Month: May 2023

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book five of Harry Potter)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoneix

J.K Rowling

Published June 21, 2003

Read April 24 – May 4, 2023

4 out of 5 stars

Summary: Harry Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike most schoolboys, Harry never enjoys his summer holidays, but this summer is even worse than usual. The Dursleys, of course, are making his life a misery, but even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, seem to be neglecting him.

Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down…

My Review: This book sparked a lot of development from Harry, Hermoine, and Ron. Harry spent the whole year being targeted by Umbridge and not even being able to play Quidditch. He also became a teacher of the DA and how much he grew up to fill these roles. Hermoine went from this smart always studying school girl, to being able to handle a few fights if she needed to. Ron became less winny in this book and started to show some maturity. Though I will say the Weasly twins went from pranksters to pretty much full-on business people. Overall we saw huge changes in everyone throughout this book.

The storyline of this one was weaker than the Goblet of Fire. It was more serious at times, and less fun. Which I didn’t think was bad, because it definitely still had its fun times. But the whole of the book seemed to keep building up to something. There are a few times when you think that all the build-up will make sense, but then it just seems to never really be resolved. I felt like for most of the book I was just waiting for something huge to happen, like in the Goblet of Fire.

The writing style of this one, as I have mentioned seemed to be a bit darker. There were more problems and more eviler things going on. This does make sense because “You-know-who” is back, but other than that it was the same as the last book.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book four of Harry Potter)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J.K Rowling

Published July 8, 2000

Read April 12-20, 2023

5 out of 5 stars

Summary: It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learned, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful – there are unexpected dangers lurking…

My Review: The characters in this book really grew up. Harry had to deal with so much in this book, things that most 15, 16-year-olds shouldn’t and wouldn’t deal with. Hermoine and Ron also had to watch all this go down knowing that there is only a little that they can do for him. Ron still is a bit of a jerk, complaining that Harry always gets the spotlight. He also seems to bicker with Hermoine more in this book, for little, stupid things. Hermoine didn’t change as much in this book (the last book she did though), but we still saw a lot of growth in her as well.

This was both the best and saddest book of the series. I cried a few times but also laughed a lot. It was a really well-done book, and I think it is a great in-between book. It almost feels like this book is making the series go from light-hearted to darker things, which I love.

The writing changed a bit again in this book. It also lent itself to the whole idea of darker things ahead. I think that this book was written as a jumping point from kids’ books into more young adult things. It was a nice change to not see as much of the material kidifyed. I will say the thing that annoys me about Rowling’s writing is her gaps. She will spend some time going over a conversation or event, and then you flip the page, and all of a sudden you are two months in advance. I wish we got more of a time-lapse instead of a jump-cut.

Overall a very good book.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book three of Harry Potter)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

J.K Rowling

Published July 8, 1999

Read April 3-9, 2023

5 out of 5 stars

Summary: Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can’t wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn’t if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There’s an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school…

My Review: This was the best Harry Potter book so far. I love how Rowling brought werewolves and some myth into it. I also loved how we got to hear more about Harry’s dad and his friends from his time at Hogwarts.

The character development was more pronounced this time. You get to see Harry grow up more and see things outside of just being with the Dursleys and Hogwarts. Ron began to grow up more in this book, he still complained but less than the last two books. And Hermoine, we started to see her smarts be less book-smarts and more how to use that knowledge beyond the classroom.

The plot was very well done. How you are introduced to Sirius and as you learn more about him, how that’s so different. I also loved the way that the story was told about trusting people. Rowling made it seem as though some people can be trusted when they couldn’t and vice versa. I also liked how, in the case of Lupin, you are not sure you can trust him. I think this was all done really well.

The writing style was a little different in this book in my opinion. I think Rowling changed up a lot. She definitely kept some things the same, but she changed enough to give the same story idea, a new spin.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book two of Harry Potter)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

J.K Rowling

Published July 12, 1998

Read March 25-28, 2023

4 out of 5 stars

Summary: Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!

My Review: This book was enjoyable, though I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite. The Chamber of Secrets didn’t get me as excited as I thought it would, though with that it still got four out of five stars, so still a banger of a book.

Harry as a character doesn’t really change in this book. He learns a lot throughout the book, but I wouldn’t say he grows. He isn’t faced with adversity that he has to overcome and changes his character. Ron is about the same as Harry, of course, he grows up a little at the end when he discovers who opened the Chamber of Secrets, but beyond that, he’s still always got something to complain about. Hermoine is just Hermoine. We see her smarts throughout the book, but her character remains the same. I think the person we see the most change in is Ginny. **SPOILERS SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH** She seems to act differently throughout the book, and when we discover she was possessed and opened the Chamber of Secrets, the reader is able to see how that affected her. After that, we see her struggle to come to terms with what has happened to her. She really in this time grows more as a character than (in my eyes) anyone else in the book.

The plot was very well done in this book. How the reader meets Dobby and learns that something is going on. Then watching Harry, Ron, and Hermoine think about certain people and try to eliminate who could have opened the chamber was well done. I think the reason that it only got four out of five stars was because I like more believable fantasy. And the chamber seemed a little tacky to me. Otherwise, it was a good idea. I just wish the execution had been stronger.

The writing style was honestly the same. Like it’s the same writer and the same characters. Not a bad thing it wasn’t drastically different from the last book. Overall a good book, maybe a reread, I would have to think about it, but good nonetheless.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book One of Harry Potter)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

J.K Rowling

Published June 26, 1997

Read March 20-23, 2023

5 out of 5 stars

Summary: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy – until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch, and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason … HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

My Review: I tried to read this book about five years ago and couldn’t get into it. But most of my friends know the story by heart and begged and pleaded with me to try it again. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but may I just say WOW. That is a great book.

The character development is so well done. Harry starts as this, almost ignorant, character who knows nothing of the wizarding world. Obviously not his fault. But he is dropped into the middle of all this with no idea as to why he’s special or what is even happening. As the book progresses, he grows his knowledge very quickly and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Hermoine is introduced as this annoying know-it-all, who no one likes. She kind of is left out in the beginning, one because of the fact that she has muggle parents, and two, she’s incredibly smart. As the book progresses though, we see her out those smarts to help Harry and Ron pass classes, do homework, or even during fights. She is such a strong female character that I love her so much. Ron, in my opinion, is an okay character. He doesn’t have anything about him that really stands out and I think he’s kind of winny. He always has something to complain about. Harry and Hermoine could also complain but don’t, so why do you see the need to. Anyway, I just wish for being such a big character that he would have something that made him stand out.

The plot development was good. The main plot, (I am trying to avoid spoilers here sorry) is a little boring. I just don’t really like that everyone went through so much trouble for that stone. It doesn’t seem worth it. At times it was played up too much, but it’s also a crazy powerful weapon that at times wasn’t played up enough. And there really was no in-between.

The writing style was nice. It covered all the details and gave us a solid story while also not getting too lost and giving too much of things that don’t matter. Though I will say, it wasn’t the most original writing style. I have seen better but I have also seen worse. It is just the everyday style of a book. Overall a really good read.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Camp Jupiter Classified

Camp Jupiter Classified

Rick Riordan

Published May 5, 2020

Read April 11, 2023

3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary: It’s the February after Gaea’s defeat. Camp Jupiter, like everyone else, should be celebrating. But something is causing chaos. Mysterious, sinister incidents are wreaking havoc throughout the camp. Tensions are high, and suspicion quickly falls on Claudia, the Fourth Cohort’s newest probatio. After all, the mischief started shortly after she stumbled into camp. To find out the truth, delve into the pages of Claudia’s personal journal. Through her eyewitness accounts, you’ll visit the crime scenes – a row of seats in the coliseum, an underground aqueduct tunnel – and see the bizarre events unfold . . . And you’ll be right alongside Claudia when she discovers an ancient secret that may hold the key to Camp Jupiter’s safety.

My Review: I am the biggest Rick Riordan fan, I’m absolutely in love with all his works. This is not my favorite book by him. It is definitely an optional read if you are reading any of the Riordan-verse books.

Though, it was still a very strongly done book. First, the character development we get is truly well done. When you first meet Claudia, she is this new probatio (a low-ranking soldier in the New Rome Legion), she is trying to find her place in Camp but instead finds herself in the middle of this mystery. She grows and begins to fit in at camp and helps Preator Reyna and Preator Frank solve said mystery. And how she fits into camp, despite everyone thinking she’s the culprit.

The plot was on the weaker side. In my opinion, it seemed rushed and jumped around. It was a really good idea, there are just a few plot holes, like how did the woman go from Camp Jupiter to working at the dump, just one example. Overall though it was a good idea and some parts of it I truly enjoyed.

The writing style wasn’t like Rick’s normal books. It was a little choppy and jumped around a bit. But some very strong sections made me think “This is the writing we know and love!” I have so very few complaints in this section, it really was well done. Overall it is a really nice quick read that I do highly recommend, but if you didn’t like it you still may like some other Rick Riordan books.

Additional Comments: I have reread the Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, and Trials of Apollo books so many times. Including the books in the middle like Percy Jackson’s Guide to Greek Heroes and Percy Jackson’s Guide to Greek Gods. They are not all in here but I will write reviews for all of them someday, but if you’re looking for a really good set of books give them a try, they are the books that got me into not just Greek mythology, but also reading in general.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Keep Going

Keep Going, The Art of Perseverance

Joseph M. Marshall III

Published January 1, 2006

Read March 29-30, 2023

5 out of 5 Stars

Summary: Grandfather says this: “In life there is sadness as well as joy, losing as well as winning, falling as well as standing, hunger as well as plenty, bad as well as good. I do not say this to make you despair, but to teach you…that life is a journey sometimes walked in light and sometimes in shadow.”

Grandfather says this: “Keep going.”

These thought-provoking lessons, passed down by the author’s own Lakota grandfather, will inspire the hundreds of thousands who already know his work—and will tap into the market that has embraced such books as Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s The Invitation.

When a young man’s father dies, he turns to his sagacious grandfather for comfort. Together they sit underneath the family’s cottonwood tree, and the grandfather shares his perspective on life, the perseverance it requires, and the pleasure and pain of the journey. Filled with dialogue, stories, and recollections, each section focuses on a portion of the prose poem “Keep Going” and provides commentary on the text.

Readers will draw comfort, knowledge, and strength from the Grandfather’s wise words—just as Marshall himself did.

My Review: This book was given to me as a gift during a really hard time in my life, and I am forever grateful that I read this when I did. It is such an inspiring book and really helps put things in perspective.

I really am just going to touch on the writing style of this book, but it was beautiful. I loved the way that the stories were presented and how they can help us relate them to real life. Some of the topics in this book were very upsetting topics, and the author approached them in a curtesy way while being frank about it at the same time. I have recommended this book to so many people because I think no matter who you are or where you come from, you should read it at least once in your life.

Additional Comments: As you can tell by this review, this was done differently because it wasn’t a fiction book with a plot and character development. It was more of a self-help book. Just thought I would make that clear.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads

Rated

Rated

Melissa Grey

Published September 3, 2019

Read January 26-27, 2023

3 out of 5 stars

Summary: Societies thrive on order, and the Rating System is the ultimate symbol of organized social mobility.

The higher it soars, the more valued you are. The lower it plummets, the harder you must work to improve yourself. For the students at the prestigious Maplethorpe Academy, every single thing they do is reflected in their ratings, updated daily, and available for all to see.

But when an act of vandalism sullies the front doors of the school, it sets off a chain reaction that will shake the lives of six special students — and the world beyond.

My review: I absolutely loved this book, it was beautiful. I wish this was a series because the end left so much open. The plot twist at the end was ok, it wasn’t the greatest but also wasn’t the worst.

The character development in this book wasn’t as strong as it could have been. Noah was still a shy closed-off character, he just made some friends. Javi was still a very confident and happy character while trying to assume the parent role at home. Bex was still brilliant and very successful with a lot coming for her. Noah was still an athlete that felt like an imposter. Jasmine was still an outcast who was there cause she had to be. Only Hannah was the one who really changed, and even in that case not much. She was a girl who had no confidence and an eating disorder, by the end of the book she had a little confidence and was still kind of struggling with the eating disorder, but she saw what it was doing to her. I just wish we could see more from them.

The plot was good and bad. It was a good idea, a whole society based off of the number you get, and then whether what you do is good or bad is how well you do in the world. Solid idea, but first the cover is misleading, what it shows isn’t how it’s described to work. The bad thing about the plot, (also will be covered in the next paragraph) was how weak it was. There wasn’t enough to get through the whole book, so it was kind of dragged on and on.

The writing style was pretty well done, I personally am a big fan of the different POVs but if you don’t enjoy that, it does flip pretty regularly. As I also stated it was kind of weak, and so you get into the storyline really quick with little to no idea about the way this world works, how the ratings affect things, or even who your main characters are so you’re trying to remember about characters that mean nothing to the plot. Because you get into the storyline too quick (in my opinion), there wasn’t enough going on to really support the full book. The story kind of ebbs and flows. You will find yourself reading a certain part thinking that too much is going on, then five pages later you are just wishing for something to happen.

Overall, this wasn’t a horrible book, it is a fun quick read. But it’s definitely not in my top ten.

-Nina

Follow me on Goodreads