Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Book Review of The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman


Other Worlds' Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

This book is about a young boy, Nobody Owens, who is raised in a graveyard by the ghostly inhabitants. The book is about his adventures, his misadventures, and the mysterious person known only as the man Jack.

This book is wonderful. It was one of those rare books where reaching the end was a sad experience. I grew to love the characters, the story, and the atmosphere. This book is a Halloween gem, although it could certainly be read at other times of the year as well. It is the winner of both the Hugo Award and the Newberry Award. It's not often you see a book like that.

I loved the mixture of feelings in this book. Sometimes it feels suspenseful, sometimes it feels homey, and sometimes it's downright creepy. However, I'd recommend it to anyone - even if you don't like scary stories. Nobody Owens, the boy from the graveyard, will surely find his way into your list of most lovable characters.

Really. Read this book. You'll love it.

Book Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Book Review of The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
Other Worlds' Rating: 9 of 10 Stars
This book was immensely enjoyable. The way in which Rick Riordan manages to make his books so humorous, and yet so engaging, is amazing to me. This book was great from the first chapter, and kept me wanting to read and read and read. The plot was good - it moved at a good pace, there was lots of excitement, and it was interesting enough that it was hard to find a good stopping point in the book because I just wanted to keep reading. Just by itself, the plot was good enough that I would recommend this book.
However, the part that really makes this book so fun and enjoyable is that the awesome plot is interspersed with lots of humor, and it works. I've read many books that attempted to have both a serious, good plot, and be funny at the same time, but I've never found an author that pulls it off quite as well as Rick Riordan. 
Basically, if you haven't read this series, you need to start it immediately. You'll be pulled along by the plot, and you'll find yourself laughing at the same time.

Book Review: Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, by Brandon Mull

Book Review of Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star - Brandon Mull


Other Worlds' Rating: 8 of 10 stars

This book is the sequel to Fablehaven, a New York Times best-selling novel which was reviewed by me here. It continues the story of Seth and Kendra Sorensen and the mysterious preserve for magical creatures. The sequel is better than the original in this book that extends the Fablehaven mythos into much wider territory. This book opens up the plot much further, and gives a much more overall view of what is really going on at Fablehaven.

I enjoyed the first Fablehaven, but this one really tops it. It brings in a whole new sense of intrigue and gives the magical world a much grander scale than the original. The characters deepen and we gain a greater appreciation and understanding of them. There are also new characters introduced that will quickly become readers' favorites.

Also, as a side note, I listened to part of this as an audiobook, and let me tell you, the performance was excellent.

To anyone who liked the first Fablehaven, this is a must read.

Book Review: Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull

 Book Review of Fablehaven - Brandon Mull


Other Worlds' Rating: 7 of 10 stars

Seth and Kendra Sorenson visit their grandparents while their parents go on vacation, and, expecting a boring vacation, are pleasantly surprised. They find that their grandparents are the caretakers of a magical preserve, Fablehaven, and they meet and interact with magical creatures.

I enjoyed this book. However, I did find that it was a fairly slow starting book - the beginning dragged a bit and it took a while for me to get into the book. Once I was into it though, this book was a definitely a page turner. It was fairly difficult for me to put it down near the end.

I feel like the book presented a unique idea - which is refreshing in the often repetitive fantasy genre. The characters were unique, albeit with familiar characteristics. I feel like the writing is pretty good too, especially since this is Mull's debut novel. The novel features an ending battle which was both unexpected and awesome, pitting the forces of good against a demon released from imprisonment.

I would recommend this read, and would say that if you're having a hard time getting through the beginning of the book, just push through. The book is really quite good and is worth it in the end.

Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

Book Review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan


Other Worlds' Rating : 8 of 10 stars

I decided to read this after enjoying the recent film adaptation of this book. As is fairly typical, the book was much better than the movie was. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The goofy, almost sarcastic humor of Rick Riordan makes this book an immensely entertaining read.

The story is about 12 year old Percy Jackson, who is dyslexic and ADHD, and feels like hardly anything is going right in his life. His mom is married to the vile Gabe Ugliano, who lives for beer and poker, and hates work almost as much as he hates Percy. Percy knows little about his dad, whom he is informed died before he was born. Percy's main goal is to survive school and not incur Gabe's wrath too often.

However, when a vacation with his mom takes a turn for the worse, Percy discovers that the Greek gods of Olympus have never been more real, and that he is involved with them in a way that he never would have thought possible. Rick Riordan spins a tale of adventure and self discovery that will keep you both laughing and on the edge of your seat until the final page.

This book is advertised as children's literature, but I think that children and adults alike will enjoy this book. It was really a good read - I loved the writing style, and the plot was fairly gripping. Riordan had a fascinating view on how the Olympians could blend with modern society. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.