It’s a miracle!!!

Tony Boykins

Ben Carson’s, “Gifted Hands” is just a flat-out amazing book! It inspires the readers to stay motivated to what you believe in because anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

The book starts out with Ben as a little boy and he says how he wants to be a doctor and his teacher just downs him and says he can’t be one because he is an African-American and not smart. So Ben studies and studies until he finally starts to get smarter than all of the other kids and then eventually he gets accepted into a big college. Then he starts to study to become a doctor.

Ben Carson is a great inspiration to all of the people who believe that dreams are possible if you are dedicated enough to achieve them. Ben Carson comes from a horrible background where there is killing and stealing around him almost every day.

Later he is known for the surgery that he performed on the separating Siamese twins. It is rare because it was like the first time what is a success! People around the world look up to Ben especially the people who want to become doctors when they get older

If you like books that inspire you to do great things or believe you can still become something even when all odds are turned against you, you should read this!!! ASAP!

“Story of a Girl” Review

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr is about a girl named Deanna with a bad reputation. Deanna is a sophomore in high school in Pacifica, California. When she was only 13, she dated a 17-year-old boy who eventually started spreading nasty rumors about her and turned her into a joke instead of someone he actually cared about. Ever since Deanna’s dad found her and Tommy in the back of his car 3 years ago, their family has never been the same. Deanna’s father has barely spoken to her since that night and can’t even look her in the eye. Deanna dreams about moving out and getting her own place with her older brother Darren, his girlfriend Stacy and their baby. She decides to get a summer job in order to save up some money.

Deanna desperately wants to get out of Pacifica when she finds out that Tommy works at the same pizza place she has just been hired at. Deanna’s already having a bad week and on top of it, she now has to face the guy that has ruined her life. When Deanna’s best friend Lee comes to Deanna for advice about her boyfriend Jason (Deanna’s other best friend) Deanna can’t help but secretly get jealous of their relationship and get into a fight with Lee. Her day gets even worse when she finds out that her brother’s girlfriend, Stacy, is missing. She goes over to Jason’s house to be consoled because Lee didn’t tell him about the fight she and Deanna were in. Deanna’s jealousy gets the best of her when she ends up kissing Jason.

When Stacy returns home, Deanna finally knows what she must do. She knows that she can’t run away from her problems by leaving home and she decides that she must confront Tommy and her father. Deanna’s character developed a lot throughout the novel and I recommend this book because it’s really easy to empathize with the characters.

“Catalyst” Will Definitely Cause a Reaction

The book “Catalyst” by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a senior in high school named Kate Malone whose dream is to attend MIT in the fall. Instead of applying to many colleges in order to be safe, Kate dangerously only applies to MIT.

All of Kate’s friends are hearing back from their schools of choice while Kate is anxiously awaiting to hear MIT’s decision.

In order to make things worse, her neighbor/elementary school bully’s house burns down, which means that Teri and her baby brother Mikey are forced to live with Kate until Kate’s father and his church group can fix up Teri’s home. Kate finds these living arrangements very unpleasant because not only is Teri still a bully; she’s also a theif.

After receiving heartbreaking news from MIT, Kate starts avoiding her friends and desperately tries to think of ways to get her application reconsidered.

“Catalyst” is very relatable and will show you how people can be brought together and torn apart.

Are you Lost? Read this Book!

When I first picked up the book “Lost” by Jacqueline Davies, I had no idea what it was going to be about. The cover shows some hats hanging up and the back cover talks about searching for various lost things.

The book switches from past to present time, set in the early 1900’s.  You can differentiate between the past and present because the flashbacks are printed on gray, aged-looking paper.

The main character, Essie, has a little sister; Zelda that she cares for like she’s her own daughter. Their mom doesn’t do much and has been depressed every since their father died a few months before Zelda was born. When Essie is old enough, she starts working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Essie doesn’t spend much time at home and something is troubling her, but she’s hiding it even from herself. She distracts herself by hanging out with her new friend Harriet.

Eventually tragedy strikes (again) and Essie is forced to move past the past and start working towards bettering herself. Everyone should read this book in order to find out what Essie is hiding and how she learns to live with what happens to her.

Finding the Courage to Speak

“Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a ninth grade girl named Melissa. Over the summer Melissa calls the cops on a party because she has been raped, but all her friends think that she calls to ruin the party.

The book is written almost like a journal, with clever headings for the different events that happen during Melissa’s life. I really like the way this is written because it seems very personal and helps you empathize with the characters.

At school, Melissa is haunted by her rapist and her old friends. She seeks solitude in an old janitor’s closet that she makes her own and skips her classes in. Melissa’s freshman year is spent drawing trees for her art class, suffering depression, and trying to build up the courage to speak up about her scary past.

“Andromeda Strain” Review

By James Yiu

One of my all-time favorite science-fiction novels is Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. Even though it was written years ago, it still has the feeling I encounter with all of his books; that feeling that this could happen.

The story is about a group of scientists that are called to a bioisolated facility by the government. They are called to study a disease that has been brought back to earth by a satellite designed to pick up organisms from orbit. The satellite crashes in a remote southwest town, and the disease kills almost every single person. The scientists are tasked with studying the probe and the disease.

The book is full of scientific detail and mystery. The twists are surprising and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction, mystery, and suspense.

“Deep Storm” Review

By James Yiu

Deep Storm, by Lincoln Child, is a book full of suspense and mystery. It is about a Navy doctor specializing in psychology, who is called to an oil drilling platform then is transported down to an underwater drilling habitat. The story revolves around his attempts to discover the cause of a wave of psychological and physical symptoms the crew of the military habitat is developing.

The book is by an author who is one half of the pair that writes The Pendergast Series of mysteries. They are experts in the field of suspense, mystery, and horror adventure. They have a unique way of writing that is too gristly for action, but too mystery based for horror.

The people I would recommend this book to are people that enjoy contemporary science fiction, slight horror, and action books. These genres are the closest I can come to the author’s unique writing style.

​”Timeline” ​Review

By James Yiu

Timeline, by Michael Crichton, is an interesting read. It begins in present time, at a French dig site manned by American university students, but soon, the readers find themselves in dark ages France, with knights, cannons, and kings. The book incorporates science and history into an intriguing time travel novel.

The book is fast-paced and full of action. The characters are interesting and fun. Like all of Crichton’s books, there is an air of mystery. The book seamlessly blends science and fantasy worlds together.

I would suggest this book to anyone who likes medieval stories, science fiction, mystery, action, or adventure. This book exemplifies Crichton’s writing style perfectly.

“Ashes” You’ll Burn through this Book

Laron Stewart engrossed in the book “Ashes”

By Laron Stewart

The book I have just finished is called “Ashes”. When I started this book it struck me as boring, I say that because in the beginning it is about a girl named Alex who has a brain tumor and could die at any time, and before she does she would like to hiking. But little did I know it was far from boring.

For example on that hike she runs into a little girl named Ellie and her grandfather. Then out of nowhere when Alex and the little girl’s grandfather are talking he slips falls and breaks his head open causing blood to be everywhere and he dies on impact. As Alex goes to check on him to see if he’s all right, she slips on his blood and hits her head, but doesn’t die. Then out of nowhere these black crows start dying and dropping dead out of the sky.

Would I recommend this book to someone? The answer is yes if you like mysterious and kind of weird books. Also I would recommend this book to someone because I really enjoyed reading it, and because I liked the way the Author (Ilsa J. Bick) always adds a new surprise through out the book. Also I liked how every time you think they are safe they are put back into harm’s way.

If I grow up ”What will happen?”

Tre’ Cooper

I picked this book because it looked cool. The book really captures what it is like in the “Hood” or “Ghetto”

The book is based on two kids that live in a bad part of town where there are gangs, drugs, and teen moms. This book really shows you what its like to live in the “Hood”. The two kids DeShawn and Terrell are only little kids when the book starts. They grow up seeing gang leaders and shootings every night and selling drugs is a normal thing in the projects.

Later on in the book Terrell joins the projects gang. He starts selling drugs at the age of 13. They use little kids as the dealers so that if they get caught they can’t do anything besides tell their parents. Terrell starts to hang out with other kids from the gang and leaves DeShawn out.  DeShawn and Terrell go and play dice behind a building with their friend and his cousin. His cousin cheats and tries to take Terrell’s money. Terrell pulls out a gun and points it at the guy demanding his money back. They fight over the gun and it slides over to DeShawn and he picks it up. DeShwan holds the gun with his narrow skinny hands shaking with the fear of his hands on a real gun. DeShawn then closes his eyes and pulls the trigger. He opens them to see the kid laying on the ground with his white shoe covered in blood. He doesn’t kill the guy, just shoots him in the foot. Someone finds the guy and brings him to the hospital.

Later DeShwan is laying in bed and plays the the moment over and over in his head and fills up with the power to overrun people with a gun. He is going through a lot at home. His parents have died and he lives with his Grandma and sister that is about to have twins, and they are low on money. DeShawn decides to talk about joining the gang with the gang leader. The gang leader likes DeShawn and thinks he would be good for the job.

I like this book because it shows you how good you have it even if you think you don’t.

It shows you how hard people have it and how the other end of the stick isn’t as good as you think.  I recommend this book to everyone ASAP!!!!!