5 comments about Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel (Bk. 2).

1. I began this book in a flurry of anticipation--fresh off the reader's high I got from the first book in this series, Vampire Academy--and found book 2 to be another solid, solid YA read. (Score!)
   
   Now that all the character intros are out of the way, this book is allowed to focus on world-building, particularly on the Strigoi threat, which was alluded to in VA, but not really explored. Rose and Dimitri are sent on a training mission, but when they arrive at their destination, they find a house full of murdered Moroi royals and their world-class dhampir guards. The massacre happened during the day and since Strigoi cannot bear the sunlight, this means that they had human help to get at the family. After another large-scale slaying, the whole Moroi/dhampir community is bristling with fear and anger. The students of St. Vladimir's are sequestered at an ultra-protected ski resort during winter break, and most of the aristocracy also shows up, to hold council about how to deal with the unprecedented threat from the Strigoi.
   
   Rose has her own issues, as per usual. She still carries a Statue-of-Liberty-size torch for Dimitri, who keeps his distance from her and seems to be interested in Tasha Ozera, a beautiful, fierce royal who happens to be Christian's aunt and the scarred survivor of a Strigoi attack. No matter how much Tasha shows her preference for Dimitri or how much he seems to reciprocate, Rose can't hate Tasha because she's possibly the coolest royal in existence--she's a martial artist who openly derides the Moroi for hiding behind their dhampir guardians and she advocates the use of offensive magic.
   
   Then there's Rose's sweet and witty friend Mason who isn't bothering to hide his interest in her (especially after she lets their relationship go beyond just-friends boundaries), and the fact that she rarely sees her beloved friend Lissa since Lissa spends most of her time with her boyfriend, Christian. Icing on the awful-cake: Rose's mom shows up, which makes Rose's mommy issues threaten to come to a boil.
   
   I've already come to expect extensive personal drama and plenty of great action from the VA series, and Frostbite delivers. It's more emotionally grueling than the first installment, but it pays great dividends, too. Rose matures a great deal, one-note characters like Mia get to show a different side, and all the plot threads are advanced by the novel's conclusion--nobody's in exactly the same place.
   
   The addition of the new character Adrian Ivashkov is intriguing. Rose is inexplicably drawn to him, though not in a romantic way, she has a conversation with him in a dream, and worries over all the questions he's asking about Lissa. This guy has Significant Side-Character written all over him, and I can't wait to see how he'll behave in the next book.
   
   There's not a lot of Lissa in Frostbite, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Even on her best day, Lissa is just not quite as interesting as Rose, but Rose's psychic link with her allowed for a handy second POV in VA, which is almost absent here. It limits the narrative a bit to only have Rose's eye-witness POV, but it also spares the reader because Lissa spends most of her time thinking lovey thoughts about her boyfriend, which is mostly dull. But we do learn more about her spirit power, which is always interesting. Remember the old Captain Planet cartoon show? All the kids had these great dramatic elemental powers and then there was the one kid who got stuck with having the power of Heart. But Lissa's spirit power is truly boss, and will only get more awesome as time passes.
   
   A note on my pet character: though Dimitri is fantastic, Christian Ozera is my favorite guy in this series, at least when he's not being cutesy couple-y with Lissa. Why is it that they were exciting to read about when they were geting together, but it's mostly uninteresting to see them as a happy couple? Question for the ages, right there. Rose has to team up with Christian in a crisis situation, and that works out tremendously. Rose rocks my socks, and when she works together with Christian and I see the possibility that they could become troublemaking buddies--run in fear, all ye Strigoi.
   
   Flaws? None I'm noticing at the moment. Nice, twisty story + character development + advanced plot = even better than then first book!



2. Before I get into the review, I am in the process of moving so I listened to Vampire Academy and Frostbite on audio book while driving from my old house to my new one. The reason I bring this up is because in the first book the voice of Dimitri has this really thick Russian accent and then in the second one it is gone...weird...if anyone else listens to it you'll have to help explain that to me. I know in the book it mentions he has a slight accent but it definitely goes from one extreme to the other in audio book land which I found very peculiar.
   
   Ok so onto the review we find ourselves back at St. Vladimir's academy with Rose and crew. It is winter break and a recent attack has made everyone a little concerned about the students traveling, therefore they are all sent to an elite ski resort with the thought that there is safety in numbers. But if that were the case this would be a pretty boring book wouldn't it? Yep, so of course there are problems that arise, one of them at the very start of this book. A beginning that put things in perspective for Rose very quickly and sets the tone for this book in my opinion. While the first book did have some dark moments in it, Frostbite has a shadow cast down upon the entire story with the emphasis being on Rose's life and those who surround her. I feel the best comparison to what I am talking about is Harry Potter, I know you are sitting there saying "What!?!" but hear me out. Did you notice that with every Harry Potter book that came out the story got a little darker? That is what I feel like here, as Rose starts to get older, her job becomes a little tougher. Darkness is closing in on her world a little at a time and that seeps into the tone of the book. Rose is definitely not an average 17 year old girl and that becomes very apparent as this story unfolds.
   
   However, with dark there is also light. In this book the "light" in my opinion was found in Lissa and her budding relationship with Christian. They are so happy and in love you cannot help but smile while reading about them. Lissa is having a good year and while her highs are great to read about my heart still goes out to Rose because her life might never be like that. She will always put her emotions and wants second to Lissa because it is her job and she feels a responsibility to do so. We do get a few glimpses into the Rose/Dimitri world, but not as much as I would have liked. They are both trying desperately to keep their emotions for each other in check and are both having a very difficult time doing so. And while we are on this talk of romance, there is a new character introduced, Adrian, he comes in toward the end of the novel but I have a funny feeling he is going to cause some problems in upcoming books. Time will tell for that I guess...
   
   The end of this book was very emotional for me and my heart broke for Rose for multiple reasons, sometimes I forget that she is only 17 because she is forced to mature so quickly. She handles this responsibility like any teenager would, she makes mistakes! She acts before thinking, and is crazy stubborn, but she does learn her lessons and works very hard to better herself both physically and intellectually. That is why I love her, she is a real character. She is not perfect and you can relate to her. To sum up, I really liked this book and I am enjoying this series. If you have not picked it up you should.
   
   Language Love:
   
   "Icicles hung from the eaves, and the tinted windows reveled no secrets."
   
   I like how darkness is related to the secrecy of the house in this description.



3. This series is amazing. The plots are just mind blowing. I don't like a couple messages it sends, but I feel the good out weighs the bad. A highly entertaining and action packed read.



4. I enjoyed this book nearly as much as the first one in the series, but I'm getting really frustrated with the lack of progress in Dimitri and Rose's forbidden romance. Instead, it seems to have taken a backseat to other plotlines, such as the turmoil between Rose and her mother and the political climate that Lissa is moving into. I find Rose's mother, Janine, intriguing in that she seems to be what Rose could become if Rose chooses duty over love. I sure wish that Janine would open up more since there seems to be a lot of great plot material there that was not exploited very much - Rose's black eye being a perfect example. The politics that Lissa is dealing with appear to be moving in the direction that I guessed might happen when I read the first book, which is an equalizing between the Moroi and Dhampir classes of their society, especially when it comes to dealing with the Strigoi.
   Despite how Rose views Adrian, I actually rather like him. There is always something attractive about the flirty-jokester that entices women - afterall I don't know a woman who doesn't like to laugh. It's obvious that he really likes Rose and I find myself feeling sorry for him since Rose is definitely taken, even if not in the literal sense yet. Mason really ends up in the worst position, though, even if I don't include what happens to him in the end. Rose all but lies to him while he falls for her hard, all the while being the perfect gentlemen. In a way, Mason and Adrian are opposite in styles, and yet Rose is blind to both - not that I blame her, as she likes to say, "Dimitri is a badass." Why is it that female protagonists always seem to have hords of guys going after them? (Think - Twilight saga, Rachel Morgan series, Mercy Thompson series, House of Night series, etc.)
   I wish that Rose's nazar could be explained a bit more, as there seems to be more to it than anyone is discussing. Adrian knows things that he is not spilling, and Janine sure is tight-lipped about most of her life, excluding what she does in the line of duty.



5. This is the best vampire series ever! It's beautifully written! An amazing author with a very creative and detailed mind! This makes the Twilight series look like even more trash than it already is! For any paranormal, action, romance, political view lovers! Give this series a chance!!!

No comments about Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel.

5 comments about Shadow Kiss: A Vampire Academy Novel.

1. Rose's six weeks of field training in Moroi guardianship are about to begin, and she's psyched. But instead of being assigned to protect Lissa during every waking hour, she's assigned to Christian, which infuriates her. Lately Rose has been experiencing more fury than usual, and her dark moods and fits of violent temper spring up out of nowhere. Then she starts seeing the ghost of her dead guy friend and learning disturbing things about her shadow-kissed state and her psychic bond with Lissa. Also, the baddie from book one has not yet been brought to justice, so his trial must be dealt with (briefly).
   
   Unfortunately, for many of the early chapters I felt like the story kept replaying too many already-known elements. Dimitri and Rose's relationship eventually does progress in a permanent direction, but I still wonder if we see slightly too much of their dancing around their feelings. Then we have Christian being jealous of Adrian and Lissa spending time together during their spirit-training, when he did in the last book. There not quite enough fresh activity or interpersonal conflict. I've concluded that perhaps Rose needs personal enemies to make the overall tone of the books 'click'. Mia was a good minor villainess in VA, and Rose's mom was an antagonist in Frostbite, not to mention the fact that it was hard to tell that Adrian in Frostbite wasn't a potential bad guy.
   
   The deeper socio-political elements of VA are still present, thankfully. Elitism among the Moroi rears its ugly head higher than ever, thanks to a few appearances from Queen Tatiana who wants to manipulate Lissa. It's no stretch to say that the Queen is grooming Lissa to be her successor, and everybody in the entire series agrees that Lissa will be an ideal leader (my Mary-Sue radar hadn't really gone off on her before, but it's humming quietly now). Rose gets to further examine her own thoughts about her vital yet subservient role in her society, and the self-examination is very beneficial.
   
   I wished there were more scenes with Christian Ozera in this book. For me, the Christian/Rose dynamic is one of the most fun things about the series, and the cleverest and wittiest moments in the early chapters come from the two of them rubbing each other the wrong way, then cooperating like siblings. At the end, they team up again and to astonishingly awesome effect. He's at his best when he's sparring or collaborating with Rose, but I have problems with his characterization in other places. I'm incredulous over his picking a non-verbal fight with Adrian, all the while saying things like "you're trying to steal Lissa away from me!" which sounds more like something Mason would have said once upon a time, but for our resident cynical sociopath? I'm not so sure.
   
   I'll note that just when I thought Shadow Kiss was losing me, it got back on track and capped itself off with the sweetest Dimitri/Rose interaction one could hope for (brought tears to my eyes), as well as the best extended fight sequence yet. Good points! But though the basic story remains excellent and the characters are mostly vibrant, Shadow Kiss suffers from long stretches where not much is happening. Also, Adrian is a strong character with lots of potential, but he's left with not much to do during the whole novel when there are so many ways his character might have been used to add conflict other than the obvious Lissa-tension.



2. So third installment in the Vampire Academy series, we are back at the Academy a couple of weeks after Rose has killed her first Strigoi and things are not quite right. Rose has been forever changed by the events that lead up to Mason's death and so has everyone else that was there with her. This definitely increases the dark undertone that these books have had because Rose has a darker outlook on life. She is no longer thinking about what outfit she should wear tomorrow or how cute her hair looks, as her birthday approaches she really only wants one thing
   
   "Freedom, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted"
   
   That line really sums it up the best I think. Rose is struggling with who she is and what the priorities in her life should be. She is also quickly becoming one of my favorite characters, I love her sarcastic attitude mixed with her ability to kick anyone's butt who attempts to take a swing at her or her friends. Which now that she has entered the field training portion of her senior year, she gets to take a swing at quite a few people and get out some of that aggression.
   
   I also have a confession to make, I am starting to like Adrian, I know...I still don't think he belongs with Rose, but he really is growing on me. He is funny, and even though he might not want other people to know about it he really does care about people around him and try to help out when he can. Which he does demonstrate big time towards the beginning of this book. And all that joking aside, I really think he does care for Rose and wants a chance to date her, not that she is going to give into that right now. Why is that? Well Dimitri is still around and he is still the one I am rooting for. Although getting some alone time between him and Rose is very difficult and it is definitely starting to weigh on them both.
   
   Okay, the next part I might get people throwing things at me for but here goes. While reading, I got up to get something to drink and I noticed on the back cover of this book it says "The obvious heir to the Twilight throne..." Really? Don't get me wrong, I love Twilight, I really do! It has a great story and I read all 4 books in one week, no seriously, I did. I did not sleep very much, it was bad. Anyways, that being said I don't think these two books can really be put in the same category. Just because they both have vampires in them doesn't mean they are the same book. Rose is a much stronger character and I like the view from her seat much better than Bella's. Rose is much more complex and her life is just more interesting to me. Vampire Academy also has a lot of layers to it and I like getting to peal them back book by book. I also like all the character development we are getting in these books and the fact that things aren't always pretty, there are causalities when you live in these worlds and Richelle Mead is not afraid to rip at your heart strings and kill off characters. I know that sounds morbid, but I feel like a book that takes place in a world where there is constant fighting and paranormal creatures, you are going to lose some people. That doesn't mean I like it, I was horrified when Mason died. I had to put the book down and walk away for a minute, but it made sense and it made the book more realistic. Is all this making sense?
   
   Along those realistic lines, towards the end I was getting a little more than annoyed with Lissa, which I will not say why because I do not want to spoil it but if anyone else has read this I think you know what I am talking about right? She needs to step back and look at the bigger picture here because she is getting on my nerves. I am hoping to be back on her side when I read the next book.
   
   To sum up, I am loving these books! I am also trying to read them slowly because I know I have to wait until D-e-c-e-m-b-e-r for the last one and I am not a very patient person. But Richelle Mead has me hooked on these books. She paints a dark picture of a world that I get lost in when I pick these books up. So if you have not started the series yet, what are you waiting for?
   
   Language Love:
   
   "Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails."
   
   How could I not love this one? I picture that scene in my head perfectly and I love the idea of branches clawing, great description.



3. This book took a much more central focus of the relationship between Rose and Dimitri, as well as Rose's own unique abilities, thanks to her bond with Lissa. This book delved more into what harnessing the elements could do in practical terms, which I have been very curious about. In some ways, I feel like Mead is holding back in terms of telling the reader all the ways that Spirit can be used, but that is writer's privilege. My favorite part of the books is always Rose's relationship with Dimitri, so much so that I feel everything that she feels, laugh when she laughs, etc. Without spoiling the ending, I can definitely say I felt just as much as she did at the end.
   It is interesting to see the effect that Rose and Lissa are collectively having on the political and social structures of this world that Mead has constructed. Unwritten rules that previously were unquestioned are now being broken repeatedly - and not just by Rose. Other Moroi are trying to wield compulsion, male Dhampirs are refusing to become guardians, Moroi are learning to wield their abilities offensively and train under guardians, and so on. Lissa falls under many exceptions, being the only Dragomir, which ironically puts Rose even more in the spotlight of society and allows her to be a catalyst for change.



4. This is the best vampire series ever! It's beautifully written! An amazing author with a very creative and detailed mind! This makes the Twilight series look like even more trash than it already is! For any paranormal, action, romance, political view lovers! Give this series a chance!!!



5. Vampire Academy should probably be suffering from some kind of mid-series slump by its third book, Shadow Kiss. However, I guess someone failed to tell author Richelle Mead. Because there is nothing "filler" about this incredible, fast-paced continuation.
   
   In Shadow Kiss, Mead does answer many of the questions readers have puzzled over throughout the series. She provides some satisfying progress in the central romantic relationships in the novel, and gives her characters lots of opportunities for (painful) growth. If anything, I think Vampire Academy is ramping up -- this is by far my favorite book in the series thus far.
   
   Rose and her friends are still recovering from the loss they were dealt at the end of Frostbite, and Rose, especially is having a hard time recovering. She feels guilt and regret over her choices and their consequences, and some of those feelings seem to be playing out in hallucinations. Either that, or Rose really is seeing ghosts.
   
   She doesn't have much time to ponder the issue, though, because Rose and her fellow senior dhampirs have just begun their in-field training exercise. For the next six weeks, they will shadow their assigned Moroi and gain a glimpse of what their lives will be like in the future, protecting and guarding the lives of others at all times. However, Rose is most looking forward to the excuse to hang out with her best friend, Dragomir princess, Lissa, in the name of the exercise.
   
   However, nothings is as easy as it could be at Vampire Academy. Rose is assigned another Moroi to guard - not one of her favorite classmates. Royals on campus are showing up in classes with strange signs of violence that none will talk about. And Adrian, the older, royal Spirit-user that's set his sights on Rose, is making life complicated for both her and Lissa.
   
   The book's plot covers a lot of territory, but Mead makes each section of the story significant and interesting to readers. Every time I thought, "Wow, this has to be the high point," Ms. Mead would take the story in a new (devastating) direction. To say the end was unexpected would be an understatement -- I absolutely didn't see it coming, and wouldn't dream of spoiling the twist here. However, it's a good thing I have Blood Promise sitting on my shelf waiting for me. I don't think I can stand the suspense much longer.

5 comments about Blood Promise: A Vampire Academy Novel.

1. The book is really good! It is about vampires, but it is not toooooo scary. The whole Vampire Academy Series is great!!!



2. After finishing the third book in Mead's Vampire Academy series several weeks ago, I was really excited for Blood Promise. After finishing this fourth book, I can only say that I was rather disappointed with the turn the story has taken. However, I also know that I am most likely in the minority with this opinion.
   
   I think my biggest issue is that everything just felt so predictable. In my usual fashion, I will try not to give away any plot lines or spoilers, but suffice it to say that Rose's quest to destroy Dmitri in his Strigoi form, her other discoveries along the way, and the ultimate outcome of events just felt so cliche and typical for a vampire romance that I found myself let down a bit from this series. Blood Promise definitely still has a page-turning quality that kept me reading, but I suspect at least some of that feeling was simply from the hope that the story would turn around and surprise me a little.
   
   The other story line focused on Lissa but it felt like such an afterthought that I never found myself particularly interested when reading about it. Perhaps it was because Rose was not in the thick of things with her, but Lissa's own story seemed a little disjointed, as if it was added in to make sure we didn't forget about her. Finally towards the end of the book, everything started coming together more and making sense (not to mention finally getting more exciting). Ultimately, I think if the book had been even 100 pages shorter, it wouldn't have hurt the story too much and would have cut out some of the more draggy stretches. Now to be fair, there were several scenes and characters I enjoyed and thought really added to the story. We learn a lot more about spirit users in this book, as well. And the romantic in me does enjoy the possibilities that could come in book five, however much I might find that part of the story unsurprising. In the end, despite being a little disappointed with Blood Promise, I do intend to continue the series.
   
   (NOTE: My actual rating was 3-1/2 stars, but I round up for sites like Amazon.)



3. wow. this series just gets better and better. i'm quite pleased. i literally could not put the book down, it was such a page turner. love it, absolutely love it.



4. A friend of mine got me hooked on this series. It's unique and intriguing. I often found myself so wrapped-up in reading that I would find myself done with the book with no clue what was going on around me or how much time had passed. I had grown to really enjoy the banter between Dimitri and Rose, so when he was "awakened" it was a heart-wrenching twist that continues throughout this book.
   
   This book lacks much of the action seen in the previous books and is nearly all emotional. I found myself crying and aching for Rose, all the while agitated that she had failed to follow the most basic precepts that Dimitri himself had taught her. However, I do feel the author, Richelle Mead, created something that was very realistic even if it was by no means what you wanted to believe would happen. Through this we are also able to learn more about Strigoi and how they operate and think, which is something I believe is going to be very important for later books.
   
   My only real complaint was the lack of time continuity when Rose would slip into Lissa's mind. At times, the events that would play out were hours or days worth of action in the supposed 10 minutes she was in her mind... or too much time had elapsed with Rose for Lissa to still be doing whatever she was doing at the time. While I was glad she kept the story with Lissa going, I did feel it was a bit contrived at times and that the timing was way off.



5. This is the best vampire series ever! It's beautifully written! An amazing author with a very creative and detailed mind! This makes the Twilight series look like even more trash than it already is! For any paranormal, action, romance, political view lovers! Give this series a chance!!!

No comments about The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner Trilogy (Hardback)).

5 comments about Thirteen Reasons Why.

1. This book should be required reading for all middle and high school students. An amazing story of how lies, bullying, and treating others poorly can affect someone. Even adults should read this--------------I know a few who could use it. Great Read!!!!!!!!



2. Anyone who has suffered through a not-so-glamorous high school life can, in my estimation, relate to the tragedy which is Hannah's life. Feeling as though her world, and everything in it, has collapsed, she resorts to the tried and true method of escapism, suicide. Though, I hope, we all know that this is not the answer, Hannah sees no other alternative to her bleak existence and as the story unfolds we learn why. As Hannah herself expresses in the book, via recording, she has experienced a snowball effect in that one minor, but unpleasant, situation has led to another, each growing more insidious until she's left feeling bereft of hope and alone. Clay, the protagonist, has had innumerable opportunities to intervene but for fear of being rejected chooses to remain in the shadows and only learns of Hannah's torment after she has already taken her life. The situations, dialogue and experiences are as real as they come, some even pulled me right back into those high school moments I had long since forgotten.
   
   For anyone who has an adolescent at home, especially those having difficulty fitting in, this is a must read.



3. This is a great book. I purchased this for my son's summer reading. He usually doesn't like to read but in this case he wont put the book down!



4. My 13 year old daughter loved this book. Although it was very sad, it was intelligently written and she couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.



5. I wont go into the description of the book too much. Basically the novel is about a girl who records 13 reasons why she is choosing to end her life. She sends these tapes to the 13 people who contributed greatly to her deciding to end her life.
   So many people are screaming in protest over the book saying that it is horrible that Hannah should not be more accountable for her own actions. The thing that these people don't recognize about suicide is that it is not usually the ones who have horrible home lives that end up committing suicide. The young people who are far more likely to commit suicide are those who are basically alienated and treated like crap by their peers. Your peers are the people who make you feel like you're accepted into the world, like you're good enough to be around and included, like you're worthy of their time and like your efforts are worth it.
   The entire premise of this book isn't just the specific events but the fact that when something piles so heavily on someone there often times seems to be no escape. I am a psychologist and I work with teens all of the time and the ones that have the hardest time with mental illness are the ones who are alienated and unwelcome with their peers. They feel like they never stand a chance of being seen as normal, part of the group, and worthy of friendship.
   I don't think that Hannah blames it 100% on the 13 people at all. I think she is simply pointing out that having, metaphorically speaking, 12 people basically strip you of everything you need in life, love, safety, respect, etc how can a person keep their own idea of who they really are in tact?
   This book is about making people aware of the long term consequences of their actions. For those of you who don't recognize that Hannah took responsibility for her actions please read the book again because she does. She's simply saying that they lead her to the point in which she felt she had to make the choice.

5 comments about Vanished.

1. 
   WARNING! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
   
   
   As previous reviewer's have stated this book wasn't the best book written by Kate, but it also wasn't the worst, in my opinion Paradise Lost was the worst, mainly because 1. it didn't take place at Easton and 2. the plot was extremely far fetched. But enough about Paradise Lost. I enjoyed this book mainly because Reed and Josh are finally back together! I can't help and think though that Kate may have borrowed some material from The Pretty Little Liars Series, especially with that whole sister twist at the end. I will buy the next book in the series (Ominous) because I want to know what happens, but I hope Kate hasn't lost her touch because her past few books have been slight disappointments.



2. The end is so ridiculous. As is the explanation for what drives the entire plot forward. Completely absurd. This ruins everything! Whatever is happening in the final book, it cannot be good after this stupid twist.



3. I was expecting another read as good as the other books in the Private series...boy was I wrong. Between the ridiculous dialogue that made the characters sound like they were 12 and the equally HORRIBLE ending...I can't believe I wasted $9 on this book. If you enjoyed the other books, take it from someone who knows and simply don't waste your time on this. Words cannot even describe how disappointed I am in Kate Brian.



4. I've been a fan of Private since the beginning, but Vanished really disappointed me. The entire book was absolutely ridiculous- both the events of the plot and the way the characters acted. I can't tell you how upset I am at the ending- it's ruined the entire series for me. I'm really disappointed in the direction Kate Brian has decided to take with Private, but I won't be reading anymore. I hope the Privelege series turns out better.



5. With Noelle's life on the line, Reed has to do everything that the message says, the message that she isn't to tell anyone, or Noelle will die. Now Reed will have to be more witty than ever to save Noelle and escape with her life as well. Is it the people who told Reed not to continue having the Billings Literary Society, or is it one of her own dorm mates?

5 comments about Warriors Don't Cry.

1. I recently read this book while taking a class at Brown University, and was instantly hooked. The writing is emotional yet relatable, and it was fascinating to hear the stories through the words of someone who lived through the horrors of the Little Rock integration. I highly recommend this book to all ages studying or simply interested in U.S. segregation and the civil rights movement. Melba Pattillo Beals is a beautiful writer and this book is one of my all-time favorites. We studied this in conjunction with a documentary about the Little Rock Nine and I have to say the combination between seeing what happened and hearing what happened through the eyes of that young girl on the screen was horrifying yet inspiring.



2. I read this book as a requirement for a class, but as I continued reading, it became a pleasure to sit down with this book. Being a non-fiction memoir, I was happily surprised that it truly is a story, not just a series of facts. It had me on the edge of my seat because of the situations that Melba was in during her year at Central High School. I learned things about our nation's past that were disturbing and enlightening. This was not a feel good book, it was a feel EVERYTHING book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys historical books, human interest stories, biographies, or any other type of book. I give this book a huge A+!!!



3. The book was in excellent shape. I purchased it for my daughter for a reading assignment. The book arrived at the time it was due. I received a nice book for a good price.



4. Yes, I did not like this book. I feel like I should have, it's a great memoir of Melba's trials and tribulations while integrating with the rest of the black students into the school, but I couldn't bring myself to like it. I just could not stand the way it was written. It seems to fall into such a repetitive cycle of self-pity and "things will get better, oh wait, they aren't" that I started to not care at all. The first half of the book held my attention and my emotions, but as it dragged on in it's repetition I just felt less and less. I know she wanted to write about everything that happened to her to show how bad it was, but I feel like if she had cut back on things and just focused more heavily on certain events that she did include that it would have better held on to my emotions than being continually bombarded with incident upon incident until I was numbed into a state of not caring.



5. Thanks for the story. i love it. i am so angry at all those people who have hurt these 9 kids back then. but relieved to hear some of them have changed.
   
   i would love to hear the story of danny the soldier and Link the brave white boy more. too bad you didnt marry him, Ms Beal. he was so nice.
   
   anyway, i have shed many tears over this book. i admire your courage for taking a risky and courageous move

5 comments about Fallen.

1. From when I saw the cover of this book, I wanted to read it, and you know what they say about covers and books.
   
   I must admit I did enjoy the story and the principle of the story, yet at times it felt a bit drawn out. Daniel irritated me for always dragging her away for this big discussion, but then he sulks away before barely speaking two words.
   
   I bought this book. I had to order it at my bookstore and I had to wait two weeks for it, so you can imagine my chagrin when at the end all it did was set me up to buy Torment. This is not cool!!!!



2. After reading all the reviews i figured i would at least give it a chance. i actually really like the story. it was slow at some points. i would be ready to get on with the story and it felt like she kept going and going with things that didnt really matter. but overall it was a very different love story than i am used to. she is stuck between two boys she is attracted to. one is sweet and charming the other is hot and cold all the time but she feels a deep connection with him. he keeps pushing her away for her own good. but in the end it leaves you hanging for the next book which i didnt like but am excited to read the next and get all the answers :)



3. i loved this book! I was not sure about it at first but then it started geting good.. I cant wait to read the next book Coming out in Sept..



4. (Insert dramatic sigh.) It's been a while since I've read a book that's reached 5 STAR quality for me--and 5 STARS is something I rarely give out--but this book totally did it for me. Move over Hush, Hush, I have a new Fallen Angel book at the top of my list.
   So--let's get into the nitty-gritty of why I liked this books so much. First off, right from the start it was refreshingly original wrapped up in suspense. Lace starts at this reform school and you have no idea what she did to land herself into this awful place. I mean the kids are vicious and creepy and it makes for a wonderfully spooky setting. Then you mix in the plot, which takes you on this wild ride from start to finish with all these strategic twists and turns. Even once I thought I had the whole story figured out...then comes the epilogue at the end and, man, did not see that one coming! Then mix in the romance...OMG...and Lauren Kate's way with words. This book just had it all. I don't have one complaint and I can't wait for Torment--the 2nd in the series due out Sept. 28 2010.



5. I almost didn't read this book because of some of the bad reviews I read. BUT! I am soooo.... glad I ended up reading it. I kept coming back to this book and I always re-read the description. I even came across this book at a store and picked it up and kept having a little interest in it. So I finally got it for my Kindle and boy am I glad that i did. Once I started, I could not put it down. I sometimes lost track of time reading it and found myself awake really late. For someone who loves her sleep, that was a BIG deal. hahaha... I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. I already pre-orderd it on my Kindle. So do not let the bad reviews keep you from reading an awesome book.

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