The Pricker Boy By Reade Scott Whinnem

What is with the woods that go beyond Widow's Stone? Not many know and those who do, usually aren't alive to tell the story. Stucks Cumberland has been living around the woods all his life. He has seen whats been lurking among the trees; he has seen it; a boy with gray skin and thorns growing off of his body. One day, Stucks and his friends find a package, one that is filled with old toys given up to the forest as an offering for the Pricker Boy. An offering given so that he'll forget their scent. After that package is found, Stucks and his summer friends are skeptical. Is there really something out there watching them from the forest. Does Pricker Boy really exist?

I would have to say that this has made it on the list of my favorite books. The thing that really stuck out to me the most was Cricket, and the mystery behind his silence. I kept on reading the book to try and find out why he hadn't talked for all that time. When I started reading the book I honestly could not put it down. Some of the pages did scare me but the author really described detailed settings. I felt like I was actually one of the the characters in the book, reading to venture into the woods. When I first saw the cover I wasnt really interested in what was going to happen. My point of view changed when I began the first couple of pages. I was immediately hooked. Another one of my favorite characters was Stucks. I felt that I could relate to him the most. I felt really bad for him because everyone thought he was basically loosing his mind. The ending my my jaw hang down and it left my mind with much to think about. I think everyone should read this book, no matter what you're into.

Rating: 4 stars

Moon Rise by Marilee Brothers

Alfrieda Varlotta Emerson Purdy or Ally seemed like your regular teenager. She worried about school, boys and her family life. Ally however was not your average teenager, she was one of the chosen ones. After finding her powers, and fighting Trimarks, she finally feels she can take on her destiny. Only problem is that her powers are gone. Her mentor tells her that her mind has to heal itself, she thinks that theyre gone forever. To top it all off, Ally has to deal with the father he neglected her all her life. Now she must fulfill a prophecy that shes not sure she can deal with.

I honestly didn't like that story Moon Rise. One reason why I didn't like it is because the beginning didn't really capture my attention. I didn't know what was going on half the time and the writing didn't seem to appeal to me. I also didn't really have much interest in reading the book because I didn't read the first book. Reading it probably would have helped me understand the problem better. Another reason why I didn't like the book is because the character didn't seem to be written in a professional way. One good thing about this book however is that it followed a good plot. There is some potential behind the series. Overall I would recommend the book to anyone who likes to read teen books. This books has the problems everyone faces, just with a twist.

Blame by Michelle Huneven

 Yayy followerss!!!

The book opens up to Patsy MacLemoore, a professor who starts out as a drunk, and a drug addict. She is immediately thrown into her own self destruction. After waking up, unable to recall anything from the night before, Patsy finds herself facing a life sentencing after two people are found dead in her driveway. Now she must remold herself into a life she was not built to function in. The book follows the story of self enlightenment, forgiveness, and self examination. With AA meetings and the jail walls as her only sight into the future, Patsy must find herself, before she can heal into the person she is supposed to be.

When reading this book, what immediately came off of my mind was the idea that this was just another one of those books with drunk people who try and get sober; the end. This book however did not follow that pattern. When I got into the first couple of pages of the book, I was immediately intrigued by Patsy. I became almost mad at her because these two people ended up dead in her driveway, while she was off getting drunk again. I later however felt bad for her because of the situation she was put into. Everything Patsy thinks of experiences is cloaked by the will of guilt. She spends much of her life in jail blaming herself for the deaths. This blame almost becomes an obsession; a monster that has taken over her life. Because the book got me so emotionally involved, I was immediately sucked into the plot, unlike many of the other books, where I had to read 3 or 4 chapters in to pick up on it. I think this book is good for anyone who is willing to let a book engulf them in an emotional roller coaster or a ride.

Rating: 3 stars