Percy Jackson

Me again! Welcome to the amazing world of Greek mythology! And no, I do NOT mean Hercules. Rick Riordan has invited us into a place where Greek mythology comes back to life. The story is based in the 21st century, with a young demigod called "Percy Jackson".

As you may have already guessed, a demigod is a half god, half human. A little bit like Hercules. Percy's mum is a normal human, but his dad is Poseidon, god of the seas himself! Percy wasn't even aware of it until his history teacher, (a centaur named Chiron) saved him from an attack of monsters. Chiron brings him to camp, along with his best friend, who turns out to be a satyr (goat legs, human body) that was protecting him!

They bring him to Camp Half-Blood... (Remind you of anything? Half Blood Prince? No?) And there he learns to fight monsters. Oh, and he's even given an awesome pen that can turn into a sword! Cool, right? YAY! I'm not going to give away too much though.

Another thing, the author wrote five books in the series. Rick Riordan felt so bad for not writing a sixth book, he added another series with the same characters but a slightly different plot. It's called Heroes of Olympus. I'm actually reading it right now, but it's pretty good. I might review it tomorrow or on Monday if I have the time.

In conclusion, I would recommend this series for people over the age of eleven or twelve. Especially those that like action and rather magical books. Oh, and awesome people. Just saying.

Sushi For Beginners

If I have to be honest, the only reason I bought this book was because I was a bit peckish when I was in the book store. But, seriously, this book was, in reality, a decent read - and no, I didn't lick it to see if it tasted of sushi... but I know VampireMaster would.

Follow the lives of three women: Lisa, a fashionable, successful magazine editor that - despite hoping to flee to high-rise New York - is forced to move to low-rise Dublin, Ashling, an insecure girl who, unfortunately, is hired by Lisa, and Clodagh, Ashling's (untrustworthy) best friend. Some parts will have you laughing convulsively, while some might make you feel nervous, or even sad.

This book isn't for young children is all I have to say. It has lots of graphic sex scenes and numerous mentions of alcohol and drug use. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to people over the ages of fifteen. If you're younger and you're up to reading books for a higher reading level, be my guest - but you have been warned!

Overall, it's a great book, with many twists and a humorous ending. It's not very serious and mind-boggling, so people looking for a light read would definitely devour it.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

Set in North-West Europe, six thousand years ago, The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is an amazing book. Written by Michelle Paver, an author who really knows how to write!

It's about a boy called Torak who sees his father being killed by a bear possessed by a demon. He realises he can talk to wolves when he stumbles across a young cub, which he then calls "Wolf". He meets a young girl called Renn and they have to complete around six quests. It's a wonderful story with love, hatred and a bunch of people dying just to keep you happy.

Since it's based around 6000 BC, the characters believe in rather strange religions, what's funny, though, is that most of the time, it's real. So the weird rituals and gods they believe in exist.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good story about magic and darkness.

Guards! Guards!

 Hey there! I'm back with a serious novel! Um... More of a funny novel, but you know what I mean.

Guards! Guards!

Welcome to the famous literary world of Terry Pratchett (he's awesome)! Guards! Guards! is the eight book from the series "Discworld" but it's one of those books you can read without the rest of the series to understand. I have a feeling this isn't a children's book because they mention a few things that aren't very.... Childreny, if you know what I mean. But it's funny. Like, hilarious, funny. Like, ulra-mega-omigosh-this-is-genius funny. Okay, I think you get it. Even if there isn't a joke, the way the people behave is already comical.

This story is very complicated. Even at the beginning. It starts of with a drunken Captain Vimes who's waiting for a new recruit. In the meantime, this group called "The Elucidated Brethren" is planning to overthrow the Patrician (Vetinari) by summoning a dragon and bringing a king back to slay it. The new recruit Vimes was expecting turns out to be a boy who thought he was a dwarf the entire time, but actually, he's human and he decided to leave the mines to act like a real human...


The story is really complicated, but I loved it! I'd recommend it to any one that doesn't mind mentions of "sex" so probably over twelve, it's also good if you like humor, drunk guys and a couple of dragons.


Overall, it's an awesome book, written by an awesome author (not as awesome as Darren Shan) and you should definitely read it.

Dear John

Yes, this is a love book... but it is a love book like no other. Trust me on this one. I've read hundreds of novels about two people destined to be together, but this one is by far the best.

This book is about a man called John, that meets a girl named Savannah and falls head over heels for her. Because he wasn't the exactly the best student in high school, he chooses a risky but fairly achievable job. He enrolls in the army, but spends half his days with Savannah, enchanted by her laugh and mesmerized by the sparkle in her eyes. Then comes along September 11, 2001, and the Twin Towers come pouring down. John is then urged to re-enlist again and serve his duty to his country... but doing that, means leaving Savannah all alone.

This book is unique. It's not one of those sappy books that ends with them getting married again and having 12 children and moving to - oh, I don't know - Spring Falls, to a grand mansion with a puppy. No. The ending startled me, actually, because I was expecting a happy ending, yet I didn't get that. But that's what I love about this book. You can't predict what's going to happen, so you can't just drop it when you're halfway through because you're sure of what is going to happen.

Do I recommend it? Yes, definitely. Pick it up on a rainy evening and fall into the abyss of broken promises and true warmth.

Mummy's Little Girl

The title is a little misleading. No, this isn't a book about cuddly, mushy mother-daughter love. This book is haunting, and all about the anguish one little girl had to go through.

Dani was abandoned at birth, to be picked up by her foster family. After the death of her foster father, her mother treats her viciously and tyrannically. When a social worker comes by, she sees the bruises on Dani's face and takes her away immediately. Displeased by the children's home she has to go to, Dani runs away to a dark street corner. She meets a man with a deep Scottish accent who offers to help her. But what she doesn't know, is that he's going to scar her innocent soul forever.... but somewhere out there, there is a woman, frantically looking for her.

I must've read this book over a thousand times, and every time I read it, I feel goosebumps on my arms. I mean... how can a girl, about my age, be treated like that? When we're here complaining and whining.... Dani's suffering and despairing. This book might have even changed the way I live my life, made me take a new path. I almost wanted to hug Dani at some parts and assure her it was all going to be okay.

Who would I recommend this to? People who like emotional books that confront all human fears. If you tend to break down at the mention of cruelty... you better not read this book. But in my opinion, it's breath-taking, and if you want to challenge yourself, go ahead and read it.

Hard Luck

Hard Luck

  YAY! I'm back! VampireMaster!
Okay, this is probably the shortest book I've ever reviewed. But I finished it yesterday and I (mentally) pledged to review every book I read, so...

First off, I don't usually pay attention to these small books, I just read them because I'm bored and I don't want to do my homework. But since I only read it yesterday, it's still in the back of my mind.

Hard Luck, by Mary Arrigan, is a sweet, short story for teenagers that aren't too serious with their reading. It's about a boy called Matthew, who tuns away from home. He's being fostered by a lady he calls "Ma" and she's an alcoholic. Her boyfriend is really aggressive and hits Matthew. That's when he decides to run away. While he's walking in the streets, he sees his teacher, she thinks he's going to school and offers to give him a ride. He doesn't want to tell her he's running away, so he accepts. She's spring-cleaning her house, and she has a bunch of stuff in the back of her car like... A quilt. And Matthew likes the quilt, so he asks for it. Then he gets out of the car, under the pretension that going to school with a teacher is embarrassing, and walks away...

It's a nice story, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone. It isn't the sort of book that makes you feel really amazed, but it's sweet and it's one of those stories with a moral. Like... Always count on your friends. I think. Or... You never know what the future holds. Eh... I don't know.

So, in summary, a nice book, and if you ever get bored and want to read something not so deep and that you can't really compare to Darren Shan, try reading this.

Lord Of The Flies

Many people consider this book to be a classic. I'm not one of those people. Upon hearing the words "this book is a classic!", the vast majority of teenagers and older kids will yawn. I, personally, am not part of the vast majority, but I don't think this book should be shunned down by an age group just because of the way people classify it.

1940s. An airplane has just crashed into the water, and the young boys in it swim to land in order to survive. Ralph, a determined lad with a lot of potential, takes it to himself to gather all of the boys and make tribes, but another boy that is hungry for power tries to overtake everyone. How will this end for the boys... and most importantly, will they ever get off this island?

The first time I read this book was in Literature class. Because I had to write down the symbols, character traits, themes, conflicts, and all that crap, I despised this book. After I had passed the unit, I re-read it, and unraveled that it's actually a decent book. Actually, no, decent is an understatement. It's a GOOD book. I promise you. I know it sounds boring, but it's not!

Really.

1984

Yet another serious book! You guys probably hate me and want VampireMaster back. Tough. Now read, before I hunt you down and force feed you broccoli. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present: 1984, by George Orwell!

Winston is a man, living in a country with harsh rules and strict punishment, stuck amidst a war (World War II, possibly?). Everyone worships a man called the "Big Brother"... except him. He hates all the concepts of Newspeak, the language that is recently developing, and all the strict rules. He detests them to that extent, that he buys a diary to record his illegal thoughts - or thoughtcrime. One day, he meets a young woman called Julia... and by the looks of it, she's risky.

This book stunned me. At first I thought it was dull and monotonous, all the descriptions of the laws and the Ministry of Love. I thought it was a book, whose purpose served merely to inform people about life in Oceania in the 50s. But then... zap. Everything changed. I suddenly understood what was so great about this book. All of the feelings of Winston, hidden thoroughly behind the words, showed their true colors. And that's when I decided - this book was not only amazing, but it sends you up in down in circles, trying to figure out what was happening. The last few sentences always send shivers down my spine....

And remember... ignorance is strength, freedom is slavery, and war is peace.

The Kite Runner

Charna's guts... a serious book! As you might have already guessed, this is AwesomeSauce Brontosaurus, and I'm here to review a pearl in the spectrum of literature - The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.

This book follows the life of a Pakistani boy named Amir, who grew up with his wealthy father in Kabul. Ever since he was born, he was great friends with loyal Hassan, his Hazara servant. Both boys had a burning passion for kite running... but one unfortunate day, their hobby threatens to ruin both their lives forever. After many vile events, Hassan and his father leave, just as Taliban rule begins to grow. Amir and his father flee to America, vowing never to return until Taliban rule has ceased to exist, but shocking news from home urges Amir to come back. The question is: will he?

Honestly, I think this is an amazing book. I teared up multiple times as I read it, and when I turned the last page of the book, I was hesitant to let go. I wanted to re-read it over, and over, and over, but I sighed and reluctantly let go of it. So... if any of you have free time... read it. Genuinely, I believe this is one of the best books ever written.

Where Rainbows End

Where Rainbows End

YAY! My first request! Alright, everyone saddle up for one cheesy ride through "Where Rainbows End"! It's a novel by Cecelia Ahern (as you can see on the cover).

Just kidding. But this is pretty cheesy! I read this some time ago, and I rather liked the middle, but the ending was all cheesy and lovey-dovey. Personally, I prefer it when the lovers die and you don't have to worry about their mental issues anymore! Okay, maybe not, but I still don't like cheesy endings.

It's this story about a girl (Rosie) who grows up with her best friend (Alex) and they go through everything together. Okay, maybe not EVERYTHING, but they go through a lot of stuff. But when they're seventeen, Alex (did I mention he's a guy?) has to move to Boston because his father has a new job. Rosie promises to move to Boston when she's eighteen, but oh misery, she gets pregnant and has to stay in Dublin. Oh s***. What are they going to do?

And since I'm evil, I have decided to leave that question unanswered so that you, dear readers (if I have any apart from AwesomeSauce Brontosaurus!) can read it yourselves.


I would recommend this book for... Ooh... Let's see... Romantic people, that like long books about two people
 that are just so obviously in love they can't figure it out themselves.

The Thin Executioner

The Thin Executioner

Wow! This is my first review of an actual book that isn't a series! I'm going to go far in life... Anyway, this book is written by Darren Shan. (Yes, the same author as in "The Saga of Darren Shan"). It's really good. I mean, really, really, really, really good.

It's about this boy (Jebel) who wants to be an executioner, like his dad. But the problem is... He's really skinny. No muscle at all. And to become an executioner, there's a bunch of tests that you have to go through. So he goes on a quest for invincibility with a slave (Tel Hesani) to sacrifice. There, he learns about the other tribes that live in his world, different religions, different beliefs... He has to learn tolerance... 


But I won't reveal too much! MWAHAHAHA! You have to read it to find out what happens! But I swear it's a good book. VERY good indeed.


I would recommend this to... People that are sick and tired of hearing people complaining about racism and stuff ,and just wants to read about them complaining. Or simply people in need of a good story about friendship and slavery and heads being chopped off and quests and... Okay, I got a bit carried away, but basically, just read it and see if you like it.

Darren Shan Saga

A Few Books from the Series

I read this Saga a few months ago, and each time I see it, I just get reminded of it's awesomeness. It's written by Darren Shan. This is a series I would recommend to EVERYONE. No kidding. Except squeamish people that just don't make any sense in this world *glares at one friend in particular*. But yeah, I even recommended (more like forced) it  to my friend, and she loved it! Even though horror and fantasy isn't her thing, it's now her favourite book!

The style is so... AAAH! I can't describe it. Darren Shan has woven magic into his books. He explains the story from the perspective of a child, a child who has enough knowledge of the vampire clan to help you understand, but not too much, so as it isn't too complicated. You learn as he learns, sort of thing.

Simple summary without giving away too much: It's a story about a boy who becomes a half vampire... He joins a Circus full of weird people and... I can't really say that much, because I'd feel like I was stealing the amazingness of reading it first hand, but it is an awesome book.

The film, though, is terrible. Apparently, it's okay if you haven't read the book, but if you watch it, you kind of get the feeling that it isn't based on the book, it's inspired from the book. Even then, they probably just stole the names and the fact that there are vampires from it.

*SPOILER ALERT*

For example: Larten Crepsley never uses contractions like "that's" or "it's", but even in the trailer, he uses them twice!

Another example would be: In the story there are these creepy creatures that are humanoid and wear long cloaks, they don't have names, but one of them later reveals that he does have a name which is "Harkat" but the film still insists on calling him Harkat before he reveals it!

*NO MORE SPOILERS*

So yeah, a MUST for all readers.

Hunger Games

Finished the Hunger Games a few days ago. It's really, really good. I think I'd recommend it to anyone that likes adventure,and quite a bit of romance. It's written by Suzanne Collins. In someways, it's a bit like Romeo and Juliet, only with two Romeos and only one Juliet... And they don't die... and... Okay, that's not Romeo and Juliet, whatever. It's still pretty good. The first one, though, is definitely the best one out of the trilogy.


The plot is really good, it's about this girl (Katniss Everdeen) who volunteers to fight in a "game" to the death against twenty-three other contestants, to save her little sister, Prim. It's based in the future, a land called Panem controlled by the Capitol. There are twelve districts, each district needs to hand in two contestants, a boy and a girl, and Katniss realises that she has to fight a boy that saved her life. The double Romeo factor comes in a little later in the story, but I can't say too much about it without giving away the plot.

I can't wait for the film! They even converted a song from the books called "The Hanging Tree" into a song on youtube. This is by far my favourite version of the song.