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.  

Number the Stars

Hello everybody!
Today I'm reviewing the historical fiction book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry.
Number the Stars is set during World War 2 in Copenhagen. Annemarie Johansen is ten years old and lives with her family. Her best friend and neighbor is a Jew, Ellen Rosen. She has a younger sister, Kirsti, but she had an older sister, Lise, who died shortly before her wedding.
There are Nazis on every street corner, and soon, it is found out that the Nazis want to relocate Jews elsewhere. Ellen and her family are Jews, and Ellen's parents flee with Peter, Lise's fiance. Ellen must stay with Annemarie's family.
The story is about Ellen and her family fleeing the Germans, and while I really like the book, I would have liked to know what happened later to the Rosens and Annemarie's family, but that as left to the imagination.
The book was interesting and easy to read in one sitting. It is absorbing and meaningful, the language is clear and easy to read. I loved the historical aspect of the book, and it was this book that got me very interested in the events of World War 2.
All the characters in the book, especially Annemarie's family is very brave and I thought that they were very strong and stood up for what they believed in and helped people get away with their lives.
Number the Stars has won the Newbery Medal.
Lois Lowry is an American author who has written over thirty books, including the Giver quartet, which I have reviewed already, Anastasia Krupnik, and many more.
I recommend Number the Stars for anyone who loves history, and for ages 9 and above.

The Giver

Hey guys!
Recently, I've finished The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry.
The first book, The Giver, is about Jonas, a young boy in a seemingly utopian society, where everyone is assigned a role at age 12. Jonas is assigned the role of being the future Receiver of Memory, training from an old man called the Giver. Jonas experiences things he has never experienced before- snow, sleds, even colour.
But when Jonas finds out the truth about his society, he must save an infant named Gabriel, from death. He must leave the community- and go into the unknown.
The other books in the series, Gathering Blue, Messenger and Son are about similar dystopian societies. Although the ending to the first book is unclear, it is all tied up in the third book, Messenger.
The series is interesting, and I really liked the dystopian societies Lois Lowry created- it is interesting reading about them.
The writing of the book is good, and the main characters of all the books are compelling and easy to root for. I enjoyed the series as a whole, though I would like to see more about the 'special gifts' some characters have and where they came from, as well as the Trademaster.
Lois Lowry is an American author who has written over thirty books, including Number the Stars.
I recommend the books for ages 9 and above.

Long Story Short

Hello fellow readers!
I'm not much of a storyteller- that is, the speaking, talking type of storyteller. So when I found 'Long Story Short' by Margot Leitman, I hoped that it would help me with my storytelling skills- and help it did!
Long Story Short by Margot Leitman is a good guide to storytelling for a beginner. It talks about how to be more expressive, choosing what stories to narrate, what to do and what not to do and how to make your own life story-worthy.
I enjoyed it- Margot recommends to the reader some good short stories to read and listen to. She talks about how to get the audience to root for you- the trick, it turns out, is to make yourself flawed instead of perfect. She also uses some of her own stories to help us understand what she means. I'm definitely going to use some of her tips next time.
I also liked the way she wrote- it was casual and not boring. I swept through the book pretty easily, which can be hard for me, personally, because I'm not that into non-fiction books, but Margot Leitman's book held my attention.
Margot Leitman is a storyteller, comedian and writer from New Jersey. She's also written Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase. She is five-time Moth StorySLAM winner.
I recommend this book for ages 12+.

Twilight- a 'Love' Story

Hey everybody!
Today I'll be reviewing a pretty popular book- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
Twilight is the love story of Isabella 'Bella' Swan and Edward Cullen. When Bella moves to Forks, Washington, which she calls 'the rainiest place on the planet', she expects to find boredom, misery and homesickness. But when she goes to school, she is fascinated by the mysterious Edward Cullen and his family, but at first sight Edward seems to hate her.
Gradually, though, they start to bond and Bella figures out the Cullens' secret- they're vampires. The Cullens accept her, though, but soon Bella is put in danger when a hunter wants to track her down and drink her blood...
I personally didn't find the love story to have much love. The 'love' didn't feel like actual 'love.' Edward and Bella have known each other (not very well either) for barely two months before professing their 'love' for each other, and having barely any proper conversations. Also, I would like to know more about the Cullens' (and Bella's) daily lives, including their hobbies- not just their special gifts. It would be more realistic if this was shown.
I would also prefer it if Bella had more of of a personality instead of just being a blank slate that dumps her friends the moment Edward takes an interest in her. In fact, from the moment she has her first conversation with Edward, we hardly know what happens to her at school or at home- everything is now about Edward.
Also, the plot felt pretty rushed, as did the love story. I feel like this could have been much better if the love story was slower and daily life was explained better- not just at school but at home as well. I wanted to know more about the vampires too- why did they only move to Forks, 'the rainiest place on the planet' now? How come nobody other than Bella figured the whole vampire thing out? She can't be the only girl to research about vampires, can she?
The book is supposed to be based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but personally I feel that Pride and Prejudice is far better- if you want a good love story I would recommend it instead.
There are four books in the series, and I have only read the first book; I'm not sure whether I'm going to read the next three.
Stephenie Meyer is best known for the Twilight series, and she has also written The Host.
I don't really recommend Twilight to anyone- but the age group would be around 12+.