Twilight: The Graphic Novel (Volume 1) adpated by Young Kim and written by Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 224
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 4

Summary

(Note: I copied the summary from goodreads.com)

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

Why Read It?

Why not read it? I mean its Twilight all over again in a new and fresh way. You may or may not like it, but why not give it a try? If you’re a graphic novel reader or not this illustrated copy of Twilight (vol. 1) will most likely blow you away all over again. I believe this is a must-have for any Twilight fan.

My Thoughts

Even though I’m a big fan of Twilight, I really had no intention to read this graphic novel. It wasn’t because I was worried about how Young Kim would present it, it’s just that I don’t really care for graphic novels.
However, one day my friend and I were sitting in the book store and just looking at books and she insisted that I read it. It didn’t take me long, of course, but I did take some time to admire the pictures. I found it quite a addictive and I finished it right there in the store because we A) had the time and B) I had no intention of buying it. However, I am considering it.
The graphic novel was no a strict interpretation of the books or movies, which was actually a nice change. Maybe some people would have preferred the pictures to resemble the actors a little more, maybe not. I was quite content with it the way it was.
I cannot and will not try to pick out flaws in this graphic novel for the main reason that I do not read graphic novels and this is the first one that I have read.
I enjoyed this enough to read it again, maybe if I simply want to refresh my mind on the first book. All in all, though, even though I wish all the drawing had colour, it was great.



P.S. This is only volume one, so it was not the entire book and I am looking forward to volume 2.

Teenage Mermaid by Ellen Schrieber

Genre: Romance, Mythical
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 150

"I'm going to drown! I'm only fifteen. I haven't gotten my driver's license yet. I haven't surfed the famous Pipeline in Hawaii. I haven't fall in love- unless my Sports Illustrated swimsuit poster counts. I barely had any breath left as I desperatley tried to reach the surface. Then it hit me- not the meaining of life, but my surfboard." -Spencer

"What I did was forbidden. To see one was objectionable, to be seen is prohibited, but to touch an Earthee is punishable by exile. And I, fifteen-year-old Waterlilly, touched on on the lips!" -Lilly

Summary

Spencer is about to drown in a surfing accident, until he is rescued by a sparkling golden girl who saves him with a kiss before she suddenly disappears. He is left not only awe-struck but love-struck too. Where did this gorgeous angel appear out of the blue from and when will she return?

Lilly has always been fascinated by humans, no matter how many times she is warned that they are dangerous and careless. Curious Lilly rescues a boy from nearly drowning one morning. She totally can’t believe what she did, but she realizes that she has to find her handsome Earthdude; because he accidentally ripped off her silver heart locket which she desperately needs back.

Why Read It?

If you love mermaids, romance and a little bit of humour this is definitely something that you’ll want to add to your reading list. It’s easy to read and great for all ages.

My Thoughts

When I first read this book I was twelve or thirteen years old. I decided to pick it up again recently this year for the third time. It’s one of my favourite books and it reminds me of the little mermaid. It’s an adorable love story that I just can’t get over. I don’t know what else to say...

Millicent’s Gift by Ann Rinaldi

Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural, Magic, Problem Novel, Tragedy
Rating: 2/5
Pages: 218

"It's special, this Gift, and all women and some men in my family have it, and because I will turn fourteen in September, I'm coming to the end of my apprenticeship and will soon be able to use it." -Millicent

Summary

Millicent’s fourteenth birthday won’t be an ordinary day. In her family, turning fourteen means receiving a magical Gift: the ability to make one wish on life that will come true.
But Millicent isn’t sure she’s ready for that kind of of power. As her birthday draws closer, she realizes more and more how dangerous her magic is, and how difficult the choices ahead will be. Struggling with secrets, love, and betrayal, in the end Millicent has to make the hardest decision of all.

Why Read It?

Magic is one of the most popular and desired thing in the world. Millicent’s Gift will give you a good idea of what it’s like to hold so much power at such a young age.

My Thoughts

I think that this book COULD be amazing, but I think it needs more work put into it to truly beocme a hit. I might reccomend it to someone who prefers short, simple stories about magic, but otherwise not so much. However, it did hold something important: I believe it's theme was to make your own decisions wisely except I've enver been good with themes so don't take my word for it.
Everyone wants magic, right? Or at least there has been one point in everyone’s life where they wished they could have magic, maybe a wish or even a super power. Millicent has one wish, and she doesn’t know what to do with it. That’s more than anyone can handle with high school and then on top of that everyone knows about it.
Something I would just like to slip into here is that love is the closest thing we have to magic. It doesn’t have much to do with the book, but I just want to say that. I think that’s why everyone craves a romance so much.
Throughout the story, Millicent is learning who she is and facing decisions that are placed at the highest level of difficulty. She’s just like another teenager but her life is completely twisted up in magic and she just wishes that she had a normal life.
All in all, it was a good book, I enjoyed it and I think a lot of people would feel the same way, then again maybe not.

Dark Guardian: Dark Of The Moon by Rachel Hawthorne (Book 3)

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 262

(WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE OTHER TWO BOOKS, ESPECIALLY THE ENDING TO FULL MOON. YOU’RE READING AT YOU’RE OWN RISK!)

SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE REVIEWS FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2 IN THE SERIES....

“In wolf form, Connor always took my breath. I wanted to dig my hands in his fur, hold him close, and confess everything. I wanted him to shift back into human form, put his arms around me, and assure me that everything would be all right. But I knew none of that would ever happen. If he knew the truth about me, that I hadn’t shifted yet, he’d be appalled.” –Brittany

Summary

Everything is pointing to one answer for Brittany. The one answer she’d rather have to go deaf than listen to it through her ears, rather go blind than see, and rather die than have to live with it. She hasn’t experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian’s transformation.
And that’s not all Brittany has to worry about. She’s thriving for her true love, for some young man to pluck her out of uncertainty and disorientation. But not just any young man, she wants Connor and Connor only. And she knows she’ll never truly have Connor’s love if she’s not a shifter like him.
When she doesn’t transform on the full moon after her seventeenth birthday Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she’ll go to the extremes...

Why Read It?

Well, first, if you’ve read the first two books and you’re enjoying the series fo course you’re going to want to read this book. Dark of the Moon will leave you breathless and hoping everything will turn out well for Brittany.

My Thoughts

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’ve rated these books all a five so far. It means I really like them, obviously! They are soooooo brilliant and every time she switches up the character perspective things just grow more intriguing by the page.
This book, as you know is in Brittany’s perspective. She has a much different personality than the other two girls and I can see why she has a hard time fitting in, besides the fact that she’s not really a shifter. Brittany has the determination that is at a level not many people reach. She’s outstanding! Literally! The other two books didn’t give her justice, however, Kayla and Lindsay had no idea about Brittany. Dark Of The Moon explains everything and it just makes you want more. Thank goodness, there is a fourth book which I have not read yet. I do own it, but I’m busy reading other things. I’ll read it as soon as possible, but right now I’m buried under a million other things to read.
Back to Dark of the Moon, I was able to relate to Brittany the most out of all three books. This is mostly because she’s the most lost, she doesn’t know who she is and I think everyone my age is trying to figure that out. Another is she’s lonely and she’s just waiting for that someone. And the worst part is where you really like someone and they don’t feel the same way, that’s a heart breaker and there’s no one in the world who hasn’t experienced that and Brittany is a perfect example of that... maybe just a bit extreme though.

Click Here To Read A Portion Of Dark Of The Moon


A Note: This blog only fits so many posts on one page. In order to view others scroll down the bottom and click older posts. Enjoy!

Dark Guardian: Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne (Book 2)

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 272

"-things had suddenly became very confusing and complicated. My feelings, my emotions - they were all over the place. my heart was telling me one thing, my head another." -Lindsay

Summary

Lindsay has always known her heritage. And when it comes to choosing her mate to transform with for her first full moon, the choice was obvious—Connor. She’s known Connor her entire life, literally. However, things get complicated when Rafe, shows up. And suddenly Lindsay has developed an unrelenting attraction to Rafe and she begins to doubt her future with Connor. She realizes her relationship with Connor is nothing like the sparks between Kayla and Lucas. Lindsay has to decide quickly before her transformation who is a good friend and who is her true love.

Why Read It?

This suspenseful Dark Guardian novel will tear you to pieces, like a dog and his favourite chew toy. You’ll stay up all night reading this one...

My Thoughts

This is not a book I have read this year. I am simply putting it up here to go with the book Dark of the Moon which is the third book in the series.
Full Moon picks up where Moonlight left off; only this novel follows Lindsay’s perspective, who is Kayla’s best friend. I liked that about the series. It keeps it fresh and I wasn’t so sure where Kayla and Lucas would be left for a second book. I’m glad Rachel Hawthorne continued the story this way...
This is my favourite book out of the series so far. Full Moon had that atmosphere where it doesn’t matter what decision you make someone’s going to get hurt... So you might as well make one that suits you best. However, Lindsay doesn’t even know what is going to be best for her. Should she choose between the boy she’s only just met or the one she’s known her entire life? What a difficult complicated decision.
Rachel Hawthorne will have you guessing to the very end. She sure had me guessing all the way through, because honestly if I were her I didn’t even know who I would have chosen... if I were her of course. If it were me... Rafe, for sure.
You know how I mentioned I’m really good at losing stuff and being forgetful earlier in the post for Moonlight. Well, I lost this book. I can’t find it anywhere! I’ll let you know when I come across it, hopefully soon. Wish me luck!

Click Here To Read A Portion Of Full Moon

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 375

"I was used to this weird experience, but usually they were over quickly. This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle.” -Percy Jackosn

Summary

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is troubled with his ADHD, dyslexia and high school, but that becomes the least of his problems when he learns that he is the son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, which means he is a demigod (half-human, half –god). And that’s not all! The Greek gods are on the verge of war because Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen and Poseidon is being blamed for theft.
Percy travels to Camp Half Blood, which is a training ground for demigods where he meets Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Grover who he already knows but learns that he is his protector and a satyr. Grover and Annabeth accompany Percy on his quest to set things straight with the gods, such as facing challenges, monsters and a visit to the underworld.

Why Read It?

The Lightning Thief is full of adventure and will leave you wishing there was more. Lucky for you this is just the beginning of the series!
If you love books that are full of thrills and adventure you’ll fall head over heels for this! With action happening constantly barely a page apart you won’t to stop reading.
This is definitely a treat for Harry Potter fans, young boys and even girls.

My Thoughts

Well, I know there’s a movie. Of course, they say; “The movies are never as god as the book.” However, I beg to differ in this situation. I can’t really say why other than the fact that he was older and I think that helped, and the story line was changed a bit and I preferred it over the one in the book. The book was great, though. I didn’t want to put it down when I was reading it and I have rated it a four. It didn’t reach a five, for me, because I don’t know if I would read it over and over.
I don't think this book’s genre can be also placed under humour, but it does have quite a bit in there. If you pick this book up and you aren’t so sure about it just take a peek at the chapter titles that should pull your interest. My favourite chapters and titles were: I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre –algebra Teacher, I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom and, We Take a Zebra to Vegas.I have always loved Greece ever since I learned about it in grade seven. I really enjoyed learning about all of their beliefs and Greek mythology and I just thought it was the most fascinating thing. The best thing about The Lighting Thief is it’s just packed with all these myths and monsters and Gods. The story just left me wishing I knew more about Greece. So I did some research on Greek mythology, especially Medusa, for some reason she just captivates my interest.
The characters in this book are very interesting. I really like Annabeth. She’s very headstrong and I admire that about her. Grove, the satyr, well he’s got a great sense of humour which makes him such a loveable character. And finally the main character, Percy, you know, the guy with dyslexia and ADHD, is just a classic character. He’s intelligent and mature for his age and I just wish I knew a kid like him.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Genre: Fantasy, Romance,
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 301

Summary
Sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom is left alone after a horrible accident that claims the lives of her family. Since then, she can see people’s auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone’s entire life story just by touching them. She now spends her life, going out of her way to retain her abilities and avoid human contact, and for those reasons the students at her new high school have branded her a freak.
Little does she know that it will all end soon, because when she meets the gorgeous, exotic and wealthy Damon Auguste her abilities temporarily vanish and as mysterious as he is to her, the only thing she knows for sure is that she’s falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

Why Read It?

Evermore is an enjoyable, sometimes dark story about a girl with extraordinary psychic powers. The story gives you a suggestion of what it might be like being psychic. If you’re craving a twisted, creative and magical love story this will hit the spot!

My Thoughts

Evermore was one of those books where you’ll buy it because you feel like you won’t be disappointed. It was weird at times and impressive and I was totally right about going ahead and buying it. However, even though I have that craving to read it again, I might not.
I loved the way this book was written, it was very easy to read which made it a nice break from my normal level of reading. I am a sucker for love stories, especially ones like this and I plan on reading the rest of the series.
Damon is definitely not my type of guy, even though he’s “gorgeous, exotic and wealthy”. I think it was the way he was described in the book that turned me off and the fact that he’s a little too exotic for me.
I sort of connected with Ever, but in truth it was really difficult to see things her way. And there were times when I completely disagreed with her choices. One of the things among others that I understood about her was hiding her beautiful self, listening to really loud music and avoiding people. She’s got these abilities that she doesn’t know how to control and she’s forced to hide herself away from the rest of the world. I felt horrible for her and I wanted to do nothing but help.
Something else that bothered me about this story was the beliefs. The part about being reincarnated just made me feel really restless. This is what a lot of the story line leaned against, so if you don’t agree with reincarnation I wouldn’t suggest this book to you. However, I am a very open minded person and I think without this main ingredient the book wouldn’t have been anywhere near the same or as interesting without it.
A part that I was totally mesmerized by was when she turned to alcohol to make things better for her. It dulled her abilities and made her feel good. I think it’s a part of the book that would make anyone who has not tried alcohol before curious about it and something to just really think about. If you think like me, you’ll probably see that there are other ways to deal with things without the abuse of alcohol or drugs. I don’t think it was the Alyson Noel’s intention to say that there are other ways to deal with things because it’s a small hint that I don’t think many people would pick up. (You’ll know more about what I mean once you’ve read the book and you can leave a comment if you want to discuss it).
All in all, even though I thought the book was strange, I was able to relax and just simply enjoy this unthinkable story.

Dread Locks by Neal Shusterman

Genre: Fantasy,
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 164

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It seems all I can do these days is think, playing the events over and over again in my mind until I’m numb. I see all the ways it could have turned out differently. How the nightmare could have been avoided, and the deaths–all the deaths–would never have happened.” -Parker Baer

Summary

At fifteen, Parker Baer is completely bored. Why? Because he has everything he could ever wish for in his perfect life. But, suddenly, a girl named Tara comes from out of nowhere and Parker finds her sleeping in his bed and things start to become well...interesting. She’s gorgeous with golden curls that seem almost alive. But she doesn’t share her looks so easily, she keeps her mysterious eyes hidden behind sunglasses, but that’s not all what is so unusual about her... She lives on her own in a house full of live-like statues. While Parker watched intrigued, Tara picks students at the high school to befriend and soon they are wrapped around her little finger, but not in the way Parker is.
As Tara’s new friends begin developing strange habits, such as drinking gallons of milk and eating dirt, only Parker realizes something is wrong. Except, Tara has introduced him to some of his own cravings...will Parker be able to resist and stop her destructive game in time or will he yield to the new cravings Tara has exposed him to?

Why Read It?

Dread Locks isn’t exactly a mystery, but it’s definitely a puzzle that you get to put together. Take some time to just think about it after you’ve read a couple of chapters and you won’t want to put down until you have a better understanding of Tara and her stunning looks and peculiar habits.

My Thoughts

I rated Dread Locks a three and a half. Why? Because It was a fairly good book, it just wasn’t something that I went totally crazy for. Don’t get me wrong because I loved it! And I hope I do get around to reading it again in awhile but for now I got to many other books to read. Of course, if I had all the time in the world I would read books I’ve read over and over again, unfortunately I don’t have that time... If only I were immortal... Yeah, that’s why I want to live forever so I can read books for eternity!
I found this book randomly on a book shelf in the library when I was suppose to meet a friend there but she came about fifteen minutes late. Anyway, I sat down and began reading it and I just didn’t want to put it down after the first two pages. I thought about forcing my friend to wait fifteen minutes extra while I read because I had waited for her, but I just wanted to get on with our day.
I have to say, yes it does get slow, and the action is mostly at a uniform motion (when an object is not speeding up or slowing down), in other words it’s a bit of a slow paced book and the action doesn’t speed up until close to the end (I’m squeezing physics into this! How smart is that!).
Unfortunately, I found it difficult to relate to the characters which are always important in a book. However, sometimes it’s nice to be able to relate to them because it pulls you out of your own little world. Now, I’m not saying that this book sucks because of the characters or that the characters are unreal or just plain shallow, because truth is the characters are awesome just not people that you might have in your life...
I’m really trying NOT to give anything away about the book, because as I said it’s a puzzle that you’ve got to solve on your own. So check it out! It’s from the Dark Fusion Series...which are these titles all by Neal Shusterman...

1. Dread Locks (Book 1)
2. Red Rider’s Hood (Book 2) (I have not read this book)
3. Duckling Ugly (Book 3) (I have not read this book)

Important: I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the way I rate books is very personal to me. That’s probably something to keep in mind.