The Mark of Athena

As the 'The Heroes of Olympus' series goes on, and two famous demigod heroes from both the Greek and the Roman sides meet as friends, there's bound to be a few scuffles. And it only makes it worse that there's two leaders among the group- both have personalities of leadership and are both very used to being the people looked up to for directions. Will the group end up splitting into two?

As the famous Percy Jackson comes together with the Group of Seven, its necessary for them to work together. But in the world of demigods, where there is Gaea looking at them every step of the way, it's not an easy thing to do. Keeping it together is hard enough. But keeping it together and working together is a near impossible task with an Argo II full of ADHD demigods. Even with Percy and Jason. Especially with Percy and Jason.

The Mark of Athena is told mostly in Annabeth's point of view, starting with them landing in the Roman camp and finding Percy as Praetor. Her thoughts on how her Seaweed Brain may have changed, and how he may have decided that he doesn't need friends anymore. She's frankly scared about him, how they will get along, and most of all, her mother's last gift and command: 'Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. ' Freaky, huh? Why couldn't their parents ever by normal? Well, they're gods. I guess they shouldn't be 'normal'. Whatever that is. With a son of Poseidon and a son of Jupiter leading the way, and them being from the Greeks and the Romans, they are indefinitely about to clash. After all, never put lighting and water together. They are like putting a Mentos in Cola. Explosive.

When they arrive into the Roman camp, it all goes downhill from there. From Reyna, to Octavian, to Leo's warship, to the weird-possessive spirits, it seems that some people get all the bad luck. And that, would be the demigods. But all in all, they have to heard to work together- they need to work together to save the world. Will they be able to pull their act together to be in time to save Gaea from arising and save the world, again?

Rick Riordan wrote another comical and entertaining fast-paced adventure story with suspense and comic relief. As the bestseller of the Percy Jackson series, he continues to entertain youth and teens alike with a fictional book mixed with lots of mythology- now both Greek and Roman. With the Greeks and Roman sides of everything, this book is a great read and an awesome opportunity to memorize myths like drinking water. Easily.

*** I give this book a 8.5 out of 10. It was really great, but I think that it started getting a little too soppy with romance on Percy and Annabeth in my point of view. I totally think that Percy and Annabeth are a great pairing, but they started to get a bit soppy, in my point of view.***

0.4 It's A Brave New World

When I first saw this book, to be honest with you, the cover kind of freaked me out. A lot. The only thought crossing my mind at that moment I first lay eyes on this book was: 'This book looks seriously freaky.' But you know how you are never supposed to judge a book by its cover? Too bad. It's human nature. I did. But I gave it a shot, and it came to be a great sci-fi read.

'MY NAME IS KYLE STRAKER

AND I DON'T EXSIST ANY MORE.'

So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world...

If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. 

And if everything is a lie does that mean we are, too?

So says the back of the book. I thought it was a great little insight to the book. But I'm going to tell you a little more. 

First off. 0.4 is a sci-fi novel by Mike Lancaster. Believe or not believe, that's your call. A science fiction novel on how the lives of four people changed- how the lives of countless generations changed. And how they may be still living. Basically, 0.4 is a series of tapes recorded into the book, with short notes to explain terms. Like the one which follows:

NOTE- Teletubbies

Many theories exist about this word, but none are particularly satisfactory. Or, indeed, convincing. Kepple in his essay 'A Pantheon of Teletubbies' seems sure that it is a word of deep religious significance, referring to a collection of gods or goddesses almost exclusively worshiped by children, although his evidence is seen by most scholars as, at best, fanciful.

Really. Hilarious. Teletubbies and gods are about as close as a fly and a couch. But they wouldn't have known, right? Mike Lancaster weaves an alternate universe with this book- a future universe of much much later. Of the nought point five. But staging a nought point four. Confusing? Yes. But maybe we are really like Mike Lancaster says. Just upgrades after upgrade. And some of us ceasing to understand and acknowledge others. 0.4 definitely opens your eyes to what humans really are. Just something computer-esk, or actually sentimental beings with lives that we control? The real question. Do we actually have any control over what happens in our lives? Or is there a hardware installed within us? We go through things in life, make decisions, and change fate. Or do we? Is it just a huge page or history for us to fill, or is it just us going through something someone else has programmed? Are we really living, surviving, until our time comes, or is someone planning out when we eat, what we do, all the time? Are we a huge computer game to someone else, and if they press delete, will we cease to exist? Or are we actual matter- a race of actual beings that make our own decisions, and take to our actions? Are we just being upgraded like iPhones, or are we sentimental beings? This book opens your mind towards our own existence and what we actually are. How we are living. Is everything really a lie? Are we a lie?

Mike Lancaster definitely wrote a novel worthy of respect, and one that will definitely open your mind to the possibility of us being computer software. Can our lives really change drastically with a few taps of someone's hand? It's a possibility. That's all it is. A possibility. A frighting possibility. But.... What if?

***I give this book a 8.5 out of 10. Really mind-boggling.***

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Isn't everyone familiar with the famous Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory? After all, it is the most famous candy factory of all time! And it's been closed for a long, long time. But not anymore- the factory is opening at last! Only five lucky children will be allowed inside of the grand, famous building. With the combination of an enormously fat boy with the hobby of stuffing his face, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little pinky, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around, a toy pistol-totting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television, a poor boy with a kind heart, and a crazy senile but filthy rich man, Charlie's adventure in the huge factory is bound to be the wildest time of his life!

It all starts with five Golden Tickets- five Golden Tickets, five Golden Children to enter Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory. But Charlie is not rich- he's poor. With little to eat, and even less money to spend, Charlie doesn't seem to have any chance to get his hands on a Golden Ticket.  So when he actually gets it, it's more than a small surprise, it's more of something like a miracle. With Charlie's honest to goodness, kind, brave, and truthful personality, he's one boy that is definitely hard to hate. But leave that to the four other Golden Ticket finders. Charlie is an amazing boy with an amazing tale of his day in the Chocolate Factory with Willy Wonka- the slightly insane and off-his-rockers owner of the Factory. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is a must-read and it is also a major motion-picture, so if you don't wish to read it, I would at least recommend the movie! However, I do recommend the book before the movie (my motto- mostly for every single movie that was based from a book, I had to say that the book was indefinitely better!). I personally like reading the book before watching the movie because it gives you a lot more space to think about what the characters look like in your mind, rather than having a specific person the character looks like. I believe that reading a book gives you much more space to be creative than a movie. Therefore, I recommend that you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before watching it!

I recommend this book to candy-lovers, adventure-lovers, and fantasy-lovers all alike! Roald Dahl is an amazing writer and some of his other titles are:

James and the Giant Peach

The B.F.G

The Twits

The Witches

Matilda

and a lot more. Check out his site: http://www.roalddahl.com/ or just go on google, type in Roald Dahl, and his site will be the first site! Good reading!

*** I give this book a 9.45 out of 10!****

Stargirl

When Leo firsts meets Stargirl, he's amazed. Puzzled, perhaps, and weirded out, but mostly just not understanding what to make of her. She's bizarre, unique, and nothing he's ever seen before. 'She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.' That's what everyone things of Stargirl. But they start to like Stargirl. She's a person that they can all warm to. With her flowing dresses and her ukulele, she's one of a kind- she's undefined. She's astounding for a freckled home-schooled girl, she's amazing in her bravery. She has the heart of a Hufflepuff, the courage of a Gryffindor, the coolness of a Syltherin and the knowledge of a Ravenclaw (Harry Potter reference). She is said to be fake, but she is real. She is everything.

Stargirl is the story of an amazing girl that has changed the looks and views of a whole entire high school. The  undefined is always queer, and scary perhaps. But the adventurous part inside of us want to get close to it. And that is how people end up getting close to Stargirl. She is the definition of unexpectable, and has a personality to match it. She does things just for doing it, she cares about people she was never close to. She misses people she never saw before, and does things just because she wants to. But she has more wisdom about themselves than they ever thought. More courage than they ever believed, and more power to make change than they had ever thought. As a modest girl that does things to be helpful, as a girl that makes someone's life easier just because she can, as a girl that doesn't take credit for the things that she does, Stargirl is the purest girl ever to be made.

Jerry Spinnelli sure writes the queerest, funniest novels ever. I read Stargirl first when I was in grade 4, and I still believe it to be an amazing novel of an amazing girl and an average boy. Anyone can have the power of the stars in their hands. Everyone has a chance to use it. It really depends on yourself. Stargirl uses it to help others- to give them the thing that they need to keep their chin up. Sometimes it freaks them out. Stargirl doesn't seem to mind. Sometimes they respond happily, positively. Stargirl doesn't seem to mind. Sometimes they don't respond at all. Stargirl doesn't seem to mind that either. Mr. Spinnelli wrote an astounding novel of a girl with the courage of a lion, the wisdom of an owl, the kindness of family, and the happy and nonchalant attitude of a teenager. I recommend this book as a lit-circle book, but really, just because of that doesn't mean that 'oh adults will like this one.' Because I really mean it- children will like it as well. The unexpected tale of the astonishing.

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

Percy Jackson and the Olympias- The Demigod Files

This short book is a 'demigod file'. Basically, it's a few 'side-stories' and 'side-interviews' from the famous Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I think that this set of files is perfect for Percy Jackson fans and it's just another little insight into his world of demigods and mythological beings. As another set of hilarious stories and features, this book is great. Usually, I don't buy these kinds of guides and things as such, but I have to say that this particular one was worth the money. As I am a Rick Riordan fan, and I particularily enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, I thought that this book was hilarious and I totally loved it. Not to mention that it has a sneak preview for the 'Last Olympian', for those whom have not read it. If you have not read any of the Percy Jackson series, however, I do recommend that you read the first book first, as it is really a inclining story. It is complete with a crossword at the back of the book to test you on how well you know your Greek Mythology.

Percy Jackson is the demigod son of Poseidon, and trouble. Obviously. He's a demigod! Demons follow him and he gets into all the trouble a teenage boy called Seaweed Brain can get into! His weapon of choice is Riptide, a ballpoint pen that changes into a sword. Annabeth Chase (nicknamed Wise Girl by the courtesy of Percy) is the daughter of Athena, and Percy's brains in solving a problem and a loyal teammate. Interested in architecture, she won't pass up a chance to talk about monuments! Her weapon of choice is he Magic Yankees cap of invisibility, and a celestial bronze knife. Grover Underwood (or Goat Boy, as he is called) is a satyr that likes to eat. Tin cans to be specific. You can read hilarious interviews of them both, as well as three other short stories with Percy. The characters that come up in this short series of stories and interviews are: Percy Jackson, Clarisse La Rue (daughter of Ares), Phobos (God of Fear- you know how there's nothing to fear but fear but fear itself? Well, there you go. Fear Phobos 'cause he is fear itself!), Deimos (God of Terror- really. Him and his brother are the friendly bunch, no?), scared tourists, Annabeth (the one and only Wise Girl), Charles Beckendorf (demigod son of Hephaestus), a crazy automaton, and Silena Beauregard (daughter of Aphrodite and to-be-girlfriend of Beckendorf). Not to mention Connor and Travis Stoll (brothers and sons of Hermes), Grover Underwood (hint- he likes tin cans), Thalia Grace (daughter of Zeus that was a tree (long story)), a certain Dr. Boring, a hell hound by the name of Mrs. O'Leary, Nico de Angelo (son of Hades, and brother of Bianca (who died)), a twisted not-so-flowers-and-nice-stuff Persephone (Goddess of Spring (more like seasons), and the Underworld), a very angry Hades (God of the Underworld), Sisyphus (yes, that Sisyphus), a Titan, and a few more dead people. It seems like Percy's life isn't much better than in the other books!

Rick Riordan is an amazing author, and I learned a lot of Greek Mythology from reading his books. Having trouble memorizing Greek Mythology? Check out the Percy Jackson series, and I swear you will have it memorized in no time! With Rick Riordan's books, Greek mythology is not something to be memorized, its something to be enjoyed! Thank you Mr. Riordan for making mythology much more fun!

*****I give this guide-file-thing a 9.5 out of 10. Read the books- they're even better!*****

A Girl Named Disaster

A Girl Named Disaster is another Nancy Farmer novel, and another great one at that. If you scroll down a little bit, you will be able to see that I did a review on 'The House of the Scorpion', another amazing tale by Nancy farmer. Unlike the House of the Scorpion, this novel is not Sci-Fi, and it is more of an adventure story. It is about a girl named Nhamo (Disaster) whom finds out that she must marry a cruel man with three wives before her twelfth birthday. With her mother dead and her father gone, Nhamo decides to run away. On board of a stolen boat in uncharted territory of the river, Nhamo is bound to run into a bunch of things, and a bunch of things to happen that would make a.) her life considerably shorter or b.) return her to the treacherous reality of her village. Which of both Nhamo do not wish to happen. A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer is another novel that I recommend to people who like realistic fiction and adventure fiction. As a heroine that has quite a lot of resilience to keep living in the great wilderness, and the determination to match it, Nhamo is one that one could place into Gryfindor for her bravery.

Nhamo is eleven, and making close to the hardest journey anyone has in their life. With her wits and her determination to keep living, it doesn't seem like she is going to come even close to dying. But nature is a lot harsher than she had expected. Will she be able to pull through? This story of an African girl will not fail to transport readers into her position of facing a dangerous, dramatic, and extraordinary journey. The best thing about Nhamo is that she is painfully human and that she has flaws- things that could make huge gaps in her plan to live and stay alive.

Nancy Farmer's A Girl Named Disaster is a nerve-wracking adventure that won't let you put the book down. From Nancy Farmer's vivid descriptions of Nhamo's surroundings to her breathtaking adventure through the rivers, Nhamo is a heroine no one is likely to forget very soon!

**** I give this book a 9.5 out of 10. It captured my attention slightly less than The House of the Scorpion, but it was all in all an amazing book!***