First Term at Malory Towers

Hola, First Term at Malory Towers, by Enid Blyton. Malory Towers is a prestigious boarding school sitting on a high cliff overlooking the ocean. (It is in England.) Although the building may look elegant and proper, the inhabitants aren't. In this book you follow Darell Rivers—a likable, happy girl with a fast temper—through her first year full of laughs, pranks, and some unexpected surprises at Mallory Towers. These books are awesome! The school, though very entertaining, is incredibly realistic. The characters are the perfect combination of fun and anger. Each person goes through different changes, and the fact that they are at a boarding school doesn't hinder their adventures. The only real problem is that the books are from Great Britain, so they might be hard to find... but anyway, the Malory Towers books are not a waste of time! Three and a half stars!

The Sisters Grimm, Book 1

Hola, The Sisters Grimm, Book 1 by Michael Buckley. After Sabrina and Daphne Grimm's parents go missing, the girls are shipped off to their Grandmother's house, but before this, they didn't even know she existed! Sabrina, the elder sister, gets more and more suspicious while Granny Relda serves them strangely colored food and tells them about how the Grimm family has been detectives, and the keepers of the Everafters. These are characters straight out of story books, but are sometimes a little bit different than they may seem at first. When Granny Relda goes missing, the Sisters Grimm are on the case! I really like the characters. The plot is fun and original and the setting, though confined to a single town, is quite an adventure. However, a really hate Sabrina! She rather bogs the whole story down, but, if you ignore her, these are awesome books! Three stars.

Magyk

Hola, next is Magyk by Angie Sage. On a dark and stormy night (Actually, it was snowing, but whatever!) a seventh son of a seventh son was born, and he was named Septimus Heap. However, he died shortly thereafter. At least, that is what his family thinks... On the same dark and stormy night, Silas Heap (His father,) was walking home after work when he heard a baby crying. He found a little baby girl with dark hair and violet eyes hidden in a bush. Silas took her home and raised Jenna in place of his lost son, Septimus. But what was the real story behind Septimus's early death, and who is the strangely mute boy that chance has thrown at Jenna? Okay, I'll admit that the first time I read this was in Second Grade, but it was good! The story may have been a bit predictable but the characters quickly changing personalities give the plot some twists and turns. I would definitely recommend this to younger readers (Good gift for cousins, etc.) or if you are an older reader that is looking for something entertaining but decidedly easy. Three stars.

Eyes Like Stars

Hola? (I am running out of punctuation...) Eyes Like Stars, by Lisa Manchev. Bertie lives in the Theatre Illuminata, a magical place where the character of every major play ever written resides. Bertie, a rather rebellious teenager is one of the only real humans in the Theatre. She is constantly trying to remember life outside of the Theatre, however, she is not the only one to have been outside its walls. When the mysterious air spirit Ariel discovers the secret to freedom, he may do a lot more than escape—he may destroy Bertie's chance to stay in the home she has ever known. Follow the motley crew through a suspenseful story full of humor, wit, and a very original cast of characters. I love the faeries from A Midsummer Night's Dream! (Peaseblossom is by far the awesomest!) I thought that this was a rather strange but incredibly interesting book. The plot kept me engaged and I thought the cover art was really cool. (I know it's not strictly "the book", but it was cool,) In all, I think that is you happen across it, Eyes Like Stars is not a waste of time, three stars.

Ella Enchanted

Hola! Sorry it has been such a long time, I have been getting lazy! Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine, they made a movie out of it, the book is WAY different. Ella of Frell is a kind, strong girl, with a fairy gift, she must always be obedient. Or maybe it's more of a curse! With her malicious step sisters and greedy father ordering her around, it's no wonder that Ella needs to break the curse before she does something truly terrible. With Ella's adventure punctuated by ogres, elves, finishing school, and the occasional letter from Prince Char, her story is an exciting one! I REALLY REALLY liked this book! Ella is smart and funny, while the other characters bring out deeper parts of her personality. The concept is intriguing, with hints of other classic fairy tales thrown in. I think that this is good for a large range of age groups and would keep all of them highly entertained. (It was just kinda short...) Good read, four stars!

Clockwork Angel

Hola, I am now doing a prequel. Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare, is the first book in the Infernal Devices series, and a prequel to the Mortal Instruments (City of Bones...). Tessa was living with Aunt Harriet until she died, and then she was hurried off to London in search of her brother. This is the start of the story of Theresa (Tessa) Gray, whose journey is quickly followed by two sinister beings called the "Dark Sisters" and soon after that, Shadowhunters. With Tessa not even knowing who she really is, how can she manage plotting Downworlders, her brother, or just some boys! This book was not as good as the first series, without a doubt. However, it was good. My biggest problem with it was that I didn't like the characters. Will is a bad imitation of City of Bones' Jace, and Jem is halfway between Simon and Alec—super weird! Tessa is okay but after Clary, her Victorian manners are tiring. Maybe people should read these books before City of Bones so they are not disappointed... Hmm... Well, two and a half stars.

Jane Eyre

HOLA! I know, I know, before you all start yelling at me! I have been very lazy and haven't posted in around a month! I'm sorry! Okay, up next is Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (The "e" has two little dots over it but I don't know how to do that). Jane Eyre is an orphaned girl living with her aunt. This book starts with her horrid life as a child, beaten by her cousin and treated like a servant. This theme follows Jane throughout the entire story, (the "mistreated" theme) but Miss Eyre encounters a few events that could lighten her life a bit. This book is Jane's rather memoir-like story of her tragic life, but it does have a happy ending, don't worry. I liked Jane Eyre, but didn't love it. I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under thirteen and maybe only mature teens, it is heavy. The story is engaging, but the fact that Charlotte Bronte based this on her own life is a little off-putting. In all, good book, wait until you are older. Two and a half stars.