind the scenes.
     My favorite part was seeing Katniss' wedding dress transform into the Mockingjay dress.  I was proud of Cinna for taking a stand, even though it cost him his life.
     This book made me think about life.  Where is the line between following the law and standing up against corruption?  How do we decide who to trust?  What is worth sacrificing my life?  What is love?  What am I willing to sacrifice for the people I love?
     This book is a must-read, especially if you already loved Katniss and Peeta.        

The Hunger Games

     I really liked The Hunger Games.  Although it is hard to be in such a bleak and brutal world where children are forced to kill one another, it is a book you can't put down.
     This dystopian world seems too close to reality for my comfort.  Seeing people beat each other at sporting events, voting for our favorites on reality t.v. shows, and our love of action and violence today isn't far from The Hunger Games tomorrow.
     My favorite part was when Katniss put the poisonous berries in her mouth to save Peeta and force the government to back down.  I love Little Rue and cry every time she dies and Katniss sings her to "sleep."  I was thrilled to learn how Peeta survived his attack in the water and loved how he used his talent to survive.  I also liked Cinna and the beautiful costumes he designed for Katniss and Peeta.
     My least favorite part was finding out the government stooped so low as to use the bodies and minds of the dead children to create muttations.  This part of the book disgusts and depresses me.
     It is a great read, especially in the fact there is so much to think about after you read it.  You won't be the same person you were before you read the book.

Among the Imposters

     Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix is the second book in the Shadow Children Sequence.  I don't usually like sequels.  This one is pretty good, but not as good as Among the Hidden.  The story gets off to a slow start, but once you make it to the middle of the book, it is hard to put down.
     In this book, Luke has taken on his new identity as Lee Grant and placed in a boy's boarding school.  Luke is scared, lonely, and confused about everything in his life.  During the day he wanders aimlessly from room to room trying to find his classes.  At night he is bullied by the older boys.  Life is miserable until Luke sees an open door and risks his life escaping.  Now he puts his life in the hands of the kids he discovers.  Who should he trust with his secret?
     I didn't like Luke as much in this book because he acted so differently.  I fell in love with him in the first book.  I was excited to see him escape and have a better life, so it was hard to watch him get bullied and do nothing.  Even though Luke loved being outside in the first book, his love of gardening was never shown, so it was hard for me to believe he would risk his life over a garden, now.
     To show us how Luke's confusion, the author makes all of the kids blend together, including names that change.  This was interesting as a writer, but it also made it difficult to attach to any of the characters.  When the dramatic betrayal was happening, I didn't care very much because I didn't even know the boys' names.
     This book is a short, exciting read at 172 pages.  I recommend this book if you have read Among the Hidden.  This series needs to be read in order to make sense.  

The Titan's Curse

     The Titan's Curse is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.  It wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it was still fun to read.
     One of the problems I had was the number of new characters to keep track of in this book.  Thalia joins Grover, Percy, and Annabeth in rescuing Nico and Bianca di Angelo from a Manticore.  Along with many bad guys, we meet Atlas and the goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis.  We also meet Artemis' hunters, Annabeth's dad, Zoe Nightshade, and Rachel Elizabeth Dare.  Thalia, Bianca, and Zoe seemed too much alike and I kept getting them confused.  With so many new characters, I didn't get attached to anyone like I did in the other two books.
     The quest seemed contrived and I didn't feel the urgency for everyone to make it safely to Mount Othrys.  It also seemed redundant to keep using the solstice as the deadline they faced.
     I did not like the Pegasi and that was disappointing because they are some of my favorite mythological creatures.  I did not like the way Blackie talked in slang that seemed to mimic stereotyped versions of African American speak.  Mr. Riordan could have done a much better job of creating the dialogue for them.  I felt the same way about Percy calling the Ophiotaurus "Bessie."
     I liked the ending surprise.  It fit well with the details in the book and made a surprising shock that I didn't see coming.  I am excited to see how Nico fits into the prophecy in the next book.
     It was an okay book, but not as great as the first two in the series.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

     Can I just say, I love Harry Potter?  I love everything about this kid!
This is the second book in the series and my second favorite in the series.  
     The story is well-developed and unique.  I did not expect the story to go anywhere it did, and it made the ride even more enjoyable.
     The characters are also unique.  I loved the little details J. K. Rowling put into the story to help develop the characters, such as Gilderoy Lockheart's photos running off to hide the curlers in his hair.
     One of my favorite things about J. K. Rowling's writing is how she incorporates powerful moral and ethical lessons without being heavy-handed.  Even as an adult, I read her stories and ponder how these lessons impact my life and the world I live in.
     Although this book has been banned for magic and witchcraft, there isn't anything in the book that would harm kids.  The true reason for the banning may be that the moral and ethical lessons shake up the status quo.   I recommend this book for people of all ages.

Sea of Monsters

     The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan is the second in the series.  Nick and I loved it just as much as The Lightning Thief.
     The characters were still well developed.  We both absolutely LOVED Tyson, the baby Cyclops.  A close second was Rainbow, the Hippocampus.  And a third was the Laistrygonian Dodge Ball Players.
     The Sea of Monsters is a parallel book for The Odyssey.  For my English teacher friends, struggling readers could read The Sea of Monsters, while advanced students read The Odyssey.  Then they could share with someone who read the other novel and compare the two novels.
     I love this book and recommend it to everyone!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

     I want to live in Hogwarts.  I want to see the ghosts and fight trolls and have a snowy owl.  Okay, I love Harry Potter.  Not the movies, but the real Harry from the books.  Especially the young Harry and friends before they turn into moody teenagers.
    This book is one of my all-time favorites.  You know it's a good book when you reread it for probably the tenth time and you still laugh out loud and share lines with the nearest person, even when he is a stranger.
     I love the lessons in the book and can't see why parents object to the book.  What better lessons to learn than loyalty, standing up for what is right - especially against our friends, love, sacrifice, and friendship.
     Dumbledore is an amazing character.  The movies do not do him justice.  His speech before the feast, leading the school song, a flowered hat, and his deep insight and compassion for Harry make him a literary character worth remembering.
     I recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!