Category: My Book Reviews

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, By Rick Riordian

(5/5) Ages 9+
percy jackson

Percy Jackson is a novel by Rick Riordian, and is a truly amazing fantasy story about a boy named Percy. He looks normal enough, but is actually the son of the Greek God, Poseidon. At Camp Half-Blood, where people like Percy go to, he meets two new friends. These three go on the most dangerous quest anyone has ever been on, to retrieve Zeus’s stolen Master-Bolt, a weapon of mass destruction, before the gods take part in a huge war. Percy goes through many adventures along the way, finds friends who betray him, and hears of prophecies that he has been destined. I recommend this book to people who love a good fantasy adventure!

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

(5/5) Ages 9+
percy jackson

This book continues the adventures of Percy Jackson in his second year at Camp Half-Blood, where things get even more interesting now that the borderline of the camp has weakened, and monsters are attacking the camp as well as the people there. They found out that Thalia’s tree has been poisoned…but by who? Chiron, the camp’s activities director is suspected to be responsible, and Percy and his friends go on a quest to find out the real culprit. Along the way, Percy finds that Grover is in trouble, and meets a cyclops who soon becomes his friend. Percy’s adventure leads him to thinking whether being the son of Poseidon is a gift or a curse? Read this adventure-filled book to find out!

The Twins Series

Twins, By Katrina Kahler

Swapped!

Twins is a series that comes before the New Girl. It is about how Casey and Ali met, after 12 years not knowing they were sisters, more importantly, twins! The book gives the reader a point of view from both the characters. It begins with Casey’s story, and how she lived with her mother, brother, and sometimes, Grandma Ann. Casey thought her mother was a workaholic, and never had time to spare to spend with her kids. She was usually away on business trips, so Grandma Ann often looked after the two if that was the case. Casey and her family were not rich, and lived in a small, one-story house. But when she met her look-alike, Ali, her life changed forever. Ali was raised by two loving adopted parents. They were a rich family, and lived in a beautiful mansion. Their love was so great for each other, that Ali almost never felt alone. Almost. She still felt that something was missing in her life. She didn’t know that after moving, her life would turn around. Casey saw her first in school. She was the new girl. Her look-alike. Her mom had said everyone has a look-alike somewhere in the world, and Casey had found hers. She was annoyed at first, because everyone seemed to like Ali better than her. Until they were both invited to a sleepover, and Casey’s feelings about her changed completely. Everyone wondered if they might actually be twins, but they both thought it was impossible…wasn’t it? Well read more to find out!

The Baby-sitters Club Books

Kristy’s Great Idea, By Raina Telgemeier

(4/5) Ages: 9+

In the first book of the baby-sitters club series, a group of friends, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey have been together almost…forever! One day, Kristy has a great idea…Why don’t they start a baby-sitting club? Everyone thinks it’s a great idea, especially since they all love taking care of kids and have done so before-without charging anything. This time though, they found a way to make money and have fun at the same time! Things get even more exciting once they decide to let the new girl-Stacey McGill, join as well. Kristy declares herself president, Claudia vice-president, Mary Anne as secretary, and Stacey as treasurer. Advertising was easy, they just printed out a bunch of flyers, and hung them up everywhere. Then, the calls started rolling in. Everyone in the club was soon busy with their jobs, but troubles began…

I recommend this book to everyone because it is sweet story from Kristy’s point of view!

The Truth About Stacey, by Raina Telgemeier

(5/5) Ages: 9+

The second book of the baby-sitters club, and something is wrong with Stacey! She doesn’t accept any types of candy, or sweets, and the club starts to get suspicious. Then Stacey shares her story from her old school, and the club learns all about her secret and why she was hiding it. Stacey has diabetes. She shares her experience going from doctor to doctor, before they knew she had diabetes and was very sick. “Friends” at her old school totally betrayed her and gossiped behind her back, even her bff Laine. But she was over that now and had new friends who would NEVER do that to her…right? But Laine is back and things go downhill quickly. Will Stacey and Laine be able to mend their friendship, or is it too late? Find out now by reading this book!

This book is an amazing story about friendship, problem-solving, bullies, and independence. I recommend it to anyone who loves to read!

The New Girl, The Twins’ New Neighbor

The New Girl, Book One, By Katrina Kahler

Age 9+

The New Girl series is a huge attention grabber and had had me hooked from the very beginning. Separate stories from each of the main characters give the readers everyone’s point of views. 

The main characters are girls who were never thought to be friends with each other, but Alexa’s life changed her mind when she and her brother, Tyler lost their home because of their mother.

Alexa used to live in trailer park, and she was an outcast at her old school. Matty hair, and shabby clothes were what other people saw her for. But her life took an unexpected turn when she found out that because of the poor conditions her mother provided for her and her brother, the Child Protective Services Department put Alexa and Tyler under the care of their aunt and uncle until their mother was able to find a good job and place to live. Alexa was aware of her mother’s feelings of unwillingness toward living with the kids, so she knew her mom would benefit from this decision. On top of that, she had only met her aunt and uncle once, and it wasn’t a very pleasant memory. Devastated, Alexa’s thoughts about starting a new school only made things worse. But once she got settled in with her brother in her aunt and uncle’s luxurious home, both Alexa and Tyler never wanted to return to the small trailer they had once lived in with their mother…

Casey and Ali were twins separated at birth, and after 12 years met each other for the first time because of the loss of a family member. Now they live together. Both of them were excited at first, but living together was a new experience for both girls, and it took a lot of adjusting. When their new neighbor arrived however, bigger problems rose. The three quickly became friends, but a rival tore them apart, and fights between the girls caused them to split up. Friends, not friends, whichever way, they needed to stick together to teach their enemy a lesson…

The New Girl Series

The New Girl, Book One, By Katrina Kahler

Age: 9+
The Twins’ New Neighbor

The New Girl series is a huge attention grabber and had had me hooked from the very beginning. Separate stories from each of the main characters give the readers everyone’s point of views.

The main characters are girls who were never thought to be friends with each other, but Alexa’s life changed her mind when she and her brother, Tyler lost their home because of their mother.

Alexa used to live in trailer park, and she was an outcast at her old school. Matty hair, and shabby clothes were what other people saw her for. But her life took an unexpected turn when she found out that because of the poor conditions her mother provided for her and her brother, the Child Protective Services Department put Alexa and Tyler under the care of their aunt and uncle until their mother was able to find a good job and place to live. Alexa was aware of her mother’s feelings of unwillingness toward living with the kids, so she knew her mom would benefit from this decision. On top of that, she had only met her aunt and uncle once, and it wasn’t a very pleasant memory. Devastated, Alexa’s thoughts about starting a new school only made things worse. But once she got settled in with her brother in her aunt and uncle’s luxurious home, both Alexa and Tyler never wanted to return to the small trailer they had once lived in with their mother…

Best Friends -Graphic Novel

Best Friends, by Shannon Hale

Best Friends

(For people who’ve already read Real Friends)

Best Friends is the second book of the series, and Shannon is now a good friend of Jen’s. But her troubles aren’t over just yet…

Jenny’s back, and ready to do anything it takes to become a member of the group once again. Jen starts hearing horrible lies about Shannon, and Jenny’s the prime suspect. But Jenny has been Jen’s number one for so long, so how will Shannon be able to convince Jen that she is lying? Shannon starts to feel left out, especially after the rules keep changing for the group. This book is packed with even more drama for Shannon and the group.

For more like this:

http://sagarikablogs.com/category/graphic-novels/

Real Friends

Real Friends, By Shannon Hale

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Age 8+
When best friends are not forever…
Real Friends

Real friends is an inspiring book about bullying and finding true friends who care about and love you. In this book, a girl named Shannon shares the story of her life to finding her real friends. Her best friend Adrienne is now part of the “group” and best friends with Jen, the most popular girl in school. On top of that, everyone in the group would do anything to be Jen’s favorite…even bully Shannon and the others.

When news of Adrienne’s house being sold starts spreading, Shannon is absolutely heart-broken. Her best friend is moving, and the group she’s in doesn’t like her. Along the way, Shannon meets more new people, and learns a new kind of popular she’s ready to try out! But is Shannon still a part of the group? And is Jen, the most popular girl in the grade, who she really seems to be? Find out in this amazing true story!

I recommend this book to people who want to learn how to deal with bullies and finding real friends in the journey.

For more like this:

http://sagarikablogs.com/category/graphic-novels/

Drama – Book Review

Drama, By Raina Telgemeier

drama

Summary

Drama is a heartfelt book about a girl named Callie, who is the set designer for a theater club. Everything is going well, and she has so many great ideas for their show, Moon over Mississippi. She wants to create the best set designs, but problems such as crew members not getting along, interfere between her dreams. Then real drama starts to erupt when two twins join the club. It didn’t help when Callie started to grow close to the twins, and love was in the air for her. Now with everything going on offstage and on, Callie’s life has become a lot crazier.

Review

The book certainly deserves its title. There is drama everywhere, from the the club, to the actors, crew members, and Callie’s personal life. The author captured it all perfectly and I loved it.

Somehow though, the romance in this book started to become one of the main storylines. This was a distraction from the overall plot of the story. It also made the characters unrealistic, especially since readers are younger audiences. Most people, like me, didn’t want the main character to be so impractical. I thought Callie was a little too crazy over boys, and this also distracted her from focusing on the play.

But the actual scenes that include the club working on theater productions was a great read because there were many positive messages such as determination, hard work, teamwork, and respecting each other’s talents/differences.

I think the author could have done better, but overall, it was a good read. I recommend this book to people who like stories about love, drama, and friendship.

Sisters – Book Review

Sisters, By Raina Telgemeier

sisters

Summary

Sisters is about a girl named Raina. She is an only child, and has always wanted a little sister. Her wish finally comes true, but nothing is how she had expected it to be. For instance, Amara (her sister) hates everyone, including her. So when a new baby brother is born, and their dad loses his job, Raina doesn’t know what she should do. One day, their mother announces a surprise trip to visit their cousins in Colorado. This means they all have to cramp together in a car for one long road trip. It slowly becomes obvious that the family is growing apart, and now it’s up to Raina and Amara to set aside their differences in order to be the glue that keeps everyone together.

Review

Sisters shares the drama Raina and her sister have experienced while growing up. Readers get to join them in their journey of a very long trip and humorous flashbacks to learning how to work together with one another. I love how the POV sometimes alternates from the past to the present, because it vividly describes the family’s background with visuals. The illustrations are so beautifully drawn, and they express the words in a colorful, artsy way. The cute and funny moments in this book will bring a smile to your face.

It is a honest, and very relatable story that people of all ages will love. The connections I made with the characters in this book improved my experience while I was reading. Overall, this was one of the most engaging true stories that I have read.

Smile – Graphic Novel – Book Review

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

smile

Summary

Smile is a book about a girl named Raina who severely damages her two front teeth in an accident. From that point on, she has been seeing doctor after doctor in order to fix the injury. It seems as the treachery is never-ending. She never would have imagined starting a new school year like this. But things get worse when her so-called friends start bullying her about her teeth and the fact that she needs braces. How will Raina survive her last years of middle school, and more importantly, her first year of high school?

Review

Smile is a true story about the author’s experience as a teenager. It comes from the heart, and is touching, sad, and funny. Readers will be able to learn from the important lessons in this book such as standing up for yourself, letting go of fake friends, and making new ones. Raina Telgemeier perfectly captures the ups and downs in a teenager’s life through beautiful illustrations.

Follow this girl on her hilarious journey to discovering true friends, and learning how to deal with bullies. I give this book five stars and recommend it to anybody who enjoys a mixture of emotions in an amazing story like this.