Trapped by Michael Northrop

Summary
The day the blizzard started, no one knew it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in it's path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. (from front flap)

Review
     I would give this book about a three-and-a-half out of five.
     I liked it, it was original, but I guess I was expecting more. I looked it up, and I searched for it, and finally found it, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be. It was still a good book though, but in a different way.
     While I was reading it, their I could actually feel the chill, which is hard, because I was reading it in an extremely overheated room. The writing was okay. It was written from the point of view of a high schooler, so it wasn't amazingly well written, or anything. The main character, though, did provide an interesting perspective on how his school worked, and the people in it. There were some really good lines, but the problem was that they were surrounded by typical high school kid talk, so they were sort of dulled down.
     The main character, Scotty, was believable, but I didn't really get the sense that it was about him-he was just delivering the story for us, that was his job, and that's what he did. Their was an interesting mix of characters, a whole bunch of people who previously would not have talked to each other. I didn't find the girls particularly interesting, though. The point to them was that they were the only girls, and that was what was supposed to make them unique. I feel like it would have worked better if there was only one of them.
     I would recommend this book to anyone who likes survival stories.
     On a side note, I have to say that I absolutely love this cover.
     This is a link to a fan made trailer- its very good.

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgwuQJNuVQ

    

Ashes by Kathryn Lasky

Summary
Berlin, 1932. Thirteen-year-old Gabriela Schramm is living a happy and privileged life. But as Hitler rises to power, things quickly change. People who were once trustworthy are now Nazis. And many of her friends are fleeing the country or being taken away. To cope. Gaby turns to the comfort of her books, but suddenly those are in grave danger of disappearing as well. Will Gaby be able to hold on to the one thing that gives her hope? (from back of book)

Review
     I liked this book, a lot. I would give it four stars out of five.
     It was a bit strange. The first time I read the book, I loved it. As in, loved it. The second time, I wasn't as charmed. I still love it, and it will always be one of my favorite books. I liked Gaby, and I liked her family as well. Every member of her family was active against the Nazis someway, whether it was her father, who practiced "Jewish Physics," or her sister, who worked in a subtly anti-Nazi cabaret. Not just her character evolved, but her whole family did too. I also liked how this book was focused on the crimes of the Nazis as a whole, not just the attempted genocide of the Jews.
     It was interesting to see how the politics affected Gaby's world so much, and how she felt about others. She saw the true bravery of all the people she thought she hated, and, to put in bluntly, the inner nastiness of the people she thought she liked.
     One of my favorite parts if the book was Einstein. Yes, Einstein was a character. Remember, Gaby's father was a physicist, and they're families were very close. It was fascinating hearing Einstein talk about theories he was still developing that we now learn about in school. That may not be interesting to the rest of you, but it was to my nerdy self.
     The way the book was written, it felt like Gaby was actually talking to you, and telling you the story. I could practically hear hear German accent. I also liked how Gaby was basically everything Hitler liked-born German, light skin, blue eyes, light blonde hair, and she even wore the stereotypical braids that you usually picture with a dirndl.  
     I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

     This is not part of the review, but it is a funny story. I was reading a part if the book where Gaby got caught reading in class, and had the book taken away when I heard the teacher call out, "Tali, give me that book." I got caught reading in class as well!

Need by Carrie Jones

Summary
Zara's stepfather just died, and she can't deal with it. She's spiraling further and further into depression, and in order to help her, her mother sends her away to live with her grandmother in Maine. Once there, Zara enters the local high school, immediately making both friends and enemies. However, she discovers that the man she thinks is following her and leaving a trail of gold dust is not just a figment of her imagination is the real, and dangerous, pixie king.

Review
     I did not like this book. At all. I'd give it half a star out of five.
     Zara herself has slightly original traits (collects phobias, a member of amnesty international, pacifist), but the story does not. It follows the same overused supernatural romance plot line, and is basically twilight with pixies instead of vampires. It is not original at all, and also quite boring. I couldn't even finish it.
     Zara and Bella are even the same person, except with different quirks. They have the same views on moving, about the towns that they move into, the stupidity (except with Zara, if possible, even more stupidity). I mean, they even look alike, and don't know that they are beautiful. They both have about a million guys trying to get their attention. It becomes tiring after a while.
     I did not find Zara believable. She was just so stupid. She purposely goes against everything everyone tells her, and almost gets killed several times because of it.
    I would not recommend this book, at all. Maybe to obsessive twilight fans, who want more of the same.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Summary

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. (from back of book)

Review

     I loved this book. I'd give it maybe a four and a half out of five stars.

     Although I did not find the book scary, as some people did, I found it disturbing. The whole idea that you could "unwind" to somebody, and the idea that someone would willingly do that to their child, was disturbing. I have to admit, I did cry at several parts, but I cry very easily while reading. It's a weakness of mine. 

     I found the book disturbing, not because they are killing someone when they unwind them, but more because they are doing so without permission. It was an invasion of private property. I felt like screaming out, "Those aren't your body parts!" while reading it. It wasn't graphic though. It didn't describe things in gruesome detail. It left you to imagine things, which was much worse. 

     I liked the characters, who were realistic and believable, but I didn't really connect with them, although I'm not sure why. Something about the way it was written. 

     As always with books like these, it left me wanting to know more about the society it takes place in. I would have been happy if I had just gotten a book explaining the world they live in, without any story, but I have a feeling that even if I did get one, I still wouldn't be satisfied. 

     Needless to say, the book was incredibly original. I have never read a book like it before, and I can only hope to read one like it in the future. I would highly recommend this book, and in fact I already have a waiting list of friends who want to read my copy. 

First Blog

     Ok. So.
     As you can probably tell by the title, this is a blog about books. I realize that no one is reading this right now, seeing as I started this blog about twenty minutes ago, but you've got to start somewhere, right? This is a blog for reviewing books. I realize the name is not terribly original, but it basically describes me and the blog perfectly.
     I think that pretty much explains it all.
     Let the blogging begin!