"This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein)" by Kenneth Oppell

"Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.
They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. With their friend Elizabeth, Henry and Victor immediately set out to find assistance from a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.
Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another."-goodreads

Okay, if any of you ever saw my review of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, you know that I liked it, but also was maybe a little bit underwhelmed after my expectations from the Hollywood portrayal of the Frankenstein monster (yes I realize this is absolutely *blasphemous*). I'm actually re-reading it right now, and appreciating it a lot more. (Give me a break, it was one of the first Gothic 19th century novels I'd read, and it was a lot to take in!). 

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this book but I loved it! It was so good. The portrayal of young Victor Frankenstein to show the childhood that isn't talked about in Frankenstein was epic. It showed us some of the events that could've lead to the famous Dr. Frankenstein and his *slightly* twisted ways. From reading Frankenstein, I could totally believe that this is what his adolescence would've been like; the culmination of 'teenage-angst', bitterness, and tragedy to warp his future. Victor's character was well developed and the voice of the novel was great. The tension between Victor and Elizabeth (and the different kind between Victor and Konrad) was remarkable.  It did move a bit slow for me at times but so did "Frankenstein", and many other books that I end up liking. The mystery and misadventures were daring and cool to read of, and it was interesting to draw parallels to what occurs in the original novel in Victor's adult life. Also, one might think that "This Dark Endeavor" would be cliche or cheese-y, another one of those unoriginal 'teenage monster' stories but it was much more.

I also looked up the book because I wanted to know if there would be a sequel, which I would be very interested in if that's possible or maybe it would be too much, but anyway I saw that it's going to be made into a movie which would be amazing because I could totally see this book as a movie-- super creepy. Also, for the bottom line of random notes, look at the cover!! So eerie and dark, absolutely perfect for the book! 
Thank you to Simon&Schuster for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Reader's Note: As usual, this in no way swayed my opinion.

"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

"The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning, along with the houses in which they were hidden.
Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or the joy of watching pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. Then Guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do..."-goodreads

Sure, largely thanks to The Hunger Games, dystopian novels are the craze right now. However, there were many novels that depicted dystopian/utopian societies long before Suzanne Collins put her (albeit brilliant) trilogy out into the world.  Classic literature such as "1984" by George Orwell, "A Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, and this one, "Fahrenheit 451" were some of the original books with that sort of theme. I enjoy classic literature and I dig dystopias so I knew I should try these out.


Fahrenheit 451 was a great book. It was a little hard to get into at first, at the beginning of the book, you're kind of plunged into the story with no warning and you just have to get used to the odd developments and practices of the Bradbury's world as you go on. Once you start getting accustomed to his writing style and the unusual and grim future world, it's excellent. Guy Montag is an average (almost to the point of dull) seeming character but as it goes on he gets more complex, as he questions his job as a fireman and whether books are so bad (or are they even good, possibly important!?). His relationship with his wife is peculiar and unfortunate, as is their relationship with their 'family' aka, characters on a some kind of high-tech television screen that interacts in their everyday lives as though they're living in the house. Clarisse was an interesting character.. and then, you know, if you've read the book: the way her character disappeared from the story was... sudden. I wasn't a fan of that. It just didn't seem... right. I mean, obviously it didn't seem right, but it just seemed unfitting, so I guess I had a problem with that. Regardless, as the story develops, the plot twists in interesting and unexpecting ways, with an end I didn't particularly see coming. A lot of times there's more obvious-see-it-from-a-mile-away sort of foreshadowing in classic novels but that wasn't necessarily the case. 

Bottom line: An important book that should be on your reading list (and probably is on your required list if you're in school) that's more complex than it seems at first and well-worth the read.

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

George and Lenny are not much alike. While George is quick and intelligent, Lenny is large, with the mind of a small child. Yet they travel together, working as laborers in California vegetable fields, George protecting Lenny, and Lenny following George like a faithful pet.

When they find themselves working for a cruel rancher named Curley, all they hope and dream for seems closer than ever. Within a year, it seems that they'll have their own cabin, and will be living off the fat of the land, as George puts it. But catastrophe strikes in the form of a flirtatious woman, and this time even George cannot save Lenny from himself.


One of the things I really liked about this book is all the detail paid to the characters' manners of speech. When you read the book, you can almost hear the characters speaking, the dialogue is so clearly portrayed.

In this book, I think the author, John Steibeck, is not only trying to demonstrate the hard lives that the laborers had. I think he is also trying to teach several lessons, or at least put his opinions out about a couple of subjects.
One of the things I think he is trying to point to is that, in his opinion, females are the root of most evil. My reason for thinking that is because, in this book, the only women who are mentioned are either whores, or are trouble-makers who bring disaster upon the heads of George and Lenny.
Despite this outlook, I believe that this is an important book to read, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

"Cloaked in Red" by Vivian Vande Velde

"Cloaked in Red" is a collection of small stories, re-telling -with different elements, characters, and details- the story of "Little Red Riding Hood". The book opens with the author jestingly pointing out all of the problems with the original "Little Red Riding Hood" stories; vague characters and story, a mother that clearly should pay better attention to her daughter who is either to young or to stupid to venture out in the woods on her own, a clearly unobservant girl in a red hood, and more... There are eight different stories in the book and the author's introduction.

I liked this book! It was cool, different characters and elements emphasized humorously, including "Little Red Riding Hood" not always being the main character in the story. I also think that if you got this book, and wanted to just read a story or two at a time in-between books to get a good laugh it's great for that too. It was really funny. My favorites of the stories were probably: "Granny and the Wolf" and "Deems the Wood Gatherer". The author's opening at the beginning was one of my favorite parts as well. I thought the "Red Riding Hood Doll" was rather creepy (but in a good way, isn't creepy good once in a while?). I'm thinking four stars for this collection of humorous versions of the classic fairy-tale!

If you'd like to find out more about "Cloaked in Red" go to Vivian Vande Velde's website here, and the bit on it on the Marshall Cavendish website here.
  
Thank you very much Marshall Cavendish for the review copy! 
Note to readers receiving a review copy  in no way influences my reviews, these are my honest opinions people!!!!

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit -J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit is a whimsical fantasy tale about the soon-to-be adventures of a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. He’s lead a quiet life so far, and likes to stay in his home, his lovely hobbit hole. He likes to keep it that way. All that changes when the great wizard Gandalf comes to visit him, wishing to involve him in an ‘adventure’. Just when he thinks he can get away from such things, thirteen dwarves show up at his doorstep. Did I mention he doesn’t particularly enjoy unwanted visitors, sharing food, or being busy?

To find out what happens in this classic tale,  a prequel  to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, read it!

I give this book three and one half stars! It was a fun book, didn’t take too much thought. It’s kind of hard to get through for some people or kind of slow because of the old English and all that, but it’s a classic and that’s what you get, you should really kind of expect it, but I really do recommend this book.  

"The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis

Another tale, from the Land of Narnia, originally the first. This time: Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter are living with an old Professor, in somewhere else due to the air raids in England due to WWII. They explore the large house, and during this time, Lucy enters a mysterious wardrobe, and finds another world. Narnia? Their adventures and Narnia, coincidentally involving the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe itself, are to follow... and you'll find out when you read, the book. :P

I really liked this one as well, as anyone could. It's a very descriptive, but likeable series. I also give this one 4 stars, maybe 4 1/2. Yay for Narnia? I also really liked the movie- haha. All the Narnia books I have read so far (not completed it quite yet), are very descriptive and full of adventure and surprises. Although the depth of description is kind of annoying to some, that doesn't matter to me, I like it. I also like the whimsicalness and the slight sarcasm and repition, always reappearing.

(Of course you know, as any sensible person does know, you do not not shut oneself' in a wardrobe.)

hehe. Later bookworms! :)

"The Magician's Nephew" by C.S. Lewis

P.S. The reason I am doing both this and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, while I normally don't review sequels, is because, this is more of a prequel, practically a different story. Almost. No spoilers.
When a boy goes to live with his crazy Aunt&Uncle, and befriends a girl named Polly, and goes to explore, simply the houses they live in, a sort of secret attic part, what will happen when they accidentally end up somewhere, where they will get caught, just maybe. At which point, they could accidentally end up in a different world. This is a story, about how the land of Narnia, spoke of in this and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia, came to be, and the story of the evil Queen's presence in Narnia.

To find out more, read the book, and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia. :):) I used to not be able to get into these books, but now, I can. I really liked it, and appreciated it more then when I first was read it when I was younger. I rate it 4 stars. This is especially good since I normally don't appreciate prequels so much, not all though, I really like some. Read this famed, classic, awesome fantasy, that will be read and read for years to come!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is a fantastic literary classic, a romantic era novel, with some gothic era elements, as many books from the 1800's were. It is a book that chronicles much of her life, from a very young age, around 11, too when she's around 30. It portrays her younger, at her Aunt's house, both her parents have been dead for a long time, and her uncle is dead as well. Her Aunt and cousins are cruel to her. She is a spirited, stubborn, and different child. Soon, she gets to go to school. When will she leave, what will happen there, will she ever blend in? What will happen after she leaves school? What will she do for work? Will she fall in love and get married? What drama will as usual- stumble upon her? Will there be a happy ending?

All of these questions and more shall be answered as you go along in this great book. It also has great vocabulary, again making a good learning opportunity. It has the old english elements and such which can make it occasionally a bit hard to get through, but altogether it was a great book and a nice story. :):):) I rate it 4 1/2 stars. It was quite good in my opinion. Kind of reminiscent to me for some odd reason to Harry Potter (especially in the beggining, lots of similiarities like the spiritual journey and the being and orphan and other such things) and Little Women. That comparison I can't really solve, I think it is some of the writing styles. Maybe. :P

so, READ IT BOOKWORMS! :):):) -Cat! :):)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is a literary classic, gothic era 19th Century novel. It is classic literature filled with great vocabulary words (great learning opportunity, I had to read it for Vocab./Lit. Class). It has lots of old English. It is a good story, but it can be kind of hard to understand. I think it was good, after finally being finished. Lots of classics can be hard to get through sometimes because of vocabulary used, writing style (don't start out as fast), or old English. As long as you can get past that, which once you get into the book, it can be quite good.

A warning is not to go into reading this book expecting an awfully scary spooky story with the great Frankenstein monster ransacking towns, attacking people, and being just an awful unsuperior race that has been created in malice and other such things. It's not what you see in the movies or comic books. It's a story inside a story. It begins with letters, going to sort of story from beginning in the end and proceeding to, well, reflect on the rest of it. It's very complicated. It is a story from Victor Frankenstein, as he tells Robert Walton, a sea captain determined to control the seas and find a new route across the seas. Dr. Victor Frankenstein tries to control nature. His mother dies, and he seems to be inspired to figure out a way to create life out of death. He experiments with dead body parts (gross) and somehow brings an awesome (not as in good, as in shocking) creaure to life. (important note frankenstein isn't the monster, he's the person who created the monster). He goes into shock and falls ill. The monster escapes. andddd I'm not telling you anymoree stuffffff.
Really. That's as dramatic as it gets. It really isn't a scary book. Dramatic maybe. But not scary.

I rate it 3 1/2 stars maybe 4?. It's just hard for me too get into this book. It was a good story still though :).
I would say it's for ages 12 and up in appropriateness, maybe younger. But the age that can actually get through it, understand it, and appreciate it? Varies. Depends on the person. So, read it, it's good :) A nice classic.