The Circus Arrives Without Warning...

Hello everyone!
Imagine a circus that opens at dark, where illusions are real, stories are trapped in jars and gardens are made of ice- that circus is the Night Circus. The Night Circus, written by Erin Morgenstern, is about a challenge between two magicians, Celia and Marco. They have been trained for this challenge by their mentors for years, and the venue of the challenge? The Night Circus, a dark, beautiful traveling circus that appears in places all over the world with no warning. But the challenge is made even more dangerous when Celia and Marco fall in love... but how can they possibly survive when the only way to end the challenge is for only one magician to remain standing?
The Night Circus is beautiful. The description is lush and the setting imaginative. I fell in love with the setting, that is, the Night Circus, and wished that I could actually visit it. The story is slow-moving and takes place over the span of more than a decade, so if you don't like slow-moving books, you may want to avoid this one.
But all of these positives have their downsides. The description sometimes masked the actual story and was sometimes boring. I don't have a real problem with a book or series taking place over a long period of time, but here, it could get a bit confusing. The narrative moved back and forth between different periods of time. It is essential to read the chapter names in order to get a sense of where each chapter is taking place. For example, a chapter may end with an intriguing cliffhanger, and the next chapter, taking place a year later, begins as though nothing happened, so the reader has to flip back to both chapter beginnings to see when both chapters are taking place.
Additionally, while the main characters started off strongly, with strong backstories, they soon lost everything that made them individual after they fell in love. After that, it felt like their main character trait was being in love, which it shouldn't be. Luckily, the book wasn't only about them and had other side stories as well.
I especially loved Chandresh Christophe Lefevre, the circus mastermind, Herr Thiessen the clockmaker, Isobel the fortune-teller, Tsukiko the contortionist, Poppet and Widget, the twins with strange powers and Bailey, a normal boy who is not entirely sure what he's doing there. They were interesting to read about and I looked forward to their chapters and storylines.
Another thing I liked were the very short chapters that were written in second-person, about the reader visiting the circus. It was interesting to see what the average visitor thought about the circus and to see some more of what the circus offered.
Erin Morgenstern is an American author. Her first book was The Night Circus.
Overall, the merits of this book definitely outweigh the demerits. The Night Circus is well-written and creative, and it is a book that I will recommend and re-read. I recommend this book to ages 12 and above.

W.I.T.C.H

Hello everyone!
I've gotten another review from a reader in the Reviewed by Friends section! Here it is:

W.I.T.C.H
'At that one moment, Will discovered her fate. She was no longer just a student, just a daughter, or just a friend. She was a Guardian of the Veil, the keeper of the heart of Candracar.
And life as she had known it-for better or worse-had changed forever.' 
When Will, a shy girl, moves to gloomy, rainy old Heatherfield, she is thankful to find brainy Taranee, another new girl.Soon, the two make friends with feisty Irma, pretty Cornelia, and trendy Hay Lin. But this friendship is not accidental-the girls are joined by a stronger force.
The five ordinary girls have extraordinary powers that let them take over water, air, earth, fire and energy. But life as magical kids isn't easy. They were selected to battle evil forces and take part in wars. Plus, they have to keep their secret from other close friends, which leads to calamity in the world of magic.
They go on many daring journeys, saving lives and risking their own. They go for adventures in the magic world, paintings, and even the human world. As they battle dangerous forces, they discover their destinies...and the true power of friendship.

This book series is really good as it has equal parts of the story that continues through their normal lives and and even the magic world. The characters are really good, and it can be really funny in the middle. But a few parts are a little silly.
This book was first a comic, then a television show. Later on, a novel edition released with a few comic pages on it.
I recommend this book for ages ages 10 and up. 
-Spurthi, age 12

Thank you for the review Spurthi! 
If you want to publish your review on my blog too, remember to click on the Reviewed by Friends section towards the top and follow the instructions given! 
Have fun!
Happy new year to everyone!

Being Selected

Hey everybody!
Now usually I don't read modern romance novels- I'm more of a classic type, but today I'll be reviewing The Selection series by Kiera Cass.
The Selection takes place in the future, in a dystopian world where the society is divided into castes. America, the main character is a Five, an artist. When the Selection is announced, America's mother expects her to compete. The Selection is a competition where girls compete for the hand of the nation's prince, Maxon Schreave. But America doesn't want to compete- she thinks she's in love with her secret boyfriend, Aspen.
But, to her surprise, she is chosen and is thrust into a competition she wants no part in- she just wants to go home.
The premise sounds familiar? If you think so, you're correct. The premise, to me, feels like a cross of the Hunger Games and the TV show The Bachelor, which I have never actually watched but have heard of and know the premise of.
A bond develops between Maxon and America- and then Aspen is thrust in the middle of the competition- and America has no idea what to choose. And in the background, conflict is brewing and rebels are rising- they want the system to be changed...
The book is predictable, and while the story was enough for one or two books, the author stretched it into three books- therefore there was a lot of time in the book spent doing nothing. I felt like the whole rebel conflict was pointless. The story could have just been a sweet love story instead of having an unnecessary conflict at the end that didn't mean much to the story anyway. It's not like much was done about this conflict at the end, so it felt extra. I would have also liked more description- I couldn't picture the castle properly in my head, but there was way too much description about makeup and dresses. There were also some places where I felt that there was no logic at all.
That said, if you want to read The Selection series, don't expect too much or use too much logic and think of it as what people call 'fluff.' Then it will be more enjoyable.
The books in the original Selection series are The Selection, The Elite and The One. There is also a collection of short stories of what happened after the series published in the book Happily Ever After. The writing is clear, definitely not flowery.
There is also another series based on America's daughter, but I'll leave that review for another day.
I recommend The Selection for ages 12 and above.
Well, I've finished my goal for this year- to write 18 book reviews. Yay! Anyway- happy new year to all of you, and I can't wait to see you next year!

Pride and Prejudice

Hello readers!
Today I'm reviewing the all-time classic, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
What begins with a visit to an eligible bachelor leads to a classic love story! The Bennett sisters, including Elizabeth Bennett, visit Mr. Bingley and meet Mr. Darcy, who at first seems to have horrible manners and is aloof and rude. But soon afterward, he falls in love with Elizabeth Bennett- but she has no interest in him. She thinks he is rude and doesn't want to marry him.
Will Darcy and Elizabeth ever find true love?
The plot is simple- but the way the characters are made is wonderful and the writing, I found, personally, was beautiful. I deeply enjoyed the novel and its characters, whom I could relate to. While some may find the writing to be boring and long, I found it beautiful, while it was not as easy as other books to read.
Jane Austen, an English novelist who also wrote Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Her books are considered to be classics and are well-known around the world.
I recommend Pride and Prejudice for ages 12 and above.

Charlotte's Web

Hey everyone,
I'm going to be reviewing the classic children's book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, today.
When Fern saves a little piglet called Wilbur from being killed, she lovingly takes care of him. But when he gets older, he is sent to Fern's uncle's farm. He is snubbed by the other farm animals- there is no one to talk to- except for Charlotte the spider.
Soon afterward, Wilbur discovers that while he may have been saved by Fern from being slaughtered when he was a baby, Fern's uncle still plans to slaughter him.
Can Charlotte help save Wilbur?
And will things end happily?
Admittedly, the ending of the book can be tear-jerking, but it is still a lovely, simple book for children, and for that matter, almost anybody.
Charlotte's Web is enjoyable, and easy to read. I enjoyed the book and it made me feel sad and happy at the same time.
E.B. White was an American writer who wrote many other books, such as Stuart Little.
I recommend Charlotte's Web for ages 7 and above.

A Search for Treasure

Hello everybody,
I'm going to be reviewing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, originally written in Portuguese.
When shepherd boy Santiago gets a dream about finding treasure, he decides to follow it and go on a quest that will change his life.
On the search for treasure, Santiago meets extraordinary people and learns things he would have never learnt had he just stayed as a shepherd boy. He meets his true love, an alchemist and sees amazing sights. But will he ever find the treasure he set out to find in the first place?
The Alchemist is like a fable- it is a book about destiny and how, if you want something hard enough, 'the universe will conspire so that your wish comes true.' It somehow felt, for me, like a realistic fairytale of sorts. It was fascinating and I loved the ideas presented in the book- they stayed with me even after I put the book down.
The book is written in simple language, easy to read and easy to follow.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist who has also written Brida, The Winner Stands Alone, Brida and many more books. He is best known for The Alchemist.
I recommend it for ages 9 and above, but in order to grasp the ideas fully, I would recommend it for ages 11 and above.

It's Not Easy Being the Tooth Fairy

Hey fellow bookworms!
Today I'm going to be reviewing You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt and illustrated by David Slonim.
This book is about the tooth fairy- yes, the tooth fairy. But she's not a princessy fairy wearing dresses and heels- no, instead she's the action queen who braves everything from pets to bad weather to stinky socks in order to get you your money.
In this very funny book, the tooth fairy is far from you typical, princessy fairy. She's tough, high-tech and smart, and also gives you rules on how to make her job easier!
I really liked the book- the illustrations are spot on and the tooth fairy's narrative is funny and easy to read. This is a fun picture book, and I adore it.
Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is an award-winning magazine writer who has written a middle-grade novel and non-fiction children's books.
I recommend this book for children till age 7.