Lindsey Michael Miller's Blog

Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

I Am Number Four

Pittacus Lore

Harper Collins, 2011

Fantasy

ISBN: 0061974552

416 pages

Synopsis

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

Critique

I cannot stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I would definitely recommend it to any lover of fast-paced fantasy novels. Certainly stories about aliens, people with superpowers, or even aliens with superpowers are nothing new. However, I feel like the treatment of this is fresh, especially amidst the crowded room that is vampire super power novels. I get a little tired of John (number four) complaining so much about not being able to see his girlfriend, and I really hate love triangles, especially when they seem thrown in just to create more tension between the characters. That's why I'm glad at least half of this book is about numbers seven and ten, and six takes a more active role in the story. I'm really stoked on number nine. He seems like a crazy fool, and I can't wait to see more of him in the next book.

Over all, the narrative does a great job of drawing me into the story, the back-story and the overall fantasy. I find myself disappointed at the end when I have to wait another whole year before I can read the next book in the series.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 4 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 1 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although a fun read, there's not much in this book that can be used as a classroom companion.

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Overall Rating: 4.05 out of 5 stars
Across the Great Divide (Frontier Magic, Book 2)

Patricia C. Wrede

Scholastic Press, 2011

Fantasy

ISBN: 0545033438

352 pages

Synopsis

Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child – her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier. There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities—and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers

Critique

I absolutely love this series. What I like about them especially is that they're totally different from the standard young adult magic book. The winding narrative and voice of the heroine harkens strongly to a Mark Twain, fitting considering the time period the books are supposed to be set in. While the books are loosely connected to each other, each is really a separate story, and Eff is just a regular magician, not some child of promise upon whom the weight of the world stands. It's refreshing to have a series of magic, fantasy stories that don't work off of the same formulaic premise.

As to this addition to the series, if it's possible, I actually like Across the Great Barrier better than the first, which is atypical to most fantasy series. I like that the story doesn't focus on one single issue, but meanders around, similar to how regular life would go. Eff is a lovable character who you route for, and she always feels very tangible, making decisions that seem in character, and someone who comes across as a very real person.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 5 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 4 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 4 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 2 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.05 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although there are similarities between Wrede's American frontier and our own, the text doesn't have any parallels for classroom material.

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Overall Rating: 3.95 out of 5 stars
Eona

Alison Goodman

Viking Juvenile, 2011

Fantasy

ISBN: 0670063118

637 pages

Synopsis

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power-and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . .

Critique

As the sequel to Eon, it's interesting that the two books are not very like each other. Eon is far more about the politics of the court, and Eona's struggle with her new found power. Eona is really more of a long, straightforward story about the war the main characters suddenly find themselves thrust into. Little of it involves the fantasy and power of the dragons, and I certainly would have loved to see more, but, all in all, the narrative kept me interested from beginning to end.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.95 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although not 100% the same, many of the mythological elements are similar or are loosely based on historical China. Since there are fewer fun fantasy reads that utilize Eastern mythologies and magical references than there are Western, that alone will make this a fun, educational read.

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Overall Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Ugly Truth (Book 5)

Jeff Kinney

Amulet, 2010

Fiction, Graphic Novel

ISBN: 0810984911

224 pages

Synopsis

Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it's cracked up to be? Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the "ugly truth"?

Critique

Although I love this series and what Kinney has done with his unique voice in the genre of graphic novels, I was disappointed in this book. I suppose, at some level, you can only rewrite the same type of story so many times before it starts to become a little tired. The only major change with this book in comparison to its predecessors is that Greg is a little older, and his friend Rowley isn't around. It's not bad, by any means, and I would definitely recommend it to those who love this series, it's not as good as the earlier books.

The other books in this series are Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book 1), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (book 2), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (book 3), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (book 4).

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Story: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 5 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 3 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 2 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 2 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although this is a fun read and applicable to anyone in late elementary or middle school, it's not something that can really be used as a classroom companion for normal studies.

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Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars

The Scortch Trials

James Dashner

Delacorte, 2010

Fantasy

ISBN: 0385738765

368 pages

Synopsis

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to. In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

Critique

Certainly not as good or as groundbreaking as the first, The Scortch Trials was still an interesting story that kept me intrigued enough to continue reading. It's hard to follow up a book like The Maze Runner, because, much like Lord of the Flies, it would probably work better as a standalone novel. Everyone's got the series craze though, nowadays, so it's hard to escape with just one. There were certainly a few plot twists along the way, but nothing like what The Maze Runner could offer, since the premise of that book was entirely based around discovery. Still, I would recommend it as a good read.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 5 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 4 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 4 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 4 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 4 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 3 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although this isn't directly applicable to any specific studies within a classroom setting, it's a book that I recommend to all late middle school and high school students. If there's a point where you are studying dystopian literature, this is a great example and something that the average teen reader may enjoy more than 1984.

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Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

I Am Number Four

Pittacus Lore

Harper Collins, 2010

Fantasy

ISBN: 0061969559

480 pages

Synopsis

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

Critique

I cannot stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I would definitely recommend it to any lover of fast-paced fantasy novels. Certainly stories about aliens, people with superpowers, or even aliens with superpowers are nothing new. However, I feel like the treatment of this is fresh, especially amidst the crowded room that is vampire super power novels. I get a little tired of John (number four) complaining so much, especially about the fact that he'd rather be a regular kid and not have super powers. Get off it already. None of us believe you. That's why I'm excited to see Six come along and unleash some serious butt kicking. She seems to be far more fond of her super powers than John is. The narrative does a great job of drawing me into the story, the back-story and the overall fantasy. I find myself disappointed at the end when I have to wait another whole year before I can read the next book in the series.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 4 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 1 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although a fun read, there's not much in this book that can be used as a classroom companion.

Other Books You May Like

Overall Rating: 3.35 out of 5 stars
Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

Scholastic, 2010

Fantasy

ISBN: 0439023513

400 pages


Synopsis

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12.

Critique

To be honest, I was disappointed in this final book. I feel like the first book was great, unparalleled in quality and story to anything else in the market. However, with each addition there is a stark decline. I believe this should have been a one-off rather than a series. I know that any publisher and often writer is tantalized by the dollars that can be made from a popular franchise, but I think there need to be books that stand alone. No one would make a sequel to Lord of the Flies or 1984 and expect them to be anywhere as good as the first. Not only that, but it would sully the originals.

The second book, Catching Fire, is decent, but not amazing, and this final chapter is not all that stellar at all. Not to spoil it for everyone, but lots of people die, most of the main characters, in fact, and the story doesn't gain anything from it. It's difficult to believe that Katniss is even on the sort of quest that she's on, and it feels like Collins is simply trying to stretch out the story for the sake of creating a third book in a trilogy. The love triangle is boring and tired as a level of complexity for the plot, and it's been played out for way too long. I definitely recommend the first book, and could go either way on the second, but don't recommend this third book at all. Don't bother reading it unless you need finality to the story.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 3 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Language: 3 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 3 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 3 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.35 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although this isn't directly applicable to any specific studies within a classroom setting, it's a series that I recommend to all late middle school and high school students. If there's a point where you are studying dystopian literature, this is a great example and something that the average teen reader may enjoy more than 1984.

Other Books You May Like

Overall Rating: 3.95 out of 5 stars
Eon

Alison Goodman

Firebird, 2008

Fantasy

ISBN: 0142417114

576 pages

Synopsis

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragoneye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido.

Critique

At first I didn't know what to think about this book. I was teetering a bit at the beginning, and it felt difficult to follow from time to time. However, as the book continued to unveil, I stumbled less and less and was able to lose myself in the story. Some of the confusion may have stemmed from my lack of knowledge about the Imperial China, but I do feel as though the text could have used a bit more scenery description so that the full breadth of the environment could be taken in. Also, I don't typically recommend drawings in books, but it would have been incredibly illuminating to see depictions of the various fighting forms being used in order to imagine the fight scenes.

All in all, though, it's an engaging, original fantasy that's part historical China and part something of its own entirely. Eon is a believable character, so much so, in fact, that often I found it annoying that she was making choices natural to her personality that were shaping her future in detrimental ways. No criticism of Goodman's work, certainly. Sometimes characters are like that, and as much as we want them to be different for their own good, they'll continue making ridiculous choices that mire them further into the very mess form which they're struggling to break free. I recommend this text to readers 12+.

The other book in this series is Eona.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.95 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

Although not 100% the same, many of the mythological elements are similar or are loosely based on historical China. Since there are fewer fun fantasy reads that utilize Eastern mythologies and magical references than there are Western, that alone will make this a fun, educational read.

Other Books You May Like

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dragons of Silk

Laurence Yep

HarperCollins, 2011

Fiction

ISBN: 0060275189

352 pages

Synopsis

The Weaving Maid wove robes of silk for Heaven, but when she met the Cowboy, she abandoned her loom to be with him. But Heaven would not allow this, and put the Milky Way in between them.

Silk binds the lives of four girls from different generations with the fate of the Weaving Maid. Across a span of seventy-five years both in China and America, each girl shows the strength and courage of a dragon as she fights and sacrifices for the survival of her family and the pursuit of passion.

Critique

Laurence Yep is known for his beautiful exposés on Chinese history as it intersects with American history. His two books that have previously won the Newbery Honor awards, Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate, bring to life the under-explored story of the men who came to America from China to work on the railroad. They brought with them the hope and promise of a better life only to be met by hardship and disillusionment, but had the strength and perseverance to see it through.

Dragons of Silk is a perfect addition to this series and companion to the previous books because it provides a new perspective on Chinese history and culture as it intersects with American history and culture through a different medium—silk—but also through a different voice—women. The plot and conflict is palpable and multifaceted. Yep has brought his reader into the lives of the characters and done a masterful job creating connection and empathy with their struggles and triumphs.

It seems no accident that Yep has chosen silk as the object of the plot and a main symbolic theme throughout the writing. One can feel the connection, the threads that bind chapter to chapter, person to person, and generation to generation as his story is weaved throughout its 75-year span. I recommend this to all readers 10+ as it will connect with both children and adults.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 4 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 4 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 4 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 5 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 4 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

This is a great classroom companion for Chinese history, cultural studies, and women's rights/history. It's especially good for those interested in Chinese culture and history and the direct influence that war and drug trade have in shaping and directing a people, its culture, and its future.

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Overall Rating: 3.15 out of 5 stars
Superior Saturday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 6)

Garth Nix

Scholastic Paperbacks, 2008

Fantasy

ISBN: 0439436591

288 pages

Synopsis

The secret of his own identity.

The identity of The Architect.

The complete Will of the House.

The fulfillment of his fate.

Arthur Penhaligon is getting closer and closer to these things… but not without risks, conflict, and adventure.

Critique

Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with this book. I feel like it's the weakest in the series so far. It just doesn't feel like Nix is really into the story any more. He's probably more interested in his next series and is kind of cranking these out at this point. I'm not in love with the series overall, although the world he's created is at least unique and interesting at some level. My favorite book so far is Drowned Wednesday, which I feel is the most developed in characters and world. Not surprisingly, it's the longest of the six. Nix can be hit or miss. This series is only slightly better, in my opinion, than The Seventh Tower series, although I actually like that world and unique fantasy better; I just wish that Nix had developed it more. The Abhorsen series is great, and Keys to the Kingdom is pretty subpar in comparison.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars

Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Language: 3 out of 5 stars

Asthetics: 3 out of 5 stars

Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Depth In Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Social Commentary: 3 out of 5 stars

Layers/Complexity: 2 out of 5 stars

Classroom Text: 1 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.15 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

For the Classroom Text

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