Science Books

My daughter hasn't made it to this book yet but she is looking forward to it!

Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville is a great fantasy book. I definitely recommend it to people who LOVE using there IMAGINATION. The story begins when a girl named Cara is in the wonderful yet dangerous land of the unicorns, Luster. Cara was summoned by the queen of the unicorns to find the wanderer(Cara's grandmother) so that the queen(Arabella Skydancer) can rest in peace. Soon after that meeting Cara sets off on her mission to find her grandmother. The night she set off she had a dream of her many times great grandmother (that hates unicorns) Beloved, contacts Cara in her dream. The next day Cara, Moonheart, Belle, the squijem, and Finder set off to M'Gama's mountain. Cara and the rest of the group follow M'Gama's servant deep down into the mountain, to the point that they are almost under the surface of the earth to do a spell that will help tell the way to the gate that leads from Luster to Earth. Also M'Gama will do something that will surprise you. Trust me.
This paragraph is just about a character that comes later in the book. That character is Lightfoot. Lightfoot is a smart alec, cocky little(well he is not really small he actually is a rather large unicorn) that is also very sweet and protective of Cara. He risk's his life for Cara at one point in the book. And you will find out in what way. Oh and you will find that a unsuspecting person will finally meet Cara. And all you need to do is read the book to find what adventure lies in it. I'm not going to you what is going to happen in the rest of the book.

After picking up Into the Land of the Unicorns: The Unicorn Chronicles when it was first published, I very impatiently waited for this title to be released. My best friend and I read it over and over -- my copy was so worn I went through several rolls of tape repairing it. Finally, on a trip with my high school honors society, I picked up a replacement AND the sequel! That night, I burned through the book in about half an hour. Yes, at the age of 16, I was reading a book aimed at children. I am that hooked. If a third is ever released, I'm going to buy it as well.

The new cover art is impressive, but it kind of ruins the imagination to actually SEE Cara. The imagery in this book, however, puts the art to shame. This is by far the most cleverly-written tale I have laid hands on.

After being cast into the mysterious land of Luster not too long ago, twelve-year-old Cara Diana Hunter is finally just moments away from meeting the Unicorn Queen - Arabella Skydancer. During her time in Luster, while Cara has missed Grandmother Morris dearly, she has made friends with mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes - from Thomas the Tinker to Lightfoot the Unicorn, and a squirrel-like creature called Squijum to the half bear/half human Dimblethum, and many, many more. But the time has come to buckle down and complete the mission at hand to save Luster forever as we know it. The Unicorn Queen has reached old age. She is fading slowly but surely; however, she refuses to say farewell to her friends and family until she has had the opportunity to see Grandmother Morris - aka The Wanderer - one last time. This is where Cara enters the story. It is the Unicorn Queen's request that Cara, along with a glory of unicorns - Moonheart, Finder, and Belle. Together, Cara and the glory of unicorns - along with Thomas the Tinker and Squijum - will make their way back to Earth, in order to save Grandmother Morris from Beloved and the rest of the Hunter's, and return her to her rightful home right here in Luster. Cara is convinced that, with the assistance of her strong, and powerful friends, the task will be simple. However, she soon realizes that heading back to Earth and locating Grandmother Morris is a much more difficult task than she ever could have imagined. For one, their days are numbered before the dynamics of Luster shift for Autumn, and make it impossible to re-enter Luster in the same location where they departed. Two, the companions will have to find a way to make it to the back of the dragon, Ebillan's cave, in an attempt to reach the secret door that bridges the gap between Earth and Luster. And three, with various moments of contact with the wicked Beloved, Cara has no idea what to expect when she takes her first steps back onto Earth's soil. She's also reluctant to find out. As much as she wants to see Grandmother Morris again, she can't help but feel nervous about leaving the quiet, shimmery world of Luster. But, alas, Cara accepts the task, and begins her journey. This time, however, the journey is much more tiring than her first travels through Luster. With a request to pay a visit to the Geomancer, M'Gama, Cara visits the magician of sorts, where she is given provisions and protection to help her during her quest. But her time with M'Gama is not nearly as important as her time with Grimwold, the individual who records all of the Unicorn Chronicles, and has a very special story waiting for Cara and her companions when they arrive at his front door during their journey. With Grimwold and M'Gama's instructions and information close at hand, Cara sets her mind on accomplishing her task, and finding Grandmother Morris. But through battles with vicious delvers, and encounters with enough mythical creatures to make your head spin; Cara becomes to wonder whether she'll be able to accomplish her task in the set amount of days, or if she'll be the ruination of Luster altogether.

I absolutely adored Bruce Coville's INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, which I read a little over a year ago. However, upon beginning SONG OF THE WANDERER, I quickly realized that, as fabulous as its predecessor was, it couldn't hold a candle to the magic and adventure found within the pages of SONG OF THE WANDERER. Coville has returned with the rest of Cara's story, painting Cara, once more, as an understanding, brave, kind individual; whose loyalty to her Grandmother, her friends, and the secret world of Luster is admirable; while her determination to complete any task that may find its way to her is thrilling. The fact that, like with INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, Coville has kept many secondary characters around, and introduced many more only adds to the excitement of the tale, and makes it impossible to stop reading. The Squijum is still one of my favorite characters. His constant ramblings are humorous; while his ability to brighten the mood in any situation makes him a much-needed character. Thomas the Tinker is also a fun individual. The fact that he owns a caravan that can be folded into the size of a piece of paper adds a little magic to the story; while his protectiveness over Cara makes him appear quite similar to a father-like character, whom you can't help but love. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that the faces of Lightfoot the Unicorn and the Dimblethum made appearances throughout SONG OF THE WANDERER, as they are two very important characters whom I certainly wouldn't want to see cut from the story. Coville's descriptions of the vicious delvers, and their surprise attacks send shivers up your spine; while the stories that Grimwold recants regarding Unicorn history are absorbing, and hard to resist. Coville's lyrical writing takes you on a whimsical adventure that won't soon be forgotten!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I thought this book was really great. Bruce Coville did a great job with this book as he did with the last one. Cara is one of my favorite book characters and I just loved all the twists this book had. Thses books are not your average unicorn books! Some good news for anyone who has already read these books and want to know if there's more there is. Book 3 is supposed to come out around April 2008 and called Dark Whispers. There will also be a book 4.

I loved this book. I am hoping for a realtionship between Daine and the Numair. I loved the story line and the plot was quite interesting. I cant wait to read the fourth of this series.

This book is no disappointment for anyone who likes Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. A great read. Recommended for anyone looking for adventure. This book, of course, is a sequel, and is well worth reading. Tamora Pierce does not disappoint with her intriguing plot, life-like characters, thrilling adventures. Brilliant cover art for this edition. As usual a wonderful installment in her Tortall adventures.

Ever wished you could trash an empiral palace using dinosaurs? Then this book is for you! Animal lovers unite to take out the bad guy.

I have read this book many times in the past years. Finally being able to own it is great! It has a good storyline and well-thought-out characters. I've loved these books since I was a kid and I hope others read them as well!

Daine and her teacher Numair Salamin are sent to Carthak as part of the peace legion. But although Ozorne says that he didn't attack Tortall Daine can tell that he's up to something. She can feel it.

In this book Daine is captured by...sorry I won't tell you. Numair tries to save her and...another thing I won't say. Ozorne is growing powerful and Daine see's her power growing in strange ways. Are these powers good or bad?

While Daine is here she meets Kaddar the prince of Carthak and maybe, just maybe they can do something to stop the war and to defeat Ozorne...

Please read this book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It has magic, fantasy, action, adventure and a touch of romance.

Good as a present. Interesting books, but don't buy them if you are going to read them 3+ times. Soft cover break down fast. Spend extra money for hard cover.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a very interesting book that captures your imagination from the very beginning until the very end. This book starts out like every other Harry Potter book, but you quickly get involved in the plot. Early in the book you discover Harry's parents died (which is one of the main secrets of the Harry Potter series). Many new characters are introduced into the book. Some of them become instant favorites and you immediately hate. J.K. Rowling makes the new characters seem believable even though they are strange and mysterious. One of the new teachers was one of Harry's father's friends, so Harry quickly becomes friends with the teacher and finds out many things of his father. Before the year ends, Harry is forced to confront the man who is supposedly responsible for his parent's deaths, but the mortal combat ends in a conclusion that you would never suspect. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too.

i think that Harry Potter set really influences people and that reading ability and helps you enter a new world of adventure. Both intense and somewhat humorous, Harry Potter captured the hearts of adults and chilren. This site personally ASSURES you for the BESt quality of any new coming books with a Great Low price. For any readers out that, I say BUY IT!!!!!

It was b4 the release of the 1st harry potter movie that prompted me to read the books. At the time, it was big news about the upcoming movie, everybody was talking about it. So i was just really curious about the books and wondered why they're so famous. And i went to the library and borrowed the 2nd book, and once i started reading it, i couldn't stop laughing nor could i stop reading. cuz it's just so good! you can just totally put urself into the book, it's like a whole new world. it's just like "magic"!!lol. and then i read the 1st and the 4th book in one week. now i've read all of them so far and i've also seen the first and the second movie just tonite. and i can't wait to read the 5th one. if u haven't read any of the harry potter books, u should. they're awesome. really!!

My two children have already worn out a set of hardback Harry Potter books, so I don't know why I thought a paperback set would survive any better. Maybe I thought since they had read the others at least three times each that this set wouldn't get the same wear. I was wrong. My children (and husband) keep reading these books over and over. And the books are starting to fall apart. When they wear this set out, I'll get the best hardback set I can find! If your set won't get this kind of wear, it is a fine set.

Ranma Saotome is a boy who fell into a Jusenkyo spring called "Spring of drowned girl." Because of that he turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. (Hot water reverses the change.) He's not the only one though. There's his father Genma (Panda), Ryoga Hibikami (Black pig called, P-Chan), Mousse (duck), Shampoo (Cat), and more. Since Ranma can be a boy or a girl, you could guess he has many fiance's. As a boy he has, Kodachi Kuno, Akane Tendo, Ukyo, Shampoo and a few others that like him. As a girl there's Tatewaki Kuno, and some boys who like him. (as a girl.) Read about how Ranma got his phobia of cats, and how he goes threw life as half girl half boy. There are 36 in the series. I've read them all! So can you! Read Ranma 1/2, By:Rumiko Takahashi. I could'nt put it down.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

Ranma ½ is about great martial artist boy named Ranma Saltome. Ranma find out that his father and a friend of his father made arrangements for him and one of the three Tendo Children to be married, but once they meat Ranma is not he really is but he is a girl. This is because Ranma and his father fell into a cursed pond and every time Ranma is touched with cold water, he turns into a GIRL!

Ranma is now forced to marry a 16-year-old girl named Akane Tendo but they do not really get along. (Ranma think Akane is a tomboy and Akane thinks Ranma is a jerk) Ranma and Akane try to get along but something always goes wrong. This is mostly because Akane has so many admirers, which always leads to a fight.

Most likely Ranma ½ is my favorite book ever. This is because of all the action, romance and comedy there is in this book. Also, I love to read this book because once you get to the end you will want to read the next one and the next and the next.

In the book Ranma 1/2 volume 1 there were many things I liked and only one thing that I didnt like.
One thing I liked about the book was the amount of humor. one example of this humor was when Ranma and the upperclassman were fighting and Ranma kept throwing food at him. Another funny part in the book was when the girls sister sold pictures of her to the upperclassman.
The only thing that I didnt like about the book was it was a little short, but there are like 37 of the books in the series so that makes it o.k.
In conclusion Ranma 1/2 is a great book and I would definetly recommend this book to anybody that likes humor and action because this book has both of them and then some.

This is a comprehensive book about the Apollo space program that does an exceptional job of capturing one of the most incredible times in human history. It was a time when the belief was that we could do just about anything we set our minds to.

Andrew Chaikin does an amazing job of capturing the courage, the commitment, the sacrifices, the driving motives and vision of the astronauts, supporting crews, wives and more. This 600+ page book hardly wastes a word. The book was so good it was turned into a mini series by HBO.

It is clear that Chaikin has a deep passion and respect for the space program and the people in it. He brings the truth to this writing without much dirty laundry being exposed.

This book deserves a place on any space buff's book shelf. It is also a great read for anyone interested in true life adventure of men who dared to sit on the top of rockets and go where no one had gone before. Highly recommended!

Here are a few other great books on the US space program:
Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
The Last Man on the Moon - Gene Cernan
The Unbroken Chain - Guenter Wendt

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space

Failure is not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond

The Unbroken Chain: Apogee Books Space Series 20 (Apogee Books Space Series)

I recently took my four year old son to KSC to see the launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission. While I have always been one to make sure I have the TV on during a launch, I never dove much deeper than the average newspaper coverage. However, after taking the tours at KSC, a fire was ignited.
This book was the perfect fit for me. It covers every apollo mission without losing interest in the later missions. Obviously more time is spent covering Apollo's 1, 11, & 13.
Chaikin introduces the readers to many of the astronauts that while are not as well known as Armstrong, contibuted just as much, if not more to the program.
As it states in the description, the series,From the Earth to the Moon closely follows the book, but puts a more personal touch on the program while still providing enough information for the book to be used as reference for high school papers or a college thesis. It is the perfect mix of technical and entertainment. A Great Read!!

I'd like to be able to say that I like my own Apollo book better, but I can't. Chaikin's work stands alone in my mind as the definitive telling of the Apollo program. This is a book that entertains while informing- never an easy task, especially with science. Chaikin went to great lengths to assure accuracy... he is well-known by the living moonwalkers/Apollo CM pilots, and his work is respected by the few I was privileged to interview. Andy was also gracious enough to be interviewed for my Modern Marvels show, "Apollo 11," which made my interview roster complete. His ability to illuminate the history of Apollo is as dazzling in person as it is on the printed page. Buy it, read it, and re-read it. I do so at least one a year!

I bought this book after seeing ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' and found it to be a very interesting and informative overview of the American manned space program through Apollo. I would highly recommend it to anyone who may have been too young or not born yet to understand the accomplishments of the astronauts and all the men and women of NASA and contractors who were the real heart behind the Apollo space program.A Man on the Moon

The Apollo astronauts accomplished a feat which few thought possible. In a captivating fashion, author Andrew Chaikin offers a version of the Moon flights which most astronauts could not communicate.

The vivid details of the lunar features and the astronauts' private thoughts are brought to life in a way that makes you feel as if you are really there. The astronauts often stumble into "thrust-to-weight ratios" and "angles of trajectory" when they talk about their experiences. This is not what the public wants to hear. This book is the definitive book for mankind's greatest adventure.

Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind
www.silicondisc.com

This book is the ultimate litmus test as to whether the reader is ready to be happy and have joy in his life, or whether he wants to keep crying in his beer.

If this book does not have you falling down on the floor laughing, then chuck it in.

I realize I'm probably one of the last people on the planet to discover this wonderful book, but I got to sing its praises, too. One of the best books I've read in a long time, and fitting as I am also suddenly into Doctor Who, which is quite similar. The Earth is destroyed one horrible Thursday in order to build a hyperspatial express route, and Arthur Dent and his friend Ford (who was stranded on Earth for fifteen years) start hitchhiking around the galaxy. Never have I read a book so clever and imaginative (dealing with the meaning of life pondered by mice, nuclear bombs turning into sperm whales, depressed robots and hyper-friendly computers) with such a clever and hilarious style (pokes great fun at our little species). Grade: A+

Our friend here is simply the best humorist printed on paper during the second half of the twentieth century.

Mark Twain and Bierce Ambroce should see him as a counterpart in heaven (or hell) I recommend this book to any reader, even if that English is not their native language, like me.

this book is the comp of the douglas adams series hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. it is hilarious well written and something just to put your imagination to work.

All the books plus a separate story together in one volume! What else could I wish for? If you enjoyed the movie, (okay, okay, there are always some differences between movie and book) you are going to love the books. It's that kind of ironic humour that makes you laugh through intelligent remarks, not silly statements.

Everyone hears about the book you can't put down. ELIXIR, by Gary Braver,is such a book. It is one of the few thrillers I WILL read again. Chris Bacon is a trained biologist in search of medicinal plants, but returns from Papua New Guinea with the 'Fountain of Youth.' Now Braver poses some very big questions. Would living for centuries, maybe forever, be too much of a good thing? Where will everyone live if people don't die? Suppose members of families disagree? What will be the new policies? Who decides?

The author draws you in to this potentially changed world, but unfortunately some things never change. Greed, corruption, jealously, murder, all play a part in the compelling plot. This book should be a movie. Someone once said, Man is Nature's sole miatake. Braver shows us why.

A gripping bio/pharma thriller with the allure of forever young and the concequences.
Braver moves your imagination closer to reality in this fine novel.

I want another like it. Mr braver...please let us know when you are gonna write one as good as this. Does anyone else think this would make an awesome movie?!!??

I DO
Jamie

I'm the same age as the hero of the story (Chris Bacon) when he worked on producing the Elixir drug in the first half of the book. Despite his efforts and successful experiments, the drug has a terrible consequence. As I read this fast moving and thrilling story, I wondered if I would want to have Elixir available so I could live much longer than the lifespan nature has given me. Would the side effects be enough to make me fearful of taking Elixir? Would the social, environmental and moral consequences be enough? Where would all those billions and billions of people live if they didn't die? Or would the promise of staying young and never aging be too much of an attraction to ignore?

Braver doesn't just write suspenseful thrillers with good guys and bad guys in conflict with each other. He gets us to think about what can happen when something so promising and not really that far-fetched descends upon us. What will humans do to themselves and their world? Will they do the right thing? But what is the right thing? These are hard questions. Braver does not provide easy answers and we wouldn't want him to. He makes you care about the characters, think about these questions and also enjoy the ride he's taking you on. Any fiction writer capable of doing that deserves five stars and a recommendation to read his books.

Two weeks ago, I discovered a book called Flashback. It looked interesting, so I picked it up at the library. I was hooked at the first sentence. I then ran to the library where I picked up Grey Matter. I'm telling people "This man can flat out write." (That's a southern expression). I am now about to finish Gary's first Braver book: Elixir. Yes, I read them in reverse order; so, sue me.
I have become besotted with Braver's writing and I will BUY his next book, and all that follow. Hope Mr. Braver makes it soon.
I have advised all my friends, family and fellow readers to discover this fascinating writer. I mean, Robert B. Parker loves this guy!!!

Shannon Hale struck gold with this book. It had a great story line and great characters. I literally couldn't put it down. It had plenty of fantasy as well as genuine characters whose problems you can relate to.

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale is a delightful book that should get the approval even of readers who don't much care for fantasy. The concept of taking a known story like the fairy tale this is based on and creating a whole story-behind-the-story is very well done here.

Here are some of the discussion questions my mother-daughter book club touched on when we read it:
* How did Ani find the confidence to be the person she was supposed to be?
* Could she ever be a ruler like her mother?
* When did you start to think that Geric may not be a guard at the palace?
* How did Ani/Isi's experience being a goose girl help her become more confident?
* If you had written this book, what would you have changed about any part of the plot?

It's fun to read the Goose Girl then go right into the sequels, Enna Burning an River Secrets. It's interesting reading the series, because one book doesn't pick up where the one before left off. Instead they each build a new story based on a different main character, someone who may have been fairly minor in a different book.

If ever there was a world to find solace in, it is here.
The perfect fantasy book if there ever was one.

This has to be one of my favorite stories. It is so close to a fairy tale.

I got interested in this book through a friend who told me all about it. The tale is a retelling of Grimm Brother's Goose Girl, yet it is re-told with new. It is a good read and well written. I find myself telling the main character what to do in the different situations and dangers she must encounter to find her own talents in life. She must learn many things to become what she truly is ... a queen to guide and protect her own people. I believe this book is appropriate for teens and older. It will help to ease many of their fears of the future and help them with their own self-esteem. A great book if you like wholesome reading for your children and peace of mind for you.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

Rebel Angels is the wonderful sequel to A Great and Terrible Beauty. A gulped up AGATB in two gulps, and RA in the same way. I enjoy this book series emensely, yet at the same time find them annyoing. I always seem to find qualms with ther hundreds of books I read each year, and this one is no exception. But don't totally forsake this book if you read this review: Rebel Angels is beautifully written, and Libba Bray is a great writer. But no work is ever perfect....

Qualm Number 1: I am a true romantic. Although I would never read downright romance novels, I love that little bit of love and denial in each book I read; I come to expect it. But I was so mad that Kartik and Gemma didn't get together in this book. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? Kartik is so obviously crazy about Gemma, and she chooses to ignore him, sit in her little realm world, la la la I can't her you. And what she said to him was unintentionally mean, but he should have gotten over it, since love is endless. Personally, I would already have them together in the first book...but that's just me. But Kartik sounds like such a nice guy, you know? I have the absurd tendency to fall in love with characters, and Kartik joins Percy Jackson and Edward Cullen in this department. Why can't Gemma realize that? WHY? Ok, ranting over on that subject. I am not crazt haha :)

Moving on....
Qualm Number 2: Is it just me, or does it seem like Felicity and Ann are using Gemma? I think that they are, just to get to the realms. Felicity wants the power and to see Pippa, and Ann just wants to be beautiful. They really don't have those experiences friends have. When Gemma finds out about Felicity's past abuses Felicity doesn't cry on her shoulder; she just gets all amd. And Ann...although I liked how she lied about her family, I thought that was too out of character for her. Felicity is so pushing her to be what she is not. And what about Pippa? In the last book she seemed like she had multiple-personalities, and in RA too. One minute she is nice, the next whiny, althoug that might be the realms I don't know. Felicity also treats her weird, one minute Gemma's best friend and the next Pippa's. The whole friendship aspect is a little crazy.

Qualm Number 3: SPOILER!!!! I knew Miss Moore was Circe since AGATB, so that was very predicatble. I was a little sad though. She seemed really nice. :(

Ok, so I loved this book with a passion, and it is now on the sacred bookshelf in my room. I'm getting the sequel, The Sweet Far Thing, so soon as I can. So if you need a book to read, read this one. It's scary at times, but I was enraputured 24/7. Go get it now!!!

Second in the Gemma Doyle trilogy.

When she held Circe at bay and destroyed the runes at the end of A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma loosed the power of the realms and made the magic available to anyone in the realms.

Now she has been given the task to find the Temple and bind the magic. Kartik and the Order have their own plans for the magic of the realm and Gemma finds herself caught between them.

Meanwhile, Circe is still on the loose and Pippa refuses to pass as she should. Dark things are awakening within the realms and fighting to control the magic. As Gemma struggles to set things right, she has only the ravings of a mad girl to guide her.

Set against the backdrop of Victorian society, this gothic tale combines historical fiction with fantasy. Readers will be riveted by this well-paced mystery filled with authentic details of Victorian life.

(daughter of user)
Well, I found Rebel Angels to be a slightly better book than A Great and Terrible Beauty. It added to the characters and explained them more, which was very good. Personally, I liked Simon much more than Kartik. I don't know why, but I haven't been able to like his character quite yet. Simon was a gentleman and very sweet. Maybe I just liked him because I want to be adored by a sweet gentleman the way Gemma was adored by him, I don't really know. I was a bit sad that Gemma(SPOILER ALERT) didn't pick him in the end. I understand why she couldn't though. Over all, Rebel Angels was a great book and I'll be rushing to buy the next in the series.

Rebel Angels is the beautiful sequel to A Great And Terrible Beauty. It is just as captivating and page-turning as it's predecessor, if not more so.

In this novel, much is revealed about the characters introduced in A Great And Terrible Beauty, with many shocking twists and turns. This book contains puzzles that the reader is dying to uncover, and Gemma is developed into an even more likeable protagonist.

Libba Bray has improved her plot line in this one, but her writing is as beautiful as ever. Rebel Angels is a fast read, as the reader will want to finish the vivid novel in a single sitting.

Gemma Doyle has had to face much since she discovered her magic. But her journey is not over. She still has to defeat Circe and find the temple to bind the magic which is now free since the runes were smashed. Circe and the Rakshana are still after her and she does not know who to trust and who to blame. She does not even know if she can trust her dead friend Pippa. Along with all that she still has to figure out her feelings for the hansome Kartik. Again with the help of Felicity, Ann, and Kartik she must bind the magic to save the relms and defeat one of the most powerful enemies even if it is one of her friends. This book was better than the first and delivers more magic, excitement, and romance.

If you like books about adventurous, sci-fi stories about the world then you are sure to enjoy reading the Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen. This story is about a 13 year old boy who falls into a mysterious blue light that transports him very far into the future when he is hiking through the missle mountain range. When he thinks that he is alone on this deserted planet he is proven wrong when he finds and arrow in a tree. He is determined to find the people who this arrow belongs to. When he finds them he is rudely awakened by the style of life they live and decdides to move away but is captured by another tribe and forced into slavery but is granted his freedom because of his noble deeds and his different looks than everyone else. After the virus hit almost everyone died and the remaining people were changed physically and they had to start over because the virus had kept the population so low for so long that people forgot about normal life and went back into the stone ages. I really enjoyed reading this book because it has very good description and a very good storyline and plot that I could see maybe happening in the future if a virus like that hit or if there was a nuclear disaster. If you are looking for an adverturous, science fiction, page turning novel Gary Paulsen's The Transall Saga is right for you.


Nick Stauffer

I am a 13 yr old who reads a ton. my room is a library. This book was exceptionally good. I think everyone should read it. It is very creative. I think it has a good plot and is exciting. This book is to me, better than the Harry Potter series.

It is not gory, but it has some fighting which makes it exciting. It also keeps you on your toes. It is a little funny at times. IT IS A VERY INTERESTING BOOK AND I THINK YOU SHOULD READ IT.

Gary Paulson has once again written a compelling book on one boys struggle to survive in a strange world. Immediately in the first chapter the main character Mark is thrown into a dangerous environment making an interesting read right from the beginning. With the evolving plot line and the numerous surprises you'll have a hard time doing anything but read Mark's adventure.

As I read this book I loved the various ways Gary Paulson showed how Mark became a master of survival and gained status in the strange world of Transall. He describes everything perfectly so that you can picture it in your mind. Another great thing about the book is its ability to cover many genres; with the mystery of Transall it covers (you guessed it) mystery's spot, the alien world and mutated creatures will keep a sci fi fan happy, and it could even pass as an apt survival guide.

Anyone who has read and enjoyed the Hatchet books will definitely want to grab this book, like the Hatchet books it tells the story of a boys struggle to survive in a unfamiliar place, but it is also very different so it wont feel as if your reading a rewrite of Hatchet. Some of the variations I liked were that it was set in an entirely different plant, there's interaction with other humans (some hostile), the mystery that unravels as you read, and how it is set in more of a medieval time frame.

In the book The Transall Saga Matt Harrison is hiking in the old Magruder Missle Range when a strange blue light transports him to a future Earth where the Earth has a very different look after nuclear explosions. Matt finds himself in a jungle for a few years trying to find discover what happened to the blue light. While he is in the jungle one day he finds an arrow and that night hears noises coming from the forest. The next day he looks for people and finds them but is knocked out by a guard. He awakes in a hut a few hours later and lives with these people for a few weeks. After he decideds to leave the tribe is attacked by another tribe called the Toosk who kill most of the tribe but capture the rest and make them slaves. After the few years Matt is finally accepted into the tribe after he saves them from an attack from another tribe. After he is made a member, he starts a new life and starts a quest with a few other tribesmen and the leader of the Toosk called the Merkon. On the way to find the light the convoy is attacked and the Merkon is captured. Matt then decides to go on his own to the Toosk capital and find the Merkon. When Matt arrives he finds that the Merkon is alive and hears what has happened to Earth and how a disease like the Black Plague killed mostly everyone and the rest were left with physical disabilities. Matt then fights the Merkon and kills him and then the blue light appears and takes him back to his time.

Mark is a bigger kid who loves to explore. He goes out on his own in a desert for a hiking trip. He finds a bright blue light and desides to touch it. He finds himself waking up on another planet,or is it? He has to find ways to survive on this weird planet. He finds what looks to be human life and becomes part of the tribs or villages. He has to fight and protect his village that he grew to love and learns that we are all the same and there is no need for wars. This book teaches how to survive in the wild and how to love one another. Gary Paulson finds amazing ways to tie together the book at the end. It is interesting.