The Prince of Mist

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a creepy, chilling story of a demon, kind of like maybe, Satan? It takes place in a seaside town someplace in Europe. It is during war time, and Max's father wants to move his family from the dangerous city, to a safer place. He finds a ramshackle house that holds a few, very dark secrets. Max and his sister meet Roland, who tells them the story of a shipwreck, which leads to a story about a sinister character named Dr. Cain. Well, of course Max and his sister, Alicia,  get caught up in the terror. Max's little sister is pushed down the stairs by an evil force, and is in a coma, and the demon is unleashed.


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Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai: Education Activist by Rebecca Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting biography of the young Pakistani girl who was attacked for standing up for something she and her family believed in--the freedom for girls to go to school. This may not sound that interesting for most middle school students, who sometimes think that school is boring, and cuts into their time on Facebook or YouTube. But for Malala, it was a major issue, because she lived in a place where the Taliban ruled, and they actually tried to assassinate her as she was coming home from school. The book is filled with lots of photos, and many sidebars with some good information on Pakistan, rights for girls, and what life is like in a typical town in Pakistan. 

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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really liked Looking for Alaska, and so I was anticipating another excellent book from Mr. Green. I know a lot of teens have raved about this story, too. I was rather disappointed by it. The story is about two teens, Augustus and Hazel, who meet at a support group for teens battling cancer. Yikes, right? Mr. Green does not make this depressing, though, but rather amusing. They are extremely witty, intelligent teens, who are quite willing to face their horrific medical problems. I actually liked Hazel's parents, who come off as being very real people who are dealing with their teenage daughter who happens to be very sick. It's a love story, but more than that. I think girls will like this better than boys, and bring along your tissues.


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