I loved the excitement of this book, a continuation of Kiera Cass's Selection series. There are only 4 Elite ladies remaining in the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart and become his princess. America Singer is feeling less sure of herself than ever, thanks to the king's belittling comments and ongoing misunderstandings with Maxon. The action really picks up with the added complexity of rebel attacks on the palace and the castes of the Elite. The One provides a satisfying conclusion for fans of the series; it may have even been my favorite of the three books.
(No spoilers here). This is book #2 in The Remnant Chronicles and the continuation of Lia's story, which began in The Kiss of Deception (Book #1). I was eagerly anticipating this sequel and for the most part, it did not disappoint. There were a few places in the story where I would begin to zone out and then BAM! another plot twist. It was very well done. Since I am not a frequent fan of the fantasy genre, the ancient texts and the meaning behind all of it was a little much. Yet, for fans of the genre, I think it is expected and not heavy. This book is definitely a must-read for fans of the first book; I highly recommend the series to fantasy fans, particularly those who enjoy royalty in a medieval type of fantasy world, or readers who like The False Prince series. Readers who do not typically enjoy fantasy novels may also really like this series. Simply put: It's too good not to like.
This book is the perfect read for girls who love movies--and romantic comedies in particular. Unlikely friends Marijke Monti and Lily Spencer team up with a crazy scheme: to reinact epic movie moments to win over their crushes. I loved all of the movie references in this book, but I'm not sure if middle school girls still watch some of the movies mentioned, such as Sixteen Candles, Say Anything, and Titanic. The book lightly addresses family issues and searching for personal identity. Normally, I would find the ending of this book unrealistic and too perfect, but like most romantic comedies, I know what I'm getting into and a happy ending is completely satisfying. I recommend this to high school and some middle school readers who like romantic movies. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!
This was my kind of fantasy....royals, adventure, and some romance too. The story begins on the day of Princess Lia's wedding; Lia decides to flee the arranged marriage and escapes to a small town with her best friend Pauline. Once there, Lia works to blend in as a regular tavern maid. Little does Lia know that the two handsome strangers who show up in town are looking for her--one is the jilted prince and the other is an assassin hired to kill her.
The story alternates between the narrators: Lia, Rafe, and Kaden. For a large part of the book, readers are not sure who is the prince and who is the assassin, which makes for added tension and suspense. The story has excellent twists and turns. At over 400 pages, the author keeps the story moving. I recommend this for readers who like an adventure tale with a bit of romance and a headstrong female lead character. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars! Check out my trailer here.
I had heard so many great things about this book before reading it, and Maureen Johnson did not disappoint. This book is a great travel/adventure story with a bit of romance and a scavenger-hunt feel to it, which includes international travel. Virginia "Ginny" receives 13 little blue envelopes from her Aunt Peg, who had vanished months ago and just recently passed away. Ginny learns a lot more about her "runaway aunt" through the travel instructions and challenges posed to Ginny within each of the 13 envelopes. For some students, this book could be challenging because background knowledge is required to understand the geography of where Ginny is traveling. With that said, the vivid descriptions took me right back to London, Rome, and Greece. I also loved the portion of the book when Ginny was in Copenhagen. I recommend this book for advanced 7th grade readers, definitely 8th graders and maybe even freshmen. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!
