Some authors use the world around them to predict the future, and sometimes the future predicted is not exactly what modern mankind expected. Suzanne Collins predicts the future in her novel, The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games was actually recommended to me by a friend. She had not actually read the book but had heard from someone else that it was a very interesting read. I took her word for it and found myself swept away by the powerful message hidden between The Hunger Games’s hardback covers.
The Hunger Games tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl who provides for her family. Katniss has a younger sister, twelve-year-old Prim, and a mother, who is ridden by grief and cannot provide for herself. Katniss’s father had died four years previously in an explosion in the coal mine, where he worked. Katniss and her family live in the future, in the place known as Panem.
Panem is the area once known as North America. It has a center, called the Capitol, surrounded by twelve outlying districts. There were originally thirteen districts, but when the thirteenth district attempted a revolt, they were immediately crushed. The twelve districts are surrounded by a huge gate. Beyond this gate lies the wilderness, a forest hiding mutated monsters. The Capitol rules the vast gated landscape through brute force and cruel methods. One way the Capitol shows its power is by putting on the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a barbaric contest in which two tributes, one boy and one girl aged 12 through 18, are chosen to fight to death on live TV. To win means fame and wealth for themselves and their district. To lose means certain death.
It is into this contest that Katniss finds herself thrust. When her sister is chosen through raffle to participate, Katniss steps forward to take her place. The other tribute is Peeta Mellark, the son of a baker. Once arriving in the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta are instructed to act like star-crossed lovers for the camera. This show gains them the much-needed popularity that provides them the sponsors who pay for them to receive useful tools during the competition. Both tributes know they should be planning how to best kill each other, but the act surprises them and they actually begin to fall in love. As the number of contestants begins to diminish, Katniss and Peeta fear the day when they will have to kill each other, if by chance, they are not killed first. The Hunger Games is Katniss’s struggle with death, love, war, and her dilemma as to which one she must follow.
I really liked the suspense and drama in this book. Just when the action seemed to settle down, Collins throws in a twist that makes the story all the more interesting. The only thing I could find to critique about The Hunger Games was the ending- there is a sequel to the novel and I was itching for more.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Max the Mighty
Max the Mighty is a novel by Rodman Philbrick about a boy named Maxwell Kane. Max is a rather large boy who lives with his grandparents because his father killed his mother and went to prison.
The story begins when Max, the narrator, sees a girl being bullied. Max helps the girl, who everyone calls Worm because she reads all of the time. Later Max learns that her stepfather is abusing the girl and her mother. Max rescues Worm, but the stepfather tells the cops that Max has kidnapped her. Max and Worm are forced to run away.
Worm wants to go see her real father, and Max thinks that her father will be able to help solve the problem. However, Worm’s father is on the other side of the country. So, Max and Worm hitchhike and get a ride from Dippy Hippie. Later, the police catch up, and Worm and Max have to run away again.
This time, they hop on a train, while it’s moving, and meet Hobo Joe. Hobo Joe travels with them on trains, not necessarily legally, and gets them to where Worm’s father is. It turns out Worm’s father died in a mining accident and Worm wants to visit his grave. The police catch up again, but this time, Worm’s stepfather is proven guilty of abusing Worm and her mom. Worm and her mom temporarily live with Max and his grandparents, and Worm’s stepfather goes to prison.
I enjoyed this novel. It is an extremely unusual adventure with interesting and likeable characters.
This quest is one of a kind and always takes an unexpected turn. Just when everything is peaceful and all of the problems seem solved, something forces change. A new plan needs to be formed.
For example, when Max and Worm are with Dippy Hippie, or Dip for short, they are happy. Dip has a bus, so they stay at truck stops. One night, after dinner, Dip, Max, and Worm are full and happy looking up at the stars. Max has a wonderful feeling of tranquility. However, the police find them. Dip can’t take them because someone slashed Dip’s bus’s tires. Once again, Max and Worm have to run. The story has many twists and turns like this and keeps you waiting to see what happens next.
Also, the characters in the story are intriguing. They kept me entertained and wondering who I would meet next. My favorite character was Dip. He is a kind, good natured, old man. He does everything he possibly can to help the kids and to get them where they want to go. He takes care of them as if they are his grandchildren. He is a peaceful man. When Dip does an ancient Chinese dance, his smooth movements show how relaxed and peaceful he is inside. Joe is also a likeable character. Because he has so little, he appreciates the small things in life. Joe travels around the country on trains in the West, so he simply watches the plains roll by. He says that it’s better than TV.
I thought that this was a roller coaster ride of a story and an overall commendable book.
The story begins when Max, the narrator, sees a girl being bullied. Max helps the girl, who everyone calls Worm because she reads all of the time. Later Max learns that her stepfather is abusing the girl and her mother. Max rescues Worm, but the stepfather tells the cops that Max has kidnapped her. Max and Worm are forced to run away.
Worm wants to go see her real father, and Max thinks that her father will be able to help solve the problem. However, Worm’s father is on the other side of the country. So, Max and Worm hitchhike and get a ride from Dippy Hippie. Later, the police catch up, and Worm and Max have to run away again.
This time, they hop on a train, while it’s moving, and meet Hobo Joe. Hobo Joe travels with them on trains, not necessarily legally, and gets them to where Worm’s father is. It turns out Worm’s father died in a mining accident and Worm wants to visit his grave. The police catch up again, but this time, Worm’s stepfather is proven guilty of abusing Worm and her mom. Worm and her mom temporarily live with Max and his grandparents, and Worm’s stepfather goes to prison.
I enjoyed this novel. It is an extremely unusual adventure with interesting and likeable characters.
This quest is one of a kind and always takes an unexpected turn. Just when everything is peaceful and all of the problems seem solved, something forces change. A new plan needs to be formed.
For example, when Max and Worm are with Dippy Hippie, or Dip for short, they are happy. Dip has a bus, so they stay at truck stops. One night, after dinner, Dip, Max, and Worm are full and happy looking up at the stars. Max has a wonderful feeling of tranquility. However, the police find them. Dip can’t take them because someone slashed Dip’s bus’s tires. Once again, Max and Worm have to run. The story has many twists and turns like this and keeps you waiting to see what happens next.
Also, the characters in the story are intriguing. They kept me entertained and wondering who I would meet next. My favorite character was Dip. He is a kind, good natured, old man. He does everything he possibly can to help the kids and to get them where they want to go. He takes care of them as if they are his grandchildren. He is a peaceful man. When Dip does an ancient Chinese dance, his smooth movements show how relaxed and peaceful he is inside. Joe is also a likeable character. Because he has so little, he appreciates the small things in life. Joe travels around the country on trains in the West, so he simply watches the plains roll by. He says that it’s better than TV.
I thought that this was a roller coaster ride of a story and an overall commendable book.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"Dinosaur Resurrection"
Are the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and other related movies completely fiction, or could it really be possible to view these ancient reptiles in our modern society today? Is it really possible to revive the fossils of ancient dinosaurs? The article “Dinosaur Resurrection” from Discover magazine suggests a way to bring back our old reptile friends, but in a way that one would not expect.
The article opens by introducing Hans Larsson, one of the world’s top paleontologists, who has outlined a plan to bring back the dinosaurs. He is not interested in reviving the actual dinosaur fossil, but rather in changing the regulation of active genes in embryos, such as a chicken’s, to bring back ancestral traits that may have been lost in the past. By tracing these traits back many years, he might be able molecularly construct a dinosaur from an embryo such as a chicken’s.
The article uses birds as an example to illustrate Larsson’s point. “…the absence of a tail, the difference between wings and grasping forearms, and the absence of teeth are all subtle evolutionary changes on a basic dinosaur plan. Why not return an ancient developmental process in a bird embryo, this time triggering the signals to produce a grasping forelimb or a long tail?” (52).
Larsson is currently studying the growth of the tail and is working on making an embryo’s tail continue growing. The article continues by explaining several problems Larsson has had in his work, such as the embryonic tail halting its growth, and concludes by saying that building a dinosaur requires more than just a tail, but thousands of other qualities as well. Larsson is confident that this step is just step one in the process of growing a dinosaur.
This article is a fascinating description of Larsson’s plan to create a modern dinosaur. Upon first reading the article, I was somewhat disappointed because Larsson and his team have not really resurrected any dinosaurs; they have just established an outline for creating a dinosaur from a chicken embryo. When I read the article for a second time, I began to really appreciate Larsson’s plan because I realized this step is only the first step in growing a dinosaur.
The article focuses a lot on trying to make the embryo grow a tail. If the process of growing a tail takes this long, will all the other characteristics of a dinosaur take this long to develop as well? It seems as if this process would take an enormous amount of time to complete if Larsson and his team went into very great detail to create a dinosaur. There are billions of genes, and is it really possible to change each one without human error?
I am still left with the question: is it really possible to view ancient dinosaurs in our world today? By combining my own knowledge and the content of the article, I believe that it is possible to create an animal with some characteristics of an ancient dinosaur, but it is nearly impossible to create a dinosaur from the past. If Larsson and his team create this dinosaur, the dinosaur will be a new species due to all the changes they have done to the embryo to make it a dinosaur, while leaving some characteristics of a chicken. Lastly, I think of all the different combinations of animals that could be artificially created. If it is possible to create a dinosaur from a chicken embryo, then wouldn’t it be possible to create any animal from any embryo, creating millions of new species of animals? The thought of all these different creations and combinations is immense. In summary, we are still on the baby steps of trying to develop a chicken with a tail. But maybe in the near future, man will be able to create a living dinosaur from only a chicken embryo.
The article opens by introducing Hans Larsson, one of the world’s top paleontologists, who has outlined a plan to bring back the dinosaurs. He is not interested in reviving the actual dinosaur fossil, but rather in changing the regulation of active genes in embryos, such as a chicken’s, to bring back ancestral traits that may have been lost in the past. By tracing these traits back many years, he might be able molecularly construct a dinosaur from an embryo such as a chicken’s.
The article uses birds as an example to illustrate Larsson’s point. “…the absence of a tail, the difference between wings and grasping forearms, and the absence of teeth are all subtle evolutionary changes on a basic dinosaur plan. Why not return an ancient developmental process in a bird embryo, this time triggering the signals to produce a grasping forelimb or a long tail?” (52).
Larsson is currently studying the growth of the tail and is working on making an embryo’s tail continue growing. The article continues by explaining several problems Larsson has had in his work, such as the embryonic tail halting its growth, and concludes by saying that building a dinosaur requires more than just a tail, but thousands of other qualities as well. Larsson is confident that this step is just step one in the process of growing a dinosaur.
This article is a fascinating description of Larsson’s plan to create a modern dinosaur. Upon first reading the article, I was somewhat disappointed because Larsson and his team have not really resurrected any dinosaurs; they have just established an outline for creating a dinosaur from a chicken embryo. When I read the article for a second time, I began to really appreciate Larsson’s plan because I realized this step is only the first step in growing a dinosaur.
The article focuses a lot on trying to make the embryo grow a tail. If the process of growing a tail takes this long, will all the other characteristics of a dinosaur take this long to develop as well? It seems as if this process would take an enormous amount of time to complete if Larsson and his team went into very great detail to create a dinosaur. There are billions of genes, and is it really possible to change each one without human error?
I am still left with the question: is it really possible to view ancient dinosaurs in our world today? By combining my own knowledge and the content of the article, I believe that it is possible to create an animal with some characteristics of an ancient dinosaur, but it is nearly impossible to create a dinosaur from the past. If Larsson and his team create this dinosaur, the dinosaur will be a new species due to all the changes they have done to the embryo to make it a dinosaur, while leaving some characteristics of a chicken. Lastly, I think of all the different combinations of animals that could be artificially created. If it is possible to create a dinosaur from a chicken embryo, then wouldn’t it be possible to create any animal from any embryo, creating millions of new species of animals? The thought of all these different creations and combinations is immense. In summary, we are still on the baby steps of trying to develop a chicken with a tail. But maybe in the near future, man will be able to create a living dinosaur from only a chicken embryo.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse is a part of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The series tells the story a Percy Jackson, a boy whose life is changed when he finds out that his Father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and that the Greek myths he had been studying in school were more than just fables. In this part of the series, Percy starts by looking for two other demigods that were reported to him by his friend, Grover. Percy plans to recruit these two into Camp Half-Blood, a school for demigods training to become heroes, but his plans go haywire when the legendary manticore attacks Percy. Percy fights hard, but even when his friends Grover, Thalia, and Annabeth come to his aid, Percy cannot prevail. Just before the manticore sends Percy and his friends to the river Styx, a group of hunters led by Artemis shoot the monster over a cliff, taking Annabeth with it. Angry and confused, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood, planning a rescue for Annabeth, but he is interrupted by disturbing news. Artemis has gone missing, and the oracle has declared that five campers and hunters must go to find her. Percy is sure that if he finds Artemis, the goddess will lead him to Annabeth, and he decides to go. Percy and the four other travelers endure constant pressure on a gruesome quest to find Artemis, during which one of the travelers is lost. When they finally find Artemis, the goddess is struggling under the burden of holding up the sky. The god, Atlas, has tricked her into the burden in his plan to escape and help his lord Kronos overthrow Olympus. Percy and his friends fight Atlas, but they soon realize that the fight is hopeless without the help of Artemis. In a desperate move, Percy pushes Artemis from under the holding point and takes the burden up himself, until Artemis fight Atlas back into his old burden. The strain from holding up the sky harshly impacts Percy, and he is now unable to move. Despite this, Percy has found Artemis, and, as he supected, Annabeth was there, too. Annabeth had been a captive of Atlas and a part of his attempt to escape. Now, Annabeth, Percy, and the remaining travelers return home, and Artemis confers on them her blessings.
The Titan's Curse is an easy book to read; the text is large, the content flows pretty smoothly, and the book just goes by fast. Unfortunately, this might be because there is very little that actually happens in this book. The Titan's Curse seems to lack the luster that made the first two books interesting. As is classic for most series, the third preformance is the worst amongst the first three, and that is only natural. At the point of a third book, the old jokes have begun to become corny, and the new jokes are not likely to fit with the tone of the story; the book needs to take a new turn, but the old turn is so familiar that when the book comes out different, it is hard to get into it. The idea is, in a sense, that one can only pull so much out of one idea. Amongst fantasy books, this is certainly not the most exciting book, and the beginning is very confusing; the second book ends with a sgnificant event and an ultimatum, and the third book begins a year or two after that. Upon starting this book, I could not shake the sense that I had missed a book in the series, but there was not book containing the part of the plot that seemed to be misssing.
Depsite the lackluster plot of the book, The Titan's Curse is actually a decent story. The series does hold true to Greek mythology, for the most part, and for those who enjoy fantastic battles with swords and bows and sheilds, this book should be entertaining. A sense of mystery is kept throughout the book until the very end, so reading the book is easy and a little satisfying. For the heavy reader, this is an easy story that makes for a quick reading. For the recreational reader, this is a good book to start reading on a car ride, or something of the sort, and finish later. If books were meals, this book would make a good snack. I heartily recommend The Titan's Curse to anyone who is about to have a good deal of free time and nothing to do with it.
The Titan's Curse is an easy book to read; the text is large, the content flows pretty smoothly, and the book just goes by fast. Unfortunately, this might be because there is very little that actually happens in this book. The Titan's Curse seems to lack the luster that made the first two books interesting. As is classic for most series, the third preformance is the worst amongst the first three, and that is only natural. At the point of a third book, the old jokes have begun to become corny, and the new jokes are not likely to fit with the tone of the story; the book needs to take a new turn, but the old turn is so familiar that when the book comes out different, it is hard to get into it. The idea is, in a sense, that one can only pull so much out of one idea. Amongst fantasy books, this is certainly not the most exciting book, and the beginning is very confusing; the second book ends with a sgnificant event and an ultimatum, and the third book begins a year or two after that. Upon starting this book, I could not shake the sense that I had missed a book in the series, but there was not book containing the part of the plot that seemed to be misssing.
Depsite the lackluster plot of the book, The Titan's Curse is actually a decent story. The series does hold true to Greek mythology, for the most part, and for those who enjoy fantastic battles with swords and bows and sheilds, this book should be entertaining. A sense of mystery is kept throughout the book until the very end, so reading the book is easy and a little satisfying. For the heavy reader, this is an easy story that makes for a quick reading. For the recreational reader, this is a good book to start reading on a car ride, or something of the sort, and finish later. If books were meals, this book would make a good snack. I heartily recommend The Titan's Curse to anyone who is about to have a good deal of free time and nothing to do with it.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Imagine a society where the firemen start fires instead of putting them out. This society is what confronts the reader of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. The novel’s main character, Guy Montag, is a third generation fireman and has been working for ten years. He enjoys his work of burning illegally owned books and the homes in which that are kept until he develops a friendship with Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse, a seventeen year old neighbor is different from most people that Montag knows. She expresses interest in people and wants to talk with people. Montag’s wife, Millie, is like the rest of society, and she immerses herself in interactive television and radio. Montag’s unhappiness grows when his firehouse responds to an alarm to burn on older woman’s books. After the firemen soak her books and the house with kerosene, she refuses to leave. The woman ignites the kerosene with a match, consuming herself and her books in the fire. The reader learns that Montag has stolen one of the woman’s books and has been stealing books from different fires for some time. He wonders what is in these books to drive people, like the older women, to sacrifice themselves for their books. After staying home from work the next day, Montag receives a visit from the captain of his firehouse. Captain Beatty lectures Montag about society and how books fell out of favor. Beatty suspects that Montag has a book and tells Montag that a fireman must destroy any book he has within twenty-four hours. Montag decides to learn more about books and shows Mille the books he has collected. Montag then seeks out Faber, a professor he met in a park several years ago. Despite his initial mistrust, Faber decides to help Montag and gives Montag a small two-way radio so they can keep in contact. After engaging Mille and her friends in a discussion about the coming war and reading to them from a book of poetry, Montag returns to work. The firehouse responds to another alarm and Montag is surprised when they stop at his house. Millie has turned in the alarm. After Beatty directs Montag to burn every room, he discovers the two-way radio and threatens Montag and his “friend”. Montag burns Beatty and flees to Faber’s house. Montag is chased by the Mechanical Hound and his escape is televised live as entertainment to the city’s residents. Montag successfully eludes the Mechanical Hound and joins a group of intellectual “hobos” living outside the city. He learns that this group is keeping books alive by memorizing them. The book concludes when the city is destroyed by an atomic bomb and the hobos pledge to rebuild a new society where books are cherished.
Overall, I found this book to be very exciting to read. I thought the part of the book where Beatty lectures Montag on how books fell out of favor to be especially interesting. Beatty describes the rise of radio and television and they could appeal to the masses while books could appeal only to a few. Man now has less time to think and contemplate things because the mass media increases the overall speed of life. Beatty also describes how books can offend minorities in society beyond racial groups such as dog-lovers, cat-lovers, lawyers, and merchants. This idea reminds me of newspaper stories I have read in recent years about threats to ban certain books by one group or another. The solution to this problem in Fahrenheit 451 is to burn the book. Beatty says, “Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it.” Because houses are now fireproof, it is natural that the firemen become custodians of society’s peace of mind and society’s “official censors, judges, and executors.”
The role of technology in the novel is also very interesting. Originally published in 1953, the book features items that are similar to what is found today. The wall-sized televisions remind me of the large, flat-panel televisions for sale now. The novel also features seashell radios that remind me of iPods and other MP3 players. The lack of conversation between people in the novel is similar to how conversation has changed in today’s society through text messaging and instant messaging on computers. I think the book provides an important warning for people today to slow down and enjoy the interaction with each other.
Overall, I found this book to be very exciting to read. I thought the part of the book where Beatty lectures Montag on how books fell out of favor to be especially interesting. Beatty describes the rise of radio and television and they could appeal to the masses while books could appeal only to a few. Man now has less time to think and contemplate things because the mass media increases the overall speed of life. Beatty also describes how books can offend minorities in society beyond racial groups such as dog-lovers, cat-lovers, lawyers, and merchants. This idea reminds me of newspaper stories I have read in recent years about threats to ban certain books by one group or another. The solution to this problem in Fahrenheit 451 is to burn the book. Beatty says, “Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it.” Because houses are now fireproof, it is natural that the firemen become custodians of society’s peace of mind and society’s “official censors, judges, and executors.”
The role of technology in the novel is also very interesting. Originally published in 1953, the book features items that are similar to what is found today. The wall-sized televisions remind me of the large, flat-panel televisions for sale now. The novel also features seashell radios that remind me of iPods and other MP3 players. The lack of conversation between people in the novel is similar to how conversation has changed in today’s society through text messaging and instant messaging on computers. I think the book provides an important warning for people today to slow down and enjoy the interaction with each other.
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
There are many action-adventure and mystery stories circulating throughout bookstores everywhere. I would recommend reading The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan to any person who enjoys either the action-adventure or the mystery genre. The Maze of Bones is the first book in the series, The 39 Clues. In this book, the reader is introduced to Amy and Dan Cahill, sibling orphans who are in the charge of their Aunt Beatrice. Amy and Dan live in an apartment across from their aunt and during the day, their au pair, Nellie, takes care of them.
At the beginning of the book, Grace Cahill, Aunt Beatrice's sister and Amy and Dan's grandmother, is on her deathbed. She tells William McIntyre, her adviser, to make a switch. Grace decides to use her alternate will and then she dies.
At Grace's funeral, there are very many people, including Amy, Dan, and Beatrice, all of whom are Cahills, even if they don't know it. During the funeral, Mr. McIntyre tells the people to look under their seats and says that if they find an envelope, then they are invited to join the reading of Grace's will. These people, including Amy, Dan, and Beatrice, go into Grace's mansion and hear the reading of the will. On a video that Grace made before she died, Grace reveals that all the people in the room are Cahills whether they share the surname Cahill or not. She also says that the Cahill family is the most powerful family in the whole world and that the source of the family's power is hidden around the world in the form of 39 clues. Grace also gives the people the choice of either taking a million dollars each or getting the first clue that will lead them on a perilous journey around the world to find a treasure that will make one person or one team the most powerful person or the most powerful people in the world. Beatrice decides to take the million dollars and she disowns Amy and Dan because they decide to take the first clue. Most of the people take the money. Only seven teams, including Amy and Dan, decide to take the first clue. Once the teams get their clues, they set off on a dangerous race to find the treasure. Beatrice has Social Services looking for Amy and Dan, so Amy and Dan hire Nellie to be their guardian as they travel from Boston to Philadelphia and Paris.
Along the way, Amy and Dan are faced with many dangers. They escape fires, bombs, and guards, and they travel to many places to find the secret hidden by the 39 clues. Also, as the two travel, they find that they are being watched by a mysterious man in black. They can trust no one, as Mr. McIntyre constantly warns them. But what about this Mr. McIntyre? Is he one who is not to be trusted?
The Maze of Bones is a story full of action, adventure, mystery, alliances and betrayal, and hits and misses. I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone who enjoys exciting books. The excitement and mystery in this book drove me towards it. There are currently three books in the series and the fourth book is going to be released soon. I guarantee that once you have read the first book, you will want to read the rest of the series.
At the beginning of the book, Grace Cahill, Aunt Beatrice's sister and Amy and Dan's grandmother, is on her deathbed. She tells William McIntyre, her adviser, to make a switch. Grace decides to use her alternate will and then she dies.
At Grace's funeral, there are very many people, including Amy, Dan, and Beatrice, all of whom are Cahills, even if they don't know it. During the funeral, Mr. McIntyre tells the people to look under their seats and says that if they find an envelope, then they are invited to join the reading of Grace's will. These people, including Amy, Dan, and Beatrice, go into Grace's mansion and hear the reading of the will. On a video that Grace made before she died, Grace reveals that all the people in the room are Cahills whether they share the surname Cahill or not. She also says that the Cahill family is the most powerful family in the whole world and that the source of the family's power is hidden around the world in the form of 39 clues. Grace also gives the people the choice of either taking a million dollars each or getting the first clue that will lead them on a perilous journey around the world to find a treasure that will make one person or one team the most powerful person or the most powerful people in the world. Beatrice decides to take the million dollars and she disowns Amy and Dan because they decide to take the first clue. Most of the people take the money. Only seven teams, including Amy and Dan, decide to take the first clue. Once the teams get their clues, they set off on a dangerous race to find the treasure. Beatrice has Social Services looking for Amy and Dan, so Amy and Dan hire Nellie to be their guardian as they travel from Boston to Philadelphia and Paris.
Along the way, Amy and Dan are faced with many dangers. They escape fires, bombs, and guards, and they travel to many places to find the secret hidden by the 39 clues. Also, as the two travel, they find that they are being watched by a mysterious man in black. They can trust no one, as Mr. McIntyre constantly warns them. But what about this Mr. McIntyre? Is he one who is not to be trusted?
The Maze of Bones is a story full of action, adventure, mystery, alliances and betrayal, and hits and misses. I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone who enjoys exciting books. The excitement and mystery in this book drove me towards it. There are currently three books in the series and the fourth book is going to be released soon. I guarantee that once you have read the first book, you will want to read the rest of the series.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
This novel is the story of Jack Reacher’s revenge upon the people who mess with him, or anyone of his friends. The novel begins with a vague prologue describing a murder of a man by being thrown from a helicopter. After the murder, the novel resets, starting over with the main character, Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is a content man, who lives with only the clothes on his back, a folding toothbrush, and a quickly dwindling ATM account. One day however he receives a message from an old friend from a special investigators unit that he, and several others, including the messenger, served in during the army. Neagley, his old friend, brings the message that another man from the special investigators unit was killed, murdered by being thrown from a helicopter. The novel quickly speeds up, however not much more seems to happen. A small number of minor characters are introduced, including 2 other members of the “old unit” Reacher served with. These four characters sift through ten’s of pages, seeming to accomplish nothing the whole while. Eventually through miraculous luck on the main character’s parts they
fill in blanks spaces in the mystery of who killed their friend. Several more murders of the characters’ old relations are discovered, and more pieces to the puzzle are added. Lee Child begins to reveal a terrorist plot using a new missile which adds to the confusing plot. Yet again, the main characters receive a generous helping of luck and discover the murderers. They move in to kill them and uncover the terrorist plot, but two of the bands of mystery solvers are captured becoming hostages. Reacher and Neagley, the two main characters run in, magically skirting around all of the “bad guys”. Reacher hides himself in the helicopter these killers use, and waits for them to bring the two captured “good guys” onto the helicopter. Later, after the helicopter takes off, Reacher jumps out, and essentially saves the day, knocking three remaining “bad guys” out of the helicopter and taking the pilot out on landing. Reacher easily stops the terrorists from putting the missiles (that everyone had forgotten about, including the reader) together and prevents thousands of lives from being lost.
All in this entire book was cliché, involving predictable character stereotypes, predictable plot, and virtually no surprises. This plot wasn’t a mystery, it was just plain confusing. The story seemed to drag on without end, as the four “good guys”, Reacher, Neagley, O’Donnell, and Dixon, are led in an endless breadcrumb trail which backtracks multiple times, and causes a monotonous setting to be created. This monotone setting begins to be hated even more as these four characters always end up going over the same speculations about murder, their friends and trying to uncover the sinister plot. Sometimes, I began to wonder if I was reading the same page twice, or if perhaps I was reading the script to Lost.
The reason I picked up this book was mainly because my dad recommended it to me. I decided to give it a chance, but I was severely disappointed. I would not recommend this book, however it is easier for a reader to critique writing than to praise it. Readers should give it a chance, but only the truly dedicated to finishing might still be hanging on at the end.
fill in blanks spaces in the mystery of who killed their friend. Several more murders of the characters’ old relations are discovered, and more pieces to the puzzle are added. Lee Child begins to reveal a terrorist plot using a new missile which adds to the confusing plot. Yet again, the main characters receive a generous helping of luck and discover the murderers. They move in to kill them and uncover the terrorist plot, but two of the bands of mystery solvers are captured becoming hostages. Reacher and Neagley, the two main characters run in, magically skirting around all of the “bad guys”. Reacher hides himself in the helicopter these killers use, and waits for them to bring the two captured “good guys” onto the helicopter. Later, after the helicopter takes off, Reacher jumps out, and essentially saves the day, knocking three remaining “bad guys” out of the helicopter and taking the pilot out on landing. Reacher easily stops the terrorists from putting the missiles (that everyone had forgotten about, including the reader) together and prevents thousands of lives from being lost.
All in this entire book was cliché, involving predictable character stereotypes, predictable plot, and virtually no surprises. This plot wasn’t a mystery, it was just plain confusing. The story seemed to drag on without end, as the four “good guys”, Reacher, Neagley, O’Donnell, and Dixon, are led in an endless breadcrumb trail which backtracks multiple times, and causes a monotonous setting to be created. This monotone setting begins to be hated even more as these four characters always end up going over the same speculations about murder, their friends and trying to uncover the sinister plot. Sometimes, I began to wonder if I was reading the same page twice, or if perhaps I was reading the script to Lost.
The reason I picked up this book was mainly because my dad recommended it to me. I decided to give it a chance, but I was severely disappointed. I would not recommend this book, however it is easier for a reader to critique writing than to praise it. Readers should give it a chance, but only the truly dedicated to finishing might still be hanging on at the end.
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