The Missing: Book 4: Torn

            The Missing: Torn, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, is a great conclusion to Sabotaged. Jonah and Katherine must quickly recover from 1600 Roanoke Island in order to face their new situation. They are in 1611 now and are moments before a mutiny on the Discovery, Henry Hudson's ship in the frozen seas of the James Bay. They struggle to survive as they realize that something is wrong. The history they learned in school is different than what they're in. Jonah and Katherine try to save the future as they uncover the mysterious secrets of 1611 and the Hudson Passage.

            I really enjoyed this book, but it had a slow start. It just did not seem like it would turn into an immersive story, but it did. By the end, it was a great book that wraps up Sabotaged. Katherine is really awkward in this book, but it is fun to read. The books in the series are, in order, Found, Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, and Caught.

The Missing: Book 3: Sabotaged

            The Missing: Sabotaged, by Margaret Peterson, is a good book that continues the series The Missing. The person that has to go back in Time this time is the level-headed Andrea, or Virginia Dare, the first English settler born in the "New World." But, as fate would have it, Jonah, Katherine, and Andrea, along with a dog named Dare, lose the Elucidator and have no idea where, or when, they landed. As they struggle to survive with little food, water, or knowledge of the terrain, they discover what happened to the lost colony of Roanoke.

            This is an amazing book that will suck you into the story. The characters have to solve problems that nobody could predict and they ask questions that they didn't know they had. The book sets the stage for the next book, which takes place a few seconds after this one. Sabotaged is just the perfect sequel to Sent–it also continues the story of Jonah and Katherine. The series includes Found, Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, and Caught.

The Missing: Book 2: Sent

            The Missing: Sent, by Margaret Peterson, is a great sequel to The Missing: Found. Sent continues pretty much exactly where Found on left off. Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and Alex land in a different time and place, a time where Jonah and Katherine don't belong, but Chip and Alex do. They experience many things that Chip and Alex would have done if they were never kidnapped from Time. Chip and Alex actually turn out to be princes from the fifteenth century, and people are coming to murder them! Jonah and Katherine have to think fast and find out how to use the Elucidator, a time-travel device, or else Chip and Alex might die.

            I enjoyed reading this book. It flows smoothly and has just the right amount of plot twist that a Sci-Fi book should have. It doesn't have any problems that I noticed. My favorite character is Katherine because she is the bratty little sister that many people have. All of the books in this series are called Found, Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, and Caught.

The Missing: Book 1: Found

            The Missing: Found, by Margaret Peterson, is a great start to the series The Missing.  It is very mysterious and doesn't answer many questions.  That's what the rest of the series is for.  This book is just the one that asks the questions.  It is about adoptees, and others, that must find their way back to where they belong.  If they each don't find their way back, Time may fall apart.  It is a Sci-fi book that doesn't seem like one.  It is based on the fact that the main character Jonah and his friend Chip have no idea who they really are.  They eventually find thirty two other kids just like them.  The book ends with a cliff-hanger, so buy the second book before you finish this one.

            My one problem with this story is that it is more mystery than Sci-fi.  The entirety of the book is just them talking about a thing that they got.  They are pretty creative, but it's not like their getting anywhere.  Most of their theories are debunked at the end of the story.  This makes most of what they do pointless.  If just one of their theories was right, this story would be much better and not as pointless.

            As much as I don't like that, there is a reason for it.  The story of this book is just setting stuff up for the next one, and the author had to show how little they know.  In this series, my favorite character is Jonah's younger sister Katherine.  She is just so weird and she makes fun of Jonah a lot, and vice-versa.  She may not like Jonah that much, but she knows when to get serious and when to tease her older brother.  The rest of the books are called Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, and Caught.

Harry Potter: Book 7: The Deathly Hallows

           Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling, is the final installment in the Harry Potter series.  In my opinion, it is the second best book in the series with the previous being my favorite.  Harry has chosen not to go back to Hogwarts and go horcrux hunting instead.  He wanted to go alone, but Ron and Hermione go with him because he can't do anything without them.  This is where the last book left off, and I couldn't wait to start this one.  There are two new teachers this time and Voldemort takes over the school.  So you can expect many things from this book.

            If I could change one thing I wouldn't change anything important to the story, just a minor detail.  I would change how Harry feels about finding horcruxes.  He just doesn't seem to care that much about finding one.  When he finds one, he's just like "Okay, cool," but he should be like "Yes!  One more down!"  His reactions are under-exaggerated and he seems like a robot.  He is looking for things that can kill the most dangerous wizard alive and he doesn't seem to care much.

            I like this book a lot, except for that one detail.  It was well thought out and was very engaging.  It was a very good book and it is a very good ending to the series.  I recommend it to anyone that has read all of the other books.  If you haven't read all of the other books, you can still read it, it just won't make as much sense and you probably won't like it as much.

Harry Potter: Book 6: The Half-Blood Prince

            Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling, is my favorite book in the series.  I really like it and will be praising it in this.  Harry starts another school year and starts it with a new teacher, like always, something happens with Malfoy, like always, and Harry eventually wins, right?  Wrong, Harry does start another school year and something does happen with Malfoy and it's debatable whether Harry wins or not, but what is different is that another character dies at the end.  I say that it's different because nobody thought this could ever possibly happen under any circumstance, but it does happen.  Whether you like it or not, someone does die and someone gets seriously injured and the tide turns. 

            I like Professor Slughorn a lot just because he's so clueless.  He is good at the subject that he teaches, but he is so clueless when it comes to what Harry wants, kind of like Professor Lockhart but not as extreme.  And he does cause Harry to get the Half-Blood Prince's book, so he is a major story element.  He also gets a job that no one thought he would get.  Everyone thought he would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts; well, he doesn't.

            This is a great book and I think that the best moments of the series were in this book.  Everything about it is just great, except for this one thing that Dumbledore did.  It just takes so many turns that no one expects on their first time through if they haven't had spoilers.  And the way that the story flows is just amazing.  I was genuinely sad at the end after what happened, and that's the mark of a good book.  Also, Fred and George create something that I really want to go to.  But I can't go to it because it's not real.

Harry Potter: Book 5: The Order of the Phoenix

            Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, is, in my opinion, the worst Harry Potter book.  It was very repetitive and not very engaging.  Plus, my second favorite character dies at the end.  And it's not Fred or George, because they are one character.  The movie, however, was the best movie.  It's weird how that happens.

            As you can tell, I didn't like this book very much.  Even though it has the funniest jokes in it, but that doesn't make up for the lack of anything interesting going on.  The entire book is just Harry is stupid, Harry gets in trouble, Harry is stupid, Harry gets in trouble.  And that goes on and on for entire book.  He even does it in the last chapter!  Why is he so stupid!  Also Fred and George do something with what Harry gave them at the end of the last book.  And they are awesome.

 

Spoilers

            Like in every book, they get a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, and this one was appointed by the ministry to keep Harry and Dumbledore quiet about Voldemort.  Harry sneaks into her office so much, that she reinforced her door, a lot.  Harry also uses the Room of Requirement to host illegal activities called "a group of more than three people studying and practicing Defense against the Dark Arts spells," or Dumbledore's Army for short.  If you think that this is so well thought out that they never get caught, you are wrong.  One of the members tells the new teacher.  Thanks, thanks a lot.  Malfoy also catches Harry single handedly by tripping him with his foot, no magic, just a foot.

Harry Potter: Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

            Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling, is the fourth edition to the Harry Potter series.  In this book, three schools attempt a competition that was last done over two hundred years ago, and was tradition back then.  It is no longer done because of how many deaths it has caused.  Harry must face a mean new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, new spells that are illegal, and maybe a new creature.  Harry faces many people that don't like him or want to ruin his name, but he must power through it.

            I would like to make Crouch Jr. more important.  He was just introduced and then he's gone.  I would like for Crouch Jr. to be someone that was in another book before this.  If J.K. Rowling introduced him earlier in the series then it would fine, but he leaves never to return the same scene that he's introduced.  He is an amazing character with a great background story that was super important for like two seconds and he could have been important for a lot longer.  If he was just in the book for longer or if he was in a battle the book would have been way better.  I hate it; Crouch Jr. could have been an amazing storyline person for the whole series, but he wasn't.

            I like this book and it was an okay movie, but I was never really excited to pick it back up.  If you think it was great, then that's what you think, but I was just reading it to get the story instead of just reading for fun.  This is probably the most important book in terms of story for the series.  I won't spoil anything, but near the end is the thing that everyone knew was going to happen eventually.  Also, Fred and George are awesome in this book, they're just awesome.  They are selling things that they make that are popular, and the things that they make are things that I want/need.  They're even more awesome in the next book.

Harry Potter: Book 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban

            Harry Potter: Book 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling, is an excellent third book to the Harry Potter series.  It adds excitement and secrets to the series, as well as new characters including Harry's favorite defense against the dark arts teacher yet.  Harry must find out who was responsible for a crime long since forgotten to everyone except Harry.  He must learn to fight a new kind of foe.

            Like the other books, J.K. Rowling introduces a new element, like a spell or an enchanted object, somewhere in each book.  Harry must either use this new element or fight against it, in some books even both.  The Harry Potter series is amazing.  I really enjoy it and, if you haven't read the series, I hope you will too.  The books are, in order, The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter: Book 2: The Chamber of Secrets

            Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling, is a book almost everyone has read.  Harry and his friends are going to their second year at Hogwarts, a school where young wizards go to learn magic.  They meet many people, including a strange kid who is obsessed with Harry, Ron's little sister, and the rest of Ron's family.  Strange events are happening at Hogwarts, and a house-elf, Dobby, tries to prevent Harry from going to Hogwarts.  Everyone is blaming Harry for these events and Harry must face his most ridiculous year yet, with strange people and events, and a new teacher that is the strangest of them all.

            Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is an awesome book that you need to read right now.  I mean right now.  Well, after you read this anyway.  Or if you haven't read the first book, The Sorcerer's Stone, but you get my point.  The Chamber of Secrets is amazing. 

Harry Potter: Book 1: The Sorcerer's Stone

              Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling, is an amazing book that almost everyone has read.  I hardly have to say how good it is considering you most likely have read it.  The magical elements in the book let J.K. Rowling use a story structure that not many authors can use.  It also lets her make up new things along the way, like a lot of the spells and subjects.  Like Bertie and Botts every flavored beans, this book has everything in it.
            Harry Potter, the main character, is like Percy Jackson from The Lightning Thief. They both have many things that help them in similar ways, they both lived with people that hated them, and they both went through the Hero's Journey.  I recommend this book to everyone, and I mean everyone.  It is such an amazing book that I don't know what else to say.  Well, there are seven books in the series, The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows.  They are all amazing books.  At the time this was written, I am in the middle of The Goblet of Fire.

Book 2: George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt

            George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt, by Lucy and Stephan Hawking, is an amazing sequel to George's Secret Key to the Universe.  It follows George and Annie after the Black Hole conundrum.  George is invited to Eric Bellis's, a famous scientist that lives next door, costume party.  When George arrives, as a Martian, Eric announces that he will be moving to Florida.  George hates this.  His best friend will be on the other side of the ocean.  One day, he is invited to Annie's house, and he'll find yet another adventure waiting for him.

            George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt is George's second fun adventure.  Once again, the science underlying the adventure is interesting and true.  It takes George and Annie, and another friend, searching for, well, treasure, on the other side of the galaxy, hence the name.  George will find someone has already gotten there, and if you read George's Secret Key to the Universe, you know whom it is.

Book 1: George's Secret Key to the Universe

            George's Secret Key to the Universe, by Lucy and Steven Hawking, is a book that has a fun filled adventure that's also packed of facts.  It's an amazing book is about a young boy, George, whose parents reject technology, saying that it is destroying our planet, which isn't entirely wrong.  They light their house with candles, don't own any electrical device, and even grow their own food in the garden.  George hates this, he doesn't have any friends, except for his pet pig Freddy that he got for Christmas, and all he wants is a computer.  When Freddy runs off into the abandoned house next door, George finds something, and someone, he'll remember forever.

            I recommend George's Secret Key to the Universe for all people who love outer space and want to know more about it, and those who don't.  It is fun and includes recent ideas about black holes.  It talks about many different planets in the solar system, all without leaving the fun of the story.  It's an amazing book with many elements.  I loved this book and hope you will to.

The Kane Chronicles: Book 2: The Throne of Fire

            The Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan, is a continuation of siblings Carter and Sadie Kane's adventure.  I think it was even funnier than the last book.  In The Throne of Fire, something unexpected, and most likely hilarious, is around every corner.  Rick Riordan has managed to fit comedy in the most serious situations in the past and he continues to do so.   I recommend this amazing book for people of all ages.
             Rick Riordan is the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series.  They are all very humorous and I enjoyed them all.  The books in The Kane Chronicles are called The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent's Shadow.  I have not read The Serpent's Shadow yet.  I am planning to read it after I finish The Mark of Athena, the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series.

The Time Quintet: Book Five: An Acceptable Time

            The Time Quintet:  Book Five:  An Acceptable Time, by Madeleine L'Engle was, by far, the worst book in the Time Quintet Series.  The story was hard to follow, easy to get disinterested, and the main conflict was near the end of the book.  It was mostly page fillers and unimportant events.  I got so bored with the book that I skimmed through most of it.  I can't believe that Madeleine L'Engle wrote An Acceptable Time.

The Time Quintet: Book Four: Many Waters

            Many Waters, by Madeleine L' Engle, is an amazing book in a series that doesn't quite follow a traditional timeline.  Instead it bounces around and adds stories in between books that were already written, and also bounces around in time itself.  Twins Sandy and Dennys are the main characters of the book.  In the previous book they were in collage, but this book takes place when they were in high school.  They were the normal ones of the family when they meddled with something they shouldn't have.  All they wanted was some hot cocoa, and they got sent flying through either time or space, or both.  They don't know when or where they are, or how to get home, but they do know that wherever they are, it's not the winter home that they left.  I really like this series even though I haven't finished it yet. 

            If you haven't read any of the Time Quintet books, you don't have to start on book one.  They can be read individually because they don't build on each other.  They are called A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. They are incredible books that everyone should read if they're having a bad day.

The Kane Chronicles: Book 1: The Red Pyramid

                  The Red Pyramid is a recording by two children that the author of Percy Jackson, by Rick Riordan,  found somewhere and wrote a book about.  In the book, the Kane children, Sadie and Carter, discover something that will change their world: they are magicians.  A magician is a magical human-like being from Egyptian mythology that can cast magic.  Each one has its own area of expertise like fire, water, combat, and even cheese.  At least I think that's the last one.  It is a very funny book with surprises along the road at every turn.

                  This book takes place in the same universe as Percy Jackson, but with different gods.  It hints several times toward the Percy Jackson series.  But if you thought that Rick Riordan was sticking with Greek, you were wrong.  I think that the level of comedy rivals his other books.  There is at least one other book in the series.  The second book is called The Throne of Fire.

Warriors: Omen of the Stars: The Forgotten Warrior

            Warriors: Omen of the Stars: The Forgotten Warrior by Erin Hunter is an amazing book to read.  The two cats will return, and one of them will surprise us all.  Jayfeather and Lionblaze have uncovered the truth behind the strange help Thunderclan has been receiving, and are waiting for the culprit.
            Many of the young cats will turn against Thunderclan.  A plot to destroy the clans is hiding in the most unexpected place; at least I didn't expect it.  Dovewing and Ivypool find out, and meet a hinted at arrival of a cat.  They say that trouble has been brewing for moons, also in an unexpected place.  An unsolved crime will come to an end, and a secret battle will occur without the knowledge of the attacker.  Read the book and find out who shows up and what is going on in the clans.