Rating: Just Okay (3)

The world of Oz is much different than the world you read about in the books or saw in the movies. In "Dorothy Must Die," another girl from Kansas is swept away to the land of Oz, where magic is a natural resource, much like oil, and the evil queen Dorothy needs to be stopped before she takes all the magic and becomes invincible. Amy must become an assassin for an underground organization to stop Dorothy from completely wrecking Oz.
Featuring cliche characters that are neither likable nor memorable, mediocre world building, and a slightly dull plot line, "Dorothy Must Die" is an average story at best. Good to read when you have nothing better go do, but not recommended under any other circumstance.

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"Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige

Rating: Excellent! (5)

If you think you know fairy tales, think again! The original fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm will shock you with how different they are from what you've seen in the movies. You occasional catch a happily ever after, but more often than not you just get a hard to swallow lesson about how to be a better person. This book is wonderful; containing some old favorites but also some lesser known stories that are just as wonderful. So, if you're looking for an easy and interesting read, this book is for you!

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"Grimm's Fairy Tales" by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm

Rating: Excellent! (5)

Set in Maycomb, Alabama, this story is seem through the eyes of
Scout. This story traverses several years and throughout the years
Scout, her older brother Jem, and their friend Dill have to deal with prejudice and inequality while still just growing up. With their father defending a black man(aka "a mockingbird") in a case that rattles the town, the Fich family is turned upside down. This story has strong moral questions and suggestions, including the line that gave this book its name. "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"
This book was wonderful and I could not put it down!!! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

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"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Rating: Just Okay (3)

"iDrakula" by Bekka Black is a modern take on a classic-Dracula. It's told through texts, emails, images, and web browser screenshots. It's obvious almost immediately what's going on. iDrakula is a very fast read, even for a 150 page book, and is very fast paced. Because of this, I never really got into the story and didn't feel any connection to the characters. It was a good story, but I think it could hae been told better if it included an actual story, not just texts and emails. Overall, iDrakula was an okay book.

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"IDrakula" by Bekka Black

Rating: Good (4)

While the older English wording may at first act as a drag to your ability to gobble this wonderful story, by the end you will have been persuaded that it was worth the read. Jane Austen writes of Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth. They'd fallen in love when young, but because Anne was persuaded that marrying Frederick would only bring ill to him, she broke the engagement. Eight years pass, and quite suddenly, the monotony of Anne's years without Frederick take a strange twist. Amidst the romance, you also find humor and pain. A marvelous read for anyone brave enough to attempt it.

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Persuasion by Jane Austen

Rating: Good (4)

1984-George Orwell
This dystopian novel, written in 1949, gives us a scary look at what the world may have become had the Nazis or communist regimes gained power over the world. This world is one in which every movement, every breath, every word is monitored. The Party tortures and executes all "thought criminals" or people they suspect don't love Big Brother, the leader of The Party. Ironically, the only ones who have freedom in this society are the "proles" who are your everyday poor people. The Party members are monitored by "telescreens" and controlled by "doublethink," a mental process in which people are able to convince themselves of a different reality. This allows The Party to lie and cover up mistakes without the citizens of Oceania thinking twice about it. They accept what The Party tells them without question, even if it contradicts something they already know. In a way, Big Brother and The Party are the equivilent of the gods of today's society, though The Party doesn't allow religion. People fear, respect, and have complete faith in them in the same way some have faith in God. This book does a good job of making the point that you shouldn't trust anyone completely and shouldn't follow anyone blindly. Though the technology in this book is somewhat outdated (who could have predicted the invention of the computer?) this classic will hopefully live on for a long time. Big Brother is Watching You.

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1984 by George Orwell

Rating: Excellent! (5)

The Great Gatsby is considered a classic, but it is definetly a modern classic that still today draws the attention of readers everywhere. The book is narrated by Nick, who lives in a rich neighborhood of New York in the 1920s. When he finally meets his next door neighbor, Gatsby, his life is changed forever. Gatsby is a timeless charcter that throughout the story, continues to be a mystery to Nick. The Great Gatsby examines human nature and the desire to have the perfect life. If you like allegories this is the perfect book for you.

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald