So, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling is the final book in the Harry Potter series. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to destroy Horcruxs. They travel all over, returning even to the place Harry was born, and the place where his parents where killed by Voldemort. Also, in this book you find out what side the characters are REALLY on. This book has lots of surprising twists ( they won’t be surprising if you have seen the final 2 movies, they follow pretty closely to the books, but the book is better, of corse.)

I really enjoyed this book! The main characters are so lovable and it is great to see them working together to try and defeat Voldemort once and for all.

SO! Two of my good friends who live out of state came to visit! They drove here in 11 hours with all the crazy traffic. My friend, who isn’t really a “reader” Was RAVING about a book she read straight through on the car ride down…called Beastly. I didn’t really have intentions of reading it. But after school the day they left, I came into my room and found Beastly laying on my bed. I couldn’t put it down since .

Beastly, by Alex Flinn is a take on beauty and the beast. It is set in present day times and starts off with Kyle being a popular and handsome, but rude and heartless. A Witch then comes and changes him into a hideous beast. She gives him 2 years to find somebody to love him despite his ugliness. She gives him a magic mirror in which he can see ANYONE he wants in! This book is from “the beasts” Point of view. There is a surprising twist at the end I didn’t expect at all! To find it out…read the book

I give this book, 3.5 stars. It was great, a very quick read and fast paced. I didn’t like how there was barely any humor. I also disliked how they didn’t describe the setting very well. But, I love how it ends!

Here is an excerpt:

“I was a beast. I stared into the mirror. I was an animal not quite a wolf or a bear or a gorilla or a dog, but some horrible species that walked upright, that was almost human, yet not. Fangs grew from my mouth, my fingers were clawed and hair grew from every pore. I, who’d looked down on peoples with zits or halitosis, was a monster.”

Page 47

Okay, at this point in the series, everyone now knows Voldemort is back. Harry, Hermione and Ron return for their 6th year at Hogwarts. In the beginning of the school year, they receive a new Potion’s teacher. In Harry’s text book he finds constant notes that help him excel in Potions. These notes are all made by the Half Blood Prince. Throughout the year the Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore arranges meetings with Harry, in which he shows some of Voldemort’s memories to give Harry a better idea of his past. Harry soon falls in love with Ginny, without Ron, her older brother’s approval. The Wizarding world then loses a great wizard as the search for Horcruxes begins and Harry is shocked when he finds out who the mysterious Half-Blood Prince is!

One of my 2010 New Year’s resolutions was to finish the Harry Potter series! Before reading the books, I had only seen very little of the movies. But for this one, I actually was taken to the midnight premiere by my Harry-Potter-super-fan friend. I absolutely loved it! I usually don’t even compare the book to the movie but in this case I preferred the movie. One of my absolute favorite parts was when Harry comforted Hermione after seeing Ron kiss someone else, is not in the book. I think both the 6th movie and book have great humor, they are just, different. The movie also doesn’t fallow the book as well as some of the other movies. But, the way the book was ended was much better than the way the movie was ended.
So, overall I give this book, 5 out of 5. I absolutely adore the writing style J.K Rowling uses! Also having “known” the character’s for 6 books, you really grow to like them! I also think the entire concept of this book is very creative. I could not stop reading this one and was onto the seventh one before I knew it!

Teaser:
“…I really don’t know where you get those brain waves, my boy…unless-” (the Potions teacher to Harry Potter on a potion he made using the half-Blood Prince’s tips)
Harry pushed the Half-blood prince’s book deeper into his bag with his foot.
“…it’s just your mother’s genes coming out in you!:
“Oh…yeah maybe.” said Harry, relieved.

“The Hunger Games is about Katniss Everdeen who lives in the poorest district, District 12. District 12 is in a futuristic country in the ruins of the US called Panam. Panam is controlled by the Capitol, and to prove to the twelve districts they are in control and to discourage them to start a rebellion, they hold an annual hunger games, which is forced to be “celebrated”. On reaping day, the name of one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district is picked by a lottery. They are forced to participate in the hunger games. What are the hunger games?
The Hunger Games is an awful game where kids must fight each other to the death which Capitol puts on annually. When 16-year-old Katniss’ 12 year old sister, Prim is called. Katniss heroically takes her place. After lots of preparations in the capitol, they begin interviews where Peeta confesses he loves her, to get more sponsors, or does he truly love her? She battles for her life along with her fellow district twelve tribute, Peeta. But there can only be one victor.”

Overall I give this book four out of five stars. It was very fast paced with no dull moments. But I don’t think the characters are built up enough in the beginning. Other than that, I do defiantly recommend this book!

I did return this book back to the Library and can’t do an excerpt of this book. I will tell you what my favorite part was. Well, it was when they were in the Capitol preparing for the Games because I like the suspense and how her stylist put together an elaborate outfit for the interviews!

Also, my book DID win. It was either because of my hard work on the report or because two other people who also did this book. Either way all three of us got five extra points!

On to the review! So, Waiting for Normal by Leslie Conner is over all a great book! It is about a 12 year old girl named Addie, who is part of a very dysfunctional family. Her mom, who she calls “Mommers”, has a very all-or-nothing approach to life. After Addie’s father dies when she is 3, Mommers remarries Dwight, everything was great and Addie got two new little sisters. But a few years later, Mommers and Dwight end up getting divorced. Dwight got custody of Addie’s two sisters but since her and Dwight aren’t blood, he can’t get custody. Addie and Mommers live in a trailer in Schenectady, NY. Mommers leaves the trailer for days on end, leaving Addie alone. Addie still stays optimistic things will one day be normal. She makes friends, and Dwight keeps in close contact with Addie making sure Mommers is taking care of her, and has her come visit in him, her sisters, and his-soon-to-be-wife Hannah in Lake George frequently. But when something tragic happens in Mommers absence, The State begins to question her as a mother. Okay, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The pros of this book where it was such a page turner! I think I read the whole thing in two days! Addie is very likable & optimistic. The book has a diverse story line. The cons: It was a little bit of a downer, there wasn’t great character development. It explained what they were like but not how they looked. It was also very hodge-podge-y. It would be like this:”I reached for flute, knowing I’d have to bring it back.
I walked over the bridge, looking to see if the diner was open…”
I do recomend this book, but keep in mind it is very sad!

***NOTE: I DID CRY!***

Here is a quote:
“‘…How was it up there (with Dwight)?’
‘Oh! Mommers-’ I hesitated. ‘It was all right’ I said. I added a shrug.
‘And Dwight’s all moved in with that Hannah chick’s place? What did I hear? A mansion or something?’
Page 137, Waiting for Normal

“Rowling has not lost her flair as a story teller or her ability to keep coming up with new gimcracks to astound her readers. But her true skill lie in the way she ages Harry…”)

Due to Voldemort’s return, which the rest of the wizarding community refuses to believe, Dumbledore re-activates the Order of the Phoenix. Upon Harry’s arrival at school the new defense against the dark arts is from the ministry of magic. No teacher has ever been from the Ministry so this is a shock for Harry. During the Climax of this book, someone very dear to Harry dies, but of course you have to read the book to find out who!
I give this book a 4.9 out of 5. Why not make it a five? I’ll explain. It isn’t my FAVORITE book but it is definitely one of the best in the series. My favorite book would be book four, which I also have a review on. It isn’t my favorite because the new professor makes Harry miserable at Hogwarts. I loved: The story line, the characters, how well it is written, and the excitement! You never know what is going to happen!

” ‘Sirius!’ Harry said loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him. ‘I’ve warned you Sivellus,’ said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape’s, ‘I don’t care if Dumbledore thinks you’ve reformed, I know better…”

Page 520, The Order of the Phoenix

Here is an excerpt:
“There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron’s face. The silence was broken, not by Ron… but by a soft tap tap on the window.”

Page 225, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

There are so many quotable quotes in this book but this one I think sums everything up nicely.
Here is an Excerpt~

“And now, with all these pages behind us, an early promise has been confirmed: this book indeed has no “unifying theme.”
But if there is no unifying theme to Freakonomics, there is at least a common thread running through the everyday application of Freakonomics. It as to do with thinking sensibly about how people behave in the real world.”

Page 205, Epilogue: Two Paths to Harvard

Here is a teaser:
“You remember last year, or the year that you were a Sven or a Five, can’t you?
“Of course.”
“It’s much the same. Everyone in the community has one-generation memories like those. But now you will be able to go back further. Try. Just concentrate.”

page 38; “The Giver”

Here is a teaser:
The cub felt prod of the life what was in him, and stood up and snarled valiantly by his mother’s side. But she thrust him ignominiously away and behind her.

Page 80, White Fang, Jack London