Book Reviews: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

In the novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, humanity lives under constant fear of a distant alien race called the buggers. Ender Wiggin is a prodigious boy chosen to attend the Battle School, a spaceship in which students learn skills necessary to be able to fight the buggers in the future. Ender quickly rises in stature and reaches unheard-of fame within the Battle School; it is clear that he is the last hope for humanity. Meanwhile, his also prodigious brother Peter forms political schemes on Earth. Eventually, Ender must face the buggers, who (seemingly) desire to destroy the human race. I would recommend this excellent book to anyone who enjoys reading, especially fans of science fiction. As long as you’re okay with violence that you might expect from a science-fiction “”war”” story, most people should find Ender’s Game an engrossing read.
This book is also a lot less simplistic than it may seem from the description; Ender’s Game should be as entertaining to intellectuals as it should be to people who like violent action movies.”

Review written by Prashant P.

Book Reviews: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The story is narrated by a depressed sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel Green, whose parents  force to attend a support group. One day upon her attendance she meets and ends up falling in love with seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, former basketball player and osteosarcoma patient. He is infatuated upon her first words and is even convinced to read her favorite book An Imperial Infliction, which is a major symbol throughout the book. A riveting novel that shows one the depths of life, love, and death.

The Fault in Our Stars is a must read. This book taught me how much you can love fictional characters and how much you can miss them. It taught me about life, love, simple pleasures, dreams. It taught me that you don’t get to choose if you get hurt or not but you do have a choice on who hurts you. The Fault in Our Stars is one of my all-time favorite books and I hope you gain the same life lessons from it as I did.

 

Review written by Alekhya S.

Book Reviews: Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Extras, unlike the other books in the series, was one of the books I would not personally recommend. It is a book you would want to read because it is part of the series, but even if you decided not to read the book you would be fine.

The book itself is nothing like the first three books in the series. This last book is rather inconsistent with the story line, essentially bringing down the series. The book is from a whole new perspective. The book is from the point of view of Aya Fuse, now the main character in the book. The book takes place during a “post-Tally” time, three years after Specials. During this time, every person in each city updates his or her own news feed hoping to gain fame and possibly let go of the title “extra”. They want to be someone in their world.

This book, being the last book of the series, has no real connection to the original plot. The series would have been perfectly fine without this last book. It isn’t a bad read, it just doesn’t go with the rest of the series.

Recommend: No

Stars: 2 out of 5

Book Reviews: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Imagine a very well-dressed lady, with discrete pearl jewelry and a modest dress, yes? Also, imagine her holding a small china teacup. Still got it? Good. Now imagine her waving her hand primly in the direction of a nearby man. As the remains of his coat fall to the ground, she’s smiling at you and asking you if you’d like some of her biscuits. Congrats, you’ve just found out the kind of tone ‘Good Omens’ is written in. Add in some conversation between the Horsemen of the Apocalypse about giant avocados, a demon who didn’t ‘so much fall as saunter vaguely downward,’ and some other very interesting characters which includes a professional descendant, an unremarkable-in-all-ways-but-one supposed witch hunter, and accomplished lurkers, and that’s . . . that’s ‘Good Omens,’ basically.

This book is recommended for those who don’t mind well-written death-by-maggots scenes, those who enjoy gentle nudges in a helpful direction, and those who are willing to look at serious situations through comical lenses.

Written by Stephanie L

Book Reviews: In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn

This book is about a kid who was given no choice, but to become a doctor or else. The story is Dr. Anthony Youn’s personal memoir about the journey through the years, to his final destination as an established plastic surgeon. Filled with humor and acerbity , the story is a great way to find out whether medicine is something one really wants to do as a career. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in choosing medicine as a career path; it is also a good read for someone who wants to spend some time in the shoes of a doctor.

Recommend: Yes!

Book review written by Sri

Book Reviews: Empty by Suzanne Weyn

When I first picked up this book I considered it fairly short compared to some of the other books I read, it is only 192 pages. The book is in the future (“the very near future” as the book says) when fossil fuels are running out, all oil banks slowly being left empty. Gas prices are anywhere from $20 to $90 depending on how much oil is available. Electricity is rarely on and fresh food is hard to get. This particular story takes place in one town which is very much effected by this.

The writing is straightforward and is quite possible. Weyn conveys the story clearly and the pages just fly by! Just one thing, the book is short! Getting to the end you want to know what happens further, but you don’t get a chance to because you’re on the last page! The book itself is a great dystopian book, keeping you interested as it is told through the point of view of three different high schoolers. If you come across the book, take a chance to go ahead and read it, it’s a book definitely worth the time.

Recommend: Yes!

Stars: 4 out of 5

Book Reviews: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Specials, by Scott Westerfeld is a quite interesting third book to the Uglies series. It goes along , with the story line but it really shows how Tally Youngblood, the main character has developed from the first book. In the first book she’s a girl who wants to be a Pretty and by the end doesn’t because of her reasons. Then, coming to Specials, it really shows how Tally has changed from that girl who didn’t want to be a Pretty to becoming a Special, a very important type of pretty.
The plot was enjoyable, showing the real toll that Tally has taken throughout her journey showing how she breaks from her shell. Throughout the plot it is widely seen how Tally struggles to regain control of her own mind, trying to regain her composure and the Tally she once was before she entered the world of Pretties.
Essentially this book is a great book, focusing mainly on Tally and partially on Shay, her friend. It can be a great light read or a book with great depth if you actively search for it. It is also definitely a must read if you’ve read the first two books, Uglies and Pretties.

Recommend?: Yes! You should read the first two books, Uglies and Pretties before reading this book.

Stars?: 4 out of 5