Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

Um... well, were to start. Surprisingly I'd have to agree with the critics when they say that Huxley was ahead of his time, in that he would appeal more to this period in time with his twisted, sexual, and futuristic plot. If you can't tell, I did not like this book. Actually I'm puzzled why this would be on any high school suggested reading list? Like many of his time he focused on the worst in society and government and took it to the extreme creating a society that the government controls through sex and drugs... and this makes him special how?

What is his purpose for writing it? To warn people of what is going to happen. If he wanted to do that he should have written an essay or had another author help him, because his writing stinks, period. First major problem, the doom and gloom ending, one of my writing rule of thumbs is that even if you want to make a point nobody is going to want to read your book or recommend it if it doesn't have even a little hope at the end like The Giver. Problem two, a main character fake out. Never focus on one character till the middle of the book and then do a switch-a-roo to the real MC it makes the first half seem like a waist of time, I'm guessing that his reason for that was to introduce the reader to this "brave new world" but he could easily have done that through the MC's point of view ( what I'm trying to get at is that he has no valid reason for his poor writing except that he is a poor author).

This book has only done one thing for me and that is to confuse me. I can't figure out how this book is considered literarily meritorious and even sometimes a classic? Can you say lame.

Brandon Mull's Fablehaven

Another youth section fun read, Fablehaven captures the imagination as our eyes are opened to a mystical world that could be staring us in the face, literally. As I put in the comments on The Secret Garden, this book has the three essentials of a children's fantasy; magic, a secret, and adventure.

I enjoy the equilibrium that is applied in this book, the discovery made by the children bring to light creatures one hundred times more beautiful than any in this world but they soon come to find out that there are also beings one hundred times uglier, they find that there is great evil but that there is even greater good, that contracts are literally binding or unbinding, and that small actions have great consequences for better and worse.

I believe it says a lot for this author that although the first book has an ending in and of itself with no lead into the second book you still want to read the second book. What I'm trying to point out is that you read the second book because you enjoy the story not because you want to finish the story you started.

The Rangers Apprentice 1-5

I was asked by Mrs. Anonymous Kennington to do some reviews of more recent youth books that I have recently read, so here it goes :)

I'll start off by saying that i classify this as a "fun read", that is to say it is easy to understand, short (the first book is only 242 pg.), and well written. John Flanagan does a good job of introducing the reader into the story by giving them just enough information to give them an understanding of the new world,without boring them to the point they put the book down. His unique story of the life of the solitary rangers and a boy's introduction into this select group peaks the readers interest so that they can't put the book down, and it is written well enough that the reader doesn't wish they could(I have read plenty of books that had to be finish because the story was original but wished that i could put it down because the writing was terrible).

Now on to why youth especially boys want to like this book. It's about a young man that's smaller than average who does extraordinary things, they like to imagine themselves being that hero and having those adventures. The book wouldn't be nearly as exciting if it was about a wealthy kid who is the perfect child who does everything just right and defeats the enemy.

The last comment I have is concerning how he ends a book within a series. Once again he finds a the balance point where you feel completion yet you want to know what comes next. I wont say i enjoyed one of the books endings more than the others but i am going to say that i enjoyed book five's ending the least ( that may be because it's the last book written and i can't finish the story till the next book comes out).

The Secret Garden

Before I started this book I had my doubts about it, but they were quickly dispelled. Frances Burnett has a way of writing that makes it easy for children to understand, yet humorous for all readers, without taking away from the integrity of what is being written. I am impressed by how easily she can take a topic like the wonder of God and His power to heal our souls, and describe it so a child can look at their life and understand that everything around them is beautiful, and God made it that way for them to enjoy. Burnett revives in us the simple knowledge that God loves us and when we see that love and accept it we gain healing in our souls and truly gain life the way God intended.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but I think Barnes and Noble got it right when they placed this book in the children's section, not so much for children to read alone but for parents to read to their children.