Dee knows that today will be the day, not just any day, but D-Day. The Allies are invading France. Dee is just one of the many characters in this story. Samira tries to stop the Germans and save her family at the same time. James leaps from an airplane and finds himself in the middle of the unknown. Henry searches for lives to save as so many die on the beaches. Each one of them play a part in a struggle where many did not survive. It was hard to get to know each character with many switch backs. However, Dee is a central figure that seems to hold the book together. There were a few stories that I felt did not get as fleshed out as they could. However, Gratz writes an exciting account of all the people who played a part in this day.
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This is the sequel to Impostors, and you will want to read that book before this review if you don't want to spoil anything. Frey made a choice. She will stay behind for Col, the boy she fell in love with when she pretended to be her sister. She is choosing once again to be Rafi, the girl next in line as ruler. Can she fool everyone, even her own father? I wanted to like this book as much as the first one, but it left me a little lost with its jump in the action. Now there is nothing wrong with an action packed book. However, I would prefer a little more character development. There is a third book, and I don't know if I will pick it up. She's not quite sure why her dad brought her and her brother, Simon, to North Korea. Mia was adopted from South Korea. However, her father wants her and Simon to come with him on a trip to North Korea where he will talk about food distribution for the people of North Korea. When her father sneaks out of their hotel room late at night, she knows something is up. But she never expected him to arrested the next day. What happens now that she and Simon are alone in a communist country? The beginning held my attention with dad sneaking off on a secret meeting. Then the story slowed for me because Simon and Mia had very little interaction. There is a reason for that, and they get to it finally. Then the story picks up as they near the Chinese border. The little side chapters are also sometimes interesting and sometimes confusing. They are from the Korean people that Simon and Mia come into contact with and what is happening from their perspective, but sometimes you have to go back to see where they fit in. I appreciated this story over all, and the ending is well worth the read. There is some cussing in the story, but it is more PG. Ernest Shackleton was not the first to reach the South Pole. That honor goes to Roald Amundsen in 1911. However, he and 27 other men would be the first to explore Antarctica. Things became dire when the ice freezes around their ship. Somehow these men were able to cross Antarctica, row to another island, and find rescue despite insurmountable odds. This piece of narrative nonfiction will make you cringe and keep saying, "No way!" That these men actually survived is nothing short of a miracle. Word of a warning: If you are an animal lover, there are some sad moments. What I appreciate about narrative nonfiction is that everything happened. You don't have to wonder if this was from history. Mark Twain wrote, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." This book definitely fits that quote. Miles is in trouble at school. He left the classroom without permission to use the restroom. But he didn't really need to use the restroom. His problems are much bigger than that. His spidey senses are tingling, and it happens every time he enters Mr. Chamberlain's classroom. Miles Morales is Spider-Man. I was expecting this to be more about Miles becoming Spider-Man. However, he spends more time in the classroom than being Spider-Man. Some of the scenes were exciting, but I saw where Reynolds was going long before the reveal. If you like the Miles Morales from Marvel Comics or the movie, Into the Spider-Verse, you will probably enjoy this as well. I'm sure I missed a lot because I was not as familiar with his character, and I needed more backstory. For a fan though, this will probably be an easy and engaging read. Because of language and politics, this is in the YA section of my classroom library. This is from the Embassy Row series, and you will want to read All Fall Down before reading this review or the book. Grace found out who killed her mother, but the truth did not solve her problems. The truth only made them worse. Her brother, Jamie, comes to visit her after everything else comes to light, and he brings one of his friends from West Point. However, an unlikely accident happens, and Grace doesn't know who to trust or who may still be trying to kill her. It's been a while since I finished this book, so I don't remember all the details. What I do remember is enjoying the fast pace, the twists in the plot line, and the secret that shocked me at the end just like the first book. If you think you know why all this is happening to Grace, you may just be surprised by the ending. I thoroughly enjoy a good surprise. She knows that her mother's death was not by fire. She was murdered. But no one believes her. Grace has been sent to live with her grandfather on Embassy Row, a line of embassies representing various countries. Her grandfather is the American ambassador to Adria. However, her troubles follow her when she thinks she sees her mother's killer, the man with the scar on his face. I love a good mystery/thriller. This book has adventure along with a surprise twist that I never saw coming. I think I still need to reread this book to make sure I got the ending right. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, See How They Run, and the third one in the series is titled, Take the Key and Lock Her Up. Allusions anyone? This is the third in a trilogy. So you will want to read The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials first. So Thomas made it out of the Scorch Trials alive, but he's now locked up because he has the virus. Surprise, surprise, everyone has the virus. It's just that he and some of his friends are immune to its effects, a.k.a. "Munies." Unfortunately, Newt is not immune, but that doesn't mean that Thomas will leave him behind. He and some of his friends get out of WICKED headquarters and head for the city, but the trials seem tame compare to the real world with so many under the Flare's control. Will they ever find a cure? Will they ever be safe? This book was such a disappointment after The Scorch Trials. I will have to say that I did not enjoy the ending, and I felt like Dashner killed off characters he couldn't find a way to save. There is no happy ending in this, and I have to say I struggled through most of the book. When it ended, I had to say, "Really? That's it." I thought there was another book, and there is, but it's a prequel, so no luck for the characters that were killed in this last book. This is the third in the series. So you will want to read The Selection and The Elite before reading this review. America has survived so many tests and trials, attacks from other girls, attacks from rebels, a whipping, and now she must make a choice. Will she fight for Maxon, or will she marry Aspen? Is this about duty or love? How can she be a part of a kingdom that she does not believe in, a kingdom based on a caste system she knows is wrong? Will she even have the chance with rebel attacks coming so frequently? Okay, I have to give it to Kiera Cass. After making America very unlikable in The Elite, she made a great comeback with The One. I don't know how I feel about authors killing off characters sometimes, but in the end, it made America a more sympathetic character, one you could relate to and not so caught up in the drama of being picked. She even made Celeste more likable. I have to say this book made up for the second one. So if you lose heart in The Elite, this one makes up for it. This is the sequel to The Selection. If you don't want any spoilers, read that book first before reading this review. America Singer has made it to the Elite in the Selection. There are only five other girls left to be Prince Maxon's bride. Yes, she's realized that she cares about Maxon, but she's not so sure about being a princess. With the rebels, she's also starting to realize there are more dangerous things than her rival's nails. But now, Aspen's back in the picture. This was my least favorite of the Selection series. I was so mad at America for stringing both Maxon and Aspen along. By the end, it wasn't who should she choose, it was who will take her now? I'm hoping for a better ending. So since both of the guys are still willing to put up with her at the end, I guess I will go through one more book. |
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June 2021
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