Literature Young Adult Fiction » Graphic Novel http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com YA Readers Reviewing Books. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:18:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Review: Malice by Chris Wooding http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-malice-by-chris-wooding/ http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-malice-by-chris-wooding/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:57:01 +0000 First Mate Keira http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/?p=1042

by First Mate Keira

Title: Malice
Author: Chris Wooding
Illustrator: Dan Chernett
Format: Hardback
Pages: 379
Grade Reading Level: 7th-9th Grade

Summary: In Britain all the children know the rumors of a comic book called
Malice. They also know that if a ritual is done and a chant said six times they could be taken into the world of that comic. Some do so on a dare. Others because they’re missing adventure. Others to prove it doesn’t exist. More still because they believed Malice was better than their normal lives. It doesn’t matter why you do it – you’re Tall Jake’s as soon as you invite him into your life. It’s only a matter of time before he comes to collect. There’s no going back and certain doom awaits you on the other side.

Why I started this book:

My librarian recommended it to me because I liked fantasy book series. This is the first book and the story is continued in Havoc.

Likes:

  • Malice is divided into several zones and this book takes you through two. The Clock Tower and the Oubliette. In the Clock Tower they face the Clockmaker and his metal inventions. In the Oubliette they face a hungry impenetrable darkness and blind ravenous gnawls.
  • Seth – he’s pretty foolhardy and he thrives on Malice which makes him feel a little guilty.
  • Justin – he’s the knowledgeable guide to the world, having actually read the comics before doing the ritual. He’s also a good friend despite what his life has taught him about how friends never stick around when trouble’s afoot.
  • Kady – she’s not a bad character either, I just don’t like the fact that she practices hypnosis. Of the three she’s the most practical and comes as prepared as one can be for a place like Malice.

Dislikes:

  • The use of hypnosis throughout the novel. People simply couldn’t have (partial) amnesia? It’s all false testimony on the senses doing more harm than good.
  • I had trouble with about half of the illustrations which were too stylized. I couldn’t make head or tails out of what I was seeing some of the time so I ended up just reading the bubbles. I figure somebody with more background in comics will manage with no problem. It just wasn’t the case with me.
  • The real victims are all the parents who have no idea what’s going on and only know that their children go mysteriously missing and if they’re lucky come back… but the kids never come back the way they were before the left and nobody knows why, not even the kids.

Last Minute Thoughts: The beginning is pretty scary (horror like scary), but once the kids make it to Malice is more like a thrilling adventure. I also sincerely hope that despite how it appears Justin is still alive. I can’t wait for the next book about the kid rebels known as Havoc.

Buy: Malice

Rating: 3.5 Treasure Chests

Online Stores ]]> http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-malice-by-chris-wooding/feed/ 0 Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days by Jeff Kinney http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-dog-days-by-jeff-kinney/ http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-dog-days-by-jeff-kinney/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:55:23 +0000 CaptainYarr http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/?p=326 bookreview

by Captain Yarr

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days
Author: Jeff Kinney
Page Count: 214
Format: Hardcover
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: No matter what Greg does he can never enjoy his summer. Even if he is liking his summer, it won’t last long and/or will probably turn out badly. This summer he’s juggling between his family, friends, and his love life. Will he loose his best friend? Will he get Heather Hills to fall in love with him? As things are Greg isn’t sure which is worst: his summer or going back to school.

Why I Started the Book:

I liked all the previous books and put this title on hold at the library. My place on the hold list was fairly low and I got the book in time to devour it over the weekend.

Likes:

  • I like the chapter (or day) that Greg used his Ladybug (his cell phone that only calls 911 or his house) for the first time and almost gets his day arrested. It was funny!
  • I enjoyed Manny in this book because he never cared about what was going on; he just wants to have a good time.
  • The humor is as good as the rest of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. You will definitely chuckle to yourself as you read.

Dislikes:

  • I never found out how Greg and Rowley paid back Mr. Jefferson back for ordering all the fruit smoothies at the clubhouse. Even though it wasn’t as important as some other problems, I really wanted to know.
  • If I were to choose a title for this book, I wouldn’t name it Dog Days. There are only some parts in the story that involve a dog, and he’s not even the main problem in the story!

Last minute thoughts: I hope Jeff Kinney will add another book to the series because I enjoy reading them and don’t want to see the end of the books.

Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Hardcover)

Book Rating: I give this book 3.5 treasure chests!
tc35

Originally posted 2009-11-11 03:13:50.

Online Stores ]]> http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-dog-days-by-jeff-kinney/feed/ 2 Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-last-straw-by-jeff-kinney/ http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-last-straw-by-jeff-kinney/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:19:19 +0000 CaptainYarr http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/?p=251 bookreview

by Captain Lyaf Yarr

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Author Jeff Kinney
Page Count: 217
Format: Paperback
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: Greg is writing in his journal (diary) again and is facing  more problems than ever before. He is getting into more trouble while trying to fix each of these problems. According to his dad, Greg should act more like his ex-neighbor, Lenwood Heath. His dad wants to send him to a summer conditioning program at Spag Union to change him from a troublemaker to a normal kid. Will Greg have to spend his entire summer at a conditioning program? Will he convince his dad to not send him to the program? What will be the last straw?

Why I Started This Book:

I already read the other two books of this series and enjoyed them both.

Likes:

  • The idea of the diary is still pretty awesome. It just appeals to me. I think it would be fun to read another diary or journal by a different author and compare it to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
  • Greg is a fun character. I love that he is so wimpy in appearance, but that his attitude isn’t wimpy. It's funny that he thinks he’s perfect as can be.
  • I like Greg's best friend, Rowley. He's immature. my favorite things he did was getting into a pillow fight with six year olds.
  • Oh and one last note: Greg's mom is funny. Hehe.

Dislikes:

  • I didn't like Greg's dad; he hears what Greg says but he doesn't listen. That's just bad parenting!
  • Some things were so stupid that they became funny. I wish it had been more funny and less stupid. Boys!
  • When he was wearing his mom's bathrobe and stood under the heat vent - why did he get in trouble for this? Makes no sense to me.

Last minute thoughts: I didn’t enjoy this book as well as the first one, but liked it better than the second one. I would like to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days soon and other books by Jeff Kinney.

Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Book Rating: I give this book 3 Treasure Chests.
tc3

Originally posted 2009-10-22 03:54:35.

Online Stores ]]> http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-the-last-straw-by-jeff-kinney/feed/ 0 Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-by-jeff-kinney/ http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-by-jeff-kinney/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:47:05 +0000 CaptainYarr http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/?p=202 bookreview

by Captain Lyaf Yarr

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Page Count: 217
Format: Paperback
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: Greg is starting middle school and his mom buys him a “Journal” (diary). In it he writes all of his problems, events, and whatever is happening in his personal life. The book follows him through his first year in middle school and it isn’t exactly as Greg thought it would be.

Why I Started This Book:

I knew kids at school who had read this book and liked it and when my mom heard about it she told me I should grab it from the library. I did and I grabbed another one too, just in case the first was any good.

Likes:

  • I like the idea of reading someone’s diary. I’ve always wanted to without being caught and yelled at for invading their privacy.
  • In this book I liked the moldy cheese that was always on the basketball court and never came off. I was kind of grossed out when I found out what happened to it at the end of the story, but I thought it was funny.
  • I loved the comedy in the book; sometimes it was funny because it was stupid, but I was laughing all the time anyway.

Dislikes:

  • In this book there wasn’t just one major problem. It was more like ten problems, and they weren’t very big problems except one. I thought it was kind of weird reading with more than one problem going on. It’s not something I’m used to and I’m not sure really how I feel about it.
  • I didn’t especially like the fact that there were so many pictures in this book. Not that I didn’t enjoy the picture it’s just that it took up most of what could have been text, and it felt like I could finish ten pages in ten seconds.

Last minute thoughts: I was never tired of reading this book. I was eager what would happen next.

Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Book Rating: I give this book 3.5 Treasure Chests, and I will read the second one soon!
tc35

Originally posted 2009-10-07 03:37:11.

Online Stores ]]> http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-by-jeff-kinney/feed/ 3 Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-rodrick-rules-by-jeff-kinney/ http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-rodrick-rules-by-jeff-kinney/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:07:49 +0000 cookcutlery http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/?p=209 guestreview

by Pirate Cook Cutlery, guest reviewer

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Author: Jeff Kinney
Format: Hardback
Pages: 216
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: Greg Heffley is in his second year of Middle School. Pretty much, his brother Rodrick, can get Greg to do anything Rodrick wants because Rodrick has some blackmail material on Greg. Their mother is trying to get them to play nice, but with competitive streaks a mile wide will that ever be possible?

Why I Started This Book:

My mother and older sister told me about this book and got it from the library for me. I don’t usually choose to spend my time reading, but this looked cool enough so I began it and finished it within two days. Personal record! Awesome!

Likes:

  • This book is really funny. I would disturb family members by chuckling out loud.
  • The cartoons made this book a breeze to get through and were part of the humor that really made this book awesome.
  • I liked Manny the youngest Heffley boy. He was the tattler and would tattle on both Greg and Rodrick.

Dislikes:

  • I thought it was kind of stupid that Greg wrapped himself in toilet paper when he was wet. Wouldn’t he be a soggy chunky mummy and not just a normal mummy? Talk about icky.
  • Rodrick’s science project. It was silly, but stupid. Come on, really, Do Plants Sneeze?

Last minute thoughts: I am going to go back and start with book one as soon as I can.

Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Book Rating:4 Treasure Chests
tc4

Originally posted 2009-10-09 03:29:37.

Online Stores ]]> http://www.literatureyoungadultfiction.com/review-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-rodrick-rules-by-jeff-kinney/feed/ 0