ABC Student News: Book Review

Erin Dionne - Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies

Rating: 5 stars!!!

Although I would recommend this for some younger female readers, I do admit it’s a fun read for the rest of the school girl population. If I didn’t make it clear before, there is absolutely no doubt that this book is aimed for girls – starting with the fact that the book’s central character is a 12 year old girl struggling through the infinite drama that is “pre-pubescence”; and the fact that this 12 year old girl is also trying to get out of a beauty pageant by losing weight. [I think we just lost some of the boys!] But, if you’re a boy - you’ve made it this far, what’s a couple of more lines? So… as said before, the book is basically about a slightly overweight 12 year old girl who is basically entered into a beauty pageant for “Husky Peaches”, against her will. So, as her last desperate attempt to get out of the pageant, she decides to lose weight in order to be disqualified from the pageant. The book transcends from her decision to lose weight to her actual procedure to do so - as many other things go on in her life throughout the book.

The Critic’s Corner: Bravo Erin Dionne, Bravo… Maybe it’s a biased opinion, but if I was Dali I’d artistically twirl my mustache at both its ends in admiration of the ART! Just saying… Not that it’s a perfect book but the way in which its unique plot harmoniously intertwines with its witty style deserves my round of applause. The fact that you can actually relate to Celeste [the central character of the story] – no matter who you are - and the fact that it’s Celeste that narrates the story throughout the whole book, immediately connects you to her world and makes you part of the book. In other words, Dionne’s attempt to connect the reader to the novel gives the reader a solid perspective of the story and also leaves the reader with no doubt on her mind on what the writer meant. So, next time you’re looking for a fun read, I’d recommend this book! Remember me when I say that after you finish this book: your review won’t vary much from mine.

Written by: Celina Milla

ABC Student News: Book Review

Margaret Peterson Haddix – The Missing Series: Book 1 “FOUND”

Even though its cover might fool you into believing it’s yet another airplane sabotage story, there’s actually more to this book than you might think.

The Plot: An unknown airplane lands on an airline’s gate, without being noticed by the airport’s radar or personnel. Besides its unbelievably mysterious appearance at the airport, there’s more: no pilot, no flight attendants and no adults for that matter, just… babies. Undoubtedly, a bizarre beginning for Haddix, but a very unique attempt to keep the reader hooked until the book ends. Chapter 2 continues with the story, 13 years after the event. It introduces us to the lives of a 2 new characters: Jonah and Chip, interestingly both 13 and even more interestingly Jonah is openly adopted. Could they somehow be linked to the airport’s bizarre mystery?

The Critic’s Review: The book carries an unbelievably strong story and it never fails to give the reader that urge to keep on turning those pages. However, somewhere in the middle of the story reading becomes an unbelievable nuisance with every turning of the page. Why? The story is too focused on the process to finding the solution that… well… nothing happens. It’s a good way to keep the suspense going, and eventually something does happen in the story, but to keep the reader waiting that long for the story’s solution without any action whatsoever? Having said that, though there is a moment towards the middle of the book in which the reader fights the urge to close the book, *SPOILER* there is an unbelievable ending to this book as a prize for those who just kept on flipping those pages until the very end. Also, did I mention there’s a moral to this story?

Moral: NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.