The Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover

Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids. They like being able to read each others minds and use their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend their entire summer doing just that when Benjamin s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.

At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of a uneventful (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.

-Summary from Amazon.com

I don't usually give bad reviews, but for The Emerald Tablet the only good thing that I could find about it was the idea of the story. The plot was good, but everything else seemed like a bad imitation of Harry Potter. And okay, I have to give props to the author for all the research she must have done in order to write this book.

Starting with the characters. I found that the main character Benjamin resembles Harry and his allies resemble other characters in Harry Potter. Andy=Ron, Heidi=Ginny, and Hermione seemed to be split into the two characters of Iva and Gary. The adult characters act as if they are the professors of Hogwarts. They speak as if they are all-wise when half of the things that they say don't even make much sense.

The style of writing that P.J. Hoover (talk about resembling Harry Potter, even the author's name is abbreviated like J.K. Rowling's) has is of a very childlike nature. I realize that it's a children's book, but even I can write better than she does (in style, not plot). Which makes me wonder how she ever became a published author. Surely it can't be based solely on plot.

All in all, I would give this book a 5 out of 10. The style of writing just took away from the story itself. If I had to recommend a book, I would probably recommend Harry Potter over The Emerald Tablet.

Song of the Month

February's Song of the Month is: High Hopes in Velvet Ropes by The Cab!

The Cab is a new up-and-coming band. Their latest video for their song Bounce has featured on MTV. The Cab's songs and lyrics are filled with upbeat melodies and meanings. It's the type of music that makes you want to turn it up as high as it can go and sing along with. High Hopes in Velvet Ropes I chose in particular because of it's catchiness and the fun lyrics. It's a song that you'd want to listen to over and over again and never get tired of it. So check out the song and tell me if you don't just love it!

-Moon Maiden

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Shivers, obsession, sleepless nights—these are the results not of one of the milder poisons that novice food-taster Yelena must learn during her harrowing job training but of newcomer Snyder's riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance. Through a stroke of luck, Yelena escapes execution in exchange for tasting the food of the Commander, ruler of Ixia. Though confined to a dank prison cell and doomed to a painful death, Yelena slowly blooms again, caught up in castle politics. But some people are too impatient to wait for poison to finish off Yelena. With the help of Valek, her steely-nerved, cool-eyed boss and the Commander's head of security, she soon discovers that she has a starring role to play in Ixia's future—a role that could lead to her being put to death as a budding magician even if she hits each cue perfectly. The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.
-summary from amazon.com

Poison Study is one of those books you see and think, “Hey that looks good.” but never pick up to read. Well it’s time that you picked it up. Poison Study is an amazing adventure featuring, magic, love, and an ass kicking heroine. Yelena is a character that one can definitely empathize with. The reader really gets a feel for who she is as a person and why she had to do the things she did. I, personally, could not put the book down. Each page has yet another thing that would draw the reader in and keep them up all night reading. Poison Study is not like any other book I’ve ever read and that unique characteristic is exactly why I love this book so much. I highly recommend this book to fans of adventure stories with a little bit of romance in them. Trust me, this is a book you definitely DO NOT want to miss.

Song of the MONTH

OKAY! Since I am most likely going to disappear again for awhile, I decided song of the day is too often, and song of the week is...well again too often, but song of the MONTH is just PERFECT! So here we go with the song of the month.

January's Song of the Month
Run by Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis puts a new kick to the well known and loved song "Run" originally by Snow Patrol. Whereas SP's version is slow and sad with lots of low notes, Leona's version is a little more higher in pitch and makes it easier for girls to sing along to the song. It also kind of gives a more feminine approach to the song with Leona's vocals. Run is a great song and I believe that Leona Lewis has done a fantastic job covering a classic song. Check out "Run" by Leona Lewis and comment to let me know whether you agree with me or not. Opinions can never be wrong, so don't be afraid to speak your mind (or in this case, type).

It's been a long time...

Hey everyone!

Wow have I been gone for a long time or what? I must apologize for my absence these past few months but I've just been way too busy with school to maintain this blog. (I honestly, have no idea how some people can do it!) I've been trying my best to get back on here and update a little, but to no avail. Although I have been "missing" lately that doesn't mean that I was too busy to read. I have been reading, and have kept a list of books that I still need to review. I will try my best to get to those reviews as soon as possible. Wish me luck!

-Moon Maiden

By the way, it happens to be cram time for me since first semester is coming to an end and that means: finals, finals, and more finals. *sigh* What's a girl to do?

Song of the Week

The song of the week is Obvious by Runner runner! First off let me just say something about the band. Runner runner performed at my high school last Friday and wow was I blown off my feet. I just couldn't believe how amazing they were. Their songs are not only catchy and addictive, but the lyrics have so much meaning behind them that so many people can relate to. Not to mention the band members are all really attractive. I was surprised to find out that they are a local indie band in Huntington Beach. It amazes me that they aren't more famous. It seems ironic that more people from across the Ocean are more familiar with Runner Runner than the people in their city. However, now that I've heard of them, they have become one of my favorite bands.

Now to the song. Obvious is a great song about a long distance relationship. Basically it's saying that no matter how strong the love is, it's still hard to be apart and it's just not the same without being right next to each other. I love the video. I think it's pretty creative, where all the guys are trying to win over the same girl but in the end they'd rather be friends with each other. I also love the video because they shoot it here in Huntington Beach. (I even drove by the bar they shot a scene in. It was pretty exciting.) So give Obvious a listen. If you like the song, check out Runner Runner's other song at their myspace.

Remember to spread the word about Runner Runner! They are an amazing band and deserve to be well known just like all those other legendary bands. :D

Ironside by Holly Black

Ironside is the third book in the Tithe series. After defeating the queen of the Unseelie Court, Roiben was finally going to take the crown and become king. But at his coronation, things don't go the way they're planned. Kaye overhears some fairies talking about a declaration and decides that she wants to declare herself to Roiben. In response he sends her off on a quest to find a faerie that can lie, in other words, he sent her on a seemingly impossible quest. However, the quest is the least of Kaye's troubles. Her best friend Corny has been cursed by a faerie and Roiben is on the verge of a war with the Seelie Court. Will Kaye be able to complete her task and return to Roiben's side in time to help stop the war? And what about Corny? Will he be doomed to be cursed for the rest of his life? Read Ironside to find out!

Holly Black has done it again! She definitely kept up well with the first two books of the series, Tithe and Valiant. Her books are filled with vivid descriptions that make you feel as if you were there inside her stories. Ironside is full of adventure, love, and the thirst for power. This book will keep you up late at night reading. The only problem I have with this book is that the ending wasn't as final as I would have liked. It seemed a bit open ended and I felt that there should have been more explained in the end. I had many unanswered questions like, What happens to Corny and Luis? And Will Roiben be able to rule over both Courts peacefully? Even though I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending, I still thought that it was a good and sweet ending and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers. If you haven't read the Tithe Series, you are really missing out. So go get yourself a copy now!