Book Reviews 2005
Goddess of the Night     Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

  Into the Cold Fire      Into the Wild    When the Wind Blows    

Thief Lord        Teen Page      NKFL Home

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

The latest book in the Harry Potter series is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This book was anticipated by Harry Potter fans everywhere, myself included. My expectations for this book were very high and the book did a wonderful job of exceeding these expectations. This book includes everything the other books have included, but adds new elements as well. As with all Harry Potter books there is, of course, a battle between Harry and Voldemort, but new, more personal details are given about all the characters as well.
One of the most unexpected twists in the book, for me, was the relationship between Harry and Ron’s younger sister, Ginny. From the first book on, Ginny has always had a crush on Harry, but there were no signs that Harry felt the same way. Then suddenly in this book, Harry finds himself having jealous feelings towards Ginny’s boyfriend. Then eventually, Harry and Ginny find themselves in a relationship with each other. I could not believe this when I read it. Harry and Ron’s younger sister? Harry and Ron are like brothers, I just always assumed that Harry thought of Ginny as a sister. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was a welcomed surprise. I liked Harry having a girlfriend, and Ginny, already being a key character, made the book even more interesting. But it was a very unexpected move on J.K. Rowling’s part.

Another thing that was different from the five previous books was that Fred and George don’t attend Hogwarts. When they took off in the previous book I truly believed that they would somehow convince Dumbledore to let them return on account of how awful Umbridge was, but they did no such thing. Instead they start a joke shop, which is a very fitting career choice for the two, but I enjoyed them dragging Harry and Ron into all their antics. It was the comic relief in all the previous books. But if you’re big Fred and George fans, don’t worry; they still manage to prank Hogwarts students, even from miles away.

The ending of the book is by far the best ending so far. However I can’t decide which part is more interesting. Is it Harry and Dumbledore’s journey off campus? Or is it the trouble they face upon returning? Perhaps my favorite part was the solemn ending, or the suspense of what’s to come. All I know is that this particular book was the most emotional for all avid Harry Potter fans. When I first heard that there was a death in this book I thought it would reflect the death of Cedric Diggory in book number four. We never got to really know Cedric so his death was not so emotional for the reader. The death in this book however, is very emotional. The character that dies (who I refuse to give away for those who have not read the book) is a character that we’ve gotten to know throughout the past five books. We feel as if we know them, we know what they think, we know how they act, we know them.  I had to read the pages of their death over and over to believe it myself. I would recommend this book to any Harry Potter fan. I would suggest reading the other books in the series prior to this if you’ve never read them and if you’ve read all five, I’d suggest re-reading number five so you don’t get lost. So whether or not you’re an old-time Harry Potter fan or a new one, I would get my hands on a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as soon as possible. You will not regret it.
Review by K.H.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

In The Thief Lord, Bo and Prosper run away from their aunt to Venice, Italy .  While in Venice they meet up with a group of runaway kids, living in an abandoned movie theater. Thief Lord, their leader, is a boy named Scipo who steals jewels from homes in Venice.  One day a mysterious man hires the Thief Lord to steal a broken wing that belongs to a merry-go-round.   Their plans change when their aunt hires a detective named Victor to track down Bo. You should read this really good book to find out the end.
Review by M. V.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Girl with a Pearl Earring chronicles the life of a young Dutch girl, beginning when she starts work as a maid in the house of the famous 17^th century artist Vermeer.  Griet comes from a hard-working Protestant family, but is thrust into Vermeer’s Catholic household. Here, she must quickly adapt to dealing with Ver

meer’s demanding mother-in-law, his jealous wife, and his bratty children.  Tensions in the household, already high-strung, intensify as Vermeer chooses Griet to be the subject of a painting, possibly the one which became Vermeer’s most famous.  Griet must deal with a suitor named Pieter, the butcher’s son, keeping up with her family, who she sees only on Sundays, and perhaps most important, keeping her employer satisfied.

Tracy Chevalier does an amazing job of capturing the reality of everyday life in 17^th Century Denmark.  On one level, the reader sees how people really lived.  On another, Chevalier entertains with a story behind Vermeer’s most intriguing work.  She manages to show how few options were available to someone of Griet’s stature while still beautifully illustrating how Vermeer came to paint as he did.

Packed with historical facts but laced with enough drama to hold one’s interest, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a truly great read.
Review by L.B.

Goddess of the Night by Lynne Ewing    

Goddess of the Night is the first in a series of books that tell the tale of four teenage girls, each with her own magical power.  That said, this is no fantasy.  The four girls, Vanessa, Catty, Serena, and Jimena, live in Los Angeles, California.  They deal with issues common to many teenage girls: boys, clubbing, and clothes.  The four girls don’t know each other well, but are brought together by a mentor name Maggie.  Maggie tells the girls how they received their special powers (through Selene, the Goddess of the Moon) and why they were given these powers (to fight the Atrox, an primordial evil being that threatens mankind).

This particular book focuses on Vanessa, whose power is invisibility.  Vanessa doesn’t yet know how to control her power, and things worsen for her as she begins to feel that someone is following her.  Deathly afraid someone has found out about her power, Vanessa frantically tries to identify her stalker.  In the midst of all of this, Vanessa meets up with the other three Daughters and they come to realize something far more sinister is going on.

Lynne Ewing manages to create a book about magical and mysterious forces without making it a far-fetched fantasy.  Simultaneously, shows the down-to-earth side of the girls without creating a cliché teenage drama.  The books in this series are extremely captivating.
Review by L.B.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

The story of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress takes place during China’s infamous Cultural Revolution.  During this time, most, if not all, educated people of China were sent out to the country, on Chairman Mao’s orders, to be “re-educated” to the communist mindset. 

Two boys, best friends, are banished to the mountain of Phoenix of the Sky.  Unlike most other people sent to be re-educated, the boys have little hope of ever returning to their homes because both of their sets of parents have been labeled as reactionaries.  On the mountain, they come across an old suitcase full of Western literature, translated into Chinese.  These books open their minds and enlighten the boys in a way they have never experienced.   Amongst their re-education spanning indefinitely, the books are their only source of inspiration and hope.  While on the mountain, they also meet a stunning, petite, young seamstress.  Both boys fall in love with her, and both show her the secrets of the Western books.  The two boys change her life and theirs more than they ever could have imagined.

Sijie himself went through the re-education process, so it is no surprise that he can write of it so well.  He manages to keep the reader enthralled in the story throughout.  Each chapter presents new information that draws the reader closer to this small agricultural village where two city boys lay trapped.  This book is an excellent read.

Into the Cold Fire by Lynne Ewing

Reviewed by, N.H

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild is a true story of a young man who has just finished his fourth year of college
and decides that he doesn’t want to just have his life planned out for him, so he decides to change that. The “new” Chris changes his name to simply “Alex” and begins his new life, nomadically moving from place to place, wherever employment brings him, not knowing where his next move is.

Reviewed by Robert

When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

In a small mountain town in Colorado a mystery is about to begin.  Frannie O’Neill is a woman troubled by vicious, unexplained murders that don’t make sense. Kit Harrison, an FBI agent going against the rules to investigate the murders, rents out Frannie’s house.  Frannie and Kit had no idea what they would turn up in this investigation. They discover Max, an 11 year old girl who needs their help. They also uncover some very inhumane experiments. 

I would recommend this book to anyone.  If you enjoy action, twists, and drama you would love this book.  James Patterson’s book goes into great detail.  It’s like reading a movie.  It’s a book you pick up and can’t put down.  I give When the Wind Blows 9 out of 10.  It will seem like the pages fly by. 

Reviewed by Mike