Danielle's Rocking Reviews of Books

Love, Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli*^

2012-02-16T21:11:00.001-05:00

Rating: 9/10
Background:
When Stargirl moves to Pennsylvania (don't tell Leo!), her life begins to feel like "a parade of unhappy anniversaries". Until she finds some new friends.
My Thoughts:
Not as captivating as Stargirl. Still fantastic though. Even though Stargirl doesn't shine as much at the beginning, as the book progresses, you begin to see that she still has that charm that made me love her. Stargirl's struggles, even the little things, like not being able to plant stakes on "Calendar Hill", resonated with me. Her articulate and poetic voice made me laugh, feel sad, and cheer for her. Touching, funny, and some great quotes. ("I will sail in to the future on mystery's wings.", "Let the stars keep track of us.")
Read It If..
You're looking for a book about the triumphs and losses of a person who you wish you were.

Into The Wild Nerd Yonder By Julie Halpern^

2012-02-12T12:51:00.001-05:00

Rating: 10/10
Background:
When high-school sophomore Jessie Sloan's friends Bizza and Char dump her to become, in her words, "punk poseurettes", she is left with no friends and doesn't know where she can fit in. Until she starts hanging out with the "nerd" crowd.
Thoughts;
Jessie's reinvention is, in two words: delightful and hilarious. Jessie is relatable, funny, and snarky. Her concern about her new status as a nerd was frustrating to me,(Why does she care so much?) but yet I still felt like rooting for her. Her struggle to find her place resonates with anyone who has lost "friends".
The writing is perfect. You could hear a voice behind the words. The descriptions are hilarious too.
All in all, a hilarious, relatable book.
Read It If..
You enjoy books about friendships and the changes that people go through in order to find their place.

1001 Cranes By Naomi Hirahara

2012-01-24T10:12:00.003-05:00

Rating: 10/10

Background:
With her parents on the verge of divorcing, Angela is sent to her grandparents' house for the summer. There she makes 1001 cranes displays for her grandparents' flower shop and learns more about her Japanese culture.

My Thoughts:
A fascinating book about appreciating your culture and making new friends. Angela is a likeable character, as are her grandparents and new friends. The people she deals with while helping in her grandparents' shop are amusing and fun. I really enjoyed the story, as did I enjoy learning about the Japanese culture. Oh, and the writing is fantastic too.

Read It If...
You're looking for an interesting book about family and friendship and what they really mean.

Jersey Tomatoes Are The Best By Maria Padian

2012-01-23T22:34:00.003-05:00

Rating: 9/10

Background:
Fifteen-year old best friends Henry (short for Henrietta) and Eve head off to their dream camps for the summer. Once there, they face many challenges that may force them to give up their dreams.

My Thoughts:
A captivating, touching book about friendship and just how far people will go to fulfill their dreams. The writing is nothing special. The story is what drew me in. Go in expecting a good story and average writing, and you won't be disappointed.

Read It If...
You're looking for a touching book on friendship and fulfilling dreams.

Symbols Key

2012-01-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be putting different symbols next to the titles of books to show certain things about the book. Here they are.
* - sequel
** - part of a series
$ - classic
^ - I've reviewed another book by this author before

One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies By Sonya Sones

2012-01-23T22:07:00.003-05:00

Rating: 9/10

Background:

When Ruby's mother dies, she is forced to go live with her actor father, Whip Logan.

My Thoughts:

Ruby is understandable and clever. Her struggle to adjust resonates with anybody who ever moved and had to go to a new school. I rooted for her, while hoping that she would change her ways. I enjoyed the fact that the book was written in verse, making it a quick read. This book made me think, "What would I do if I was placed in the situations in the book?" All in all, a well-written, though-provoking, and touching book.

Read It If..
You're looking for a well-written, yet quick read.

Beacon Street Girls Book 10: Just Kidding By Annie Bryant**

2012-01-23T19:22:00.003-05:00

Rating: 6/10

Background:
The Beacon Street Girls are a group of five best friends: Katani Summers, Isabel Martinez, Avery Madden, Maeve Kaplan-Taylor, and Charlotte Ramsey. When Isabel is in the room when their school's hottest couple breaks up, she gets caught up in an IM gossip web.

My Thoughts:
Basically a fluff piece. The whole series is a guilty-pleasure type, girly series of books. The writing is okay, nothing special. The situatuations and the characters are believable, but it's still not any great book.

Read It If...
You're looking for a fun, fluffy, guilty-pleasure type book.

Get Well Soon By Julie Halpern

2012-01-23T18:42:00.003-05:00

Rating: 10/10

Background:

Anna Bloom is a depressed, overweight teen. When her parents dump her in a mental hospital, she meets a crazy group of fun, comical people.

My Thoughts:
First off, this book is hilarious. This says something about the author. What it says is that the author has a sharp sense of humor and is skilled enough to convince me that there is humor in the least likely place: a mental hospital. Also, Anna is believable, as is her wry, cynical view of the world. Her believability (is that a word? ) makes you root for her through out the whole book. The changes? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This book has it all: humor, romance, and authenticity.

Read It If...
You're looking for a funny, unusual book about a person like you.

The Face On The Milk Carton By Caroline B. Cooney

2012-01-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

Rating: 8/10

Background:

Janie Johnson is a typical fifteen-year old. Until she sees her face on a milk carton and unravels a twisted web of secrets.

My Thoughts:
The writing is very simple. I would have liked the writing to be a bit more descriptive and complex. However, I could understand that the author kept the writing simple because she didn't want the writing to overshadow the fantastic story. I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite, but I liked it. What it lacks in writing, it more than makes up for in story.

Read It If...
You're looking for a simple page-turner.

Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger $

2012-01-22T20:58:00.003-05:00

Rating: 10/10

Background:
Holden Caulfield is an anti-authority, anti-establishment teen. This book chronicles his escape from school and his journey home, and ultimately his institutionalization.

My Thoughts:
I would change nothing. No wonder this book is a classic. And I find it timeless because everybody goes through a hard period, be it in 1945 or 2012. Holden is so believable, that you feel like you could hear a voice as you read. All in all, a timeless, humorous book. I absolutely loved it.

Read It If...
You don't mind cursing and you're looking for a funny book about the experiences of a "troubled" teen.

Welcome!

2012-01-22T19:57:00.001-05:00

Hi. Hola. Shalom. Salut. Ciao. Hallo. Merhaba. I'm Danielle, but my nickname is Bella. And I'm going to write book reviews. I read a lot and I like to share my thoughts on the books I read.. I'm not paid and I just do it for fun. I mostly review YA books, since that's what I mainly read. Here's my format:

Background: This is where I talk about the plot of the book. Basically a summary of the book.

My Thoughts: This is the review part, where I talk about what I liked and/or disliked. Sometimes I say what I would have changed had I been the author/editor or if I wouldn't have changed anything at all. Afterwards, I rate the book out of ten.

Read It If: This is where I say to whom I would recommend the book and tell you that if you're looking for a certain kind of book, you should/shouldn't read the book.

Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli

2012-01-22T18:44:00.003-05:00

Rating: 10/10

Background:
Leo Borlock lives in Mica, Arizona, where everybody is practically the same. Until Stargirl Caraway comes. Stargirl, with her ukelele and long skirts, shakes up the school.

My Thoughts:
A powerful book that really made me think about human nature, and how many are afraid of being different because of the intolerance of others. There's nothing I would change about this book. It really made me develop an appreciation for Jerry Spinelli's unusual writing style. I particularly liked the book's message of nonconformity, since I am always advocating for being weird.

Read It If..
You're looking for something different and thought-provoking.