Book Review: Robot Riot!

Review: #16
Title: Robot Riot!
Series: Schooling Around - 4th book
Author: Andy Griffiths
Read Before: no
My Comments: just like the previous book in the series, very obviously written for kids, actually even more obvious in this one. The plot is very easy to guess, there's not much secrets or suspense, and it's not that funny. The plot has been used numerously in other books, it was nothing new, very easy to fly through and at many points it was boring. This book isnt attractive, the characters were getting old and boring very fast, but there are some good throwbacks to the series that I have noticed, which is amusing.
Rating: 5/10
Rereadabililty Factor: 2/10

See also: Pencil of Doom! Book Review

Book Review: Pencil of Doom!

Review: #15
Title: Pencil of Doom!
Series: Schooling Around - 2nd book
Author: Andy Griffiths
Read Before: no
My Comments: this is another one of those books that's clearly written for the younger kids, the language used is not very complex, and the jokes were more immature (i.e. not funny to me). It was still an entertaining read, this book is not very funny, but it's not awful either. The plot is overly simplistic, it does enough to capture you and keep you reading on but it does feel dragging. The events feel that it's stuffed one after another with no real elegance. Conclusion wasnt very satisfy, it's more of those "it just is" endings, *sigh*.
Rating: 5/10
Rereadability Factor: 3/10 (dont want to reread it)

Book Review: Storm Warning

Review: #14
Title: Storm Warning
Series: The 39 Clues - 9th book
Author: Linda Sue Park
Read Before: no
My Comments: quite nice, the story is getting interesting, even though I'm reading the books in random order (i.e. as I find them), it's not too hard to follow, which is great on the author's part, lets newcomers pick up very easily. Just like the previous book I had read in this series (the sixth book, In Too Deep) it seems better and more interesting than the first book (Maze of Bones). I might just add taht these are all written by different authors. The book did keep me going and wanting for more, but not to the point of craziness, there wasnt as many clues and so not as much of those 'revealing moments' (as in, omfg, that's what it means, so smart!).
Rating: 6/10
Rereadability Factor: 3/10 (dont really want to reread it)

Book Review: Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1

Review: #13
Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1
Series: The Twilight Saga - Graphic Novel (1st Volume)
Author: Story - Stephenie Meyer, Illustrated and Adapted by Young Kim
Read Before: no
My Notes: On a rough approximation, took me approximately one hour to finish this book, very easy to fly through as it is a graphic novel and nothing much to read. The art style is alright, although I do think the female lead looks weird, too pale, I know she's pale but not that pale... seems like she's a vampire already. Onto the story, I didn't know it was only the first thirteen chapters adapted (I guess that's why it's 'Volume 1', I had thought that meant the whole series was getting adapted). The story is was faster paced than the book and I think as fast as the movie (so it'll take roughly the same time to read the whole two volumes as watching the movie), but there is nothing much happening. The had skipped a lot of the female lead's reflections, so I still think this is a series that is better off as a book than any other more visual based media. I was looking forward to reading this when I had gotten it at the library (I was so excited when I found it! Coz it is out still fairly recently), but I guess it's just that the book is a whole lot better. Also wished that they could have adapted the whole book in one shot, coz I feel it’s a bit lacking, specially with the first part that kinda spoils it, but still, I think it’s a worthy read, and doesn't waste that much of your time.
Rating: 6/10
Rereadability Factor: 7/10 (quite good to reread)

Book Review: Percy Jackson The Ultimate Guide

Review: #12
Title: Percy Jackson The Ultimate Guide
Series: Percy Jackson (& the Olympians) - Companion Book
Author: Credits Rick Riordan on the cover but actually written by Mary-Jane Knight
Read Before: no
My Notes: took me around 75 mins or so to finish reading this book, it’s not that good, but I shouldn't really expect that much from a companion book. I thought that maybe this would be the one that would defy my expectations, but no, it’s worse than The Artemis Fowl files (at least that one had two redeeming short stories, even if most of the other stuff is pointless and stuff I hate like word searches and crosswords). I guess I was mainly purchasing this for the sake of owning most (if not all) of the Percy Jackson books, and also coz I like the pictures. They had pretty cool pictures that I think are specially drawn for this, but most of it I had already seen on the internet so it wasn't much surprising, I was wishing for more pictures. Not being written by Rick Riordan didn't help, I got cheated, tricked coz they put his name on the front, and not the actual author. I felt that they were lazy in putting like quotes from the book in, seemed like they were padding the book, and most of the info is just summarising stuff we already found out in the series. I was hoping for, you know, some in-depth knowledge of the series revealed that we never knew before, maybe some hidden things you can pick up in the series, there is nothing in this book that points it as being “The Ultimate Guide”. At least they had some new information that I was surprised at learning, but it’s not much. I think this is about as much a disappointment as The Demigod Files, at least that one has three short stories. Mentioning The Demigod Files, this book reuses stuff from it!!! The “Chiron’s Guide to Who’s Who in Greek Mythology” was in it, and also in my Sea of Monsters book, that is just extremely disappointing and lazy. Only thing this book is worth the money is coz it’s a hardback, has magnetic clip on cover (don't care much for this, I find it annoying), and it’s in colour. Not much in there that is redeeming and a waste of money, one to avoid unless you’re a die-hard fan.
Rating: 5/10 (mediocre – and most of these points is coz it’s Percy Jackson)
Rereadability Factor: 3/10

See also: Percy Jackson Book Reviews - The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian

Book Review: Happenstance Found

Wow... I finished this book quite fast...



Review: #11
Title: Happenstance Found
Series: The Books of Umber (1st book)
Author: P.W. Catanese
Read Before: no
My Comments: surprised that I managed to finish the book in so short a time, especially compared to how long the previous one took me. Although it’s not as good as Pride and Prejudice or some other fantasy books, it is quite an interesting read, which really surprised me. There was enough suspense to keep you going, but not lack of action to leave you bored, but the book still hasn't answered every question, but I guess those will be answered during the series, it’s a planned trilogy, so I might actually grab the next one if I remember. The plot’s quite nice, and since it’s a created world, many of the ‘monsters’ are imaginative and satisfying (i.e. doesn't feel like a rip off). The way it’s connected to the ‘our real world’ is a bit weak and strained, but still pulled off fairly well. It was a page turner, and kept me hooked enough to not stop reading, fairly good book, but by no means fantastic.
Rating: 7/10
Rereadability Factor: 5/10

Book Review: Pride & Prejudice

Here's a book review today as I have finally finished reading the book (took me nearly two weeks...):




Review: #10
Title: Pride & Prejudice
Series: N/A
Author: Jane Austen
Read Before: no
My Notes: although I wasnt really interested in this, some of my friends have read it, and it's a pretty famous book, so supposedly it'll be good (I mean it has endured for nearly 200 years now...), and thought I'll give it a try when I had went to the library over a month back. The beginning of the book was a bit slow and can be off-putting, but it progressed, I had to get used to the language and the style of writing as it was very different to comtemporary books. As I did, it got really really good and got me hooked onto it. I was quite attached to it at the end, I think it gets better just before halfway, so if you managed to get up to that, you'll be well awarded. Considering it was published nearly two hundred years ago, this is just really good, and I was susprised it took me in so well, I quite like how they use the words, it just adds that unique touch to it (it's different to what I've reading and so it's quite refreshing). I think I just love the idea/plot of not liking a person at first sight but really misunderstanding and each person changes and eventually fall in love unknowingly, that is really really awesome, and the author pulled it off quite well, as I had said before, it is just the latter part that really gets it going and sucks you in, if you manage to endure the first part (which is mostly setting up the stuff) then you’re set. I cannot believe how much this has affected me, upon finishing it, I just kept thinking over and over about the events, although it hasn't touched me to the point of the Percy Jackson series, it’s more than a lot of other books. I really want to wish for a sequel but that cannot be as the author has passed away.
Rating: 7.5/10 (highly recommended)
Rereadability Factor: 7/10 (good to reread in around half a year)

Extra Note: I was going to give it a 7 but thought the end was too good and so it deserves better, but I couldnt make myself to give it an 8 since the beginning will put people off and I dont think it's up to that super awesome standard just yet, at least this book has made me more interested in reading the author's other works.

Book Review: The Plum-Rain Scroll

Review: #9
Title: The Plum-Rain Scroll
Series: N/A
Author: Ruth Manley
Read Before: no
My Comments: it took me almost a week to read this, and a major reason why was that it's not that interesting. I find that the plot is too weak and not complex enough, a lot of things are pretty contrived and more like, I say it and this is it coz I want it to. Reading the blurb when I first got this book, I thought interesting enough, normal boy who wishes for adventure, gets one and gains seven “unlikely” companions and gets one hell of an adventure, sounds like my ideal thing. Too bad, it's not smart, not funny and it's weird, there were some parts that were alright but mainly just so dragging. It doesnt suck you in, the characters have not development, and the wise characters doesnt sound that wise, there's not even wit, it's really no wonder it took me so long to read it. Not really much redeeming parts (although there are some), but for all the bad things I've talked about it, it really isnt the worse book, just mediocre, this is definitely not the stuff that gets me sucked into reading.
Rating: 5.5/10
Rereadability Factor: 2/10 (I dont think I ever want to reread it)