Author Archives: SMES Student

Book Review: Genghis: Birth of an Empire, by Conn Iggulden

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genghis_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Are you a reader that craves books swarming you with deceit, ambition, ruthlessness, and palpable pain? Then Genghis: Birth of an Empire is a perfect read for you. This compelling novel, written by Conn Iggulden is about the hardships and victories of Genghis Khan before he established the Mongol Empire. How can our contemporary from the picture-perfect English countryside paint such a vivid portrait of the 13th century warrior, leader, and visionary?

Temujin, later on known as Genghis Khan, is the son to Yesugei, who is the leader of the nomadic tribe called the Wolves. During his youth, Temujin experiences many traumatic events such as when his father is raided and killed by another tribe, and when he is abandoned, as well as his family to perish in the deserted plains by one of the bondsmen of Yesugei, Eeluk who declares himself khan of the Wolves, deceiving Temujin and his brothers.

On their first few nights alone, there is a very scarce amount of food and the entire family is starving, except for Temujin’s elder brother, Bekter. He discovers that Bekter is keeping food that he hunted away from the family. Temujin decides that this cannot go on any longer and he must kill Bekter before the entire family perishes. He and his brother, Kachiun create a plan to execute their greedy brother, and succeed. The news is announced to their mother and other siblings and the mother is heart-broken and infuriated at the same time. She orders Temujin to live separately from her and the family, threatening him, exclaiming, “If I see you sleeping, I will kill you for what you’ve done here.” (138). With tears in his eyes, Temujin flees from his family immediately, which is the only meaning in his life. What will happen next?

With such a strong focus on its main character, the author depicts a young boy and shows him transfer into a grown man who can lead anyone under his power. Depicting Genghis Khan as successful and hard-working, the author’s perspective of him is very clear- he admires Genghis Khan. In addition to the book’s main character development, the author follows several, central themes in his story such as how dangerous it was to live in Genghis Khan’s times and how fragile human life was, the never ending rivalry among various tribes in their quest for power, and the importance of loyalty and trust in Genghis Khan’s immediate circle of followers in order to not be defeated.

I recommend this book because I was captivated by the way Conn Iggulden described the characters and events in his story. I could imagine what Temujin’s thoughts and feelings were throughout his life experiences because of the author’s focus on his character’s inner-world. It really put a picture in my mind how Temujin was feeling when he was battling Eeluk. “Pain soared through him and Temujin saw Eeluk had aimed for the bloody spot on his tunic. He growled aloud as he came in, his fury fed by agony. Eeluk met his wild swing and punched again at the bloody muscle, starting a thin red stream that stained the tunic over older streaks” (364).  I was also moved by the author’s portrayal of major events in the story such as battles and murders in which his main character was involved. I felt as if I were a witness of them all because of how vividly they were described in the story.

-Natalie K., 7th grade

Book Review: Dramarama, by E. Lockhart

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dramarama_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

We all have dreams, often dreams we never even dare to follow. E. Lockhart pulls you into the life of a girl shooting for the stars, wanting to be known, and following a dream. Ms. Lockhart has written a Printz Honor book, been a finalist for the National Book Award, and a recipient of the Cybils Award for best young adult novel.

She illustrates the struggles, the longing, the tears, the smiles, the loss, the devastation and the hard truth of what comes with following a dream in her thrilling novel, Dramarama.

In the uneventful, lifeless state of Ohio lives Sarah Paulson, a young thespian searching and awaiting her chance at the Broadway stage. Her sleepy, repetitious life can’t keep up with her and her “lurking bigness.” So when the opportunity to audition to spend the summer at Wildewood, a prestigious performing arts boarding school, is handed to her, she cant contain her elation. While enduring the wait to audition she meets a boy named Demi, the only person in Ohio with even half of her “bigness.”

“My true best friend. A spirit made of equal parts of ambition and razzle-dazzle. A big baritone that slides easily into falsetto. And a future as bright as the lights on 42nd Street” (11).

She sets off to Wildewood with a new friend, new excitement and a new name, Sadye. Both her friendship and her talent are tested when she attends Wildewood and not all goes according to plan. When up against some of the most talented and experienced kids she’s ever seen, she cracks under the pressure and learns she’s going to need to be better than the best to even survive. Throughout her days that summer she learns more than how to transform into her character, or sing higher, or dance faster, she learns that you have to believe in yourself and that following your dream is something you have to fight for.

Sadye isn’t the best, or even close to it. But the real problem here isn’t that she doesn’t have the smoothest voice, it’s that she doesn’t believe in herself enough to have a shot. With no faith in her talents, with no confidence in her razzle dazzle, she falls short and gives up. No longer is she the girl who is proud to be herself and could be famous any day now, instead she’s the girl who couldn’t care less and doesn’t even try.

“Maybe my problem wasn’t what Morales and Reanne implied- that I lacked humility. Maybe my problem was that I lacked confidence. Not that confidence would make me a singer when I didn’t have a voice. It wouldn’t. I would never have the voice” (261-262).

It is imperative for her to believe in herself and persevere through her struggles to get where she wants to go and as E. Lockhart explains, without that she went nowhere fast and her chances disappeared. Belief is one of the most powerful tools to success and that is one of the greatest lessons to be learned in this novel.

E. Lockhart writes in a captivating and humorously relatable way, looking through teenage Sadye’s eyes. The way she tells this story made me feel as though I knew Sadye and was apart of her. This made each success even greater and each disappointment all the more frustrating. I felt as though I could relate to Sadye’s character and Lockhart did a magnificent job really capturing her essence and making her come to life. Not only does Sadye struggle with her talents and her Broadway dreams, but goes through every up and down all teenagers do. If you are in search for a good read full of humor, surprise, inspiration and a whole lot of singing, this book is definitely for you. E. Lockhart creates a story that hooks you in a heartbeat and pulls you in with every paragraph. Do Sadye’s dreams come true? Does she find the confidence in herself? Does she finally believe? You’ll just have to read the book to know for sure.

-Avery E., 7th grade

Book Review: The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger

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devil_wears_pradaThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

It’s as if I am right there maneuvering my way through the streets of New York. The author of Devil Wears Prada Lauren Weisberger made me feel like I was in the big city trying to stay on task. A young girl fresh out of college named Andy ends up in a job one in a million girls would want. “Yes, the hours are long and the work is hard but it’s worth it, a million girls would want this job.”

The problem is, Miranda Priestly a high‐profile, cruel and fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine is impossible to please. Andy, quickly realizes after a long day of running impossible arenas, the only way to get her dream of being an editor for a fashion magazine is to last one year without getting fired. Instantly Miranda changes Any’s identity by giving her a makeover. Also she is now known as “Andrea” pronounced long and drawn out.

As you read through the book you will not be able to put the book down! You will instantly fall in love with Andy’s determined personality. She is young and a great inspiration too girls. This character demonstrates in order to get what you want you will have to work very hard and not give up. Overall, she had too be my favorite character. Andrea besides from trying too reach goals helps friend and makes many friend.

Miranda Priestly is the world’s worst boss. “Is there some reason that my coffee isn’t here? Has she died or something?” She expects the most from everyone. If it isn’t done they are fired. During the beginning of the book she tries to change Andrea’s profile from a small town girl to a high‐profile fashion assistant.

In the end the question is will she sustain the job with Miranda and not get fired? Will she get her dream? Will friendships and relationships last? Read this well written book and you’ll find out! The ending is unexpected and surprised me. If you like a great suspenseful and eager to read more book this is the book for you.

-Amanda C., 7th grade

Book Review: Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

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leviathan_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

I wasn’t alive during World War One but Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan (the first book in his trilogy) made me feel as if I was. Titled after the British whale airships, most of the story takes place on one of these Leviathans. The novel was fast paced and action packed, so it seemed like I was living each moment along with the characters. Scott Westerfeld is clearly an expert at building suspense, as seen in the first three pages of the book: “The war was coming after all. Everyone said so” (3). As I read on, I felt like a part of the story when an Austrian-Hungarian prince named Alek fled from his home. He fled from all his riches and tutors because the Germans killed his parents to start war. “Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos” (360). Alek was accompanied by Count Volger, his fencing tutor, Otto Klop, the engineer and a few other servants. Together they formed a devoted group as they tried to flee to Switzerland. About the same time in England, a brave girl named Deryn tries to join the Air Force posing as a boy. Deryn always wanted to be in the Air Force because her dad took her flying in hot air balloons. Deryn refers to the air forces ships as “beasties” because of the living creature mixed in with the air ship. Deryn doesn’t like guys too much because she thinks they are total unaware of what is going on around them, “Most man’s awareness doesn’t extend past their dinner plates” (279).

Having these two main characters made the book interesting to read because of the different perspectives that it was written in. Since the two characters were different genders, the war could be understood from two points of view. This also makes it appeal to a wider audience of both girls and boys. Further, the two perspectives were not just different but they were actually in opposition due to their countries fighting against each other in the war. Ironically, the two separate story lines merge into one by the end of the novel as the two characters find each other. Throughout the story, Scott Westerfeld taught a valuable lesson of humanity in the way these characters came together and helped each other rather than fight one another. These lessons hit home with a reader because they cause faith in humankind to be restored even despite a violent war.

Scott Westerfeld’s writing is amazing at catching readers attention and keeping them interested because he keeps switching perspectives between Alek and Deryn and keeps you wondering how or when they will meet up. Scott Westerfeld is a very established author, having written 18 different books. His writing style is educational, in the sense that he included historical accuracy in his description of scenes. I think this is a very good book and I would recommend it to all young readers who have an interest in war history novels.

-Dylan C., 7th grade

Book Review: Brain Jack, by Brian Falkner

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brain_jack_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

What has America come to? In a year where there are no more drug addicts, a new addiction as risen above the surface. Gaming. And in the city of New York “Gray clouds were leaking a dreary, misty drizzle from high over the city, but low on the horizon there was a long thin gap in which the sun had risen, teasing New York with a short-lived promise of a sunny day” (8-9). This is how Brian Falker explains the setting and I feel like I could live there.

Sam and his best friend Fargas are teen hackers, now they take hacking much more serious than you think. Sam and Fargas just hacked into the largest Internet provider in all of the US: Telecommercial. When they succeed, the power in the whole US goes out for three whole days. Sam did all this to get the latest in neutro headset technology.

Brain Jack by Brian Falkner is the best. The Brian Falkner made my heart pump, sweat drip, and I almost felt like my Brain was jacked, making me feel like I had to keep reading. Brian Falkner is a pristine writer and has been with computers his entire life. He writes in sucks way that you feel in it. You feel like you want say “no Sam don’t do that” but you can’t, and you just have to keep reading.

After Sam hacked into Telecommercial, he got caught and was sent to jail. Miraculously he escaped and because of his hacking skills, he was picked up by a secret government organization. When the secret government organization starts to use neutro headsets, which are headsets in which you can control the Internet using your brain, Sam realizes that if a computer can be hacked, so can a neutro head set, resolving in access to the brain. Sam try’s to tell everybody but it’s too late. Everybody is turning against him being controlled by the computer in which they call Ursula.

This author explains something very complex with ease. “There was no Ursula. There had never been. They had given her a name and a gender, spoke of her as if she was human, but that was nothing more than a way for their tiny, pathetic human brains to try to cope with the concept, with the simple idea of a collective consciousness” (334).

This book truly shows the meaning of to much of a good thing can be a bad thing because in the book, all Ursula is trying to do is make everything right; but the problem is, is that poverty is a bad thing, so she will decrease the amount of people in poverty by killing them. Later on in the book she starts to because prejudice erasing entire races she doesn’t like and even certain traits like height and weight.

The rest of this story is to mind bending, brain jacking, head spinning enough to tell you now but if you wish to read whether Sam saves the world, takes down Ursula, and makes a better life for himself, you better get your hands on this addicting book. Anyone who liked The Hunger Games is going to love this book. My brain was jacked from reading this book, I could recommend to anyone! They will love it for sure!

-Gavin C., 7th grade

Book Review: Close to Famous, by Joan Bauer

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close_to_famous_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

If you like a slow book, Close to Famous by Joan Bauer is the one for you! Joan Bauer is a Newbery Honor winner, but in my opinion this was not her best piece.

Close to Famous is about Foster Mcfee and her mother that fled out of their home town of Memphis, because of her mom’s ex-boyfriend who was an Elvis impersonator was abusing her. While driving, they ended up in a town called Culpepper. Foster was an amazing baker and her dream was to be the first kid on Food Network.

First of all, this story spends too much time on the small problems. For example they talk about the jail they have in the town and the jail doesn’t play a big role in the story.

Secondly, the conflict is really confusing. When I was reading this book, I felt the author kept jumping around. I didn’t know what was happening half the time until I re-read the section again. Also I felt that Mrs. Bauer should have explained the characters in more detail. I felt I didn’t know the characters well. Certain characters were mentioned in the beginning of the book and had no association with the main character until towards the end of the story. By that time I almost forgot about that character. For example Foster is talking to Ms. Morningstar I have no idea who that is!

“I reached into my bag and pulled out a pumpkin spice muffin with walnuts that was as moist as anything. It can be plain for breakfast or I can top it with cream cheese frosting. I like a muffin that can go from day to evening. I gave it to her. She sniffed it, nodded, and held it up.

“How do I know you’re not trying to poison me?”

I wasn’t expecting that question. “Ms. Morningstar, I swear, if I was going to poison you, I wouldn’t ruin a perfectly fine muffin to do it.” (74)

Thirdly the conflict seems too artificial. It felt like I was reading a Cinderella story and everyone lived happily ever after. This is a realistic fiction but it never feels realistic! Also the book title has nothing to do with her becoming famous. The story was mainly about what Foster does in her daily life. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time reading this book. It is un-realistic and very confusing.

-Alyssa C., 7th grade

Book Review: Florida Getaway, by Max Allan Collins

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csi_miami_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

I love watching the TV show “CSI: Miami,” so when I found this book, Florida Getaway by Max Allan Collins, I knew that I was going to love it. And I was right, the author painted a picture so vivid in my brain, I could picture what everything looked like. He described what everything looked like, sounded like, and felt like from a person to a house.

In this book, the Las Vegas crime lab is trying to arrest Thomas Lessor for the murder of Erica Hardy. “As the sun set on Las Vegas, bringing night to a city that refused to sleep, an unusual crispness was in the air, a knife edge that keened the senses” (Page 10). When they fail, he flees to Miami to escape arrest, or something else? The Miami Dade police department takes over the investigation only to find Thomas Lessor missing. “Miami is also a place where on each and every sunny day, citizens and visitors, young and old alike, unexpectedly find new and unusual ways to accomplish that fatal task…” (28). Could he be fleeing the country?

Three murders later they find the real, dirty truth and to find out what that is, you will have to read the book yourself. The main character, Lieutenant Horatio Caine, is a serious investigator who will do anything to find the truth. Thomas Lessor, suspect of the murder of Erica Hardy, goes missing when catching a flight to Miami. Daniel Boyle, hotel manager and the number one suspect for a murder. Is he guilty? Maria Chacon, singer in one of Daniel Boyle’s hotels has a couple of affairs going on. Will anyone find out?

Manipulation is everywhere. People will manipulate each other to get what they want. Manipulation is an important aspect that comes up in this novel. Running away from your problems does not help anything especially in this novel. Will running away help Thomas Lessor escape from being arrested or will it make everything worse? People don’t always tell the truth. In this novel, honesty comes to play. You have to be honest to a detective or they will find out the truth from the evidence.

I loved this book because it was so suspenseful and it kept me turning pages. Everything was described so well I always had picture in my brain of what a setting or character looked like. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes detectives and likes mysteries and loves to solve problems.

-Ali B., 7th grade

Book Review: Undercover, by Beth Kephart

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undercover_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

The book Undercover by Beth Kephart is a very intriguing and well-written book. Friendship, if it’s meant to be, it will always come through in the end. Beth Kephart was born in Boston, Massachusetts and taught herself to skate, just like Elisa in the book , on a frozen pond in Boston. She won her first competitive freestyle competition at Wilmington, Delaware, rink.

There are three main characters in Undercover: Elisa an outcast, Theo a jock, and Lila a popular girl. Elisa is a poetic girl who doesn’t like to stand out. She has a passion for poems and ice skating. Beth Kephart states, “I got my dad’s curly auburn hair and altogether sensible- looking eyes. I got his pinprick freckles. And believe it or not, I got his double earlobe” (7). She is describing Elisa and when she did this it made a really vivid picture of Elisa in my head. She doesn’t have any friends, that is until Theo. She is only known by her poems, but no one understands her. Theo is a jock who asks Elisa for poems so he can give them to Lila, who he is dating. Immediately, Elisa and Theo have feeling for each other, but they cover it up and pretend that it’s not there. Lila is a popular girl who could care less about Elisa. She is always catching Elisa and Theo together, she thinks that they are friends. Elisa is really just giving Theo poems, but since Lila doesn’t know about the poems she gets really mad at them.

The book mainly takes place in the woods where there is a frozen pond. Elisa takes a pair of her mom’s skates and teaches herself how to ice skate. She teaches herself; crossovers, mohawks, spread eagles, spirals, waltz jumps, lunges, Ina Bauers, and spins. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves poems, big words, ice skating, and love stories. As Beth Kephart stated, “Here is how I skate: with music spilling directly through my bones. When I’m on the ice, I’m where the story begins” (92). I chose this as my book because I enjoy ice skating and, just like Elisa said in the quote, I feel the same way about ice skating.

If you are even a slight bit interested by my review I recommend you at least try reading Undercover by Beth Kephart.

-Allie A., 7th grade

Book Review: Lemonade Mouth, by Mark Peter Hughes

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lemonade_mouth_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

I, myself, have never been in high school. I am a middle schooler and the world beyond me is a mystery. I have no idea what the aliens do for fun, or what they talk about. They seem to be a different species, but Mark Peter Hughes makes me understand and relate to high school students in his book Lemonade Mouth.

This book takes place in the small town of Opequonsett, Rhode Island, where five students at Opequonsett High School come together to make a difference. When I read this book I was amazed at the description of high school. Through the author’s word choice and description, I felt the emotion of each character as they spoke. I sensed the struggles they went through, the anger, and sadness they experienced.

Even though this book was well written, it could be hard to follow at times. Lemonade Mouth was written to portray the future, in which the band members were speaking in an interview, after all of the events had already occurred. I found this writing style to be a perfect way to describe some events, and in others I found it to make the story repetitive and boring. Through this, the author was able to tell the story from the perspective of Mo, Olivia, Stella, Wen and Charlie, the band members of Lemonade Mouth, and Mr. Hughes could easily explain everything happening to these teens.

This novel shows how teenagers in high school can struggle, but if they follow their dreams they can become great. This is illustrated throughout the book, along with the reoccurring moral of even outcasts have purpose, the author shows multiple examples of this in his book. He uses moments of vulnerability and feeling to get that moral through to the reader. “We are not just some throwaway pop band… our stuff will be important” (80). This phrase perfectly describes this book. It shows that these kids wanted to make a difference. They didn’t want to be nobodies. “Aren’t you tired of being on the sidelines? What’s the biggest problem with our school? I’ll tell you. It’s that most kids don’t step up. Why is it okay that only a few are seen as important and everybody else is a nobody… I don’t want to be remembered as just another face in the year-book, another kid that people vaguely recall passing in the corridor” (82). Said by Stella Penn, this quote shows that this group of kids are nobodies, and that they want to be noticed, which again shows that even outcasts have a purpose.

I also was touched by the characters in Lemonade Mouth. Stella is a girl who had moved from Arizona to the small town of Opequonsett almost halfway across the country. She was inspirational and believed in what she stood up for. I was amazed by her courage and her determination to be a somebody. Wen is a nerdy boy who secretly is in love with his dad’s girlfriend, and because of this hates her and himself. Mo  is an Indian girl who plays bass classically, and is a genius. She is not the perfect Indian daughter, and not a regular American girl. Charlie is a chubby boy that plays a weird arrangement of drums. He loves Mo, but she loves someone else. Olivia, is the lead singer for Lemonade Mouth, and is a shy, and lonely girl. She has stage fright, but musters up enough courage to perform. These outcasts may be freaks, but they are Lemonade Mouth.

Overall, Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes, is a elegantly written book, and clearly shows life and struggle in high school. I would highly recommend this book for anyone between the ages of twelve and seventeen, because there is mature content. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you enjoy as well!

-Bryce V., 7th grade

Book Review: The Vicious Deep, by Zoraida Cordova

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vicious_deep_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Have you ever imagined what it feels like to drown? The cold water rushing into your lungs. Being dragged under. Having waves crash over you, tossing you in what we water-people call “the washing machine.”

Scary thought, right? That’s why we have lifeguards. Tristan Hart knows this more than anyone else in his lifeguard troop. The Vicious Deep is a hair-raising, spine-chilling, heart-warming novel about a young man named Tristan Hart and the incredible transformation he undertakes to become one with the ocean… and its residents. Zoraida Cordova has outdone herself in this epic composition of friendship, danger, suspense and fantasy. “This is, by far, one of my best works,” says Cordova. “When I imagined the storyline for this novel, I wanted something…different. I wanted to take something normal, and twist it until it becomes something people would be interested in.” And that is exactly what she did.

The Vicious Deep is a novel that has to do mostly with friendship, fantasy, and above all, the OCEAN. In my opinion, the author was extremely good about keeping the fantasy part fairly realistic. Instead of making it a princess-style fairytale, she turned the story into something a person my age, or older, would want to read. Also, the author did an amazing job with the descriptions of Coney Island and the ocean. They made me actually feel like I was walking down the Island Boardwalk on a summer day, or swimming in the blue-green water. Also, in my opinion, the author did an excellent job of bringing themes into the story. She didn’t talk about the theme for too long, only mentioned it once or twice to get the readers thinking about it. Overall, I believe that Cordova did an excellent job with this book.

The characters in this book are, by far, some of the best characters in any novel I have ever read. The way Cordova describes them: “She has long, curly, shocking red hair that reached down to her waist, and the same eyes I do: Electric green. Her pursed pink lips and furrowed brows mean only one thing: I’m in trouble” (238). But the best part of the book, in my opinion, is when she describes Coney Island and the Boardwalk: “The blue-emerald water, the soft yellow sand, the old wooden boardwalk with its rickety old rides… this is Coney Island. This is home” (13). Overall, the author uses descriptive language that stands out in a time when authors just skip the descriptions and move on to dull plot and storyline.

In conclusion, The Vicious Deep is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone over the age of 11. It has excellent themes and morals, and comically describes the incredible transformation that happens to the unsuspecting lifeguard Tristan Hart.

-Katie T., 7th grade