The Magic of Books

Author: Angie Thomas Rating: 9.5/10      This story was moving, scary, and beautiful. I didn't know how to feel at times. The way it was written, and the descriptions of the places made it very, very real. This is absolutely one of the best books I have read in my lifetime. If you enjoy the realistic fiction genre, this book is definitely a good one to have on your list. 

     Wendy Mass is an author I really admire. She is 52 years old, and she published 25 fiction books from 1996-2018. That's 25 books over 22 years! Her books are really creative and entertaining. One of my particular favorites is the Willow Falls series. They are exactly what I like in a book, a nice blend of fantasy and fiction. At some points in the books, it seems like something that could happen in your neighborhood, but at some places it seems impossible, magical, and much, much more. If you have never read a Wendy Mass book, you really should.

Author: Anne Ursu Rating: 9.5/10      This book is possibly one of my favorite single fantasy book s of all time. It was truly a masterpiece. I really loved the way that it moved between realistic fiction and fantasy. At times I forgot and almost couldn't tell. The change in perspective also helped and made it engaging. Letting the reader have parts of the story that the characters don't have is one of my favorite things that authors can do. 

Author: Gordon Korman Rating: 7/10      I read the original book that goes with this companion book a few years ago, and I thought it would be fun to read this one, just to find out what happens. It was funny, but generally intended for an audience that was looking for an easier book than I was. Still, Gordon Korman's books are fun to read every once in a while, just to shake things up.      

Author: Scott Westerfeld Rating: 8.5/10       Extras  had a faster pace than the first three books. It was a refreshing change from the usual cast of characters. It was interesting to think about the ways that technology has impacted the lives of the characters and how it might impact our lives in the near future. This book shows a world where the characters' lives are depending on their "face rank", so, basically, your life depends on how popular you are.

Author: Scott Westerfeld Rating: 5.5/10             This book was not as interesting to me as the previous two. In each book the characters are different some how, but I didn't like the way Tally and her friends were portrayed in this story. I probably would not have finished this one, had I not been so curious about what happens in Extras . I feel like this was sort of a "filler" book, a less interesting story that was a bridge between two other stories.      

Author: Scott Westerfeld     Rating: 7/10          I like Scott Westerfeld's style of ending these books with a cliffhanger, and then skipping a bit of time between the books. If you appreciated the style of the Hunger Games trilogy, you might not like the way Westerfeld writes it here. When beginning a book, it leaves you a little confused for awhile, since you know the general style but don't know what has happened in between. I found it quite interesting to pay attention to the subtle changes in relationships and characters between stories.