November Books

Back when I was 6th grade, we had to take this test called the Cat Test. I guess I did pretty bad on it because I was not allowed to go into the higher math class or Phenom, which was languages and you took it if you scored high in the reading section of the test. Now, I have always been a reader, and at one point I thought it would be fun to make a list of all the books I could read in a summer. Well thank goodness I did. The first day of 7th grade we got the book Tex by S. E. Hinton, and I finished the whole thing after school because it was too good to put down. The next day when my teacher told us to take out the book and read the next chapter, I took out a different book to read, and got yelled at. I then had to take the test about the book, and guess what...I got an A. This was the start to me getting put into Phenom, my mom got called in to the office and she was smart enough to bring my list of books. That is what really got me into Phenom. I mean lets face it, if I was stuck in reading all year, I would have been bored out of my mind because the books they were reading in a month or two, I was finishing in a few hours or had read already. It was no surprise to my mom or me that the reading class was too easy for me, especially since the year before I won the battle of the books, almost totally by myself since I read all the books on the list and my team didn't have to do much. Anyway, after I just bored you all with that story, here are the books I read in November.

Death Perception: a Psychic Eye Mystery by Victoria Laurie
Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison
the It Girl: Devious by Cecily von Zeigesar
Doom with a view: a Psychic Eye Mystery by Victoria Laurie
Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me by Louise Rennison
Ruined by Paula Morris
a Glimpse of Evil: a Psychic Eye Mystery by Victoria Laurie

Book Review: Ruined by Paula Morris

Synopsis:

WELCOME TO NEW ORLEANS: 

CITY OF VOODOO AND BEAUTY.

 OF HURRICANES AND HAUNTINGS.

Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place in New Orleans. She’s staying in a creepy house with her aunt, who reads tarot cards. And at her snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she’s invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey gives Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he’s got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend: sweet, mysterious Lisette. There’s just one catch.

Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca is drawn into a web of curses and cryptic customs, she uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Review:

I originally saw this book (and bought it) at Barnes and Noble in October, around Halloween (my favorite holiday). The first thing that caught my eye was the cover, I mean it is amazing. I loved every detail about the cover, the colors, the girl dressed in a long white dress, and how the title of the book looked as though it was the name of the cemetery. Once I read the synopsis on the back of the book I realized I had to buy it. (Have I mentioned that when I go into Barnes and Noble I have to buy something, whether it is a book, magazine, or just a coffee...it’s a problem, really.) The thing that drew me in was the mystery of what had happened to Lisette, and why Rebecca could see her. I had to find out.

Now it took me about a month to start reading the book because I was finishing the Georgia Nicolson series, and trying to finish the It Girl series as well as reading the Psychic Eye Mystery series (can you tell I love to read series of books?) I finally decided to pick up this book when I finished the last Georgia Nicolson book and I didn’t own the tenth It Girl book and the last Psychic Eye book I needed didn’t come in at the library yet. I should probably also tell you that it took me a little while longer to read this book, a total of 9 days. For some 9 days probably doesn’t seem like such a long time (like if you are one of my students and believe that reading turns your brain into mush) but for me, since all I do is read at this point in my life (and because I am just a substitute teacher) it is a slight problem.

The reason for it taking 9 days instead of 3 or 4 like usual, the beginning of the book wasn’t very interesting. However, once I got up to chapter 6, I couldn’t put the book down (shocking turn of events right?) So even though I did not like the beginning of the book, the middle and the ending were great, as well as the plot. I also really enjoyed the characters and the descriptions that the author gave them, it made them seem almost real.

And now for the good part: the rating system. I came across a blog called the Book Shopaholic and I really liked the way that she was rating the books and then giving them a grade, and since I am a teacher (well sort of) grades and I go together pretty well. So here it goes:

Rating:

Cover: (10/10)

Plot: (10/10)

Beginning: (2/5)

Ending: (5/5)

Characters: (10/10)

Satisfaction: (8/10)

Grade: 90%= A-