The Saderian Chronicles: Settling New Hope: Book 1: Chapter 6 Links
https://www.wattpad.com/1571656085-the-saderian-chronicles-book-1-settling-new-hope/page/6
https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1518797
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2025
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Son of the Borderlands By Joseph Sterk: Book Review
3.5/5
This book was sent to me by the author for review and has not impacted the review in any way. The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
My thoughts on this book are mixed. To start, Son of the Borderlands, has a really good introduction that makes you really curious and draws you in as a reader. Great opening chapter. Joseph Sterk also knows how to utilize descriptive writing. He paints an amazing picture in the reader's mind. On that same note, it carries forward into the characters. They are vivid and well thought out. My main issue is that the main character is not someone who is likeable, so I felt a disconnect with him. Going through the entire book, I only liked a couple of characters, none of them were main characters.
Son of the Borderlands, did have a good overall plot and an interesting twist. What it was lacking though was a true climatic moment, which in turn made the conclusion only okay in my books, pun intended. It also got kind of slow in many parts, which is where my attention faded. I was looking for that part that was going to make me say wow. A redeeming quality is that as far as created worlds go, this is a well thought out and carefully planned world. Goes back to the descriptive writing comment, painting that picture for the reader. A little personal peeve from the days of notes from my creative writing teacher, is using the same words to start sentences. Writers must find creative ways to start sentences. Over use of names, he, she, they, the, and these kinds of words makes it feel too repetitive.
Overall, Son of the Borderlands, was a decent read for those who enjoy dark fantasy and carefully crafter worlds.
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
The Library of Lost Dreams by A Goanta: Book Review
4/5
This book was sent to me by the author for review. This has not impacted the outcome of the review. These views are my own, and mine alone.
First thing that I noticed was the stunning visuals. Great images are needed at the target age level of approximately 7. The first sentence was one that did make you curious about the book, however it did fall off a bit for the first couple of chapters. Especially in kid's books, you need to grab their attention immediately. They have short attention spans and these days you are competing with screens. That being said, the book really grabs your attention in the third chapter, and so my note there would be to find a way to make those first two chapters really start with the third chapter. Once that begins it doesn't let you go. You want to see how its going to end, and what problems is she going to solve?
As far as concept goes, it is a fresh and creative idea for a book, with a good plot. Very well written and considering it is designed to be the first in a series, the author has done well in setting the tone for the next books. When it reaches the climax and conclusion it was a great way to wind down the book and explain what was going on further.
Overall, I would recommend this book to parents of kids just starting to get into chapter books.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent by Veronica Roth 4/5 Stars
Beatrice has been in her faction her entire life. She is now 16 and must decide if she stays or changes factions, leaving her family behind. She soon discovers she is different, a dangerous truth that she does not understand. Making the decision she moves to Dauntless. A decision that will affect every aspect of her life.
The book was not quick moving until the very end, but it was captivating in its own way. I did enjoy the movie more, but the book does fill in more character-wise. They all seem to be well developed characters and have intricate backgrounds. The plot does move along at a good pace and keeps your attention. The plot is fairly deep and that shows in the conclusion. Set up nicely for the next novel in the series. Overall a great read, that I would recommend to young adults especially, but anyone who likes thrillers or futuristic novels.
Beatrice has been in her faction her entire life. She is now 16 and must decide if she stays or changes factions, leaving her family behind. She soon discovers she is different, a dangerous truth that she does not understand. Making the decision she moves to Dauntless. A decision that will affect every aspect of her life.
The book was not quick moving until the very end, but it was captivating in its own way. I did enjoy the movie more, but the book does fill in more character-wise. They all seem to be well developed characters and have intricate backgrounds. The plot does move along at a good pace and keeps your attention. The plot is fairly deep and that shows in the conclusion. Set up nicely for the next novel in the series. Overall a great read, that I would recommend to young adults especially, but anyone who likes thrillers or futuristic novels.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Book Review- Ted Dekker- Saint
Ted Dekker- Saint (Thomas Nelson 2006) 2.75 Stars
Carl Strople is an assassin known as Saint. He is the best killer in the world, with more power than even he knows. The super secret government hired group has taken everything from him and turned him into what they want him to be. His search for the truth and love may just destroy him and everything the group has worked so hard to achieve.
The introduction for this book was great. It gets you involved in the action immediately, preparing you for an enjoyable read. I wish that this feeling had lasted. I found that it was really hard to stay interested in the book. I normally love Dekker’s books and find them easy to get into, but this just wasn’t the case with this book. The plot was a little hard to follow and seemed a little rushed, like he maybe should have taken more time on certain facts to make them clearer. It did have some really good twists in the book, but in the end you still know what to expect. The characters were really well done and were a redeeming feature of this novel. The conclusion was also really good, although it leaves it off for the third instalment of this series to continue the story. I would not recommend reading this book unless you are a Dekker fan working your way through his books.
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
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Book Review- Charles De Lint- Little (Grrl) Lost
Charles De Lint- Little (Grrl) Lost (Viking 2007) 3.75 Stars
T.J. was forced to sell her best friend in the world, her horse Red, when they moved from their country home to the suburbs. Feeling all alone and friendless, she comes upon a Little by accident. Elizabeth is a teenage Little with attitude and she has just been found by a Big. Now her family is fleeing the house and she is finding out that living without family is not all that it is cracked up to be. There are rumours in the Little world of the ability for them to change into birds with the help of a Big author. Her curiosity leads the pair on an adventure that will test both of their spirits and change their lives forever.
I had read the Little series growing up, so it was interesting to find out more about the Littles years later. This Canadian author does a good job of expanding on the traditional Little view and giving them more depth. He adds a whole new dimension to the world and shows that Littles are not the only oddity in our world. I enjoyed the characters as they were very well crafted; although a couple of times their reactions could have been a bit more realistic. The plot was twisting and turning so you never knew just what they were going to come across next. I did find that I never became absolutely engrossed in the book, although that could be due to the fact that I don’t normally read fantasy. Overall though this was a good YA fantasy novel.
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
Friday, August 12, 2011
Book Review- Nancy Farmer- The Sea of Trolls
Nancy Farmer- The Sea of Trolls (Atheneum Books 2004) 4.5 Stars
When berserkers strike Jack’s village, he suddenly finds himself protecting his sister as they are taken across the sea. Olaf One-Brow is now their master and will take them on adventures around the world. Bold Heart, a mysterious crow has tagged along for the ride, as Jack’s friend. Together this crew will embrace adventure and fight the many dangers hidden in the far corners of the globe.
A slower start to this book, but something about it still captured my attention. I loved Farmer’s writing style and would love to read more books in this series. The characters were great, jumping off every page and adding depth to the novel. The fantasy side was blended in so wonderfully that even though I am not normally into those books, I enjoyed the twist. The plot was beautifully crafted and captivating. The setting was great, as it was ever changing, keeping you on your toes, never knowing what you are going to run into next. If I had to come up with a negative I would say that she could have drawn it out a little further, which I do not normally say. Overall I loved this book and will be looking for more by this author.
For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
When berserkers strike Jack’s village, he suddenly finds himself protecting his sister as they are taken across the sea. Olaf One-Brow is now their master and will take them on adventures around the world. Bold Heart, a mysterious crow has tagged along for the ride, as Jack’s friend. Together this crew will embrace adventure and fight the many dangers hidden in the far corners of the globe.
A slower start to this book, but something about it still captured my attention. I loved Farmer’s writing style and would love to read more books in this series. The characters were great, jumping off every page and adding depth to the novel. The fantasy side was blended in so wonderfully that even though I am not normally into those books, I enjoyed the twist. The plot was beautifully crafted and captivating. The setting was great, as it was ever changing, keeping you on your toes, never knowing what you are going to run into next. If I had to come up with a negative I would say that she could have drawn it out a little further, which I do not normally say. Overall I loved this book and will be looking for more by this author.
For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Book Review- Pittacus Lore- I Am Number Four
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.
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
Friday, September 24, 2010
Book Review- Nancy Yi Fan- Swordbird
Nancy Yi Fan- Swordbird (HarperCollins 2007) 3.25 Stars
I must say that I may have enjoyed this book more if I was twelve or younger. It still was not a bad book, considering it is not the usual type of book that I read. It definitely is a juvenile read, intended for a younger audience. The author is now seventeen, but at the time that she wrote this she was only twelve. Taking that into consideration she has done a great job and I am impressed. I will be looking out for her in the future. The characters were interesting and well-created; maybe a little more depth would be something to work on as she gets older. The plot wasn’t deep, but it was still enjoyable. It also had its intense sections that will captivate young readers.
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/
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Book Review- J.R.R. Tolkien- The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien- The Hobbit (HarperCollins 1999) 4.75 Stars
Bilbo Baggins is a peaceful little hobbit, who wants nothing more than to live out his life without any adventure. Gandalf, a wizard, has other plans for this little hobbit. After a surprise visit from Gandalf and a large group of dwarves, Bilbo finds himself dragged along on a treasure hunt. Now he must face trolls, goblins, wargs, giant spiders, woodland elves, and a dragon. He must do the dirty work to keep this bunch of dwarves from falling victim to the dangers of Middle Earth. They will find allies along the way, but they are few and far between. Bilbo happens to find a ring along the way that makes him invisible when worn, but the ring may have more to it than meets the eye.
I read this book several years ago after my parents bought for me for my birthday (she had loved it when she read it), and yes this was before the movies came out. With the Hobbit movie coming out within the next couple of years I decided to read this series again. This book was as good as I had remembered it. I find this group of treasure hunters very comical and love how they get out of things just in the nick of time. There are tense moments although I think I find these more amusing than they were intended to be. I love the many characters that they come across during their adventure, both villain and hero. Tolkien had an amazing imagination to have created a planet in such detail, and he has my respect for this.
I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, or any fans of the Lord of the Rings movies.
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
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Author Interview: Quinton R. Wall
My first author interview. This interiew is with Quinton R. Wall, author of Seed o Hope, the start of a series based on the Talent Tree.
1.Tell us about yourself.
Well the first answer is pretty obvious; My name is Quinton Wall, and I tell stories. I am a fantasy writer, with my debut book The Seed of Hope, out in stores next month.I am originally from Melbourne, Australia, but now live in the central coast of California where I spend countless hours hunched over my laptop in my local starbucks trying to get all my ideas out, and into story. I guess you could say I have the writing bug, and love what I do.
2.When did you start writing?
I have written in some shape or another all my life. As a teenager I filled notebook after notebook of stories, and maps, and puzzles for my weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. As I grew older I moved into technical marketing where I wrote whitepapers, articles, and actively blogged on my IT sites. As for my novel writing career, this was something I had often thought about, but never really took too seriously until I finished reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. I loved the first book, and put it down once I was finished thinking to myself, “If a 16 year old kid can write a book like this, what is stopping me?” In someway I had surpressed the creative side of me; what with work, and a young family, but Paolini’s book, unleashed a torrent I had been holding back for a long time. The first result of that is The Seed Of Hope, which I started writing in April 2006, and finished a little over a year later.
3. Who would you consider to be your writing mentors?
Mentors is a hard one, influencers is probably more accurate. My first entry to the fantasy genre was Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman, followed by a slew of others with Robert Jordan being the standout in traditional fantasy influences. Philip Pullman and JK Rowlings are my major influences in the world of Young Adult writers, with Mitch Albom being a heavy influence for future books I have planned. Mitch Albom has the incredible ability to paint a vivid story, and do it in half the amount of words that other writers do.
4.What inspired you to write The Seed of Hope?
As I mentioned previously I was inspired to write primarily after reading Eragon, and finding my reawakening so to speak. This was also about the same time I was doing a lot of traveling for work, and I was listening to audiobooks for hours each day. I think I listened to the entire Harry Potter series in a period of a few weeks. During the past few years I had also been making up little stories to tell my, now 7 year old, daughter as she fell asleep each night. Somewhere along the way we started making up stories together. It was then that I decided I wanted my first book to be something where I could weave the ideas my daughter and I conceived, and make a great story out of it.
5.How did you come up with the idea for The Seed of Hope?
Everybody always asks the ‘where do you get your ideas from’ question, and honestly for the most part, I really don’t know. They come from somewhere in the dark recess of my imagination I suspect. But with The Seed of Hope, a lot of the primary ideas came from the stories my daughter and I made up (the Bag of Brakka was 100% her idea, including the name), and the scenery near my home in Central California with its rugged coast line, abundant wildlife, and incredible vistas.
6. What were the inspirations behind each of the six main children?
I think the characters all have some parts of friends, and family peppered with personal experiences, and a lot of creative license thrown into the mix. Many of the characters, Gideon in particular, really grew throughout the many revisions of the manuscript: almost to the stage where he rivals Charlie as the primary protagonist. Gideon and Charlie really come from the opposite spectrum of family life, and a lot of the conflict throughout the novel is born from these difference. Throw a few other opinionated kids, and a bunch of magic, and who knows what could happen.
7.What other books are you currently working on?
I am currently hard at work finishing the first draft of book 2 of the Talent Tree series , currently titled Of Worldly Deeds, and will then roll straight into the final book. After that I have a standalone book, tentatively titled 9 lives, another fantasy trilogy called Magus Emporium, and finally I have a few ideas/notes about a prequal series set back in the Talent Tree universe where we follow the Seekers, and their motivations.Every day I sketch out a few more ideas --- its just a matter of prioritizing them, and working through them. 9 lives is the one book however, that is just begging me to be written.
8.What are some of your favorites? (Author, food, color, book)
I have so many favorite books/authors but Robert Jordan is the stand out for fantasy, with Mitch Albom, your more ‘mainstream fiction’. In terms of other favorites well Thai is my favorite food, Microphone Fiend by Eric B. and Rakim is my favorite song, and Imogen Heap is my favorite musician/artist. My favorite sport is running. I’ve completed 2 marathon’s and will likely do more, as soon as I can work out how to type, and run at the same time.
9.Any other fun facts about you?
Hmm fun facts, what witty comment can I add here. Not much, I’m pretty normal, aside from the idea knocking away inside my head waiting to be let out, and written down.Thanks for the opportunity to let me tell you more about me and The Seed of Hope. Don’t forget to check out HYPERLINK "http://quintonwall.com" http://quintonwall.com for all the latest information, and take advantage of the special pre-order discount through Amazon.com ( HYPERLINK "http://bit.ly/theseedofhope" http://bit.ly/theseedofhope). My book is officially released next month (August 2009) so you still have some time.
And that is all folks! Great interview. Thank you Quinton for your time and great answers!
Signing off from Swift Current, Saskatchewan,
Tony Peters
1.Tell us about yourself.
Well the first answer is pretty obvious; My name is Quinton Wall, and I tell stories. I am a fantasy writer, with my debut book The Seed of Hope, out in stores next month.I am originally from Melbourne, Australia, but now live in the central coast of California where I spend countless hours hunched over my laptop in my local starbucks trying to get all my ideas out, and into story. I guess you could say I have the writing bug, and love what I do.
2.When did you start writing?
I have written in some shape or another all my life. As a teenager I filled notebook after notebook of stories, and maps, and puzzles for my weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. As I grew older I moved into technical marketing where I wrote whitepapers, articles, and actively blogged on my IT sites. As for my novel writing career, this was something I had often thought about, but never really took too seriously until I finished reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. I loved the first book, and put it down once I was finished thinking to myself, “If a 16 year old kid can write a book like this, what is stopping me?” In someway I had surpressed the creative side of me; what with work, and a young family, but Paolini’s book, unleashed a torrent I had been holding back for a long time. The first result of that is The Seed Of Hope, which I started writing in April 2006, and finished a little over a year later.
3. Who would you consider to be your writing mentors?
Mentors is a hard one, influencers is probably more accurate. My first entry to the fantasy genre was Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman, followed by a slew of others with Robert Jordan being the standout in traditional fantasy influences. Philip Pullman and JK Rowlings are my major influences in the world of Young Adult writers, with Mitch Albom being a heavy influence for future books I have planned. Mitch Albom has the incredible ability to paint a vivid story, and do it in half the amount of words that other writers do.
4.What inspired you to write The Seed of Hope?
As I mentioned previously I was inspired to write primarily after reading Eragon, and finding my reawakening so to speak. This was also about the same time I was doing a lot of traveling for work, and I was listening to audiobooks for hours each day. I think I listened to the entire Harry Potter series in a period of a few weeks. During the past few years I had also been making up little stories to tell my, now 7 year old, daughter as she fell asleep each night. Somewhere along the way we started making up stories together. It was then that I decided I wanted my first book to be something where I could weave the ideas my daughter and I conceived, and make a great story out of it.
5.How did you come up with the idea for The Seed of Hope?
Everybody always asks the ‘where do you get your ideas from’ question, and honestly for the most part, I really don’t know. They come from somewhere in the dark recess of my imagination I suspect. But with The Seed of Hope, a lot of the primary ideas came from the stories my daughter and I made up (the Bag of Brakka was 100% her idea, including the name), and the scenery near my home in Central California with its rugged coast line, abundant wildlife, and incredible vistas.
6. What were the inspirations behind each of the six main children?
I think the characters all have some parts of friends, and family peppered with personal experiences, and a lot of creative license thrown into the mix. Many of the characters, Gideon in particular, really grew throughout the many revisions of the manuscript: almost to the stage where he rivals Charlie as the primary protagonist. Gideon and Charlie really come from the opposite spectrum of family life, and a lot of the conflict throughout the novel is born from these difference. Throw a few other opinionated kids, and a bunch of magic, and who knows what could happen.
7.What other books are you currently working on?
I am currently hard at work finishing the first draft of book 2 of the Talent Tree series , currently titled Of Worldly Deeds, and will then roll straight into the final book. After that I have a standalone book, tentatively titled 9 lives, another fantasy trilogy called Magus Emporium, and finally I have a few ideas/notes about a prequal series set back in the Talent Tree universe where we follow the Seekers, and their motivations.Every day I sketch out a few more ideas --- its just a matter of prioritizing them, and working through them. 9 lives is the one book however, that is just begging me to be written.
8.What are some of your favorites? (Author, food, color, book)
I have so many favorite books/authors but Robert Jordan is the stand out for fantasy, with Mitch Albom, your more ‘mainstream fiction’. In terms of other favorites well Thai is my favorite food, Microphone Fiend by Eric B. and Rakim is my favorite song, and Imogen Heap is my favorite musician/artist. My favorite sport is running. I’ve completed 2 marathon’s and will likely do more, as soon as I can work out how to type, and run at the same time.
9.Any other fun facts about you?
Hmm fun facts, what witty comment can I add here. Not much, I’m pretty normal, aside from the idea knocking away inside my head waiting to be let out, and written down.Thanks for the opportunity to let me tell you more about me and The Seed of Hope. Don’t forget to check out HYPERLINK "http://quintonwall.com" http://quintonwall.com for all the latest information, and take advantage of the special pre-order discount through Amazon.com ( HYPERLINK "http://bit.ly/theseedofhope" http://bit.ly/theseedofhope). My book is officially released next month (August 2009) so you still have some time.
And that is all folks! Great interview. Thank you Quinton for your time and great answers!
Signing off from Swift Current, Saskatchewan,
Tony Peters
Monday, July 13, 2009
Book Review- Quinton R. Wall- The Seed of Hope
Quinton R. Wall- The Seed of Hope (The Pragmatic Programmers 2009) 4 Stars
I was very impressed by this well-written debut novel. The author, Quinton R. Wall, sent me a copy of this in e-book form for review purposes and I am glad that he did. The Seed of Hope is the first in a series surrounding the Talent Tree that gives people special talents that revolve around skills that they already have within. Charlie Parker has been looking forward to receiving his talent and entering the garden that his father works in as a Keeper. Getting his talent though, may not be as easy as it sounds. His journey will take him places he could have only imagined and stretch his young body and mind beyond what any child should have to.
The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the dedication was. The Seed of Hope had an excellent introduction that commanded my attention, by then it did slip back into a slower section that was needed for background information. Once the main adventure began though it never let up, putting the book down was very difficult. Not being a huge fantasy fan, I was surprised to find myself enjoying the book as much as I was. I appalled by how cruel two of the boys were to poor Gideon, I felt so bad for him, but that is how children are. The characters were amazingly well put together and they flowed from the page like they were real.
I would recommend The Seed of Hope to fantasy lovers of all ages, but particularly middle reader and young adult level readers. A well-earned four stars! Here is his website,
http://quintonwall.com
I was very impressed by this well-written debut novel. The author, Quinton R. Wall, sent me a copy of this in e-book form for review purposes and I am glad that he did. The Seed of Hope is the first in a series surrounding the Talent Tree that gives people special talents that revolve around skills that they already have within. Charlie Parker has been looking forward to receiving his talent and entering the garden that his father works in as a Keeper. Getting his talent though, may not be as easy as it sounds. His journey will take him places he could have only imagined and stretch his young body and mind beyond what any child should have to.
The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the dedication was. The Seed of Hope had an excellent introduction that commanded my attention, by then it did slip back into a slower section that was needed for background information. Once the main adventure began though it never let up, putting the book down was very difficult. Not being a huge fantasy fan, I was surprised to find myself enjoying the book as much as I was. I appalled by how cruel two of the boys were to poor Gideon, I felt so bad for him, but that is how children are. The characters were amazingly well put together and they flowed from the page like they were real.
I would recommend The Seed of Hope to fantasy lovers of all ages, but particularly middle reader and young adult level readers. A well-earned four stars! Here is his website,
http://quintonwall.com
For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Book Review- Arthur Slade- Dust
Arthur Slade- Dust (HarperCanada 2001) 3 Stars
Dust takes place in Horshoe, Saskatchewan and mentions many towns and areas that I know all about having been to the places. It even mentions Swift Current, my city. The reason for this is that Arthur Slade is a fellow Saskatchewan author. Dust tells the story of Robert, an eleven-year-old boy whose younger brother disappears one day and strange events start taking place. As more children disappear Robert begins to suspect the truth behind the events, but will any of the adults believe him?
This book had a great beginning and an even better ending; it was the parts in between that I had some problems with. I did like the book overall, but in parts it was hard to follow and a little bit to odd for me. The oddity got to be a little bit too much for me. A little bit weird is okay, I can deal with that, but in some parts it was just too odd to be believable. The dialogue was fairly strong, the characters managing to stay within their age. Character development was strong in the part of the main character, but aside form that I found myself wanting to know more about some characters, trying to understand who they are and the reasoning behind their actions.
Overall it was an average book in my opinion. If you are a teen that is into the weird and wacky, or fantasy, you may enjoy reading Dust.
For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html
Dust takes place in Horshoe, Saskatchewan and mentions many towns and areas that I know all about having been to the places. It even mentions Swift Current, my city. The reason for this is that Arthur Slade is a fellow Saskatchewan author. Dust tells the story of Robert, an eleven-year-old boy whose younger brother disappears one day and strange events start taking place. As more children disappear Robert begins to suspect the truth behind the events, but will any of the adults believe him?
This book had a great beginning and an even better ending; it was the parts in between that I had some problems with. I did like the book overall, but in parts it was hard to follow and a little bit to odd for me. The oddity got to be a little bit too much for me. A little bit weird is okay, I can deal with that, but in some parts it was just too odd to be believable. The dialogue was fairly strong, the characters managing to stay within their age. Character development was strong in the part of the main character, but aside form that I found myself wanting to know more about some characters, trying to understand who they are and the reasoning behind their actions.
Overall it was an average book in my opinion. If you are a teen that is into the weird and wacky, or fantasy, you may enjoy reading Dust.
For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html
Monday, May 18, 2009
Book Review- M. T. Anderson- The Game of Sunken Places
M. T. Anderson- The Game of Sunken Places (Scholastic Inc. 2004) 3.5 Stars
This book seems like an interesting mixture of Jumanji and Lord of the Rings, or even Narnia. Brian and Gregory get and invitation in the mail to go to an Uncle’s mansion for a couple of weeks. Little do they know just how strange this mansion is and how odd their relative is. Something weird is going on and the young boys seem to be trapped in the middle of it, if only they knew what ‘it’ was. An adventure is in store whether they like it or not.
This was not an overly original idea, but how many books are now? The Game of Sunken Places starts off quite slow, making it a little bit difficult to read at first. Pacing goes up and down until the last quarter of the book when it picks up and finally grips your attention. I did like the basics of the ‘game’ that they were playing; it seemed like a creative way of bringing in old ideas to make something fresh. The characters were a little bit weak, not having a whole lot of development. It was a good plot, with some interesting twists at the end, although I would have liked to see more twists throughout the book.
Overall it was a pretty good book. I would recommend it to YA readers who like fantasy.
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.tonypeters.webs.com
This book seems like an interesting mixture of Jumanji and Lord of the Rings, or even Narnia. Brian and Gregory get and invitation in the mail to go to an Uncle’s mansion for a couple of weeks. Little do they know just how strange this mansion is and how odd their relative is. Something weird is going on and the young boys seem to be trapped in the middle of it, if only they knew what ‘it’ was. An adventure is in store whether they like it or not.
This was not an overly original idea, but how many books are now? The Game of Sunken Places starts off quite slow, making it a little bit difficult to read at first. Pacing goes up and down until the last quarter of the book when it picks up and finally grips your attention. I did like the basics of the ‘game’ that they were playing; it seemed like a creative way of bringing in old ideas to make something fresh. The characters were a little bit weak, not having a whole lot of development. It was a good plot, with some interesting twists at the end, although I would have liked to see more twists throughout the book.
Overall it was a pretty good book. I would recommend it to YA readers who like fantasy.
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.tonypeters.webs.com
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