starkiwi's reviews
306 reviews

Bloodline by Claudia Gray

4.0

This book was not what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were quite a few new characters that I liked and would maybe like to see again. I never really grasped what Leia’s life was like in the senate until I read this book. After reading any Leia book I think my appreciation for her gets greater and greater. And also its Star Wars, so like anything else it is expanding the universe and giving me greater knowledge. I was mainly looking for things to fill in the 6 to 7 gap, which I found none in here. That is the only reason it gets four stars. Plus the fact that it went a little slow at times, especially listening to senators debate topics. I think most books do slow down at some parts.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

2.0

This book really didn’t capture me. The idea was interesting but the writing was poor. The exact same message could have been delivered in a 200 page book rather than wasting trees by making it 500. It probably could have been delivered better too. The structure throughout the book was also the same and very boring.
Evidence - evidence - small connection - evidence - evidence - small connection - more evidence - connection (sometimes).
I was already done with that by the fourth chapter. It just became too repetitive for me to read over and over again. Some parts were interesting and I would actually be drawn in for a moment before he switched to some other piece of evidence. I couldn’t handle it and started counting pages about halfway through.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

4.0

While I did read this book for school, like a lot of other books on here, it was not one of the worst. Mostly it was a good book and I enjoyed seeing Jeanette go on her rough journey through childhood into adulthood. It was a terrible story, however. The writing was amazing, but the actual events were traumatic and so very sad. This book helps bring out the reality that those events are real and that they happen to normal people in our world, not just characters in news articles. I give this book stars for realness. Because that was its most prominent feature.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

5.0

Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful story and I love it beyond measure! Shakespeare had a brilliant mind and I consider his writing amazing. While this is not my favorite of his plays, it is in the top three. While most people hate the book because it glorifies love over everything and “they didn’t know what they wanted” blah, blah blah, and blah, I disagree. It is an amazing story about the power of true love that does not include talking animals, magic, or singing in the most inappropriate of times. Plus, if you see the modern movie-remake of it from 1996, I think the actor for Romeo does a pretty good job.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3.0

This was not the book I wanted to read for class. At first I heard it was good and I thought reading it wouldn’t be too bad. I loved the authors style and how descriptive he was. However, the ending came along. Don’t worry, I wont spoil anything. But I did not like it one bit. Most people cried. Some did not. I was mad and disgusted. This was not the book I was hoping for when I first started out reading it. Mostly I am disappointed. Overall I still think it was a good book, I can’t argue with myself to give it any less stars. If we were just rating the ending, that would be a whole other story. For now, I am glad that it was a short book and not a long one.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4.0

When I started reading this. Little did I know that I would cry. It’s about the holocaust, of course its going to be sad. Most of it was. That one scene toward the ending however. It wasn’t the actual ending and most likely would not have made me cry was I not so invested in one specific character. But I cried. It gives you both sides of WW2. Especially the German side, which we don’t often think, nor hear about. Also the narrator was perfect for such a dark novel. It helped bring out the mood and I congratulate the author on thinking of that. It took the novel to the next level. I don’t have much else to say. But that is a good thing. The less I have to say in a review, the less I have to complain about. This book was a door to both sides of the holocaust.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

4.0

Reading this book for class wasn’t too bad. Our teacher did not make us do any tests or annotations. We also only had one essay at the end of it where it was mostly opinion. However, I found this book very hard to read independently. The writing and paragraph style confused me a little bit. Golding did a great job writing this book. Some say it was even the first dystopian book. But the writing had a certain rhythm to it that I could never find. Most of the time our teacher read it to us, which helped me a lot. When we were on our own I had a bit more trouble. I spent about half an hour online until I found the perfect recording. Most of them had British accents, and that wouldn’t help me focus on the book. So while it was a great book, the rhythm of the book is a bit confusing and hard to find. I almost wish I had bought this in audio book form.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

5.0

I read this book for school, but that does not change the fact that this is a very good book. I was quickly drawn in after a few chapters. It has an amazing plot line and characters. In class we did a character map, and each character is perfectly described and unique in their own way. I had a lot of fun reading this book, plus writing the essay. Our essay wasn’t so hard, and it allowed me to explore the book a bit more. The book has many life lessons in it. If you don’t like that, however, I do believe it is possible to read the book without focusing on that, if you would rather just read a good story. And that is what that author has written.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

4.0

This book is nonfiction. However, it does not feel like nonfiction. That is one of the beauties of this book. Fiction-readers have no trouble picking this up. Yet, it shows that even in real life, people learn life lessons, as well as grasping a lot of other fiction concepts that we may perceive to be only fictional. This book is a book about life and it (Morrie, specifically) teaches a major life lesson. In this book Morrie talks about all the problems in our society and culture at the time. He explains how we should live life and how to find the meaning of life. This book is very inspirational, as you start to feel a deep connection with Morrie by the end of the book. This book has really changed me - for the better - and I know I will start to live my life differently now. I also know that you should read it because Morrie will get to you and it will change your life as well.

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

4.0

I see what they mean when they say this book is “Tuesday’s with Morrie” for teens. The character, Alex, really progresses immensely throughout the book. I also think I have progressed in who I am from reading this book. It was not the best book I have ever read. However, it was pretty good. I always thought Sol was very funny. Now, whenever I play a joke on someone, “gotcha!” If you read the book, you would get it. Which is one of the reasons you should read it. It is a very heartfelt story about relationships. But not relationships with girlfriend/boyfriend, but with parents and children. I think that is what makes this book so unique. Not many books focus on the issue children have with their parents. So, I would definitely say to read it.