Word Out 2011

Blog down your fines posts! See what other teens are reading.

Earn $2 in library bucks towards your fines when you share your favourite reads.

Nirris reviewed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother – By Amy Chua

(note: also available in audio book and ebook)

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua is one of the most enlightening books I have read. This was my first book of the summer and I am glad to have zipped through it (I was under a "Best Bet" time constraint). Through Amy Chua's vast intelligence and ideals I was not introduced but observed the paren'ting techniques of a "Tiger Mother". Ms. Chua tells her readers at the beginning that when she says "Chinese" she does not exclude the many Tiger Paren'ts of different racial backgrounds, and she is right. I think that anyone whose paren'ts are immigrants can understand this book with familiarity. I can understand where the controversy over the book is found from, but I think it is hard to understand when there are certain factors that are in play. In an interview on YouTube Amy Chua says that she became more of a "Rabbit than a Tiger" in the end of the book, at that is just that. Something that I think alot of paren'ts forget in child raising is to listen to their kids and let them do what they want and that is something Amy Chua has found. The results are there and cannot be argued, Amy Chua has written a wonderfully interesting, unforgettable and honest (not from the point of view of Lulu and Sophia) book that is something I would buy and read again when I have a child of my own. I think that this is a book for everyone, and that we can all take something. Now I need to go and tell my mom to listen to me more.

Katherine reviewed VAMPIRE ACADEMY- LAST SACRIFICE – By: Richelle Mead
(Note: also available in e-audio book and ebook)
 Contrary to popular belief, waiting just made the book better. After waiting so long for the book I couldn't wait to get captivated by it. Dimitri's oppression continues even though we all know he will get with Rose in the end. While some great risks are made to clear Rose's name, everyone knows it will all be right in the end. Dimitri has demons to fight and he will be with Rose in the end. Nothing can overcome true love and the power of a soul mate. Many new people are met along this journey are met and realisations are made. People who you would never guess could be trusted and people who don't seem the type to commit crimes are proven guilty. The motive, the leverage, and the power are there, but who killed Queen Tatiana? While this is the last of Rose's journeys we will hear of I am very glad our vision of Rose's life lasted this long and ended so well. Now I am hoping the spinoff series "Bloodlines" will be just as good but there will never be a comparison to the original. Vampire Academy lives on, in our hearts and our souls.

Katherine reviewed VAMPIRE ACADEMY- SPIRIT BOUND– By: Richelle Mead

(Note: also available in e-audio book and ebook )

This was one of THE best books I have ever read, and having to wait for it only made the book better. In this book, Richelle Mead continues one of the best (in my opinion) series of books. The love between Dimitri and Rose only intensifies.  Rose goes hunting for a way to bring her instructor back from strigoi land. While succeeding in obtaining all this information a great risk comes into light. What does Rose value more? Lisa? Or the love of her life? While still being in love with Dimitri she is going out with Adrian, another spirit user like Lisa. When the time to choose life and death comes, how will Rose handle her decision? When life takes a spin for the worst, and a horrible crime is committed how will rose react? Will Dimitri save her? Who will save Rose from the life she has committed herself to? The only upside to these unfortunate events is that Rose is now a guardian. How will the next book pan out? I tell you now, I am waiting for the next book with my fingers crossed it will be good, like all the others. For now all I can do is check out Richelle Meads website and bide my time.

Savannah reviewed Fairest – By: Gail Carson Levine

(also available in audio book)

This novel is set in the fictional kingdom of Ayortha, which is devoted to singing. The main character, Aza, is a girl whose voice is the 'fairest in all the land', but she doesn't posess what she wants the most, which is beauty. In the first quarter of the book, Aza discovers that she has the ability to 'throw' her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. This ability takes her all the way to the castle of Ayortha, where the new queen is so intrigued by Aza's voice that she decides to make Aza her lady-in-waiting. The story takes an unpleasant turn when Aza discovers that the queen wanted to use her voice to trick the commoners of Ayortha to believe that their new queen had a beautiful voice. This book was very captive, and kept me reading well into the night. The combination of mythical creatures, friendship, loyalty and the longing to be accepted was perfectly put together, and it identified real-life problems of living in an appearance-obsessed society. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed books like Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre, and I would give it 4 stars out of 5, only because I disliked some of the wording in this book.

Adithya has reviewed Sparrow Hawk Red – By: Ben Mikaelsen

     Ricky Diaz is a normal boy who lives in South Arizona with his father Benito Diaz,  a former member of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). Ricky was told by his Benito that his mother died in a car accident. This information is something Ricky couldn't emotionally withstand. So in order to keep their minds off that topic, Benito taught his son how to pilot and ride a plane. One day, some member of the DEA came to Ricky's house to try to persuade Benito to steal a spy plane from the same gang of drug smugglers who killed Ricky's mother. Ricky over heard this and was determined to get his father to do the mission and get some revenge. Benito refused the mission fearing that the smuggler would come for Ricky like they did for Ricky's mother. Hungry for revenge, Ricky sets out to complete this close to impossible mission. Read Sparrow Hawk Red to find out what happens.
     This is an amazing book full of cliff hangers. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for some action/adventure books. This book had kept me at the edge of my seat for the whole time and I am sure that it would do the same to the reader. Sparrow Hawk Red is a very unpredictable book which will keep the reader thinking through out the book and well after the book is done. Enjoy reading Sparrow Red Hawk and many more books in the future!