Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: August 23rd, 2011

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I was really disappointed with this book... I don't know if it's because the book actually sucked (which I suspect is the case), or if it's because I had such high expectations based on the first book, but I felt seriously let down after reading it.  I almost gave up on it several times, but I couldn't because I paid good money for it.  I typically read four books per week, and this book took me over a week to get through.  I just could not get into it enough to care.

I loved I Am Number Four, the first book in The Lorien Legacies series.  I thought it was paced well, had likable characters, and enough action to fill three books.  I read it quickly and waited, holding my breath, for the launch of book #2.  I really liked Number Six and was looking forward to reading her story.  Except that The Power of Six was not Six's story at all, it was the story of a girl named Marina, also known as Number Seven, and I just didn't find her all that interesting.  The "adventures" of Four, Six, and Sam seemed like filler, and I didn't feel an attachment to any of them like I did in the first book.  The first half of the book dragged horribly.  After that, it picked up some, but it was not until the final 100 pages that it really got good.  I will actually give it one more star than I would have for it's ending; because of it, I actually have hope the the third book will be worth reading.  I will give it a shot because I liked book #1 so much, but if it's as disappointing as this one was, it will be my last of this series.  Oh, and I will definitely get it from the library...

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why this book has a 4+ star rating on Goodreads. I usually find Goodreads so reliable, but in this case, I wholeheartedly disagree.  If you still want to read this book after reading my review, please go into it with LOW expectations...

If you want to read a really funny and creative review that pretty much sums up this book, click HERE, but be forewarned, it has spoilers.

My Rating: ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  Well, difficulty-wise, I would put this book at 3rd grade (maybe).  Content-wise, 5th grade and up (ages 10+).  There's no real objectionable content other than the whole video-game-like violence thing.

**Don't forget to enter my AWESOME giveaway of an audio copy of the AMAZING All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin HERE!**

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Publishing

Publication Date: June 7th, 2011

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I wish I could say that I loved this book.  I wanted to love it.  I was really looking forward to reading it for quite some time.  I didn't love it.  I borderline didn't like it.  There were some things I liked about it, but there was so much more that I didn't. 

Let's start with the cover.  I loved it.  It was creepy-awesome and the picture that went with the story were equally great.  Honestly, that was one of the draws for me.  The story had real potential. It really did.  It was something different and the concept was great.  It just didn't flow right.  It started with a bang.  I was pretty into it for about the first 15% of the book, then it fizzled.  Every  time I sat down to read it I fell almost immediately asleep.  It was disjointed and confusing, and frankly, kind of boring.  Toward the end it picked up A LOT, and got very interesting (there is a big twist toward the end that left me saying,"Say WHAT?"), but by then it was too little, too late.  I did like the references to birds because I am an obsessive birder (I know, total nerd!).  Of course, that's not going to do much for most of you, so I wouldn't take that into account, but for me, it kept the book off of my "hate list".

Like I said, I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.  I guess that has to happen sometimes...

My Rating:  ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  I was thinking this would be a Middle Grade novel, but I was definitely wrong.  There's a good bit of cursing, and quite a bit of violence.  I would say ages 12+ (grade 7 and up).