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lizhenry's reviews
1544 reviews
Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
2.0
My son loves these books. The first two or three times I tried to read Into the Wild, I couldn't get through it because of the ponderous writing. It was like trying to enjoy reading "Magic Treehouse". Once I got used to the writing, and to everyone meowing adverbially in the dialogue, and then got well into the second book of the series, the soap opera quality of the plot got me hooked on the series.
In Book 1 Rusty the housecat joins a forest clan and becomes a warrior apprentice. He is one of two cats who realize that an important authority figure in the clan is a murderer. Angst time!
In Book 1 Rusty the housecat joins a forest clan and becomes a warrior apprentice. He is one of two cats who realize that an important authority figure in the clan is a murderer. Angst time!
Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter
2.0
Angst galore as Fireheart lies and covers up for his best friend Graystripe's forbidden loves with a tabby from another cat tribe. Divided loyalties. I couldn't stop thinking, "Why don't they just TALK to each other about it". The murderer from book one becomes even more respected as clan deputy. Fireheart gets an apprentice. Let the soap opera continue!
Forest of Secrets by Erin Hunter
2.0
At this point the Warrior series starts to get really dark, with especially traumatic deaths of nice characters described in detail. Heartbreak! Betrayal! More "why don't they talk to each other" agonizing. The murderer from book 1 tries to kill the clan leader but only Fireheart knows about it.
It was at this point that, despite being unable to give more than 2 stars to these horrible books, I lost my dignity completely and began to buy them for Kindle so that I could see what happened next.
It was at this point that, despite being unable to give more than 2 stars to these horrible books, I lost my dignity completely and began to buy them for Kindle so that I could see what happened next.
Space Station Rat by Michael J. Daley
4.0
This was an excellent book for grade school or middle school kids! It's about an intelligent rat on a space station who stowed away when she escaped from a lab. She can type and speak in sign language. There's also a lonely, frustrated boy on the space station who gets an unexpected pen pal.
This wasn't super deep or full of serious trauma or gore. The writing style was okay! It was a quick read. Milo really liked it and brought it to me to recommend that I read it right away!
This wasn't super deep or full of serious trauma or gore. The writing style was okay! It was a quick read. Milo really liked it and brought it to me to recommend that I read it right away!
Rocket Girls: The Last Planet by Housuke Nojiri
3.0
English translation of an interesting sf book from Japan. Japan and the Solomon Islands have a space program with short, smart teenage girls in skin-tight suits as their astronauts. The gender politics are interesting but sometimes pissed me off, like when the American astronauts can't stop talking about how the girls are like cute anime characters.
They ARE a bit like anime characters. I did like their girly anime scene with the sushi smuggled aboard their tiny spacecraft, and when they splash down in the high school pond, and then they immediately go shoppping and to a nail salon.
The astronaut from the Solomon Islands is her tribe's shaman and wears a bikini and some shell necklaces or something. She's very at home in the jungle. I found it kind of interesting to see pop culture Japanese racism/imperialism. It wasn't so horrible that I threw the book across the room but it was bad enough to mention and warn about. About on the level of Nancy Drew when she makes friends with someone from pretty much any other culture than WASP-y middle class.
The astronauts were strong and cool characters, were all good friends with each other, and were totally brave and smart in space. The rocket science bits were very hard science, space-program-fan flavored while still being lighthearted and somehow... girly. I liked that too!
They ARE a bit like anime characters. I did like their girly anime scene with the sushi smuggled aboard their tiny spacecraft, and when they splash down in the high school pond, and then they immediately go shoppping and to a nail salon.
The astronaut from the Solomon Islands is her tribe's shaman and wears a bikini and some shell necklaces or something. She's very at home in the jungle. I found it kind of interesting to see pop culture Japanese racism/imperialism. It wasn't so horrible that I threw the book across the room but it was bad enough to mention and warn about. About on the level of Nancy Drew when she makes friends with someone from pretty much any other culture than WASP-y middle class.
The astronauts were strong and cool characters, were all good friends with each other, and were totally brave and smart in space. The rocket science bits were very hard science, space-program-fan flavored while still being lighthearted and somehow... girly. I liked that too!