Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, Second Book in the Uglies Series

Scott Westerfeld gets five stars. He has plenty of stories and he's great with different points of view.
This series is worthy of four stars. The original trilogy was amazing, but the fourth book wasn't quite as good.
Pretties itself gets five stars.
Pretties was published on May 5, 2005 by Simon Pulse.
The official website is here.

This was a great sequel to Uglies. It continued the plot, explained a few things, and had great characters. It also prepared us for the next book, Specials. It's a really easy read, and you won't get lost in subplots or what have you. I seriously love this book.

The point of view is a girl and I think Westerfeld captured her character well. It's easy to befriend her and to follow her feelings about what is going on around her.

The science behind the plot has been well researched. It's also explained in a way that's easy to understand. Some of the philosophical stuff really makes you think, which is a sign of a great novel.

I'm kind of interested in reading this one again. I read it on my own and then we read it in English class. The book became a hot topic real fast at my high school.

This is definitely one to read.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini, First Book in the Inheritance Cycle

Chris Paolini gets 4 stars. His writing has improved enormously over the years, and I love reading his books every time.
The series also gets 4 stars for the same reason. Eragon itself gets 3 stars.
Eragon was republished on August 26, 2003 by Alfred A. Knopf.
The official website is Alagaesia and a popular fansite (recognized by the author) is Shurtugal.

Now for the review! Eragon is one of my favorite books. A common comment about the book is that it's similar to Lord of the Rings, almost like fanfiction. I can see where people get this idea, but Eragon is its own story. Everything we read is stored in our minds and it gets scrambled up. This means others' stories collect elements from the things they have read.

Another complaint about the book is that is has too much detail. This is a fair point, which is part of the reason Eragon is only three stars. My dad read the book to my little brother, and often he left out paragraphs or sentences and summed up the basic idea. While an abridged version may be best for some readers, I enjoyed all of the description, even when rereading the book. It made it easier to visualize what was taking place. Also, I believe Paolini has improved in this area with each book.

The plot is extremely well written. Paolini has plot points that weave in and out throughout the entire series. It seems to me he either had everything planned out before he wrote, or most ideas were fairly concrete. It's easy to follow the subplots because he reminds you of past pieces when they become important again. The characters go through great arcs.

This book takes time to get through, but I believe it's worth it. I highly enjoyed Eragon and recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, dragons, or conflicts between good and evil. It's also rereadable if you find the time. I'm currently rereading the series in anticipation for the forth and final book to come out, and it's just as fun as it was the first time I read it.

Give Eragon a try. It's a wonderful book.

Omigosh That's Massive Reading!

Hello! My name is Kayla. I've published one book and am currently working on way too much to say in one sentence. My latest project, however, is book reviews! Every day I plan to write a review. Well, not every day. I have a few Specials in mind. More info on those later!

So here's the plan. I have a huge list of books, series, and authors. I wrote them on little pieces of paper and put them in a baggie. Then I just scramble, pick, review! You never know what I'll review next (unless you make a request).

Now for the Specials I promised.

- Once a week, I plan to update you on new books coming out and author appearances.

- Also once a week, I'll take one of your suggestions, read it, and give it a fresh review. Selection is subject to availability at my libraries, but don't let that limit your suggestions!

- Another Special involves other readers and bloggers. If you want to write a review, send me a message! You'll be a Guest Blogger. If you have a website, this is your chance to get the word out.

- Every now and then, authors announce sweet stuff, such as a movie adaption, Ministry of Propaganda, and maybe a baby shower. (Okay, probably not a baby shower.) If anything super cool like that comes up, I'll be sure to let you know.

-"And more!" As time goes on, I might think up other Specials, such as Publisher Spotlight. If you have any suggestions for Specials or content, send it my way! I look forward to hearing from you.

Think you can score me a pre-release? I'd love to review it before the release date!

And that's it! Any questions and comments are welcomed and loved. Oh, and don't forget to tell your friends about me!

See you tomorrow for the first review!

~Kayla