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Book Review: Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher

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

Outcast, loner, misfit… these high school boys have to come together to make a winning swim team. Whale Talk was an excellent book written by Chris Crutcher who won the annual Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 recognizing his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.

I’ve never been in the situation T.J. Jones was in, but the author Chris Crutcher made it feel so familiar. I almost felt like I was there when a teenage boy from Cutter High School decided to take a risk and help a team of misfits overcome their differences to find their place in a school that has no place for them. The Cutter All Night Mermen swim team struggle to form their own identity and believe in themselves.

T.J. Jones is a powerful character that is the base of the story. He is a high school boy, who has to start a swim team to please his favorite teacher. He perserviers through tough times and helps everyone commit to become better swimmers. He is the glue that makes this story come alive with compassion and love for helping others.

Chris Coughlin is the reason I love this book; it is amazing how one person who starts out shy as a blade of grass in a field can mold into someone so amazing. “He laughs again, as if he’s never considered the idea of Chris Coughlin the stud” (83). There is a lot more going on than just a swim team overcoming their differences and Chris Coughlin and T.J. Jones tell you all about it.

A young girl named Heidi comes into the story about half way through and is another reason the book Whale Talk is so intriguing. She goes through so much for only being about 9 years old, but she has to adjust to difficult circumstances and forget her past to move on through her future.

The Cutter High School Mermen go through a lot of experiences, losses, and hardships through the course of the book. T.J. Jones helps them all put aside their differences such as having one leg or being overweight and to come together as a swim team but also a family. They learn things about others that they didn’t know but also themselves.
Whale Talk is filled with many interesting characters such as T.J., Chris, and Heidi, which makes this story seem so much more realistic and fascinating. Here’s how Mr. Simet the coach of the mermen described T.J. Jones: “Mr. Simet says I look like Tiger Woods on steroids” (17).

T.J., Heidi and Chris are all great characters but I would say the most important character that shapes the idea of this story is T.J. Jones’ father, Mr. Jones. He might not be the main character, but definitely the most important. This brave souled hero risked his life for a young girl who has to go through many hard times in her life. Mr. Jones is absolutely a critical character in this book. Self-sacrifice plays a big role in this book. But Mr. Jones doesn’t simply try to teach heroism and self-sacrifice; it is just a trait that he has that slowly bleeds onto others while being around him.

On the other hand, T.J. teaches teamwork to the fellow swimmers and people he is around. The whole swim team including him learn many things about themselves and how Teamwork is a big aspect of their lives. Through relays and the long bus rides back to school the group of misfits have slowly come together. Water polo plays a big role in my life and I know that you always have to work together as a team to succeed.
Mr. Jones, the silent hero of the book, teaches T.J. that violence isn’t always the answer and that you should stand up for what is correct and friendship is key. He takes in a lonely family helplessly trying to get away from a cruel husband and father and helps them find their way and get back on their feet.

If you want to know what goes on with the Cutter High School Mermen and how they come together and everything that happens on the way you should read Whale Talk and enjoy the story of a group of misfits brought together by T.J. Jones.

-Erin T., 7th grade

Book Review: The Prisoner of Cell 25, by Richard Paul Evans

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michael_vey_coverThe first volume of the Michael Vey series, The Prisoner of Cell 25, is a thrilling novel that will keep you interested until the last and final word. Michael Vey is a teen with unusual powers. As he goes on an adventure, he meets new friends, shares new bonds, and gains new experiences. Michael learns of his powers and meets others like him.

In the beginning, Michael runs into the bullies Jack, Wade, and Mitchell. After Wade attempts to pants him, he gives them what they least expect, a shock. Witnessed by a cheerleader named Taylor, who mysteriously is similar to Michael, they get together with Ostin, Michael’s best friend. They learn of the similarities of both Michael’s and Taylor’s powers in that they are both “electric” children and the three of them form a club, The Eletroclan.

Just as Michael’s luck gets better, he and Taylor are invited to a mysterious academy called the Elgen Academy. The two of them grow more and more suspicious when they learn of the mystery behind why they both have electrical powers. When Taylor mysteriously disappears one day after school, and Michael and Ostin are witnesses to an unusual event where Michael’s mother disappears, Michael and Ostin accompanied by Jack and Wade go together on an adventure that will change their lives forever.

This book is a true action-packed novel that will leave you wanting more.

-Danielle T., 6th grade

Book Review: The Marino Mission, by Karen Chapman

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marino_mission_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 had to leave a place that you absolutely loved? Did you end up loving this place that you went to, and not want to leave? Karen Chapman, the author of The Marino Mission, has clearly shown that it is tough to leave family and friends, through the perspective of a young, 16 year old girl, Alexa. Karen Chapman has received a B.S. in Biology and Marine Biology. She has had experiences similar to the one in this book and has reacted towards them as Alexa did.

On the small island of Puerto Marino, every way you look, there is sand, palm trees, and the ocean. There is a large marine safety campus that is where most of The Marino Mission takes place. There are many dolphins that are being held in this laboratory and some that are only a few months old!

Many times, I found myself not able to put this book down. Every minute that I was reading this book, my eyes were glued. I never reached a place that either bored me or lost my interest. I would also found myself at times  laughing at something that one of the characters had said or done. This book is also great because it appeals to many interests, other than marine biology. I would most definitely love to read this book again and even out loud to one of my siblings.

Alexa, who is a very bright 16 year old girl, is the daughter of a marine biologist and a biology teacher at a university. “She looked at her long, blonde, beautiful hair in the mirror as she was brushing it on her way to school.  She had never been one of the “popular” people in her school, but she did have many great friends” (17). Over the years, Alexa started to love working in labs with her mother and father. Soon after working in labs, she was told by her mother that she would be moving to and island over the summer, for her mother’s job. When Alexa arrived at Puerto Marino, she was very sad about leaving her friends back home. After a few days of working in labs in the marino, she decided that she would like to go and see the ocean. While she was on the beach, a young boy had shouted out to her. After Alexa realized that he was talking to her, she was embarrassed and ran back to the lab. A few days had gone by and she returned to the same beach. Alexa heard a voice behind her and instantly knew that it was going to be the same boy. The boy had introduced himself as José. Over the three months that Alexa was visiting Puerto Marino, she and José developed a great friendship. Through this friendship, Alexa and José were faced with a magnificent challenge. José and Alexa had worked very hard together to come up with a plan that would help them solve their problem.

Karen Chapman had come up with a great idea that has captivated many readers minds. She had placed characters in the story knowing exactly which role they would play to help Alexa with her problem. Throughout the story I would wonder what the author was seeing as she was writing this book. After finishing this book, I realized that she was painting the picture, that everyone is given challenges, either large or small.  However people choose to get through their problems always ends up helping either them selves or someone/something else. “I have never been more happy to see people back together, than I am right now seeing them, knowing that I have helped” (202-203).

I would most definitely love to read this book again, and even to one of my siblings.  I have found that this book would be appropriate for ages 10 and up because in some places of this book, it is the slightest bit, hard to read clearly. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a book to enjoy. I would also like to see if there are any other books that are written by the same author so that I could yet again enjoy a book.

-Zoe P., 7th grade

Book Review: Legend, by Marie Lu

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legend_coverAre you a Hunger Games or Divergent fan? Do you seek suspense and romance? If yes, Legend is just the book for you!

In this action-packed novel, the author takes you to a time when the Western Coast of the United States is now the Republic, and they are at war with their neighbors, the Colonies.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year old June is a military prodigy. She is an intelligent, smart, quick-witted, and stealthy girl, scoring a 1500/1500 on the Trial that every ten-year old must face on his/her birthday. Passionate and committed to her country, she is groomed to be a success in her Republic’s highest circles.

Born into the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. With his long, blonde hair, piercing blue-eyes, and striking features, Day is definitely the most handsome criminal ever heard of. But his criminal-like motives may not be as malicious as they seem…

One day, June’s brother, Metias, is murdered, and instantly, Day is the prime suspect. From two very different worlds, one never would have thought their paths would cross. But now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June struggles to take vengeance on her brother’s death.

But will June and Day come to discover the biggest secret that their country has gone to sinister lengths to cover? In this exhilarating novel, the reader will come to find that the truth itself can save and also kill.

My P.O.V: Legend is an incredible story of two lives coming together, but for a terrible reason. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games and Divergent series, and Legend definitely fits in with these types of novels, due to their similarity in dystopian society and a sudden romance. This book is definitely recommended for kids ages 12+ due to the mature language and violence. I totally recommend this book to any of you thrill-seekers, adventure-lovers, and of course, you hopeless romantics! 😉

-Michaela B., 12th grade

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

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secret_life_bees_coverI just came across a book that I immediately fell in love with. It’s called The Secret Life of Bees and it’s really good!

It’s all about a teenage girl named Lily and her journey to find out about her past. Why did her mother die? What do her memories mean? Why did her mother own a picture of Black Madonna? (Black Mary as in Mother Mary)

Lily spends her whole summer out in the middle of dirt selling peaches from a stand. Her father is strict and mean and reprimanding and gives her terrible punishments such as kneeling on grits for hours at a time. After a bunch of events happen, Lily and her black housekeeper come across a bright pink house in Tiburon, South Carolina where three sisters live as beekeepers. They introduce Lily to their world of making honey and caring for the bees. Lily learns to love it, and I love the way the beekeepers describe their bees and the honey, it’s just beautiful!

I’m really glad that I chose to read this book, because I wouldn’t have picked it out at the library on my own probably. Actually, it’s kinda funny how I came across it. It was one of the books on the list my English teacher gave us as ideas for books to read for our Contemporary Book Report. Really good, I recommend it for everyone! I keep telling everyone, “I view the world differently now” but they just laugh! I don’t blame them ’cause it’s a really dramatic sentence, but I’d love to hear from other people who have read this book or if my post inspired them to read it!

-Kelsey H., 9th grade

Book Review: Paralyzed, by Jeff Rud

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paralyzed_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 don’t know if you have ever played sports before, but I know that horrible feeling when you see somebody laying down on the ground injured. Whether it be on the court, on the diamond, or out on the field everybody holds their breath and hopes that the injured player is okay. Jeff Rud, author of Paralyzed, is a writer of many different sports books.

In the book Paralyzed, Nate Brown, tight end for Milbury High School poorly tackles star middle linebacker Reggie Scott from Lincoln High School when Reggie intercepts the ball. In football, tackling a player leading with your head is very chancy, and he learned the consequence. Nate Brown laid frozen on the field. It is later released
that Nate Brown is paralyzed. As time goes by, Reggie feels guilty about Nate’s injury and that really affects the way he plays football, and the way he is around his family.

Overcoming guilt is one of the great themes and also the conflict in the book. Nate Brown’s mother is an evil character in the book. Reggie tries to visit Nate when Nate’s mom sees him and stammers, “How do you think he’s doing?” The woman was shrieking now. “This is the Intensive Care Unit. How the hell do you think he’s
doing?” (22-23). That then makes Reggie feel very guilty. I really do like Reggie’s perseverance because he keeps trying and trying to go see Nate. That is also a great theme in this book.

One of my favorite characters in this book is Dr. MacIntyre. He is a sport physiologist that Reggie goes to see to help him focus with football. He is a very amenable and casual person and makes the reader feel like you want to be his friend. Dr. McIntyre says some things that make Reggie realize whether he should be visiting Dr. McIntyre or not. “‘Well, I don’t know if I actually need to be here or not,’ [Reggie] said, hedging a little. ‘But my coaches think I do, and my parents think I do, so I guess I do.’ ‘Well, Reggie,’ Dr. MacIntyre said. ‘This is only going to work if you want help. If you’re here just to satisfy somebody else, you might as well not waste your time or mine'” (69). This really helps Reggie focus and decide on his goals.

Does Reggie finally get to visit Nate? Will Nate be okay? Will Nate’s mother still be mad at Reggie for what happened? To answers these questions, you should read the book. I highly recommend.

Logan P., 7th grade

Book Review: Looking for Alaska, by John Green

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looking_for_alaskaUntil I picked it up again, Looking for Alaska had been sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. But let me tell you, this has been one of the most fulfilling books I’ve read. I often speed through books being left with a small impression of the story, the characters, the situation, but without much profound and deep pondering on my part, Looking for Alaska however, was something entirely different.

Looking for Alaska follows the story of Miles Halter, later nicknamed “Pudge” – an average teenager who has the unusual hobby of memorizing people’s last words. Convinced by the last words of François Rabelais, “I go to seek a great perhaps” and tired of his dull life in Florida, he decides to attend boarding school in Alabama to seek a new start. He meets his roommate and soon-to-be best friend, called the Colonel, introduces him to Alaska Young, the beautiful, moody, wild, yet emotionally unstable girl who he becomes instantly infatuated with.

They spend their time bonding over elaborate pranks against the school and “Weekday Warriors” (the rich students of the school who go home every weekend), studying, and generally breaking the rules. About halfway through the book a terrible tragedy occurs making the way Miles and all the other characters of the book completely rethink their lives while making sense of what happened, to solve the mystery left behind.

This book deserved every award it has received. It’s gorgeously written– a hilarious, impassioned, thought-provoking, deep, profound, and relatable story. The characters are often seen as the bad behaving and rebellious in the story, but despite that are incredibly fleshed out, vividly real, complex, and beautifully illustrated, making the reader through their stories confront the not so easily pondered and discussed topics of self-discovery and on the other end of the spectrum-loss. This book was almost impossible to put down, pulling you in deeper with every word, allowing you to empathize with what the characters are experiencing, making you ponder your own life and beliefs along the way.

The story is not divided by chapters, but instead marked by the amount of days leading up to the tragedy and then the days after. The first half readers will be left grinning the entire time, and at the end they will deeply moved, maybe even to the point of tears, but also left with deep and profound ideas to mull over.

Overall I was very impressed by Green’s writing. He leaves the reader with a deep impression of the characters, all having their own distinct stories and all holding their own distinct beliefs. The story itself is very deep and profound, but what made this one of the most valuable books I’ve read was the simple yet extremely inspiring and deep messages he left with me. Reading this book made me look back on some of the events that happened in my life, and made me re-analyze them in a new light. It helped reintroduce many of the things that I had locked away in my memory bank, making me rediscover and confront troubling things from the past.

Alaska had chosen as a topic of her essay in the religious studies class the students were taking, Simon Bolivar’s last words, “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?” which she interprets as life-the labyrinth of suffering. Miles, through his loss and tragedy, in the end concludes the only way out of  the labyrinth is through forgiveness.

Through the experiences of the characters you will learn a lot about yourself and be able to face topics you haven’t been confronted with before. As a final word of warning, there is lots of mature content, but everything in it serves to define character, give voice, and develop profound themes in the story. Indeed, this award-winning book is even on many high school reading lists and can help to open the topics of loss, self discovery, and friendship.

Sophia U., 11th grade

Book Review: Audrey Wait!, by Robin Benway

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audrey_wait_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 would be like to be famous? Rising up into stardom… having everyone know your name… being the hot topic of the world… I know I do, but for 16-year-old Audrey Cuttler, this was her worst nightmare. Robin Benway, author of Audrey Wait!, describes the not so normal life of Audrey Cuttler. The author of this ostentatious story attended college at both NYU & UCLA. She is known mainly for her young adult novels and outstanding fictional writings.

Audrey Wait! is a fanciful and gaudy story about a 16 year old girl who wants nothing more than to be normal again… oh, and for her ex-boyfriend, Evan, to pay for writing the stupid song… and have all the hot rock band boys stop being jerks… and for James to forgive her, along with Victoria… and– okay you get my point. She wants a myriad of things, but come on, she’s a girl. enough said. Through thick and thin, best friend for life, Victoria, has always been there for Audrey. But will things change? As boys, rumors, and fame, cloud Audrey’s mind, will she get back to reality, or loose the most important people in her life? From leaked photos, to crazed paparazzi hiding in her bushes, will Audrey ever become normal again? Audrey finally gets to tell the world her side of the story, and show the not so good things about being the world’s number one top muse. Like crazed fans and stalkers who won’t even let her go on a simple date, parents who put you on lockdown because you’re famous, how about getting on the cover of the magazines with rumors written all about you, or the worst one, having a leaked video of something you don’t want your parents’ to see online… well, that’s Audrey’s life for you. Follow a story filled with rock band boys, dorky co-workers, fake friends, crazy fans, overprotective parents, girl fights, and a whole lot more, in Audrey Cuttler’s wild, high school ride.

Robin Benway’s unique and quick read book portrays the downsides of fame, rather than the perks. As Audrey goes through a brimming junior year, the author describes the main character’s mistakes, as well as the consequences she must face. This book separates itself from others because ordinarily, most books don’t explain the costs of their behaviors. This results in many teens making poor choices similar to those of the characters’. However, the author makes sure to point out the problems that poor choices can cause. The themes of love, friendship, celebrity and identity are strongly represented in this climactic book.

This book includes fantastic morals that are very cogent for everyone; mainly categorizing teenagers, the age this book is appointed towards. Audrey, as any regular teenager, has to make choices everyday. Some of her choices were better than others, resulting in consequences for her rash decisions. The main morals of this novel include to always stay ethical and to not change due to peer pressure, fame, gossip, or rumors. Also, always try to build friendships up, rather than tear them down, because friendship is key. Lastly, always think before you speak, and take caution over your actions.

Living in hot southern California, Audrey and Victoria spend their days at boring, old high school, lame jobs, and of course rocking out to their favorite bands. Whether they’re dancing in their bedrooms, catching bands at the local jukebox, or tuning it out at a concert, these crazy girls always have a blast. But who can’t, when you’re living in California! Now don’t get all excited, because with benefits comes work; like, when you work at the Scooper Dooper ice cream shop (more like Scooper Pooper shop) Audrey hates her job, especially wearing the untrendy, pink uniforms. “My job sucks the most suck that has ever sucked” (26), Audrey complains. Robin Benway put a lot of effort into making her book comical and entertaining. And just from this sneak peak into the story, you can pick up on how humorous this book is.

Music loving Audrey is the main character of Audrey Wait!. Her personality is similar to her best friend, Victoria’s, and that’s why they get along so well. Audrey is your average-smart student at high school, but all of that changes when she breaks up with her boyfriend, Evan. She is perky, loud, musical, and does NOT want to be in the spotlight. As a natural lover of music, especially rock, she loves to play her music loud. “I like my music loud. I mean loud. I’m not talking the kind of loud where your parents knock on your bedroom door and ask you to turn it down. Please. That’s amateur hour. When I say loud, I mean you-can’t-hear-your-parents-knocking-and-the-neighbors-are-putting-a-FOR-SALE-sign-on-their-house-and-moving-to-another-block-because-they-can’t-handle-the-constant-noise-anymore loud” (9). Audrey continues by talking about how she feels about music. Although, Audrey Cuttler was never a role model of mine, as the story progresses, she grows into a more respectable idol. Now, I believe that she has learned a lot from mistakes and conflicts that have presented themselves throughout her life.

Victoria is Audrey Cuttler’s best friend for life. She was my favorite character throughout the book because I loved her personality and qualities. What really stood out to me was that Victoria was her own person. While in other books, the main character takes most of the spotlight in the story; Victoria has her own completely different limelight. This novel is unique to me because the author doesn’t create one big star, although it is obvious that Audrey is the main character. Both girls have separate qualities that make them special. Some of Victoria’s traits include being fun, loud, crazy, sweet, caring, girly, dramatic, energetic, stubborn, intelligent, and spirited. Victoria loves loud rock music, just as much as Audrey.

Robin Benway created the voice of her story from her interpretation of 16-year-old girls. However, I disagree with her, and think that she did a poor job bringing the characters, setting, and book to life. There was rarely any description or adjectives to describe a character’s appearance or the environment around the character. Although the story line was fantastic and very intriguing, I constantly was side tracked by her attempt to sound like a teenage girl. As cussing becomes more commonly known for teenagers, I blame influences such as this book for that. The author writes swear words into the dialogue between teenagers, but she does it excessively in my opinion. Additionally, there were some editing errors, but overall, I really enjoyed reading this page-turner book.

Audrey Wait! was a fun read, and I would definitely recommend it to others. However, be cautious of the strong language and young adult content in this book. Lastly, above all, make sure to ask your parents if you can read it or not, before you go ahead and read something not for your maturity level.

-Ania O., 7th grade

Book Review: Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz

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stormbreakerAlex Rider’s story begins with a perfect life. Alex is a regular boy who is 14 years old. One night he is awoken by the chime of a doorbell and overhears that his uncle died mysteriously in a car crash. But the weird thing is that the cops were saying he was not wearing his seat belt. His uncle always enforced the rule that no matter what, you have to wear your seatbelt to Alex, and he always followed that rule too. Alex didn’t have enough information to believe the cops.

Alex decides to investigate and discovers that it wasn’t a car crash that killed his uncle– it was murder. At the car dump, he finds that one bullet from a sniper made a crisp circular hole in the glass window. An attempt on his own life kicks off the beginning of Alex’s adventures, and things really get complicated when he learns that his uncle was an MI6 agent– and he must get involved too.

I personally would recommend that this book should be read only if you are older than 12 years old. The reason why is that there is a little bit of violence it the book. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz is a great read!

-Satej B., 7th grade

Book Review: Marie, Dancing, by Carolyn Meyer

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marie_dancing_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 wondered what goes through a ballerina’s mind when she dances?

What could she possibly be thinking about as she takes the audience’s breath away? The spotlight is on her, her and nothing else. For a few seconds, minutes or even hours, it’s as if nothing else exists in the world while dancing. Dancers learn to hide their emotions on stage. You can’t show nervousness, fear, or any type of imbalance. You have to keep tempo, stay with the music, and perform the grand jetés, fouettés, and combinations that you practiced so hard to be able to do. Nothing else matters.

The amazing story of Marie, Dancing is an excellent book written by Carolyn Meyer because of her descriptive language and engaging plot. Meyer has also written Doomed Queen Anne, Jubilee Journey, White Lilacs, and many more. This is another one of her great books that teaches perseverance, honesty, and passion. These were the three most common lessons I found throughout the book.

Marie, Dancing takes place in beautiful Paris, France, mainly around the Seine River at her ballet school called the Paris Opera. The story is revolved around a sculpture called The Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen, which is actually in the Louvre today sculpted by Edgar Degas. This is what makes this story unique because it is revolved around a sculpture, unlike many stories.

Marie’s goal is to become a famous dancer, but she has a lot of hardships and set backs such as living in poverty and issues with her family. She is in intense ballet training while a world renowned artist; Edgar Degas offers her a job to pose for his new sculpture. Edgar Degas is a bitter and cold man, but an amazing artist: “He didn’t wait for me to reply or to change my clothes but simply walked off, motioning me to follow his command” (4). She agrees, and every week for one year she went to his studio and posed for him. This helped her get a little closer to her dream of stardom. Meanwhile, she has big ballet examinations coming up to determine if she gets to say at the Paris Opera Ballet School. Her older sister ends up in prison for three months, and she is risking her practice time for the examinations by visiting her troubled sister. Will she get that dream of stardom that she is desperate to have? Will she ever dance again? Will she ever forgive her sister for what she has done?

One of the obvious reasons I love this book is because of the main character, Marie. She is an example of a 14 year old dancer in the 1880s who lives deeply in poverty, but has a huge passion for what she does. Three words to describe her are determined, helpful, and kind. I would say that she is determined because she really wants to become a famous dancer, and trains every moment she has. Marie is also helpful because she basically raises her 10 year old sister Charlotte while her mother is off drinking, and her oldest sister is very selfish. She gets payed by Edgar Degas to model, and she uses the money to pay off the rent on their house. “I reached Rue de Douai and climbed the dimly lit and rank smelling stairs” (137). Lastly, I found that Marie is kind. One of the reasons why she is kind is because when her older sister was in prison, she risked her ballet career just to go give her scraps of food.

This book also kept me engaged because I really like how the author wrote very descriptively, and it was easier to paint a picture of the setting and imagine the the plot in my mind. I would recommend this book to middle school students. Although, this book got off to a slow start, it eventually went by faster and it was very enjoyable to read. Overall, this is a book that I would definitely recommend.

-Valentina M., 7th grade