Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Title: Fat Cat

Author: Robin Brande

Target Audience: Teen girls over twelve

Pages: Hardcover - 336 pages

Cat is smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves. - summary from Goodreads

After seeing the five gleaming golden stars that Fat Cat has on Amazon, I knew this book was a must read. Yet upon finishing Fat Cat, mixed feelings for this novel raced through my mind. This book is like a chunk of granite, embedded with both pretty and ugly flakes of other rock. Overall, its good qualities marginally dominate the poor ones, making this novel a sweet, light read that managed to alter my own lifestyle.

I was not sure what to make of Cat's personality; There were times when I wanted to scream at her in frustration and times when her decisions confused me. Cat is overweight, siphoning immense quantities of soda and other junk food into her body. When a school project inspires her to change her lifestyle and become healthy, I was surprised by her sudden enthusiasm to undertake it. Before, Cat seemed content with her weight, and her abrupt desire to change seemed strange, especially since this project would be very hard on her body. Though her underlying re­asons do appear later in the novel, the author could have let them flash a little bit in the beginning to let the reader know Cat's motivations.


Later, when Cat refuses to talk to boys, frustration welled up inside of me, because the author presents no reason for her stubborn rudeness towards males. During the majority of the novel, Cat is a complete meanie toward Matt, and the fact how she seems to have no vindication irritates me. When she does reveal the reason much later in the book, it's too late for me to forgive her, even if it justifies her cruel actions. The author tries to make the reason for Cat's hatred a mystery, but she ultimately fails by unnecessarily dragging out the feud until the very end, which achieves nothing other than irking me. Cat fostering such a strong grudge makes me dislike her, especially since the incident that triggered the enmity happened many, many years ago. Matt, on the other hand, is consistently sweet and caring, and Cat's aggressiveness causes me to pity him. 

Besides for Cat, The other characters are three dimensional, well drawn, and brimming with personality. From talented Amanda to jerky Greg, sweet and confused Matt to slimy Nick, the author magically writes an ensemble of characters to life. I found myself either liking or vehemently disliking each character, and feeling immensely protective over Cat's little brother, who is bullied at school.

This book has wholesome morals of intelligence over appearance and being healthy. In fact, Fat Cat inspired me to eat healthy foods, and soon, I found myself avoiding sugary sodas and processed munchies. I read this book a few hours after consuming about ten of my friend's Twixes (at least they were mini), and guiltily thought back to these unhealthy packages of caramel and chocolate while I watched Cat successfully avoid such items. Now, I'm able to always order water at restaurants opposed to sodas, politely decline desert when I'm merely greedy opposed to actually hungry, and limit the amount of candy I consume. Despite Cat's other flaws, she is a good role model, who helped me realize that eating healthy is vital to living a happy and energetic life. She also brought to light my relationship with junky foods. 

"The fact is that candy bars taste great. As do chips and pizza and ice cream and everything else that makes up a modern diet. 

It wasn't just the caffeine and artificial sweeteners that were hard to come off. I swear I had just as bad withdrawals from giving up everything else. Sugar feels very, very good. Some days it seems like it's the only thing that can make you happy.

It's just that sometimes having a few carrots doesn't quite do it for me the way the bag of Doritos or a dozen Oreos used to. I think part of it is psychological - eating real food seems so serious, whereas junk food felt fun.  

But it's not fun how it looks on your afterward. I guess that's the point I need to focus on. And the fact that I definitely do have a lot more energy now than I ever used to. 

But no wonder all does other scientists have had a hard time convincing us to stop eating all the goodies. Nothing says love like a cookie." - page 89

I really enjoyed reading the addicting, cheery novel of Fat Cat, and will probably reread it sometime in the future. This is the type of book I wish I could read again for the first time, since I found much joy while voyaging amidst its pages. While an overweight's person's revelations and emotional journey may sound dull, Cat is an interesting narrator who managed to keep my attention for the whole book.  Fat Cat reminded me of the reason I love reading: I learned so many interesting tidbits without trudging through non fiction text. The author integrates scientific facts and theories throughout the story. Whenever the author inserted an Einestein quote, thrills surged through me, and I appreciated Cat's love of science.

Toward the end of this book, the focus completely shifts to Cat's personal life, and I wished to see more of a conclusion on her project. While I see that the author wants to make a point of how the book is about the effects the project opposed the project itself, I became annoyed, since Cat never says what grade she earns, and if her teacher, who plays a critical roll in the shaping of her project, is satisfied by her efforts, or if she snags the much desired college recommendation letter. I would have rated this book much higher on the hoot scale if the project had more closure.

Cover: 3.5/5 – The bulging book is cute, and I love the rich, velvety purple of the cover. Not many books are purple these days. Other than that, this mediocre cover captures nothing special.

Rating:

3.5 hoots

Books like this:
Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Source: Free from Random Buzzers. Thanks so much! If you haven't already, make sure to check out their website at www.randombuzzers.com for free books, activities, chat forums, and a great book loving community!

 

Other reviews: 

The Book Buzzer

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Title: The Cardturner

Author: Louis Sachar

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: All Ages

Number of Pages: Hardcover- 336 Pages

The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him for his best friend. He has no money and no job. His parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner-whatever that means. Alton's uncle is old, blind, very sick, and very rich. But Alton's parents aren't the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp's good graces. They're competition with his longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family, who seem to have a mysterious influence over him. Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of this own life. Through Alton's wry observations, Louis Sachar explores the disparity between what you know and what you think you know. With his incomparable flair and inventiveness, he examines the elusive differences between perception and reality-and inspires readers to think and think again. -Summary from inside jacket flap

Armed with successful projects like Holes and Small Steps, Louis Sacher really had to work hard to bring something new to the table and please readers with high expectations for The Cardturner. He exceeded my expectations by a long run. While Louis Sacher had a history of crafting great stories with funny, unique, and mesmerizing voice, I must confess I initially thought The Cardturner would just be a 3.5 Hoot novel. In my mind, the synopsis provided assigned the adjectives "simple" and "most-likely-uninteresting" to the book, and so it didn't particularly spark my interest. Hearing of a boy who just turned cards for his rich, blind, uncle in hopes of receiving a load of money in inheritance, seemed like a book with not much prospects. But seeing that the author was Louis Sachar, I at least owed him so much of giving the book a go. Impressively, this novel had really proved itself as I journeyed amidst its pages and I am ashamed for even questioning it.

You would think that a book about the card game bridge would be incredibly boring and slow. Well, it is quite the contrary so erase the very thought immediately. Sachar truly has a gift for storytelling, for the story is quite captivating for readers even if they don't know the first thing about bridge and he made the game itself intriguing. He expresses the point that it is not just any other ordinary card game, it is one that requires strategic thinking, efficient communication with your partner, and the right mind set. The story is told through the perspective of Alton Richards, and so as Alton learns the many rules of bridge, you as a reader learns them too. Sachar interlaces a story of manipulation, secrets, fulfilling deeds, and friendship with simple, technical bridge descriptions. The bridge jabber is easy enough to understand and Alton even gives you the option to skip the "bridge manual" parts by providing a basic summary box at the end of the chapter for those who couldn't care less about the game. Personally, I find it quite interesting and Sachar words the explanations nicely so that I am able to follow along with ease. Actually after I read the book, I really wanted to put his directions to the test and attempt to play it myself.

Sachar is proclaimed for his wonderful yet wry sense of humor and in The Cardturner, he doesn't disappoint. The chapters are short and keep you turning the pages. And like I said before, Louis Sachar is indeed a fine storyteller. I don't even know how to explain it any way else. All the characters are fairly well developed. The cast is lovable including the good-hearted yet smart-mouthed Alton, his old uncle Trapp, and the shy and sweet Toni Castaneda. Even the more irksome characters, like Alton's mom, were fun to disfavor. Narrated by the main character, Alton Richards, readers are able to see life through his eyes, listen to his every thought, and become attached to him from the very start. Throughout the novel, I "watched" as Alton grew from just that boy who got dumped, to a caring man who carries out the unfulfilled wishes of his uncle. I loved every minute of it and it was a ride I wouldn't soon forget. I recommend it to everyone and once you flip over the last page, I'm sure you'll relish the savoriness of The Cardturner just as I did.

Cover: 3.5/5 - I find the layout and color scheme of the cover quite admireable. The blue and orange contrast and compliment each other nicely and I love the spade for the "a" in The Cardturner. The cover is simple and eye catching, however, I am not sure what the boy on the cover (I'm assuming is main character, Alton) in front of the train station with a book over his face, has to do with anything. I assure you, not once did the book describe anyone lying on their back in a train station. Though I like the picture, I think it could've been a picture that relates more to the book itself.

Rating:

4.5 Hoots

Source: Won it for free! Thank heavens for Random Buzzers :)

WARNING: The paragraph below doesn't really tell you anything about the book or my thoughts on it. Only a little bit towards the end. The following is just an anecdote that I thought I would share. If you don't feel like reading about my life, just skip the paragraph.

The opportunity to read this presented itself in the most unusual of ways. It was just a typical weekday and Okapi and her dad, Wahoon, had just dropped me off at my apt. There was a man lugging a drawer chest through the front door, so I went past him, grateful that I didn't have to go through the hassle of digging through my duffel bag to find my keys to unlock the front door. I strolled up the stairs and stood outside the door of my apt. I noticed two packages from Random Buzzers laying at the foot of the door. I surrendered my hand into my bag, my fingers searching for the key. I came out empty. My mother had not returned home yet from work and she wasn't due until a few hours later. I was going to be locked out for a while. And so, I propped myself against the wall and stripped open the packages. Two books were set before me, including The Cardturner. Basically, this book saved my afternoon by swapping what would have been two hours of pure boredom, with two hours of living in the fascinating world of Alton Richards.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Living Dead Girl

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Older Teens-Adults. NOT recommended for the younger crowd.

Number of Pages: Hardcover- 170 pages

"Once upon a time I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time I didn't know how lucky I was."

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over. Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her. This is lice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

- Summary from Goodreads

It was Alice's story. It was one I have never heard. And yes, it is one that I will never ever forget...Hauntingly captivating, this book continuously left me shivering, even when beams of light slipped through the blinds masking my window. I only read this book during the daytime.

Elizabeth Scott writes in the perspective of “Alice”, an emaciated 15-year-old whose life took an unthinkable turn for the worse at age ten. Her monstrous captor, a middle-aged man by the name of Ray, forcibly changes her, physically and emotionally, to meet his needs. Everyday since the day she was abducted, Alice lives in worry that she would have to “make up” for her mistakes to Ray. Everyday, Alice gets a little taller and Ray punishes her for growing up and not being his little girl anymore. Everyday, she is starved to keep her weight under a hundred pounds; just the way Ray likes it. Worst of all, suicide is not an option, for it would result in the murder of her parents. Alice is bound to a life of abuse and she can do nothing about it. She is a living dead girl.

As I read on, hatred for Ray bubbles inside me, until I feel like tearing up the pages to bits, hoping that would somehow prevent him from hurting Alice even more than he already has. I believe what makes the book so chilling, is that fact that there are twisted people like Ray out there in the real world, and that the events taken place in the book are entirely possible. It pains me to think that many girls have probably suffered the same torment as Alice has.

This book was a new experience to me. At many points, I had to just slap the book shut, close my eyes, regain myself, then finally open the book again and continue reading. I have the tendency to always picture the scenes as I read them, and because of that, I had to just hide the text under the book cover for a moment and try to put the images aside. It felt too disturbing to continue, but then I was so engrossed in Alice’s character, that I just had to read on to learn about her fate and make sure she was okay.

Apart from the intriguing characters and scenarios, what really moved the plot forward was her writing. Dark and humorless, her writing is what made this book so gripping. Her chapters are short. In fact, the whole book is pretty short. But that makes it all the more powerful. Her words are not sugarcoated, and so fewer words make a bigger impact. Adding unnecessary words would strip away the haunting feel of the book. Elizabeth’s writing is very descriptive (sometimes too descriptive) forcing readers to paint pictures in their minds and in this case, I’m not sure if that is a good thing.

It’s hard for me to say whether I really enjoyed this novel or not. While the writing is superb and compelling, the disturbance is quite overwhelming. This is not a book that I would re-read over and over, but that does not change the fact that it is good. It contains all the aspects of a great novel: elegantly crafted characters, intriguing plot, and powerful voice. And yet I’m not sure if I really enjoyed the experience. I recommend this book, for it was and unique ride. I give this a rating of 3.5 hoots, but this is one of those books that you have to judge for yourself.

Cover: 4/5 – The innocent orange bow gives the book a sweet feel, but against the hard black back, it looks as though there is something sinister lurking behind the seemingly ordinary front. The cover is artsy and simple, but looking deeper, it gives the reader a little knowledge on what to expect. Just judging the cover, it would spark an interest in me at the bookstore.

Rating:

3.5 Hoots

Source: My lovely local library that I rely on oh-so-much.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Realistic Fiction (some fantasy elements)
Target Audience: Teens - Adults
Number of Pages: Hardcover - 480 pages

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?


Samantha Kingston has it all--looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it's her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined. - Summary from Goodreads

When Samantha Kingston unexpectedly gets killed in a car crash, she awakes alive in her own bed the next morning. Given the chance to relive her last day seven times, she realizes how being a good person leads to a more fulfilling, happy life. Despite the sometimes annoying sexual innuendo, Before I Fall strikingly captures modern teen life. Inspiring readers to become better people, this novel is too meaty and powerful to slip out of one's brain, unlike the many other forgettable novels that reside in the realm of YA fiction.

It took a couple hundred pages to slip into the groove of this book. At the start, I hated the protagonist of Samantha Kingston, a popular mean girl with even meaner friends. She was bratty, obnoxious, shallow, and annoying, and I wondered how I would be able to tolerate the rest of the book while she was the main character. Since she annoyed me, and the beginning of the novel's plot was wishy-washy, I put the book down and decided to read other material. However, I could not have been more wrong about this book; two weeks later, bracing myself for a dreary trudge through a tedious and annoying tale, I buried my nose amidst the pages once more, only to witness the character of Samantha Kingston evolve into a real, lovable person. Before I Fall contains beautifully structured character development. Throughout the novel, Samantha journeys away from her vapid, cruel self and heads towards being a good person with moral values.

Driven by Sam's actions and reactions, the plot cascades over the pages, intertwines itself from beginning to end, and composes a hearty novel that I will remember forever. I enjoyed the concept of Sam living the same day seven times, though it seemed too repetitive in the beginning. However, once the novel picked up momentum, it glued itself to my fingers and hollered at me if I attempted to discard it on the table. Though Sam changed dramatically during the novel, the people around her remained the same. It was as though each time she relived her last day, she wrote on the sandy shore of a beach, leaving imprints only on herself and not on the people around her, because the tide of the ocean would roar in and obliterate any trace of Sam's changes, so the next time she relived, the shore of the beach would be smooth and unmarked. This was frustrating, because I feel as though on her last day, when her changes truly mattered, Sam should have confronted her friends and their cruel actions.

The ending flavored the book bittersweet, wrapped it up in an unpredicted manner, and left me with a sense of feeling as though I had to change my own life like how Sam changed hers. An emotional journey for all readers, Before I Fall captures heartbreak, anger, sadness, and friendship. This compelling novel emblazoned the true meaning of being good onto my mind, and is a must-read for all those who have the time for a long and thoughtful novel.

Cover: 3/5 -- This cover is eye catching, haunting, but nothing special. I really like the placement and font of the title.

Rating:

4 hoots

Source: Won a giveaway at Erika @ Moonlight Book Reviews. Thank'ye so much!!!!

Walking Backward by Catherine Austen

Title: Walking Backward

Author: Catherine Austen

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Everybody 8+

Number of Pages: Paperback – 167 pages

“Once your mother dies, you’re either unhappy because your mother died, or you’re happy but you think you shouldn’t be because your mother just died, or you’re happy and not thinking about it until other people look at you like you’re a freak for being happy when your mother just died. Any way you look at it, it’s not happy.”

After his mom dies due to discovering a snake in the car and veering into a tree, twelve-year-old Josh is left with a father who is building a time machine in the basement and a little brother who talks to a toy Power Ranger as if it is his dead mother. With no faith to guide him, Josh makes death his summer research project. He collects facts, interviews suspects, compares religious rituals and feels guilty when he enjoys playing soccer or winning computer games. Isolated by grief in a home where every day is pajama day, Josh waits for life to feel normal, for death to make sense and for his father to start acting like a father. – From back of book

Walking Backward is an extremely sad novel, and while I usually never cry during books, this one caused me to fetch the box of tissues. The author does a fantastic job with developing her characters; the voice of young Josh is dark, doleful, and realistic for a twelve year old boy; his little brother Sammy is every bit as crazy and innocent as a four-year-old can be; his reclusive, slightly apathetic dad is beautifully written. Josh’s voice tells of his family members’ different ways of mourning the loss of a loved one. Sammy is confused and traumatized, seeking comfort in his Power Ranger, which he pretends to be his mother. His dad holes himself up in the basement all day, working on a time machine to bring his wife back. Every page of this short novel contains Josh’s interesting musings about death, loss, and life in general. Direct and to the point, Josh virtually covers all the dark and happy thoughts of a boy recovering from loss.

Overall, this quiet read provokes thoughts about the way to mourn loss, move on, and begin to live life again. This book does not contain much of a plot, but it is driven on by the inner journey of Josh and his family. Despite its lack of action, I recommend this touching novel that will entice tears out of everybody’s eyes.

To get a taste of this book - My favorite quotes:

“Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French general, was ailurophobic, which means afraid of cats. If all those people he conquered had let out their house cats, maybe he’d have run away. I can picture Charlie and Cleo chasing Napoleon back to his ship, with his crazy hat falling off his head as he ran, and the two cats all fierce and proud of living up to their names at last.” – page 109 (After reading this quote, I did some research to find out that Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Hitler were also all possible ailurophobes. Then, to get even more off track, I found a website called Cats That Look Like Hitler.)

“…Sam has developed a new habit of walking backward everywhere he goes. He says he wants to see people as he leaves them so that if they die, he’ll remember their faces. This is a weird new habit on top of his other weird habits.” – page 44

Cover: 3.5/5 – I like the color scheme. The orange and red snake vividly contrasts with the lime green background, and I enjoy the handwritten font. However, the snake could be a little more snakish, which would possibly make the cover more distinguished.

Rating: 4 hoots

Source: Library

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Title: I Am the Messenger

Author: Markus Zusak

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: All Ages

Number of Pages: Paperback - 357

I Am the Messenger is a beautifully told realistic fiction novel by Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief. At age 19, Ed has not accomplished anything worthy to be proud of and possesses no promises, prospects, or potential. Ed is just plain old Ed - underage cab driver by day, caring dog owner and card player by night. He lives in a cramped shack, is constantly put down by his own mother, and is completely and utterly in love with his best friend Audrey, who rejects love and refuses to let it enter her heart. All this is routine until Ed inadvertently stops a bank robbery. Following his heroic act, Ed receives a mysterious playing card in the mail - the Ace of Diamonds. Inscribed on the surface were three addresses. Unsure of who sent him the card and unsure of what to do, Ed decides to visit the three addresses, discovering a new problem at each location. He realizes that he must help these lost people, and delivering the messages they desperately need, Ed becomes the messenger.

Once again, Zusak has delivered us yet another slew of characters to fall in love with. This time, the author presents Ed Kennedy- the protagonist that both of us became fond of. Despite Ed’s lower class status and his some-what lazy ways, we were won over by the humor and good nature Ed possesses. Ed goes around sacrificing his own time to help the troubled people he meets at each place the cards send him to go. Each card that gets mailed to Ed becomes more challenging and forces Ed to put on his thinking cap. The first card Ed receives was much more direct, with three addresses. As he progresses however, the cards give hints or clues instead in which Ed must decipher. Ed must also observe (stalk) the people he must deliver messages to, to find out exactly what they need their wake-up call on. Ed gives hope to complete strangers and he has inspired us to do the same.

Despite Zusak’s masterful storytelling, this book lacks the action and suspense that I personally enjoy. Though quite engaging, this novel fails to build a prominent climax. This novel is perfect if you’re looking for an adorable, heart-warming read.

Apart from the joy Ed brings us, our favorite character remains to be the Doorman. The Doorman is the character that makes us smile the most. Apart from the lazy and ravenous behavior he demonstrates, he is a loving, caring dog that is always by Ed’s side. This dog is always waiting at home for Ed to return after the missions the cards send him. We wish we had a dog like the Doorman, despite the dog’s strong odor that was described in the book.

This touching story about the power of random acts of kindness will warm the hearts of readers of all ages and provide insight on the goodness in people.

Cover: 3.894133/ 5 - Though this cover is interesting and bold, it fails to correspond with the book. Besides the obvious card on the front, nothing here relates to the plot; the angry man with the erect red nose and stiletto boots holding a goofy Joker staff has absolutely nothing to do with this book.

Rating: 

 4.5 Hoots

Source: 

Rica Eat World: The weathered ole' trooper from ye library. 

Okapi: Audiobook from audible.com - The Australian accented narrator lulled me into a hypnotic stupor. His croons masterfully told the tale of Ed Kennedy.

Reviewed by Okapi & Rica Eat World

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Genre: Historical Fiction - 547 pages

Target Audience: Teens - Adults

Number of Pages: Paperback - 547 pages

Picture this, it is 1939 in Nazi Germany. A nine-year-old German girl is sitting on a train, on her way to 33 Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, to meet her new foster parents. While on the train, her six-year-old brother suddenly dies. By her brother's grave, she discovers a little black book, hidden among the piles of snow. She picks it up and holds it close. This was her first act of book thievery. Liesel Meminger is the book thief.

When she stole her first book, Liesel was illiterate. Thankfully, her accordion-playing foster father teaches her how to read and write. So begins Liesel's passion for books and words. Unable to buy books because of her poor state, she soon begins to steal any book she can get her hands on.

Life on Himmel Street ("Himmel" means heaven in German) proves to be a great place for Liesel. Her foster parents love her and so does her new best friend, Rudy Steiner. However, Germany was not a safe place in those days, and Liesel and her family are put into even greater danger when her German parents decide to shelter a Jew in their basement.

Narrated by Death himself, this is the story about friendship, war, love, thievery, guilt, and the power of words.

A vigorous page-turner, this book is one of the richest novels I have ever read. This thought-provoking novel was told masterfully and though tragic themes occur throughout the book, Zusak somehow manages to squeeze in little tidbits and segments of humor without masking the theme. The strong symbolism concealed behind simple words made me think, and looking back, the way he told the story was simply a work of brilliance and beauty. Zusak made real issues during the world war periods easier to comprehend. The voice expressed in this novel grasps the reader and causes them to read every word intently ( I sure did). Every so often when whisking away through the pages, I would stumble on some illustrations, and they captivated me and i was absorbed. They certainly added an extra element to the novel for they shake things up a little bit after reading hundreds of pages consisting of only words.

And I will congratulate Markus Zusak on a job well done when it comes to character development. The author's ability to make readers attached to the characters is definitely an accomplishment. My love for certain characters actually caused tiny tears to swell up in the corner of my eyes...and no worries, I won't give away any more about that :) As I had mentioned above, Death himself narrates the book and despite the stereotypes we have against him, in this novel, Death is more different and more complex than we think he is. Normally we assume he's a heartless being with no soul. Well, I'm not sure about the soul thing, but in this book, Zusak portrays him as a being who actually does feel pangs of sympathy for his 'clients' though he had been on the job for longer than anyone can imagine.

" Please, be calm, despite that previous threat.

I am bluster-

I am not violent.

I am not malicious.

I am a result."

--Death

From Liesel's foul mouthed foster mother, Rosa, to Hans the gentle foster father, and the lovable Rudy Steiner- who always made me smile to myself, and Max the courageous, honorable Jew, and finally Liesel, the mature, witty girl, all of The Book Thief's characters are something to smile, cry, and gasp in wonder at.

I rated this novel a 4/5 because it was truly amazing enough to deserve it. However, at parts, for me personally, the novel got a little bit slow especially towards the beginning. I understand that with almost all novels, the beginning is almost always a bit slower than the rest of the book, but i felt as though Zusak could have cut out some unnecessary parts. There were segments of the novel where upon finishing the book, I felt as though it was not needed and failed to really affect the story.

Overall, this compulsively readable book gets a big thumbs up. This is a great novel for people who, like Liesel Meminger, love books and words.

Cover: 3.5/5 - I personally enjoyed the cover. First of all I thought it was well designed artistically and second, this cover would have hooked me at the bookstore (if my mother hadn't bought my copy for me). Like the actual book, the cover has quite a bit of symbolism in it too. In our perspective (Okapi and I pondered about the symbolism in the cover for a bit), the dominoes represent the people, both Jewish and German, who are getting knocked down by the hand, who we think is a representation of Hitler using words to hurt people. Thus causing a whole chain reaction leading to death, violence, and hurt to many. Though such a strong message is portrayed in such a simple picture, we believe that the picture could relate to the book a bit more, and therefore our rating of a 3.5 out of 5.

Rating:
4 hoots

Source: I read half the book using a borrowed copy from Okapi ( thanks by the way :]) and I read the other half using my own copy bought from T.J. Maxx.

--Reviewed by Rica Eat World

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Gimme a Call

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Genre: Realistic fiction with slight fantasy twist

Target Audience: Females ages 11+
Number of pages: Hardcover version - 320 pages

After wasting four years of high school slacking off with her boyfriend, Devi Banks wishes for a second chance. She never took academics seriously, let old friendships drift away, and didn’t get involved with any of the school’s extracurriculars. Her boyfriend, Bryan, dumped her before college, so now Devi has nothing meaningful left, except a life at Stulen State College, a.k.a. “Stupid State”. Devi desperately wishes to redo the past four years. Her wish is miraculously granted when she accidentally drops her cell phone in the fountain, and now, the only number it can call is her own, three and a half years ago on the first day of freshman year.

Once she gets over her initial incredulity and convinces her younger self what’s happening, Devi realizes that she can use this situation to her advantage – the chance of redoing her life that she’s been dreaming for is literally sitting in her hands. She now has the ability to tell the younger Devi what to do – after all, what better advisor is there than your future self?

I won an ARC copy of Gimme a Call from a Random Buzzer’s giveaway and was anticipating its arrival. Sarah Mlynowski’s Magic in Manhattan series was superb, so this book was bound to be good! The sypnosis looked quite original, and when it came, I immediately buried my nose between the pages. This fun novel has a great barrel-ahead momentum, which is refreshing, and like most Sarah Mlynoski books, I finished it in one sitting. It was funny, crazy, sad, and downright entertaining – everything any chicklit novel should be. Yet even with the interesting premise, I felt that this novel had unfulfilled its potential and my expectations.

The author should have elaborated on some of the themes hidden beneath the cheery surface of this book. The more serious theme of making good decisions is partially smothered beneath the book’s fluff, and at the end, I wasn’t sure whether the older Devi learns her lesson properly. The two main characters, older Devi and younger Devi, seem like completely different people, even though they are technically the same. Younger Devi is likable, witty, and intelligent, and it seems as if she doesn’t need older Devi to help her. Older Devi has a personality that is selfish and boring, and she keeps bossing her younger self around. Throughout the novel, I found myself rooting for the younger Devi, which is quite strange, since older Devi is the same person.

If this novel was a drink, it would be sweet and refreshing lemonade, but a little too watery to make an impression on my taste buds. Any girl who is over the age of eleven will enjoy this quick read.

Cover: 3/5 - I like the minimalistic design and the girl on the phone, though if I saw this in the bookstore and the author wasn't Sarah Mlynowski, I would walk right past it without a second glance.

Rating: 3 hoots

Source: Random Buzzers Friday ARC Giveaway