Мандри в «Задзеркалля»

«Задзеркалля»

Оксана Лущевська

 

     Сьогодні у школі посварилися дві мої подруги. Через хлопця. І я мала обирати, на чий бік стати. Я не хотіла цього робити, але довелося. І з цього приводу я ледь не посварилася з іншою своєю подругою, яка стала на протилежний бік.

Все через… хлопця.

     У «Задзеркаллі» подруги також сваряться через хлопця, тільки в них все трошки менш заплутано. Або трохи більше, залежно з якого боку дивитися.

     Дінка вважає, що тато її більше не любить. Він покинув Діну з мамою. Не розпалює більше вогонь у каміні, а мама не вміє. Мама, до речі, теж не зовсім нормально поводиться. Ігнорує Діну і сновигає, наче привид.

     Діна хотіла знайти розраду в новій школі, але там вона – сіра мишка, аж поки не починає зустрічатися з Антоном (Тортиком). Її нарешті помічають. От тільки не на таку увагу вона сподівалася. Діна спостерігає за своїм життям ніби з-за дзеркала. А потім потрапляє в лікарню. Бо ніхто її не любив.

Сашка спочатку думала, що все це – погана ідея. Коли Сірий покликав її і трьох подружок на побачення з Тортиком (усіх разом), вона не хотіла йти. Але пішла.

     А Тортика не було. Він був із Діною. І дівчата вирішили їй помститися.

     Коли Сашка «подружилася» з Діною і отримала запрошення на вечірку, вона не була певна, що робити. Але дівчата вирішили за неї. Тортик поліз цілуватися, дівчата образилися, і вона його поцілувала – на зло Діні.

     Дінка вибачалася. І це, мабуть, було найгірше. Сашка не знала, що робити. Вона стояла на холоді так довго, що «заробила» запалення легенів.

    Що мені дуже сподобалося в цій книзі – це те, що головна героїня має недоліки. Сашка робить помилки. Всі роблять помилки, і це нормально. Тільки треба їх виправляти. Або хоча б пробувати. Це круто, що Оксана Лущевська показала це. Сашка була дуже недоброю до Дінки, але потім вони помирилися. В житті не завжди так. Але мені подобається, що головні герої не білі й пухнасті.

    Як Оксана Лущевська пише так багато? І так швидко? І так… емоційно?

   Дуже раджу цю книжку дівчатам-підліткам. Особливо, якщо ви комусь заздрите чи хтось заздрить вам… Ну і дорослим також.

My fairest lady in waiting...

Fairest

by Gail Carson Levine

Science fiction, Fantasy

4

4

4

4

4

I enjoyed it
You would like this book if you like Magic

Review:

I liked this book and how there was magic incorporated in a seemingly ordinary life (except for the gnomes and orges). I also liked how the main character, Aza, went from a simple inn setting to a castle and learned to carry herself grandly. It was interesting to see how her whole demeanor changed as she went from a simple innkeeper's daughter (and maid) to a lady-in-waiting to the new queen. It was also very interesting when Aza, the prince and the other royals played the game in which they where given a book, the skimmed the context and then had to sing a song. The more your audience laughed, the better you did. And, of course, how well you sang also counted. Playing that game would have been fun. Visiting the magical kingdom of Ayortha, where they hold "sings" for all important events and everyone has to write their own song and then sing it, would be rather interesting and fun, but I'm not sure if I would like to live there. Better one of their neighboring kingdoms, like Kioria, where they dance all the time. I recommend this book to people who like books with magic items and a little but of mystery. I think my friend Chloe would like it because she enjoys a lot of the same books I do. I like the character Aza, because she has a pretty voice and a magical ability to make it sound like her voice is coming out of different places, but I can only relate to her in the fact that she gets out of problems well. I think the author choose this title because in Ayortha it matters for pretty you are and how well you can sing and in this book, Aza wasn't very pretty, but she could sing well, and the queen couldn't sing well, nor was she that pretty (without her magic potion). I also think that it has a hidden meaning about who's heart was kinder, making them the fairest. The cover shows Aza hiding her face, like it often says she does in the book. But if you read the book, you can see that she is using the magic mirror (so it makes you think, is that her after beauty potion state, or before beauty potion state?). 

Realization: " The queen only made her lady-in-waiting for her voice."

Should I Stay?

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman

5

5

5

5

5

One of the best I have read
You would like this book if you like Suspense

Review:

I thought that this book was really good. The author developed the story really well, with flashbacks into her past, and until the end we couldn't be sure wether she would decide to leave this world or stay here. Most interesting was how she could see everything that was going on, even though she was in a coma. It was almost like she was a ghost except she wasn't dead. That was really cool. They went to Portland and Seattle in the book, and that would have been an amazing experience (because I want to live in Seattle). I recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction about cancer or tragedies. I also recommend it to people who like not knowing how the book will end. The character that I really liked and could relate to was Mia's best friend, Kim because she was an amazing friend and always supported Mia and because she liked photography. I think the author choose this title because Mia was speculating whether to go or to stay, and what would happen. Since she didn't really know what would happen is she choose to move on, she mostly thought about what life would be like without some of the people that she loved. I do like the cover that is just Mia's face, but I like the one that is flashes of different moments of her life even better. It if kind of like the flashes that the author gives in the book. Tough questions: "How can I stay without mom, or dad, or Teddy? Yet, how can I go?" Realization: "Teddy's gone."

The Magic of HP

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

by J.K. Rowling

Fantasy

5

5

5

5

5

This book was awesome
You would like this book if you like Magic

Review: (By the way, this review will be on all 7 books, not just the first one.) I thought that the series was amazing. The author used incredible details and descriptions, and she definitely developed the characters well. I think that this story will live on for generations to come. My favorite parts were the ones where Harry, Ron and Hermione were living a normal life at Hogwarts, not off being heroes. Also, "Harry Potter" is one of the biggest fandoms in the world, with clothes, blankets, stickers, jewelry and more coming out "Harry Potter themed". There are also many pages on social media sites and quizzes like " Which house are you in?". It was very interesting to enter that world after I read the books. To be in this world of magic would have been amazing, and I still wish that it would be possible today. Alas, it is not. I recommend this series to everybody in the world, young or old, and may the magic never leave you. The character that I can relate most with is Hermione. She is very smart, does well in school and always has her work done on time. She is always using her wits to pull Ron and Harry out of sticky situations. If there was magic in this world, I would be like that too. I thnk the author chose these title because each one has the name of the main character, Harry Potter and the event that happens to him and his friends in the book. They are good titles. There are many different covers for the books, but they all have something in common: magic. Whether it's Harry flying on a broom or a phoenix, it's something you most likely wouldn't see in real life. The covers are all fabulous. Read these books if you like magic, monsters and friendships. Go Hogwarts! Go Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor(and Hufflepuff)! 

"How do I kill him?"

"The town was paper, but the memories were not"

Paper Towns

by John Green

This book was awesome
You would like this book if you like Suspense
Review: Its a really good book with plot twists and turns. I think that the story is really good and really well developed. The most interesting is how the characters took a road trip based on clues. I would really have liked to be in the story with the characters or visit the places where they went. I really like Margo because she is mysterious, likes sneaking off and running away and is well liked by the people at school, although she doesn't necessarily like them or trust them. "Paper towns" is mentioned a few times in the story, under different circumstances. One is when Margo says that everything in their town is made made of paper, isn't real. "Paper houses, paper people. It's a paper town." And when Quentin is looking for Margo he looks in towns that were suppose to be build, but never were, "paper towns". There are also more things in the book that imply that "Paper Towns", is a really good title. There are several different covers, one where there's a thumb tack in a map, like in the book, and one where Margo and Quentin are standing side by side and her hair is blowing in his face. And one where there is a city made of paper just standing there (once again implying that it's a "paper town". I like all of them. Overall the book the is very good and the author is an amazing one, and I very much recommend this book to almost anyone. 
"For some people, those strings just snap." Quentin doesn't want Margo to be one of those people (aha moment). 
"The town was paper but the memories were not." 
(Just a warning, there isn't really a happy ending)

Matchmaker

The Perfect Man

by Jenny Markas

I enjoyed it
You would like this book if you like Comedy and Romance
Review: It's very interesting and funny. I felt sorry for the main character, Holly, because her mom kept moving the whole family across the country every time she broke up with a new boyfriend. The most interesting part was how Holly tried to make an illusion of a "perfect man" for her mom so that her mom doesn't move again because she finally has a permanent life. She gives her mom flowers and writes her e-mails. All from her "perfect man". But when it's time for the perfect man to show his face, what will Holly do? In the book, Holly, her mom and her sister travel all around the country and never stop in one place for long. I would not like that. I like the character Holly and I can relate to her because she tires to play matchmaker and she has many unique ideas. You would like this book if you like realistic books and romance. (And even thought I usually don't like romance this book was interesting.) I think the author choose this title because Jean, Holly's mom is forever on the lookout for a perfect man. Also because Holly makes the pretend idea of the perfect man to make her mom happy and then later he actually appears. The cover depicts Jean, Holly, and Holly's sister, Zoë laying in a circle with their hair entangled. It shows how they are alike but different. I like the cover, but a good idea for the cover would have been the picture of Ben that Holly took, and in the background, the ideas that Ben gave her, like roses, happy music, and orchids, and the things that Ben and Jean have in common, like the moon, crossword puzzles and cooking. That would have been a really cool cover. There is also a movie about this book.

The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

One of the best I have read

You would like this book if you like Stories about Friendships

Review: This book was one of the best that I have ever read. It is very sad, but amazing through the sadness. The relationship that Hazel and Gus share in this book is really deep and it is amazing that they have a bond like that. What was most interesting is how Gus worries whenever something happens to Hazel, even though he might not be in perfect condition himself, and she does the same for him, even thought she has lung cancer and is still sick. How they care about each other is amazing. In the book, near the end, Hazel and Gus travel to Amsterdam. I would really love to travel to Amsterdam, and the detailed descriptions of some of the places/ things (like the Anne Frank house) made me want to go the even more. I'm not really sure if I can relate to any of the characters too much, because both Hazel and Gus have cancer, and Isaac is blind. But I can relate to both Hazel and Gus because they care for each other and other people deeply even thought their sickness is in the way. I have noticed (through books and life) how people/ characters who were in the hospital for a long time or suffered from a disease have a different way of thinking. They think deeper than some people do. I think that even though I haven't really been through a life-changing event, I can see the world that way too ( some people are just born that way!). Like one of the quotes from the book "Some infinities are bigger then other infinities.", some people have the ability to reach deeper. I would recommend the book to anyone who is okay with books not having happy endings. This book is really good. I think my friend Chloe would also like it because it talks about the Anne Frank house and Amsterdam and me and her have talked about going to Europe. The title of this book is "The Fault In Our Stars" and at the part when Augustus dies, Hazel is thinking about the universe and how the stars did not go well for Hazel and Gus, and so the book is called that. Also, earlier, Gus says "You gave me forever within a number of limited days. And I'm grateful for that." You can tell that the book will not have a "happy ending". And that's when Hazel (and me) realize that " You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you." ( sad, right? But also true...) There are two covers for this book. One depicts Hazel and Gus laying face to face in the grass, which I like but it makes you think that the end will be happy, while it's not. The other just has the title and author's name in black letter's in white cloud-like shapes with a blue background and quotes from the book. I like both covers, but the second one, a little more.

A tough question I found in this book is when Hazel says "I'm a grenade and at some point I'm going to blow and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?" to Gus, and she's trying to distance herself from him even though he loves her and she loves him.

The Face on the milk carton

The Face On the Milk Carton

Caroline B Cooney

          I don’t know what you’re thinking after you’ve read the title. Maybe you’ve read ahead and are already deciding whether to read this book or not. Well there are 4 books about Janie, so if you decide you know enough from this story, you can just read the 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th books.

          This book and this series are focusing on an ordinary 15-year-old named Janie. She has flouncy, wild red hair. Janie has ordinary parents that might be just a little bit overprotective. She has no brothers or sisters. She has two best friend named Adele and Sarah-Charlotte. She also has a crush on the boy-next-door, Reeve Shields. As the book proceeds Janie will date Reeve.

          One ordinary day, Janie is sitting in the school cafeteria. Janie is lactose intolerant, which means she can’t have dairy products. But she sees a MISSING picture of a little 3-year-old girl with red hair and tight pigtails, in a pink and white polka dotted dress. She was stolen at a shopping center in New Jersey. Her name is Jennie Spring. Janie remembers that dress with the pink and white polka dots.

          Later she finds a box in the attic with the name Hannah on it. No one in her family is named Hannah. And in that box is the dress with the pink-and-white polka dots. So who’s Hannah and are her parents that she loved all her life (or maybe not), kidnappers?

          Her parents realize that she’s found something and tell her, Hannah was their daughter, but when she was 16, she left and joined a religious cult. She never came back to her parents, until one day she showed up hand-in-hand with a little girl in a polka-dot-dress. Hannah says that this is her daughter Janie. She says that she won’t be able to raise her well within the cult, so take her, enjoy her.

          But something still doesn’t add up. The milk carton says that she was STOLEN from New Jersey. So are her parents still lying? Janie has very mixed feelings.

Janie doesn’t share this with anybody but Reeve, her new boyfriend. So one day, in Reeve’s jeep, they decide to skip school. They go to New Jersey and find the Springs’ address. They see two tall redheaded boys walk in. Janie remembers baby twins. She doesn’t want to believe her own memories. How could her loving parents be kidnappers?

Later, they put the story together. Hannah was going home to take a break from the cult and stopped a New Jersey shopping center. She saw a 3-year-old girl in a pink-and-white-polka-dot-dress who seemed to be pouting. She gave her ice cream and then took her for a ride… That’s how she ended up taking Janie (A. K. A. Jennie Spring) to her parents, the Johnsons. She said that it was her own daughter, you can be better parents, enjoy her. Enjoy her, oh how they did! Raised her like their own girl, tried so hard not to make a mistake, like they feared they did with Hannah. And now – Janie is calling New Jersey.

          My library doesn’t have the second book, so I started reading the third one, and from it I understood, that Janie went to live with her real family in New Jersey, behaved like a brat, treating them like scum and then went back to the Johnson’s. Now THAT is bad. If your little girl has been missing for twelve years, you’ve been worrying about her for twelve years, and when she is found, when she finally comes back to you, she says that she likes her other family and her other life better. Now, how would you feel? I mean, I understand Janie’s position, but she could at least respect them. She could at least TRY to be a good daughter…

Про Гаррі

«Гаррі Поттер»Джоан Роулінг

Гаррі Поттер, Гаррі Поттер, Гаррі Поттер… Пару років тому всі читали «Гаррі Поттера», дивилися фільми про Гаррі Поттера, говорили про Гаррі Поттера. А мені тоді Гаррі Поттер не пішов. Я взяла в бібліотеці першу книжку, три тижні тягала її в рюкзаку, а потім повернула в бібліотеку – ні, то ні, я й так знаю, хто такий Гаррі Поттер.

Це було два роки тому. Ці два роки ми разом з друзями дружно бекали, коли хтось згадував Гаррі Поттера. А взимку мама почала читати книжки Роулінг і сказала мені, що лише початок нуднуватий. Я покрутила носом, але коли почалися канікули, таки взяла першу книжку. І пропала. Перші дві частини я проковтнула за три дні, а всі сім (товстющі, ви ж знаєте) – за три тижні.

Сьогодні я не буду переказувати сюжет, а спробую відповісти на кілька запитань.

Чому усі так люблять Гаррі Поттера?

Джоан Роулінг вигадала світ такий цікавий, що хоч бери і плач, що його нема насправді. Вона створила дуже правдоподібних героїв і таких капосних поганців, що не перестаєш обурюватися їхніми діями. Вона повбивала не надто багато героїв, а саме стільки, щоб показати читачеві, що противники справді не бояться вбивати.

Зараз ця серія – моя улюблена. Якщо дочитати до того місця, коли Гаррі Поттер їде в Гоґвортс, то від книжки неможливо відірватися.

Чому про героїв, вигаданих Джоан Роулінг, так цікаво читати?

Вони такі, якими ми хочемо їх бачити. Вони не ідеальні в усьому, а такі ж, як і ми, в них також є проблеми. Ну от подивіться самі:

1. Гаррі в кожній книжці (крім третьої) бореться з Волдемортом.

2. У нього вмирають рідні та друзі. СПОЙЛЕР: батьки, Сіріус, його хрещений батько, Албус Дамблдор, директор школи, який по-справжньому любить Гаррі і якого любив Гаррі.

3. У нього дуже складні стосунки з одним із вчителів – Северусом Снейпом.

4. Гаррі весь час встругає в халепи разом з друзями – Роном і Герміоною.

До речі, про Рона та Герміону. У них також є проблеми. У містера та місіс Візлі семеро дітей, і сім’я їхня бідна. Рон особливо цим не переймається, але часом це його дратує. Книжки в нього не нові, мітла стара, парадна мантія – з комісійної крамниці, а пацюк дістався від старшого брата. Та ще й Драко Мелфой, ворог Гаррі та його друзів, знущається та обзивається.

Герміона дуже розумна, але це не допомагає їй визначитися зі своїми почуттями. Крім того, її батьки – маґли, тобто не чарівники. Її через це дражнять і обзивають дуже поганим словом – «бруднокровка».

Коли думаєш про «Гаррі Поттера», виникає ще одне питання: для якого віку ця серія?

Я б сказала, 10+, але треба бути готовим до того, що в книжці будуть помирати деякі персонажі і часом буде ДУЖЕ сумно.

Знаю, що вже чимало написала, але наостанок хочу розповісти ще про одну річ: для фанатів Гаррі Поттера на Флориді створили парк розваг, присвячений… Гаррі Поттеру!

Весь парк – це Алея Діагон. Там продаються чарівні палички, мітли та інші цікаві речі, пов’язані з Гаррі та його світом. Я б сама хотіла туди поїхати. Хоча б для того, щоб побачити Українського залізнопузого дракона, що сидить над чаклунським банком Ґрінґотс.

Побачити парк можна ось тут:

harrypotterparks.com

Cake Pop Crush

Cake Pop Crush

Suzanne Nelson

        Have you ever had to fight for something that mattered to you? Like maybe not throwing away an old piece of furniture, or keeping an old pet instead of putting it to sleep. Maybe it was something that mattered to the community. Or, if you were fighting for something or someone when a war was going on. If you have, then you’ll know what this is all about. If you haven’t, then I suggest that you read this sweet like a cake pop book.

Ali’s dad owns the little bakery (Say It With Flour) in town. She loves the little shop even though her dad is afraid to try anything new after Ali’s mom died, so he keeps it old-fashioned. When a sleek Perk Up opens right across the street, Ali’s dad worries that they might have to close up. Even without the Perk Up they didn’t have very many customers and now they only have their three loyal customers and that’s it. So Ali talks her dad into letting her sell her cake pops at the shop. Then she advertised (with the help of her friend Gwen). A bunch of new customers come to the shop. Her dad thanks her. They sell good until Perk Up starts selling cake pops too. But then Ali holds a jewelry show, to help her friend Gwen. She sells good there, but Sarah, a girl from school, puts black food coloring in them. The show is ruined! And even worse - Ali’s dad says that she can’t sell cake pops anymore. Ali thinks the person, who put the food coloring in the cake pops is Dane, the boy who’s dad owns Perk Up, Inc. (They are part-time friends, one day they are happily talking, the next day Ali is accusing Dane of something.) But really Dane is innocent, like I said before, it was Sarah who put the food coloring in the pops. Later, Ali will believe Dane, but now she’s just plain mad.

Ali is in a bake-off with Dane. They are fighting for the right to cater Sarah’s birthday party. I probably forgot to mention that besides being the most stuck-up girl in their school, she’s also the richest. Her dad is the mayor of their city. They both bake awesome cake pops. Most of the judges voted for Ali, but Sarah lied and said Dane was the winner because she likes him. Later, when Dane tells Ali, she gets to cater Sarah’s party, Sarah has to help out at Say It With Flour because of the “misunderstanding” and Ali gets to be interviewed at Renata DeLuca, her favorite cook’s show. Mayor Chan, Sarah’s dad asked Ali and her dad to make a thousand cake pops for the new mall opening in town, and Ali’s dad says that with that money and the money from catering Sarah’s party the bakery doesn’t have to close. Happy ending!!

Gwen and Harris are dating, Ali made up with Tansy, her other friend who she had a fight with earlier. And the book ends with Ali and Dane kissing. They finally became real friends (and even more than that!) Definitely happy ending!