Blink by Ted Dekker

This week I read Blink by Ted Dekker. It is about a Saudi Arabian princess who is being forced to marry a guy who is planning to overthrow the government. When she flees the country, she meets a college student with the highest IQ in the world. They try to escape the people that are hunting her down. This was not as easy as the other books that I have read this year. It's 389 pages, so it probably could be a two week book, but I read it in one. It could go either way.

I really liked it. The writing style probably could have been better, but the plot was unique and very cool. My only problem was that it dragged a little bit in the middle. I would recommend Blink to anyone in our class, keeping in mind that it has some mature themes and is not always an easy read.

Next Book: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Flygirl by Sherri Smith

This week I read Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. This book is historical fiction, 275 pages and a pretty easy read. It's about Ida Mae Jones, a black girl who lives in Louisiana during World War II. She wants to join a group of military pilots called Women Air force Service Pilots (WASP), so she uses her pale skin to pass for white.
I really liked it. The writing style was good, and the dialogue was written in a way that showed the characters ways of speaking. It gave me a good idea of what the time period was like, and I learned a lot about women's role in WWII. The characters were all well developed and had multidimensional personalities. My only complaint was the ending. It didn't really seem to make a point or go anywhere. This book is still worth reading, and I would recommend it to pretty much anybody.

Next Book: It could be pretty much anything on my list. Depends on availability.

A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

This week I read A Mango- Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. This book is about a girl who has synesthesia, a blending of the senses that makes her associate colors with numbers, words and sounds. It causes her trouble with schoolwork, and she has a hard time diagnosing it. This is realistic fiction, and it was a really fast and easy read. I would recommend it for pretty much anybody, but 6-8 grades would probably relate to it most.
Overall, I liked it. The plot was good and very clear, and the writing style was descriptive. The characters all had personality and a good level of development and balance. I did have a few problems with it, though. First of all, I think that the story would have been better off if the author hadn't disclosed (spoiler) that Mango dies. It was confusing to me that she gave that away just by looking at the cover. My biggest problem with this book was the portrayal of Mia, the protagonist's, condition. I also have synesthesia, and it surprised me that it was so much of a problem for her, to the point of having to see a neurologist. I've never thought of it as a disability. I realize that the author is not a synesthete, so I'll let it go. A Mango- Shaped Space was pretty good, and is worth reading.

TBR:

See You at Harry's
Shooting the Moon
The Naming
Unremembered
The Green Glass Sea
The Book Thief
The Mortal Instruments
Eragon etc.

Next Week:

The Book Thief or See You at Harry's

A Few of my Favorite Books

Hello. My name is Etti and I'm an 8th grader this year. My favorite kinds of books are dystopian fiction and I usually don't like fantasy-type stuff. I love things that are weird and a little disturbing, like the tapeworms that I've had since 3rd grade (don't worry, they're dead and in jars). Well, that's pretty much my entire personality in a nutshell.

Some of my favorite books:

1. Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead edited by John Skipp
I'm not sure if this counts as a real book, but I read it over the summer and it was amazing. The book is 700 pages of zombie stories, some of them written by famous authors like Stephen King and Ray Bradbury and many of them aren't typical zombies.

2. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
This is a non-fiction book about the discovery and research of Ebola virus. If you're bothered by blood, don't read it. There's quite a bit of gore in the first chapter, but it was really interesting and informative.

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Like The Hunger Games, but a little less predictable. Divergent is thought-provoking and original with really good character development. For me, it was a really fast read. I couldn't put it down.