Corey Hanna, Brown, The Marine

Josephs, Rudy. The Marine. Los Angeles: 2006

After coming home from a stint in Iraq, John Triton just wants a normal life. Except that his life is anything but normal. So he and his wife decide to go on a vacation, which is a pretty normal thing to do, but on their way, Kate is abducted by criminals who leave John to die. But John attempts to take matters into his own hands and track them down.
John and Kate are married and they are two of the main characters in the book. One could make the arguement that only John is, but if it were not for Kate being kidnapped, there would be no point in John going out and chasing these kidnappers. The setting here fits the book because it is across a long distance and if it were to take place inside somewhere like a school, it just wouldn't fit because it would be hard to have a chase scene indoors. This is a very good book, Rudy Josephs created a book that will keep you reading and her writing is easy to follow.
I would reccommend this book to most young adults because they seem to like the fast pace style and it's a book that you wont want to put down. Plus it is an easy read and isn't hard to follow.

One Perfect Op

Peter Doyle

Dockery, Kevin. One Perfect Op. HarperCollins: Avon. 2003

            Dennis Chalker is an average person before he joins the military. He first joined the Army Airborne in the early 1970’s. He then volunteered to be a candidate for the elite Naval Special Forces units. They did missions that no other company would do even if they were practically impossible. He was part of one of the hardest selection processes after he joined the basic underwater demolition seal training. Dennis moved through the ranks very fast and was chosen by Richard Marcinko for a leadership role in Red cell. Dennis is a plank owner of six, which means that he was one of the original members. Red cell was a team of seals that were used to test the security of naval bases all over the world. In the book they also explained what seal team six’s role was, and they are a team that specializes in anti terrorist operations. Throughout this book Dennis talks about how they prepared, the deployment, and strategies for survival during the operations. I liked this book because it explains and gives vivid detail on the missions that he endured. It describes how hard the training was and how committed he was. This book kind of reminds me of what one of my friends wants to do. Overall I would definitely recommend this book if you like military stories.

SPEAK

speak by laurie halse anderson

Could you picture a world where everyone looks at you different? Everyone talks about you, despises you, and could care less about anything you do? This is what life is like for a young, freshman girl, Melinda. She was so innocent, until one of the last nights of summer. Her and her friends thought it would be cool to go to a party. They were all drinking there, and something went wrong with Melinda, so she had no other choice but to call the police. A few people heard her calling the police, everyone started freaking out and panicking, and before they could run or try to stop her, they police were already there. Her friends ignored her for the rest of the summer, and she knew she was in for a big treat on the first day of high school. Read Speak and find out how she handles her years in high school with everyone against her.
This is a very good book to read. It teaches you about change, and how to find yourself. It will show you that you only need to be you, no one else. You don’t need to do certain things to fit in. I thought that this book was outstanding and I would love to see the movie and read other novels by Laurie Halse Anderson. I think that the author has a very good writing style and it is good for teenage girls. It lets them find themselves and it helps them enjoy their reading. I would recommend this book for any teenage girl who enjoys reading, and is looking for a good read.

Kite Runner Blog Post

The Story Kite Runner shows a boy named Amir living in Afghanistan. He becomes friends with his servant Hassan, even though it is illegal for them to be so close. The ruling power in Afghanistan is being turned over to Taliban rule. The two best freinds are seperated by an incident after the running of the kites. Amir flees to Pakistan then later on to California where he feels lost without his bestfriend. After Amir's father becomes ill, Amir hears of news from Afghanistan and he immediatley flies back to his home country to find out the news. The store is great for anyone interested in underground operations, and actions filled novels.

The Juvie Three: Gordan Korman

Korman, Gordan. The Juvie Three. Hyperion Books for Children: New York, 2008.

Three young teens who headed down the wrong road in life are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they are enrolled in a juvenile delinquent program. The programs aim is to help these troubled kids to readapt to a crime free life. The program head, Mr. Healy imposes strict guidelines on the juveniles in his program and with any step out of line Mr. Healy would send them back to the big house. After some time in the program the newly freed delinquents begin to show great progress, but when all seems to be going to plan Mr. Healy is involved in an accident which put him in a coma. Now the real struggle begins, should the three troubled teens keep on the right path or will the lingering temptation of going back to life on the streets stop them in their paths?

I was inspired to read this novel by Mandy’s post. I agree with her review completely. The author does a great job in using the setting as a key asset in the story by portraying to the reader how the city mocks the three young criminals. I liked this novel a lot mostly because it was very quick in developing a plotline; there is a constant sense of curiosity that keeps the readers turning each page. I would recommend this novel to mostly young adult males because so of the issues are a bit mature in nature and because a male can relate and understand the characters’ constant moral struggles.

Schmidt. The Juvie Three

Korman, Gordan.The Juvie Three.New York:Hyperian Books.2008

The Juvie Three by Gordan Korman is about three boys who unlike so many in life are given a second chance. Gecko Foss was involved in a robbery, Terence Florian was a part of one of the toughest gangs around, and Arjay Moran killed a man. What do these three boys have in common? They were all approached by Douglas Healy who would change their lives forever. Mr. Healy gave these boys an opportunity to rejoin the real world. However when Mr. Healy ends up in a coma not remembering anything the boys have to join together so they can remain on the outside. The boys learn how to work with one another to fight through the temptations of their past lives. This book is truly an enriching and inspiring book about friendship and trust.

Mandy Rusk inspired me to read this book. It was different from all of the other novels many girls had read, it wasn't the typical love story. It seemed intriguing and inspiring. I agree with her review of the book it really does show and teach you a lot about friendship and loyalty. I like that the book shows that when you are given a second chance in life you need to take it to the fullest. If you want to change your life and things to be different you will have to work for it, just like Gecko, Terence, and Arjay had work to overcome their past. The last thing i liked about the book was it was relate able in a way that was not quite so blunt. It showed temptation which everyone deals with however their temptations are different from the kind I experience. All around I thought it was a great and easy read!

Twilight: Stephanie Meyer

Meyer,Stephanie.Twilight. New York: Little Brown and Company 2005

Bella Swan takes chances everyday just to be with the boy that she loves; the terrifying thing being that he could kill her at any. Bella Swan moved to a little town in the state of Washington to complete her third year of high school. She here meets who could be the most wonderful person of her life. This person is a vampire who is constantly craving Bella’s blood. There are many things he can do and many other things he can eat, but will that be enough to stop the constant need for her? The town that Twilight takes place is an eerie, and dangerous. This makes it easy for vampires to search; it gives the reader a rushing feeling when reading. Although it is odd, the relationship that these two share is unbelievable. This is one novel you will not be able to put down. It’s a love story that will attract all kinds of an audience.

I enjoyed this book very much; I read it in just a few days. It is pretty long but very easy to get through. Before I read this book, I heard about all the hype; and now I know. It is one of the best stories I have ever read.