George Sullivan- Lewis and Clark (Scholastic 2000) 4.25 Stars
This book covers the journey of Lewis and Clark as they go on their expedition to the
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Sidney Sheldon- The Sky is Falling (William Morrow 2000) 3.25 Stars
The
I wasn’t immediately grabbed by this book, but there was something about the main character that made me want read on. I thought that the characters were brilliantly done, a great job by this experienced author. I also found it interesting to see the characters travel all around the world, although there really wasn’t a lot of description on the setting, and it would have been cool to see that. The plot was descent, but could have been better, I felt that it was a little cheesy in parts and the main character was a little naïve. I did enjoy some of the twists, although I found myself saying, “Right!” I do enjoy books about reporters though; there is just something about the hunt for information. Overall I thought that this book was okay, but it could have been better.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Ed Rambeau- Forbidden Steps (ebook 2010) 2 Stars
When Frank Kipton dies, the family is together again and things are about to heat up. Chad Kipton is trying to understand why his younger brother Danny dislikes him, and battles with old feelings as his stepmother seduces him. Vivian is suspected of killing her husband and must try to find any way possible to look innocent, even if it means manipulating
I must say, I was not impressed with this novel. It took a really long time for this book to get even remotely interesting. Too much time was spent too early on, on character background. An introduction should grab the reader’s attention right away, or the reader is not going to finish reading. Character development is important, but it can be done throughout the book, and in such a manner so as not to bore the reader. I think around page one hundred is where it started to get interesting, but even then it didn’t really grab my attention until much later. The plot was decent, although it could have been much better; it seemed very shallow at points. It did have some good twists in it that catch you by surprise. The characters were pretty good, much of the book was spent developing them, this did make the characters deep, but it also seemed overdone and slowed things down quite a bit. I was shocked by all of the sex in the book. I am okay with a little sex (as long as it is done in a manner that is not too graphic), but this read much like what I would imagine a porn novel to be like, an excessive amount of sex. I did enjoy the ending as it was intense; however it also dragged on a bit too long. So it had its positives and negatives, but I would not recommend this book.
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
After having his rich mine stolen out from under him, Hard Luck Yancey has been helping the Sisters of Charity at the hospital. Now that gold has been discovered by Yancey it may be more than the town can handle. Things are about to blow in the town of Yancey and Hard Luck Yancey, the town founder, is right in the middle of things.
This book was not too bad, I wouldn’t call it great, but it wasn’t bad. I was captivated by finding out just what was going to happen and how Yancey was going to handle the situation. It did take a while to get into the book, but the ending was very good. The characters were decent, and the villain was very hateable. It was interesting to see how Yancey was able to deal with the situation without violence. It had a great lesson for all of us to learn. The landscape was perfect for the setting, the middle of nowhere, someplace where no one would normally want to live. It did take a while to get into the book, but the ending was very good.
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Joseph Finder- The Zero Hour (
After a
The first couple of pages did not grab me, but the rest of the first chapter made me want to read on just to figure out how this was going to turn out. It certainly had some intense moments, especially towards the end. It was great to see the two forces competition of wits; it made for an interesting read. The plot was pretty good; it twisted and turned constantly, although not all the twists, including the big one, were unpredictable (I saw it coming a mile away). I did find that it contained a lot of fluff, although it was still a great book. The characters were pretty good, and had a fairly well set up background. I would recommend this novel to those who love a good thriller.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Pittacus Lore- I Am Number Four (HarperCollins e-books 2010) 1.5 Stars
When Lorien is invaded by Magadorians, they are forced to send out nine of their Legacies to Earth in the hopes of keeping their civilization alive. Someday they will return. There are nine of them and they can only be killed in order. The Magadorians have already killed three of them and they are in the hunt for Number Four.
I had heard mixed reviews about this book, so I was not sure what to think of the book. I only read it because the back of the book made it sound really good. The introduction was pretty good; it grabbed my attention, which is good or I may not have kept reading. The book slowed down and was only okay from then on. I found that the characters were decent, but not great, and lacked depth. It took a long time for the book to really get to the point. It was almost like the author could not decide whether to write about the romance or the Legacies. It also did not really flow. The plot was not really a good one; it seemed like something a child would come up with. The action near the end was intense and for that I gave an extra quarter star. However the ending was kind of lame and almost made me gag. It was also set up for a sequel, which I will NOT be reading. As you can probably tell, I do not recommend this book.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Shane Gericke- Blown Away (Pinnacle Books 2006) 3.25 Stars
Emily Thompson is a rookie on the force and she wishes to work homicide. Now she has been given the chance as she is brought in on a case where her police card is found at the crime scene. They quickly realize that she is the intended target of this killer and he is playing a deadly game surrounding her life. Emily must now outsmart this killer before he ends her career and her life.
I loved the introduction, it gripped my attention. Sadly the next part was the police investigating a potential crime scene. At the crime scene they were smoking cigars to cover up the smell. This would contaminate the crime scene and the evidence. The plot was fast-paced and was very interesting; however the main twist was extremely predictable and I saw it coming early on. The characters were interesting and quite well done. I would have recommended this book, but I cannot get past the twist failure and the crime scene contamination.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Thomas Greanias- The Atlantis Revelation (Pocket Star Books 2010) 4 Stars
Conrad Yeats is exploring the inside of a destroyed Nazi submarine following clues that have led him to what could be a deadly discovery. Hitler was searching for Atlantis and what he found could have altered the result of the war. Now Yeats must put a stop to a deadly scheme that could jumpstart Armageddon. It is another race against time and this time it might just cost him everything he holds dear.
I loved the introduction to this book. It grabs the reader’s attention and sets them up for a rollercoaster ride. This book was a great conclusion to the trilogy. The plot was fairly good and definitely was action-packed. There were a lot of twists and turns, not all of them unforeseeable, but enough to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters were pretty good, although I abhor sister Serena Serghetti, I have been hoping for her death all along (which actually makes the book more enjoyable). I found it interesting to see what Yeats uncovers and how he deals with the situations he is dealt. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves a good thrill ride.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Eric Van Lustbader- Last Snow (Forge Books 2010) 3 Stars
An American senator is killed in the
I was disappointed in his book. I liked The Testament by this author and was hoping to enjoy this one too. However this was not the case. I found it really distracting that it jumped from character to character throughout the book, it made it hard to follow what was going on, and keep track of each person. It also made it hard to get to know any particular character, although I think individually the characters were pretty decent. The plot had lots of twists and turns, and overall was pretty good. It was interesting to see how the characters dealt with the lies they were telling each other, but in the end it was a little too confusing.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
David Morrell- Creepers (Headline Book Publishing) 4 Stars
Creepers sneak into abandoned buildings and they explore. They have the rule of not leaving any trace of there having been there, and not removing anything. When they enter the Paragon Hotel they have no idea just what kind of trouble they are getting themselves into. It has been abandoned for years and they never could have imagined the secrets it has been hiding. Death and fear await all who enter. Those who enter may never leave.
The beginning was not gripping, but it was still interesting. I found myself wondering just what they were going to uncover next. Then when the problems begin things start heating up and it becomes a pretty intense read. I loved the fast paced action of the last three-quarters of the book. I did find that the characters could have been a little better, but I have certainly seen worse. I do think that being an ‘urban explorer’ would be kind of fun, but not sure if I like the idea of being arrested for breaking into buildings illegally. The building certainly made for an interesting setting, which added to the intensity of the book. Overall I thought that this book was pretty good.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
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Susan Beth Pfeffer- Kid Power (Scholastic Inc 1995) 3 Stars
When Janie Golden’s mom loses her job it shatters her hopes of getting a new bike. Now she has decided to take matters into her own hands and find ways of earning her own money. She will be taking on odd jobs around her community under the name of Kid Power. She loves counting her money, but will it cost her, her best friend?
This book was alright. It teaches kids about money and how to handle it, but not let it get in the way of your friends. It also was kind of interesting to see how she handled all of the odd jobs she was handed, and how she came to realize that she might not be able to do things all on her own. I did find that it lacked any real intensity or climatic moment that really grabbed me. There was a spot where I think the author tried to make it intense, but it was fairly predictable and failed to grab my attention. The characters were also okay, but were not great. Overall I likely would not recommend this book, unless your child is looking into starting their own kid’s business.
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Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Ted Dekker- The Bride Collector (Center Street 2011) 3.75 Stars
A psychopath is obsessed with beautiful women. He believes that he is collecting them for God’s work, but Special Agent Brad Raines thinks otherwise. He must hunt down this killer before he destroys everything Raines holds dear. On a weird twist he finds himself relying on a select group at the Center for Wellness and Intelligent, a home for mentally ill, but very intelligent people.
I have gotten used to the extreme oddity of Ted Dekker’s books, which leads to a lot of intense moments. This book was not nearly as odd as the majority of his other books. It did have some good twists and turns however. That being said I have seen better work by this author, which is not to say that I did not like this book. I do wish that the situations would have been a little more realistic, as I do not think that an FBI man would rely on mentally ill patients to solve his case. However it was different from other books in that manner, which is kind of nice to see. The characters were unique and fairly well created. Overall I thought that this book was good, but could have been better.
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
