The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

So I like horses. Sue me. And yes, it's another horse book.

The Horse Whisperer revolves around a horse whisperer by the name of Tom Booker, a horse by the name of Pilgrim, and Grace and her mother Annie Graves. 'A forty-ton truck hurtles out of control on a snowy country road, a teenage girl on horseback in its path. In a few terrible seconds the life of a family is shattered. And a mother's quest begins- to save her maimed daughter and a horse driven mad by pain. It is an odyssey that will bring her to... The Horse Whisperer.'

It's a hauntingly good novel, full of the struggles of finding love, dealing with a terrible accident, and familial love and hate. Grace and Annie are really spectacular characters that are very very well rounded. Throughout this work, both of them grow as they try to get over the horrific results of the accident. Grace grows in ways that are unimaginable, from learning to ride again with a prosthetic leg, to learning to trust Pilgrim again. Pilgrim, on the other hand, learns how to trust himself again, and move past the incidents that left him in so much pain.

I simply loved this book as it told all the ups and down of a mother and a broken child, along with the incredible bond between horse and rider. Nicholas Evans really did a remarkable job with the story. You can't put it down after you pick it up. As soon as you turn to page one, it's over for you until page 404. It's the perfect mixture of horses, family, and romance! A real page turner!

I recommend this to everyone in the young adult and older age. it does have some material that would not be suitable for young teens and younger.

***I give this book a 12/10 I downright loved it!***

Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull

Brandon Mull, author of the Fablehaven series, has wrote another series, called the Beyonders.

Warning: This is the third book in the series! I highly recommend reading the first books before reading this book, as things will actually make sense and you will be much better bonded with the characters! This review may also contain spoilers for the first two books, so do not read on!

This series is honestly one of my favourite series like ever. Not my favourite mind you, but one of my favourites. 

As the last book in the series, it finally comes to the end of Rachel and Jason's adventures in Lyrian. Chasing the Prophecy is a stunning finish to an epic series, following the final prophecy of Mianmon. Now, Jason and Rachel must split up to finish off Maldor and restore peace to Lyrian. Even if that means losing their lives.

I love this book/series so much because Brandon Mull really does a fantastic job in getting you to really connect with the characters. You end up really caring about the characters. Plus the action is fast paced and great-- it really keeps you on your toes and in the book.

I recommend this book to all kids/teens aged 8 and up, because it's a great book that everyone should enjoy. Mull is certainly one of the best adventure story writers!

***I give this book a 9.578889 out of 10!***

Tempest by Julie Cross

It's been quite a while since I read this book, and even longer since I went into Chapters and decided that I would buy it.

So what is this book even about?

Set in the year 2009, 19 year old Jackson Meyer seems pretty normal. He's in college, and has a girlfriend. But he can time travel. Yet it's much easier for him to time travel than in the movies-- nothing changes in the present-- no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors. Just harmless fun.

So what's the problem?

It all changes when strangers randomly burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly. During a scuffle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. Panicked, Jackson accidentally jumps back to 2007. This time, it's a bit different. He can't get back. Stranded in 2007, he settles in and learns about his abilities, his past, meets Holly all over again, and tries to get back to when he can actually save his girlfriend.

It's a love story of two young adults that time got in between. Will Jackson be able to make it back to her? Read to find out!

This book is... not the most fast-paced. Sure, there's a bit of action here and there, but a lot more of the 'feeling' thing. Personally prefer action novels, but if romance books beckon you, go for it. It's a good book-- well written and entertaining. I recommend it to older teens, just because the main character is 19, and you will be able to get what he is feeling only if you're older.

That's not to say that the author did a bad job in writing the book. It was just not a very appealing book to me, as I didn't get very bonded to the character, and therefore had a hard time sympathizing with him. Instead of being his supporter, I just ended up being a mere bystander, perceiving the action though not taking a side.

***I give this book an 8.4 out of 10***

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson

Thick book. Very thick book. 507 pages long. Worthwhile to read? Ehhhh... Depends if you liked The Mortal Instruments, and if you liked Magnus Bane.

So, as anyone who has read the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire can tell, this book is a spin-off tale on one specific character's life. Magnus Bane. The Bane Chronicles are a series of short stories that are meant to shed a little light on this inscrutable character. Inside jokes, background history, little scuffles Magnus had gotten into... Yet you can't document a warlock's long life in a mere 500 pages. Yet there are eleven telling of eleven different scenarios from the warlock's life-- from why he got banned from Peru, to missed calls on his phone.

This book was written by three different authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson. Cassandra Clare is the author to the Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices series (which I attempted to start, then didn't). Sarah Rees Brennan is the author of Unspoken, which i have never actually read before... And then there's Maureen Johnson, author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes (which is a great book!), The Name of the Star, and The Madness Underneath, and quite a few others. Johnson has written 10 YA novels in total. That's quite the amount of books!

Personally, I have a pretty neutral outlook on this book. I actually do really love Magnus Bane as a character, and it was interesting to see into is past, but I didn't think that writing was overly amazing. So I have to say that I didn't really hate this book, nor did I really love it....

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Mortal Instruments series!

***I give this book a 7.6 out of 10***

Prophecy of the Sisters: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Warning. Contains spoilers.

'There are some lines

sisters should never cross.

Once they do,

nothing will ever be the same.'

So.... yeah second book to the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy, Guardian of the Gate, in which sixteen year old Lia Milthrope continues on her journey to end an ancient prophecy that has made generations and generations of sisters hate each other. If you haven't read the first book, Prophecy of the Sisters, this would be a good time to stop reading.

Now that she has accepted her responsibilities as Gate, Lia journeys to the unchartered isle of Atlus to search for the missing pages of the book. This book could tell her how to end this prophecy once and for all. On the other hand, Alice, Lia's twin sister, is honing her spell-casting skills. Her deepest wish is to reclaim Lia's role as the Gate, and Alice will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Personally, I didn't like this second book as much as I enjoyed the first book. This one had a lot more of an aspect of romance in it, which I didn't really enjoy. Also, as the novel progressed, I got to dislike the main character more and more, and like Alice more. By the end of the book, I could safely say that I much preferred Alice over Lia, which was probably due to the perfection of the protagonist. I really really hate Mary Sues.

My enthusiasm for this series started to dwindle at Guardian of the Gate, but there is one more book after this, called Circle of Fire.

I don't recommend this series to anyone who doesn't like reading about Mary Sues. And honestly, they are the worst. That being in my opinion....

***I give this book a 6.7 out of 10***

Tales from Cook's Cove: Three for a Wedding by Mary C. Sheppard

"One for sorrow

Two for joy

Three for a wedding

Four for a boy

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven for a secret that can't be told"

Back to this wonderful series!

As the third book in the Tales from Cook's Cove series, this one comes after One For Sorrow. However, you don't really have to necessarily read them in this particular order-- they don't really have a correlation with one another, other than being in the same town. I haven't even read Seven For a Secret yet!

In this book, the protagonist is a girl named Violet Blue. Her sister, Jenny, is getting married this summer, and most of her family is going to attend. Her family also includes her cousin, Grace-Mae. Grace-Mae is truly something else. When Violet Blue first meets her, she's sporting a fluffy white coat and five-inch heels. With her platinum hair, body-hugging outfits, and curves in all the right places, Grace-Mae is far different from any of the other local girls at Cook's Cove. Yet along with Grace-Mae comes a flurry of mystery. Midst the wedding preparations, final exams, mysterious occurrences, and this cousin, Grace-Mae, perhaps even Violet Blue may be able to find romance.

This book is a lot lighter than One for Sorrow in the fact that it revolves around family life and finding love, rather than trying to deal with family and being illiterate. It's a fluffier book, 

Once again, I have to add that Mary C. Sheppard is an amazing author that really gets the reader sucked into the story. However, as she writes in a girl's perspective, this book (and especially this book) may appeal to teenage girls more than teenage guys, or even girls more than guys in general. Either way, it's a great book that I'm sure many many people would enjoy!

***I give this book a 9.5 out of 10***

Tales From Cook's Cove: One For Sorrow by Mary C. Sheppard

I love this series. Honestly. Such a good series.

Issy is not a happy camper. She has no friends her own age, she's failing school, and the dearest person to her, her great aunt Lady, has just passed away. It doesn't help that she has a mean, bedridden mother and an older, increasingly bitter sister. However, there's just one thing holding her back. She's illiterate-- she can't read at all, and never could. So how far can she really go?

I really loved this book because it's just so touching-- Mary C. Sheppard really outdoes herself in portraying the feelings of the characters-- the loneliness of Louise, Issy's sister, the helplessness of Issy and her inability to write. It has beautiful descriptions and really makes you feel like you're a part of the book.

One For Sorrow really captures the complexity of human emotions very well, and uses it to lure the reader to sympathize with the characters. You see both sides to each character's story, and you really get to know these characters.

Another really appealing aspect of this book was that it was so real. This could be a real story, and you can immediately connect with the protagonist just because she's so... Tangible. As you read the story, she almost becomes a part of you, and you're submerged into this world of Issy where she's struggling so hard to find her place in her life.

Mary C. Sheppard is really an exceptional writer, and I recommend this book to everyone 14 and up. I recommend 14 and up, or at least 12 and up as it does branch on some themes, plus it is rated as a young adult book!

I give this book a 9.7888 out of 10!***

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

I can't believe I haven't done a book review of this yet... So here it is, admittedly long overdue.

Two sisters, a prophecy, good, and evil. Cliched, yes, but good none the less. Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just turned into orphans.  Now, they're caught up in a twisted prophecy that has managed to turn generations of sisters against one another. Lia and Alice are now at a loss of who to trust. All they know is that they cannot trust each other. 

While the idea for this book is not overly original, I did really enjoy reading this book, just because of the relationship between Alice and Lia. Even though Lia is the one telling the story, the reader (or at least, I did) can really sympathize with Alice. Personally, I think that I preferred Alice to Lia at some points in the story... In this book, you will run into many strange things, as you follow Lia's story in dealing with this Prophecy of Sisters. 

Personally, this is a series of books I remember really really enjoying when I read them-- I devoured this book when I first got it, and then quickly went on to the second book, 'Guardian of the Gate'. While it's not a masterpiece like Artemis Fowl, I did enjoy reading it-- it's a great boredom chaser. While the writing is intricate and intriguing, the plot line does have a bit lacking...

I recommend this book to people who are in search of a good book to read to keep away the boredom demons during spring break, or someone in need of a good siblings rivalry novel, or a good prophecy novel!

***I give this book a 8.58 out of 10**

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

              

So I recently started a new manga series called Assassination Classroom, and have decided to do a little blurb on it, since I really do enjoy it.

Basically, this manga series is about a class (more specifically Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Middle school). This classroom is otherwise known as the 'give up on them' class, where all the people who aren't good enough are put in. Except this school isn't quite the same as the other schools. This one is a school for assassination. Every morning, they students greet their teacher with a massive firing squad. Bullets everywhere.

This class of 3-E is usually made up of the people who the teachers and staff have given up on. However, things change when they get a new teacher. Except this teacher isn't an ordinary teacher. He's a weird combination of an alien and an octopus, and he moves at speeds of mach-20. To say the least, he's super fast. He also was responsible for the destruction of the moon, blasting a hole in it and making a crescent shape it's perpetual shape. The government, in order to prevent the destruction of the world, had to abide with his strange command-- he wants to teach a high school class for a year, before he destroys Earth. In exchange, he will protect all his students, as well as teach them.

So now, class 3-E has a mission. Kill this alien that's somehow a ridiculously good teacher. Class E has to assassinate this teacher, that has to teach them exactly how to assassinate him before the end of the year.

Personally, I really enjoy this series, especially because it's not quite like anything else I've read. Assassination? yes. Aliens? Yes. School? Yes. All three of those put together in this fashion? Not quite. It's a series that will keep you laughing, and on the edge of your toes, especially since they try so hard to assassinate this teacher... But not quite...

I recommend this book to every single manga fan, and there's even an anime for all those anime fans out there! The only thing about this is that sometime's it gets so.... weird, that you're kind of left in the dust as to the happenings in the book.

*** I give this series a 9.49 out of 10!***

Last Apprentice: Seventh Son by Joseph Delaney

So... Possibly quite a few of you have seen the trailer for this book circulating around. If you can't tell by that huge red circle saying "Now a Major Motion Picture", Seventh Son is now out in theaters as a movie. As someone who wholly believes in reading the book before watching the movie, I obviously had to pick up this book before I would allow myself to watch the movie-- which looks very enticing...

This book is 688 pages long. Yes. I get that it's long, but you have to keep in mind that it is Books 1 and 2 combined together, so it's not actually that long... Plus the font is like size 10000. ( Okay that's a lie. But you get my gist. ) Besides. You can always put it down any time you want to have a break. It's a good book, but not engrossing enough for you not to be able to put it down. Promise.

This book basically covers the life of 'the seventh of a seventh son', Tom Ward. He has been chosen to become the apprentice of the one man who holds all the powers of evil back by himself. Except not for long, now that he has a apprentice. If Tom makes it past his tests alive, he'll be the best apprentice. And the last.

Featuring 'mysterious mother that's actually nothing that she seems', 'naive boy who learns to harness evil' , 'malevolent witch' and 'shady character that is actually a good character', this book kind of covers all the cliches of the supernatural. This book ranges from "Oh my gods what happens next???" to "Can I just skip the next four chapters? Nothing's happening anyways..." If I had to pinpoint one thing I really disliked about this book was the erratic stops of the action. While it did have a lot of action in the two books overall, the action stopped completely for a few chapters, before rushing through a few chapters' worth of action in a chapter, and then slowing down to a trickle again. Very touch and go.

However, it was an interesting book to read, and while I was admittedly caught in "What the heck just happened..." moments sometimes, I think people who enjoy action or adventure stories will enjoy reading this book... I'm personally hoping the movie is somehow better than the book....

***I give this book a 7.4 out of 10 ***

Winter Break is Here!

Horray! Winter break is here, and along with it comes all the Christmas cards, carols, and blog posts! :) It's good to have enough time to get back to writing and blogging again, and I'll get back to my usual antics for the break, and get crackin on good books! Mind you, I've had basically no time, whizzing from test to test to quiz to test, that I've fallen behind on my reading list. So bear with me for a bit as I get myself back on track.

Last but not least,
....or Kwanzaa or Hakuna, or which ever you celebrate. :)

Wishing you a great holiday season,
Ivy

One Come Home by Amy Timberlake

'So it comes to this,

I remember thinking on Wednesday, June 7, 1871. The date sticks in my mind because it was the day of my sister's first funeral, and I knew it wasn't her last-- which is why I left.'

A Newbery Honour Book by Amy Timberlake, One Came Home talks about a very special girl by the name of Georgie Burkhardt. Set in the town of Placid, Wisconsin, this book is a journey filled with adventure and mystery, as well as wild pigeons.

In her town, Georgie is known for two very distinguishing things. One, her uncanny aim with a rifle, and two, her habit of being extremely candid. One of these things sets her off on a wild journey, and the other saves her on her wild journey. It all starts with her sister. After Georgie says something that sends her sister running off from home, the sheriff comes back to town with an unidentifiable body wearing Agatha, her sister's, blue-green ball gown. Immediately, everyone assumes the worst. Everyone other than Georgie. Georgie refuses to believe that her sister is truly dead and goes off to find her and bring her back. However, even through her grim determination, Georgie is not well prepared to go out and face the Western frontier. In a journey to find her sister or closure, she will run into hostile people, make a friend by the name of Long-Ears, and learn secrets.

Amy Timberlake really wrote this book extremely well, especially with all the plot twists inside the story. It's an adventure story to the very last, and one that will keep you seeking to find the answers until the very end of the book. I did not expect what found me at the ending, but I was satisfied. It may not have been what I had been looking to find, but worked all the same. It's a very good book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys journeys, along with a little touch of drama and romance!

***I give this book a 8.99 out of 10!***

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

And another classic. Everyone known Jane Eyre! Well, if you don't, you should. Just saying! In a classic book about mystery, romance, and deception, Charlotte Bronte writes an amazing book that will suck you in and keep you in Jane Eyre's world.

Orphaned in childhood and despised by the cruel aunt who is her only known relative, Jane Eyre has no one but herself  to trust. Unaided by money, family, nor beauty, Jane must rely on her intelligence and integrity to survive. However, after Jane secures a position as governess in a mysterious, beautiful Thornfield mansion, she becomes deeply enmeshed with her moody employer, Mr. Rochester. But he guards a dark and terrible secret. And it will force Jane to choose between the principles that define her and the only love she has ever known. It's the orphan child that everyone has heard the story of, but with a deep and dark secret. If you dig romance and mystery, this is the book for you.

Admittedly, this book is slightly long, and quite thick, but I ensure you that it will keep you captivated and on the balls of your feet (or the edge of your chair), until you finish. It's a hauntingly good book that will make you fall completely in love with the characters. Charlotte Bronte is really an exceptional author that wrote a completely amazing book!

I recommend this book to everyone around the age of 12 and older, as it is a classic one must read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and daresay you will too!

***I give this book a 9.67 out of 10.***

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck. Extremely famous author, and rightfully so. I originally got introduced to this book by an English assignment, but it soon because more than just an assignment but a read. I. Love. This. Book. John Steinbeck is truly an amazing author. I'm not even kidding. It's a bloody good book.

 It's a classic. But don't shy from it just because it's a classic, it's good too. Telling of George and his simple friend Lennie, it's a story that you will not forget in a hurry. George and Lennie are the best of friends and at the same time completely different from one another. While George is small, witty, with sharp features, Lennie is much rounder, taller, and very very simple minded. Like all drifters, George and Lennie dream of a place to call their own. However, once they come to work on a ranch in California, their hopes begin to go awry... Will they be able to keep their goals on mind and not get into trouble?

There's no doubt about it being good. It's great. It's timeless. It's a classic. It's everything in one. And John Steinbeck is a downright amazing author. But it's also a short read. Consisting of only 107 pages, it's short, easy, and captivating. I really enjoyed it and I found it fascinating that John Steinbeck could make such short a story so good. Really, the book may be thin, but I assure you that the context is not.

I recommend this to all high school kids, and all adults as well. It's honestly an amazing book that everyone should make the effort to read. And if you didn't like it, it didn't even take much of your time anyways.

***I give this book a 9.78 out of 10.***

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Another John Green novel, another awesome book. Duh. Amazing, devastating, breath catching, inspiring, and compelling. It's all of that and more. I swear, I have no clue how John Green writes such amazing and empathetic books that stir you right down to your heart.

So, customary things first. John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, An Abundance of Katherines, Will Grayson Will Grayson, and Looking For Alaska, is great. He's amazing. He's awesome. Alright, on with the book.

Miles Halter, the protagonist is fascinated with last words. Plus he's had enough with his safe life at home.So when he goes off to boarding school, lots of changes await him. Including clever, funny, screwed up and dead sexy Alaska Young. Alaska Young will pull Miles Halter into her labyrinth and shoot him into the Great Perhaps. Tragic, hilarious, and touching all at once, this book will make you laugh and cry at the same time, exactly like The Fault in Our Stars, except without cancer. 'Nuff said.

Once you pick this book up you will not be able to put it down until you finish the whole book. Be warned. I recommend this book to every single teen and older in the world. Yes, there are mentions about drugs and such, but get over it. Facts of life.

Absolutely amazing book. Tons of plot, enough romance, and adventure. It's a story to keep anyone up until 3am reading.

***I give this book a 101 out of 10!!!***

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

I picked this book up expecting it to be absolutely downright amazing! However, great expectations are bound to fall short. I mean, sure, I liked the book, but it wasn't breathtakingly amazing...

'Fire wants to burn.

Water wants to flow.

Air wants to rise.

Earth wants to bind.

Chaos wants to devour.'

Yep, it's another magic and elements book. Many of you are probably familiar with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, but if not, they're both pretty good authors (although Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series.... Yeah... No.) that you should check out if you have the time.

This book tells about one very interesting boy by the name of Callum Hunt. Now, in this world, most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Except for Callum Hunt. Nope, his very wish is to fail. So he tries his best to fail. And miserably fails at failing. Now the Magisterium waits for him, looming with its secrets in Callum's path. Little does Callum know that the Iron Trial is just the very beginning to his magical and unknown future.

This was an alright read, the action kept the story rolling and the plot kept things mysterious and on edge, but if I were to pick one thing, it would be that the story lost me at places, especially when big revelations happened one after another, which kept me spinning around in the dark. I had to reread a couple of paragraphs, but other than that, it was mostly on track.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy adventure or fantasy reads, and especially to any magic fans. It's not an overly thick read so you won't get too tired of it before you put it down, and it's good to carry around, in my opinion!

***I give this book a 8.2 out of 10***

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I cannot even begin to express how freaking AMAZING this book is!!! I'm not even kidding... Everyone should read this book. EVERYONE.

Alright, I'm going to spend this post 'fangirling' about this book, so no judging allowed! Rainbow Rowell really knows how to write a good book, I can tell you! Fangirl is about a girl named Cather, aka Cath. Cath writes fanfiction. Most importantly, boy boy fanfiction. Namely Simon Snow and Baz. Her whole life ever since she started reading Simon Snow, she's become a steadfast Simon Snow fan. Actually, fan doesn't even cut it. Simon Snow became her life. And boy was she good at it. So was her sister, Wren. Cath and Wren, as twins, got sucked into the Simon Snow universe together. However, now that Cath and Wren are going to college, things are going to change. And according to Cath? Not for the better.

It's one of the absolute best coming-of-age books I have ever read. Telling about family, fanfiction, and first love, this book will pull you in and never let go. Honestly. You will fall in love with it like Simon Snow is in love with Baz. It's filled with conflicts, dilemma, hurt, comfort, and love. After all, it's college! I don't want to spoil this book for you at all, so I'm just going to say....

READ, IT.

I recommend this book to everyone 14 and up. And I mean it. Everyone.

***I give this book a 101 out of 10. 'Nuff said.***

Four by Veronica Roth

Four is part of the Divergent Collection, slightly like an extra to the series. As someone who did enjoy the Divergent series, I decided that I would grace myself to buy this book.

As the cover may give away, this book is about Four also known as Tobias. Starting off from his own choosing ceremony, this book tells Tobias's own point of view of what happened during the Divergent series. Even in the books, Tobias is portrayed as a bit of a mysterious figure, especially in the first book. Meanwhile, this book tells all about it's namesake.

Veronica Roth is undoubtedly an excellent writer and has entertained multiple people, teens and adults alike, round the world. I actually love how she could turn her bestselling series and retell it in another character's point of view. In fact, I admire it. It's not easy to rewrite something you've already wrote. In some cases, it may even be harder than to write something completely new again. In order to rewrite it in another characters point of view requires a lot of in depth thinking about the character, as you switch main characters. It shows the connection and understanding Veronica Roth has of her characters, and how much character development and thought she put into them. In no way are either Tris nor Tobias flat characters. They are most definitely round, and come to life on the pages. As someone who highly enjoys character development, I really thoroughly enjoyed this book, seeing the Divergent series through Tobias's eyes again.

I recommend this book to anyone who has read the Divergent series. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should track down the Divergent series and read it!

***I give this book a 9.5 out of 10***

Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson

Confession time! I only took this book because it was by Kenneth Oppel. Alright! On with the show!

Awake and Dreaming is yet another family oriented novel. Written by Kit Pearson, it deals with friends, loneliness, and the meaning of family. Theo, the main character, can't stop dreaming about belonging to a 'real' family. With an irresponsible, young, mother, Theo feels trapped within her poverty-stricken life. Therefore, when she is mysteriously adopted into the large, warm Kaldor family, her dream is suddenly brought to life. Yet such things cannot last forever. Too soon, she finds herself back with her mother, and her new life starts to fade away. Was it a dream? Will  Theo ever be able to find her perfect family?

I have to say that it was indeed a touching book, but it had moments where it left my slightly baffled. For example, how could Theo think that was a dream?? Also, the ending slightly left me in doubts as well. Overall, a good book with a few faulty details. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it didn't make sense, however.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about families and finding the meaning of having a true family. I also recommend it to people who enjoyed 'Waiting for Normal' as it is pretty similar. Just because it's a Puffin Classic doesn't mean you should be fazed by it! It's a good read, not overly emotional so it won't make you cry, but you'll definitely close the book with a smile.

***I give this book a 8.4 out of 10***

Taking the Reins by Dayle Campbell Gaetz

Yep, I'm back. With a horse book. It was bound to happen sometime, so I guess the time is now. I got this book for free, out of my book camp, but at first, I had my doubts-- on whether or not I would actually come to enjoy this book,

Set in the 1860s, I didn't expect myself to be reading a book set on the past, due to my seeming unwillingness to go back into the tales of history. However, I didn't mind it so much in this book, since it didn't have to do with the history, but rather the adventure. I was especially interested in this story due to the setting of British Columbia. It's set in the very place I am living in right now, which I thought was interesting. Therefore, I picked it up, and decided that I would give it a shot. Telling the tale of two girls and a horse, Taking the Reins is a wonderful story about ingenuity, courage, friendship, and the love of a horse.

Our two characters, Katherine and Emma are very different from one another. Katherine was lead to British Columbia by a father who wished to obtain free farm land, yet knew nothing of farming, while Emma's father left Emma and her mother to chase the fantasy of gold. Living in poverty, Emma's story is not a warm one, while Katherine has lived comparatively comfortably, give or take a few unfortunate events. Although they are much different from one another, they must help each other as their situations are getting more and more desperate. Could Nugget, the beautiful bay mare that brought them together in the first place be able to help them solve their differences?

Dayle Campbell Gaetz is an author like no other. Although her story doesn't have the complexity of a sci-fi novel or the shrouding air of mystery from mystery novels, her book contains the magic of friendship, love, and horses. She has sealed what matters most into the writing. Heart.

I recommend this book to horse lovers and adventure lovers alike. Perhaps even to the people who just want to disappear into a really good story one day.

***I give this book a 9.1 out of 10***