MOVED TO NEW SITE!

I have moved my blog to a new site.

You may look for me at:

http://www.waupacalibrary.org/bestcellarsbookblog

I look forward to your feedback!

For Whom the Bell Tolls By Ernest Hemingway

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Robert Jordan has one task, to blow the bridge. He is an American dynamiter who is working with Spanish guerrillas to help win the war. A simple task made harder by the fact he must blow the bridge during the day.

If that isn’t bad enough he must deal with the leader’s discontent, and blood lust. All these threaten not only the mission but, also, his new found love in Maria, the girl at the camp.

Told in lyrical English that mimics the Spanish cadence, this book is full of flashbacks. Many of which are lengthy. These elements can make the book hard to understand. I found the Spanish element somewhat distracting, as I have not taken Spanish. I think someone who actually spoke Spanish would enjoy the writing style more.

Over all, I think the book makes you think about love, life, and death, a good quality in a book. Some parts are purely poetic, and those are the parts I really enjoyed.

--Cat

P.S. On the CAPP Summer Reading List for Phair.

P.P.S For all you Nerdfighters, the main character, Robert Jordan, was a teacher in Missoula, Montana. The current residence of one Hank Green.

P.P.P.S 8 days until John Green!!!!

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John Green Video

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls By Steven Hockensmith

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

The dreadfuls are coming. It’s Victorian England and the Bennet sisters are surprised when Mr. Ford sits up at his funeral (It’s so improper to attend one’s own funeral.) They are even more surprised when their father insists they learn how to fight (Warriors don’t get husbands). But, the training becomes necessary when zombies invade the town.

I liked the book. It has all the love and scandal of Austen novel along with the adventure, gore, and violence of an action movie. I would recommend this book to a fan of either genre.

--Cat

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Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook : Core Rulebook I v. 3.5 by Monte Cook

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

This is the first book you must become familiar with if you wish to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's full of everything you need, ranging from races to spells. Eventually, you'll be able to move onto more advanced texts, like the Monster Manuel or the Dungeon Master's Guide, but starting off you should focus on the basics, and the basics are contained in this great text.

Not surprisingly, I love this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in playing this great game.

--Jeremy

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The Realm of Possibilities By David Levithan

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

This book is in verse
It follows the lives
that color the school
Connecting them
Through love
Hate
Joy
And sorrow

--Cat

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Garage Band by Gipi

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

Garage Band by Gipi is a graphic novel about four teenage boys who have dreams of one day making it big on the music scene. They start out as any band their age, in a garage making too much noise for the neighbors to handle. Eventually Giuliano, one of the band members, is given a garage by his father under the condition that he remains out of trouble. Surprisingly enough this doesn't last too long as a result of a very dumb deed done by the band.

This novel was very well written and had artwork not typically found in graphic novels. I was very surprised I even picked it up, let alone enjoyed it, because I'm not typically into graphic novels. I'd recommend this novel to just about anyone.

--Jeremy

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Looking for Alaska by John Green

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

It’s Miles Halter’s first year at an Alabama boarding school. Culver Creek has all the fun, excitement, and trouble he thought it would, but it had one thing he didn’t expect. Alaska. Alaska is the perfect girl, and as the year progresses he finds himself falling deeper and deeper into love with her. But Alaska is a mystery, and as he searches for the answer he realizes he might never find the answer.

Looking for Alaska is a great book. It brings to light a lot of questions about life and death, but has enough adventure and romance to keep anyone who reads it happy. Be careful, this is definitely a high school book.

--Cat

P.S. It’s on the Summer Reading List for Seniors

John Green!

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Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Annabel Greene lives in glass house. Her father is an architect. He built a glass house for his family to live in, except, he built the house so passersby could only see some of the family, and the rest was hidden giving the illusion of a see-through house. Annabel’s life is the same as her house. Everyone thinks her life is perfect. She and her sisters are models; she has the perfect family, what could be wrong? Annabel’s life is unraveling around her. She doesn’t want to model anymore, her sister has an eating disorder, and she doesn’t want to see her friends anymore. What can she do? Soon she becomes friends with the loner of the school. He uses music to show her a new outlook on life, and she listens.

This was a good book. I really enjoyed the prominent role music had in the story. If you liked Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson you will definitely like Just Listen.

-- Cat

P.S. It’s on the Summer Reading List for freshmen.

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Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Abraham Lincoln was one of the most famous presidents. But he has a deep dark secret, he is a vampire hunter. After his mother and Grandfather are killed by vampires, Abe swore revenge on these other worldly beasts. Along with some help from friends he hunts the vampires who haunt his country. A lawyer by day and hunter by night Abe starts his journey to the White House.

This is a great book, it starts out as an Abraham Lincoln biography, and quickly turns into a horror show filled with gore and lots of fighting.

--Cat

P.S. it’s on the Summer Reading List for Seniors (English 12 and Mr. Phair’s CAPP Courses)

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Paper Towns by John Green

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

For all of his life Quentin Jacobsen has lived next to Margo Roth Spiegelman, and for as long as he remembers he has loved her. Margo is the odd popular kid, cool enough to hang with the popular crowd. But when Margo’s boyfriend cheats on her she releases a storm of revenge with Quentin as her sidekick. She disappears that night. This is typical Margo behavior so only Quentin suspects there is something more to her disappearance. Following clues left by Margo he and his friends embark on a quest to find Margo, and for Quentin to find himself.

This book is great! Parts of it will make you laugh a lot.

--Cat

P.S. This is on the Summer Reading List for the Sophomores, and John Green is coming to Waupaca!

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Movie Trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I'm SO EXCITED! Are you??

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Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

This was a rather interesting read that is outside of my normal genre, however I still enjoyed it. It's the story of Josh, a violent genius of a Senior in high school, who, at age 12, was seduced and used by his history teacher. Throughout the novel not only do you learn about Josh's experiences with his teacher, but you also get to witness how he deals with flashbacks of his time spent with said teacher, and how he deals with and eventually overcomes them.

Like I said before I really enjoyed this book, even though it's outside of my normal genre. It's definitely intended for a more mature reader, however, so I would steer clear of it if you're not looking for a book with some steamy moments.

--Jeremy

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Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Catalyst: a substance added to a reaction to speed up the reaction’s process.
Kate Malone has her life all figured out. In the fall she’s going to MIT, the same school her mother went to, and until then she’s taking care of her brother and father, and she’s not going to let anything stop her. But then several catalysts shake her life, and she learns life isn’t always what she expects it to be, and, maybe, that isn’t a bad thing.

--Cat

P.S. This book is on the Freshmen Summer Reading List.

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13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

If you were to die tomorrow what would you want to tell your friends? Hannah Baker has thought about this and she has all the answers or thirteen of them at least. Hannah is a good girl with a bad reputation and when her life spirals out of control she decides she has had enough, so she kills herself. But she is not about to be forgotten. She leaves thirteen tapes for her classmates to listen to, thirteen reason why she died.
The story follows Clay Jensen’s journey through Hannah’s mind and life, as he tries to figure out why he is on Hannah’s list, and who else caused her death.

This story has some obvious mature material in it. I would recommend it though, it is a great book. I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know how it ended.

--Cat

P.S. See here for Best Celler's review of the same title.
P.P.S. This book is on the Waupaca High School Summer Reading list for Juniors!

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Summer Reading Lists

Are you going to be at Waupaca High School next year? Here are your required summer reading lists. You only need to read one of the books on the list--but take good notes, because you'll be tested on that book when you get back to school next fall!

9th Grade:

The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Son of the Mob by Gordan Korman
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Peak by Roland Smith
Box Out by John Coy
Cut by Patricia McCormick
Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Graceling by Kristin Cashore



10th Grade:

Paper Towns by John Green
Chasing Tail Lights by Patrick Jones
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson



11th Grade:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Nailed by Patrick Jones
Deception Point by Dan Brown
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz



12th Grade English (not CAPP):

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Silver Compass by Holly Kennedy
Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Christmas Stones and The Story Chair by Justin Isherwood
Wart Son of Toad by Alden Carter
Black Cross by Greg Iles
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch



12th Grade CAPP:

If you are taking a CAPP course you have to read two books:

All CAPP students will read one of the following classic American novels:

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Native Son by Richard Wright
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger

All CAPP students will also choose one of the following contemporary novels:

The Help by Kathyrn Stockett
The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Beach Music by Pat Conroy



Students taking Communications 111 and or Theatre Appreciation need to read:

The Last Lecture By Randy Pausch

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Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Remember when Teen Room Staffer Lydia reviewed Unwind? Click here to see her review.







Check out this fan-made video on YouTube that also features Unwind.


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A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

Sophie FitzOsborne lives in the crumbling ruins of her family’s castle on the tiny island Kingdom of Montmaray, which lies between England and Spain. She lives there with her younger sister Henry, her cousin Veronica, the housekeeper, Rebecca, and her completely mad uncle, King John. The year is 1936, and Sophie just received a journal for her sixteenth birthday. She begins by recording the events of her daily life; her desire to move to London to have her official debut, and her longing for a certain young man’s attention. Veronica, only a year older, but much more worldly wise, takes an interest in the politics of Europe and the brewing tension there. Sophie could care less, until the day that German soldiers land on Montmaray. Sophie’s journal takes a more serious turn, and so does she. She struggles to follow Veronica’s example and become Sensible, even in the face of the most bizarre disaster that Montmaray and Sophie has ever seen.

The writing was well done and told through a diary format. Sophie was a realistic character, but in comparison with her intelligent and quick-witted cousin Veronica, she seemed naïve and younger than 16. Veronica, on the other hand, was behaving and speaking in ways that made her seem older than 17. Also, Sophie was a rather flat character, while Veronica was not. In some ways the book was more about her than the narrator. The concept for the book is genius—an island kingdom that has two teen orphan girls as the main royalty figures? Honestly, the author could have taken this idea in so many thrilling directions. I almost want to steal the idea and rewrite the entire book. Have you ever felt that way about a book? If so, what book? What would you have changed?

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Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

After the murder of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6. After only two weeks of training, Alex is assigned his first mission—to complete his uncle’s last assignment and discover the secret behind a generous donation that was made to every school in the country. Can Alex learn to use his new skills and special tools to uncover the secret?

I just got started on the Alex Rider Series, and I think that it's pretty great--full of action, spy gadgets, and mystery. All my favorite things! Don't miss a single second of the action!

Stormbreaker
Point Blank
Skeleton Key
Eagle Strike
Scorpia
Ark Angel
Snake Head
Crocodile Tears


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Pop by Gordan Korman

New in town, and training for his upcoming football tryouts, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan meets Charlie, an older man who is great at helping him train. Marcus is amazed to discover that Charlie is Charlie Popovich, or the “King of Pop,” as he had been called during his career as an NFL linebacker. Marcus soon discovers that Charlie has a big secret, and his family is desperate to keep it.

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Beastly by Alex Flinn

There's a new movie coming out this summer, based on the book Beastly by Alex Flinn. Check out the official movie website here, and watch the trailer!

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you think it will make a good movie?

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Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

This exciting account of President Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller. The dialogue all comes from original sources, which adds a chill to the already disturbing conspiracy! The book takes the reader on a journey, almost hour by hour, following the brutal murder scene at Ford’s Theatre. While the President lay dying, John Wilkes Booth’s accomplices attempted to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Booth had to convince or trick friends and strangers into helping him escape. The text is accompanied by abundant period photos of the key players in the conspiracy and historical documents. This is the young adult version of Swanson’s bestselling Manhunt.

*Note that the Waupaca Area Public Library will be hosting a traveling Lincoln Exhibit August 16-September 24 and is one of only 25 sites nationwide to host this traveling exhibit! Stay tuned for more details about events including a Lincoln impersonator!

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Fire by Kristin Cashore

In a kingdom called the Dells exist monsters—gorgeous and highly-skilled versions of a variety of animals. Fire is the last human monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her. Fire is so beautiful that she must disguise herself and conceal her hair to avoid both attacks by other monsters and the attention of men. Although she prefers privacy, Fire is pulled into the inevitable war brewing in the Dells. Young King Nash wants her special skill on his side of the battle, just as her father supported his father, but Fire knows the two were the most feared men in all of the Dells. The ill-effects of her father’s abuse of his power are still affecting Fire—the King’s brother, Brigan, doesn’t trust Fire and makes no secret about it. Will she use her skills to help? And why are Fire and Brigan so drawn to each other, in spite of his distrust?

Don't miss Kristin Cashore's first book Graceling!

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Red Glass by Laura Resau

Sixteen-year-old Sophie and her family have taken in Pablo, a six-year-old Mexican boy who is the only survivor from a group that attempted to cross the border into Arizona. After a year, Sophie and her family have become very attached to the young boy, but his remaining family in Mexico made contact, and want Pablo back. Sophie, her Aunt Dika, Dika’s boyfriend, and his son, Angel, travel to Mexico to take Pablo to his family so he can make a big decision. To make things even more stressful for Sophie, she thinks that Angel might really like her. When they arrive in Mexico, Pablo must decide—will he stay with Sophie’s family, or remain in Mexico? And will Sophie be strong enough to support his decision? And what are her real feelings for Angel?

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The Maze Runner by James Dashner

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

The Maze Runner offers little background knowledge at the beginning of the book. The reader, as well as the main character, Thomas, is thrust into a strange environment with no knowledge of Thomas’s former life. The book begins with Thomas waking up disoriented in an enclosed space known as the Glade. He soon meets the local populace, a group of boys ranging in age from around thirteen to seventeen. They call themselves the Gladers. Like Thomas, none of them remember anything from their lives before the Glade.

Slowly, Thomas learns about the Glade and the maze that surrounds it. The Gladers have been searching for two years for an exit, and still haven’t found one. Of course, their progress is hindered due to the fact that the maze is prowled by the deadly Grievers, monstrous mutations made of metal and flesh that kill anything in their path.

The next day, a new phenomenon occurs in the Glade. A girl arrives, via the same route all the boys have arrived. This is tremendous because there has never been a girl in the Glade. Ever. Thomas feels a strange connection to the girl, but keeps this knowledge to himself. That night, two of the Gladers, Minho and Alby, are trapped outside the walls which protect the Gladers from the Grievers at night. Thomas tries to rescue them but is also trapped outside the walls. Since nobody has ever survived a night in the maze, prospects are looking slim. But through some miraculous feat, they manage to survive, and Thomas then leads a crusade to escape the maze with the help of the girl, Theresa.

The Maze Runner is an exciting book from front cover to back. Just when the reader thinks the action is slowing down a little, Dashner incorporates some interesting twist. This book certainly keeps the reader guessing. For me personally, it was a bit too sci-fi for my taste, but it came highly recommended from my good friend Melissa. :)

--Brandon


P.S. from Melissa: watch for the next book in this trilogy in October 2010!

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Peak by Roland Smith

Peak has just been caught scaling a skyscraper, and faces criminal charges. Instead of a trial and a serious punishment, the judge agrees to release Peak into his absentee father’s care with the promise that Peak will be out of the country and therefore out of the newspapers. Peak soon realizes that his father’s motives might not be with his best interests in mind. His father owns and operates a mountain climbing excursion company, and he wants Peak to make history for him by being the youngest climber to summit Everest—a dangerous and sometimes deadly climb for an experienced adult climber. Will Peak make it to the top? And does he really want to?

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Stitches by David Small

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

David Small was just a boy when he woke up from a seemingly harmless operation to find he could no longer talk. The lump on his neck that he thought was a cyst was actually a tumor, though he didn’t find this out for two weeks after he had his surgery. Stitches tells the story of this boy. His life has many morbid facets, and each facet is shown in clarity. This autobiographical work seems to be a story from made up in a dark world, but this really is David Small’s life, and he manages to come out of this life brilliantly.

I loved this book. It had a relatively happy ending which is always a plus, and it’s a graphic novel, which I really liked. It is a tiny bit graphic, so be prepared if you want to read it.

--Cat

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How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Daisy no longer feels like she fits in her father’s home, with his new wife and a baby on the way, so she travels to England to live with her mom’s sister and her four cousins whom she has never met. Upon arrival, Daisy feels an almost immediate connection with this family, and can’t explain why. Shortly after her arrival though, the world decides to intervene on her new found happiness. London is attacked and the world is suddenly at war. The five kids are left on their own in the English countryside. At first the kids don’t feel the effects of the war, but soon their tranquil atmosphere is disrupted by soldiers who take over their home and separate the kids into foster homes across the country. Daisy and her younger cousin end up working on a farm, helping soldiers care for the cows that desperately need milking. With the help of some of the soldiers, will Daisy be able to plot their escape and return to the family’s farm house?

2005 Printz Award Winner

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Pssssst!

Guess what! The Waupaca Area Public Library is hard at work organizing the first annual Waupaca Book Festival! The festival will be October 1st and 2nd, 2010. I'm so excited to tell you that we have confirmation from JOHN GREEN and PATRICK JONES. They will be here!

John Green is the author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and Let it Snow (with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle). He has just finished writing another book, with David Levithan, which will be available in April. Keep your eyes open for Will Grayson, Will Grayson. You can find John online in many different places. He and his brother Hank Green have been communicating by video for the past three years, and you can watch their interactions on YouTube--they even have their own channel (VLOGBROTHERS). They also have an online community, called Nerdfighters, a worldwide group that works towards both having fun and eliminating worldsuck. Anyone can create an account on Nerdfighters to follow along.

Nerdfighters (John and Hank Green's online community): http://nerdfighters.ning.com/

John's Website: www.sparksflyup.com

John's Blog: www.sparksflyup.com/weblog.php

John and Hank Green's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers




Patrick Jones is a former librarian for teenagers who now concentrates on writing fiction for teens. His books include: Nailed, Chasing Tail Lights, Cheated, Stolen Car, The Tear Collector, and Things Change. You can find Patrick on Facebook, Myspace, and Wikipedia!

Patrick's Website: http://www.connectingya.com/




Stay tuned to the blog for more details!

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Hunger Games Trilogy News

Check out the cover image I found online! The third Hunger Games book finally has a title! Now doesn't that make waiting until August 24 so much harder?

Keep watching the blog for news about our Hunger Games events this summer!

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Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Geektastic is a collection of stories all about geeks. They are written by all your favorite authors, Holly Black, M.T. Anderson, Garth Nix, and John Green, among others. Every author covers a different spectrum of geekdom, from a Star Wars convention, to a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, quiz bowl preparations and more. Some are funny. Some are serious. All are worth the read.

--Cat

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The Host by Stephenie Meyer

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

You all know Stephenie Meyer as the vampire lady, but in The Host she takes a step into a different genre. Science Fiction.

The Host tells the story of aliens. These aliens find planets with life forms, and then insert their souls into these forms, and now they are on earth. The main alien, named the wanderer, had lived many lives and seen many planets. She is put into a body which, she finds out, is from a rebel human, one of the few left alive. The Wanderer is supposed to help track down these last humans, but the human, Melanie, lives on in her head. This is quite unexpected, and leads to turmoil. Should the Wanderer help destroy the humans?

I liked this book. It’s a nice blending of sci-fi and romance, which makes it more accessible to lovers of both. It is a little lengthy though I don’t think it was boring, so the length shouldn’t really be a problem.

--Cat

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Cat's Top Ten of '09

Top ten in ’09 in no particular order, by Teen Room Staff Cat!

1. The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins
3. Graceling-Kristen Cashore
4. Fire-Kristen Cashore
5. Let it Snow-John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
6. Paper Towns-John Green
7. Looking for Alaska-John Green
8. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist-Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
9. The Bog Child-Siobhan Dowd
10. The Last Lecture-Randy Pausch

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the start of a post-apocalyptic series. The country is spilt into districts, and every year each district sends two children to compete in the hunger games, an Olympics of sorts, but with deadly consequences. The series continues with Catching Fire. Graceling by Kristen Cashore is the story of a fantasy world, where people are “graced” with powers. This book has enough adventure and excitement to keep you hooked until the end (Kristen Cashore has another book called Fire, it is set in the same world, but with different characters, I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for it, so I felt it would be worth a mention). Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson, for the romantic in you. Let it snow has three different stories about finding love during the holiday season all tied together at the end. Now, I can start with the John Green Books. First, there is Paper Towns, which takes you on a whirlwind ride to find Quenton Jacobsen’s Neighbor, and the town’s resident bad girl, Margo, who just happens to be Quenton’s crush. Next is Looking for Alaska by John Green. This book came out in 2005 so I’m a little behind, but if you haven’t read it yet please do you won’t be sorry. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn is another book that takes you on a wild ride, in this one two teenagers lose love, find love, and then lose it and find it again, all in one night. My last two are more serious. The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd tells two stories, one of Fergus McCann, in Ireland 1981(during one of the many struggles of Ireland’s History) and one of Mel, 2000 years earlier. The stories meet when Fergus finds Mel’s body in a bog. The last book is the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, last lectures are usually given by professors who are retiring, they tell the things they’ve learned and give advice, but this last lecture really is a last lecture, because it is given by Randy Pausch who had terminal cancer.

--Cat

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Wolverine: Prodigal Son by Antony Johnston and Wilson Tortosa

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

After a long hiatus, it appears that Teen Staffer Brandon does still possess the ability to read, and he has to say he enjoyed this last book; but enough of third person Brandon. I read the graphic novel Wolverine: Prodigal Son. It is written and illustrated in a more American art style, thus appealing more to western readers of graphic novels. It maintains some of the styles of the Japanese manga genre as well.

The story line follows nothing of the Wolverine known to American television and movie viewers; it takes a look at his years before Charles Xavier. Logan, a troubled teen, is attending the Quiet Earth Martial Arts School. He has grown tremendously since arriving, but as of late relies upon his hidden “abilities” far too much. He can heal nearly any wound almost instantly, and also has extendable claws hidden behind his knuckles. No one at the school knows about his claws, though. His teacher decides if he passes the fabled Trial of Wind, Wood, and Water. As a reward, his teacher takes Logan to New York City, where he faces his toughest fight yet. After being soundly defeated, he unleashes his claws in a desperate attempt to win. His master subdues him and they flee the gym in shame. As they roam The Big Apple in the wake of Logan’s fight, the duo is attacked by a mysterious group intent on capturing Logan. The sensei sacrifices himself to save Logan, who returns to the dojo to find it in flames. The only student left alive is the daughter of the sensei. She and Logan embark on a quest for revenge, only to find the attacker of the dojo to be a former dropout of the school. Logan battles him, and uses his powers to defeat the attacker. The book concludes with the sensei’s daughter, Tamara, and Logan heading off into the distance looking for her father and the mastermind behind the attack.

I enjoyed the crisp artwork and fast-paced, action-packed story. It is a visual thrill ride from start to finish. I also think it would appeal to a reader who would like to try manga, but isn’t quite ready for the Japanese type.

--Brandon

P.S. Welcome back to the blog Brandon! We missed your reviews!

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