Everybody Sees the Ants

Summary

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?

Review

Do you know how some books can just speak to you? "Everybody Sees the Ants" is an incredibly powerful novel. Everyone meets some sort of bully somewhere in their lives. Lucky  is a character that everyone can relate to in some way. It really depends on the person, but as you read you'll find a little bit of the character inside of you. Although it is a novel about bullying, it is also a novel about finding peace and letting go. The characters are great too. They make you want to laugh sometimes and cry at other times, for every single one has a flaw that they struggle with. By the end of the book, I wanted to give the author a standing ovation. Her story was flawless. It made me want to laugh, cry, and jump up in down. "Everybody Sees the Ants" takes you on a journey. It isn't necessarily Lucky's story. It causes you to look inside yourself while you read it and really explore because everyone has seen the ants at sometime or another. Sometimes its time to face reality.

4 out of 4 stars

Mark of Athena

Summary

In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?

The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . .

 

Review

Rick Riordan has done it again! A thousand fans will die from anticipation thanks to another one of his famous cliffhangers. As usual, it wasn't the most serious book, but it was still fun to read. One of my complaints with "The Son of Neptune" was that Riordan didn't really bring out his characters very well. They just seemed like repeats of what we saw from Piper, Jason, and Leo in "The Lost Hero". In "Mark of Athena", we really see the personalities of his characters come through. Annabeth takes on a leadership role, and plays it quite nicely. Also, best of all, Percabeth returns in full force and romance! The book has great themes about the importance of working together, which resonates with all audiences. Ultimately, I would highly suggest this book for lovers of Rick Riordan and those who are looking for something fun to read. 

4 out of 4 stars

Under the Never Sky

Summary

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Review

I thought this was actually a pretty fun read. Under the Never Sky definitely runs with the dystopian    trend of the last few years. There is fighting with metal weapons and (gasp) bows, which sounds a bit familiar. The story as a whole was very imaginative. The earth is a wasteland filled with outsiders who have developed mutations in order to survive. Aria has lived in a dome called Reverie her who life. One of the coolest things about the book was the inclusion of the "realms", which basically are virtual worlds that you can travel to. The theme of family was also very important. The story was fast paced and engaging with a great plot twist at the end. The only thing I didn't like was the hurried romance. It didn't seem to have time to develop. 

3 out of 4 stars

Bloom

Bloom

Elizabeth Scott

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy? It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend? But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

Review: I actually liked this book more than I would rather say aloud. It wasn't a hard read, but there were parts of the book hard to read due to the events taking place. But that was oddly in a good way, it made me feel for certain characters and want to scream at them as if to say "What are you doing?! This is bad! I want you to, but don't!" The perfect boyfriend was quite the Plain John, with seemingly no faults, but that only made Evan more of a complex character with more of a story. Elizabeth Scott even throws in a few much needed emotional scenes that help tie up loose ends and patch up some rough spots. One thing that I didn't fully understand was why Lauren's self-proclaimed average life was constantly thrown in there. I didn't find her average at all, even next to Mr. Perfect Pants. Especially when  Evan made an appearance.

Stars: 3 out of 4. Very nice (:

This Is So Not Happening.

  Summary:
     After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama free senior year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will work out that way...again. — It turns out that Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, but mostly can't believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally is tired of being apart from Jake and is willing to make it work. But that is easier said than done when Jake starts blowing Ally off to go to doctor's appointments with Chloe and Ally joins the school play and meets a new cute guy. But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact?

Thoughts:
The entire time I was reading this book I thought, "Ally, you're so stupid." Ally is in love with Jake, she loves him, we get it. But Jake keeps putting Ally through all this crap. He got a girl pregnant for God's sakes, someone who used to be Ally's best friend! Then Jake starts to really attach to being a father role, and would get upset at the mention of him not being the father of the child. Come on Ally, when Chloe and Jake have their kid, they will be a family. You won't be in this family. Sorry. I do believe that Kieran Scott wrote this book is a great manner, however. She was able to hook you into the story line no matter how much it infuriated you. She even gave you a chance to root for a different couple other than the main one (Jake and Ally). All in all, the book was an easy read in terms of literacy.

Stars: 3/4.