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Blog Details for "The Open Critic"
The Open Critic The Open Critic Literate Discourse of Literate Works. Honest, informed opinion. Be as sinner, be a saint, have your say. Articles
?Wolferain and The Vampires of Congo?, by Mick Van Wes.
2009-01-18 15:50:00 This novel is part throwback to the days of Tarzan and part innovative as it takes the legend of vampires and adds new twists to their rhealm. Ever wondered if vampires met up with creatures from the jungle, creatures more naturally dangerous than humans? What if a vampire fought a gorilla, who would win and what if the ... More About: Congo , Vampires
TAKASHI MIIKE?S STEEL SPIKED SURREALISM
2008-03-10 19:22:00 We gotta start by asking the question: What is it with Miike and stainless steel torture spikes. I mean, we?ve all watched hundreds of horror films with classical anti-heroes like Jason and Freddy and Jigsaw, I?ve never come across a film maker with such a preoccupation with impaling living, pleading for mercy, central characters with 12-inch long pieces of steel. We just don?t have such a concept in the west. Yet, here?s a film maker whom one could imagine carries his own set around like Graham Kerr (the galloping gourmet of our youths) might carry a set of decorative carving knives in his tweed jacket pocket. More About: Steel , Takashi Miike
Fury, Salman Rushdie
2007-12-17 00:16:00 A man seeks to lose himself in contemporary New York after leaving his wife and child with less than a reasonable explanation. He is, of course, battling a hidden, consuming urge that is boiling under the surface and threatening to break out at any given moment. Nothing extraordinary, one might claim, which proves how deceiving first glances can be. More About: Salman , Salman Rushdie , Fury
Monster, Walter Dean Myers
2007-06-05 00:04:00 Walter Dean Myer s has written great books like: Fallen Angels, Shooter, Bad Boy: A Memoir, Slam, and many others. His courtroom drama Monster is, of course, just as good as his others. More About: Alter
Fat Kid Rules the World, K.L. Going
2007-06-04 23:58:00 Book Review by Max Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School Fat Kid Rule s the World is another book by K.L Going . Meet 300 pound, six-foot, 17 year old Troy Billings. Troy Billings has no friends, has no mother and has problems with his family. But one day at the train station Troy is standing on the sidelines thinking ... More About: The World
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
2007-06-04 23:56:00 Book Review by Nick L Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -Time is an interesting and compelling mystery novel written by Mark Haddon. Christopher Boone, the main character, is 15 years old and has autism. He detests the colors yellow and brown, can not understand human emotions and groans when ...
Mirror Mirror, Gregory Maguire
2007-05-21 21:50:00 In this witty retelling of Snow White, Maguire sets the story in Italy during the 1500s. Young Bianca lives with her father in a sleepy little village until the infamous Borgias, Lucrezia and Cesare send Bianca?s father off on an impossible mission and Bianca is left in the hands of the beautiful but jealous Lucrezia. More About: Mirror , Gregor , Greg
Fat Kid Rules the World, K.L. Going
2007-05-21 21:48:00 Troy weighs 296 pounds. He has no friends. This changes in one second. One second he is thinking how his life sucks, the next second he can not wait for his next punk rock gig. After the homeless, legendary punk guitarist Curt saves Troy?s life, Troy sees another point of view of life. Curt tries to teach Troy to play drums so they can have an awesome band. More About: World , The World , Rules , Rule , Going
Prom, Laurie Halse Anderson
2007-05-21 21:45:00 Most teenagers (well ... most teenage girls) spend months, or for many, a few years trying to organize the time of their life. And the time of their life is Prom , yes prom. It?s the most stressful time in high school. When they hear the word prom, all they can think about is what dress they're going to wear, what kind of limo to get, and who?s going to be their date. But in this case Ashley Hannigan is one teenage girl who doesn?t really care about prom. More About: Anderson , Laurie
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
2007-05-21 21:42:00 Fourteen-year-old Lily Owens lives with her abusive father, T-Ray, and her black housekeeper, Rosaleen, in 1964 South Carolina. Lily has a vague memory of the day her mother died. Rosaleen gets wrongly arrested for attacking a group of white men. Lily is pushed to her limit when T-Ray reveals a big secret about her past and she runs away with Rosaleen. They escape to Tiburon, S.C., the words written on the back of Lily?s mother?s peculiar photograph. Three black beekeeping sisters take Lily and Rosaleen in. In an exciting turn of events Lily discovers that she is not alone. More About: Life , Monk , The Secret , Secret , Bees
After the First Death, Robert Cormier
2007-05-21 21:38:00 Book Review by Kiko Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA After the First Death , Plot When Miro, a 16 year old terrorist, has to kill to prove his manhood a serious events occur to delay his task. Miro and Artkin, the leader, have taken over a school bus filled with kindergarteners and a driver, Kate, and there mission ... More About: Robert , Robert Cormier , Robe
My Sister?s Keeper, Jodie Picoult
2007-05-21 21:31:00 Book Review by Katie Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA In her book My Sister ?s Keeper , author Jodi Pico ult delves into the lingering proposal of what is humanely moral and what crosses the line. This is a beautifully written and heart wrenching story of a young girl who desperately seeks to discover her own reason for being. ...
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Magu
2007-04-26 16:30:00 In Wicked , Gregor y Maguire takes, ?The Wizard of Oz,? a fairy tale so deeply engrained in our cultural memory that many of us could recite it in our sleep, and turns it 180 degrees on its head, making the Wicked Witch of the East a religious fanatic, the Wizard an evil tyrant and the Wicked Witch of the West a misunderstood outcast who only wants to, ?Do no harm in this world.? This fractured tale begins in Munchkinland, where Melena and Frexspar, two missionaries, give birth to a little green girl named Elphaba, instantly shunned for her odd coloring and eerie nature. Elphaba?s childhood is anything but normal, as a parade of zany characters march into her life, from her mother?s headstrong nanny to an exotic glassblower both of her parents love. More About: Life , Times
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
2007-04-26 15:25:00 Book Review by Eddy Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School Newton, MA The book, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -time by Mark Haddon, is about Chris a boy that has a severe case of autism finding the person who killed his next door neighbor?s dog, Wellington, with a fork. There are a lot of interesting moments in ... More About: Time
Monster, Walter Dean Myers
2007-04-26 15:18:00 Book Review by DJ Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School, MA 3 out of 5 stars Monster is a play written by Walter Dean Myer s . It is about a boy named Steve, who is charged with felony murder. The play takes place in a courtroom, and then changes to a diary format. Everyday that goes by, Steve writes in ... More About: Alter
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty
2007-04-26 15:04:00 Jaclyn Mori arty?s The Year of Secret Assignments was an enjoyable and exciting read. Cassie, Emily, and Lydia are three best friends at the snooty Ashbury High School. Their over-enthusiastic English teacher, Mr. Botherit, has his students take part of the Ashbury-Brookfield Pen Pal Project. A Project where each student is assigned to write to another student at the criminal-frilled Brookfield high. The threesome are assigned Charles, Sebastian, and Matthew. The letters soon lead to lock picking, alarm pulling, and a Year of Secret Assignments. More About: Sign
Prom, by Laurie Halse Anderson
2007-04-26 15:00:00 Book Review by Dericka Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School, MA I was interested in Prom because I like the author, Laurie Halse Anderson ?s, other book Speak. Speak and Prom are totally opposite, and personally I think Speak was much better. Prom is about a girl, Ashley, whose senior prom was cancelled because someone stole the prom money. ...
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Magu
2007-04-26 00:08:00 If someone asked you who was the villain of ?Wizard of Oz,? I?m sure the Wicked Witch would be the first thing to come to mind. After reading Gregor y Maguire?s ?Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West ,? you may want to think again. Maguire adds to the fantastic world of Oz, but creates an amazing new world of his own shown through the eyes of his own heroine of the well known story, the Wicked Witch of the West.
Double Helix, Nancy Werlin
2007-04-25 23:49:00 Double Helix is Nancy Werlin?s fifth book, and it manages to pull off a novel that is both fast-paced and captivating while maintaining a wider view of life, and the problems and choices therein. Werlin tackles the controversial topics of genetic engineering and disease, and, through her characters, asks important questions about ambition, morality, and ultimately, about destiny. More About: Double
Ender?s Game, Orson Scott Card
2007-04-23 17:14:00 As one who not too long ago dwelled in the ages of my youth, I can legitimately tell you that Ender ?s Game , by Orson Scott Card , is a well-written book that teaches students many characteristics that are desirable and uncommon in today?s culture. As well, it explores the creativity and imagination of the mind through elaborate, futuristic ideas well surpassing the time that the book was written.
Acceleration, by Graham McNamee
2007-04-20 14:05:00 Book Review by Justin Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA This is a fascinating read for those who are into mysteries and books that suspense. This book takes place in the town of Toronto, Canada. A delinquent teen named Duncan is troubled teen that does crimes with his friends and has a job at the lost and found. ... More About: Name , Graham , Acceleration
The Gospel According to Larry, Janet Tashjians
2007-04-20 13:55:00 Book Review by Julia Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA Rating: Excellent In Jane t Tashjian?s, The Gospel According to Larry ,? she writes very uniquely and leaves the reader in suspense. Although the book is Fiction is feels as thought it all may have happened, which gives you surreal details and events. Larry?s sermons are truly inspirational and deal ... More About: Janet , Anet
Handbook for Boys, Walter Dean Myers
2007-04-20 13:52:00 Book Review by Jose Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA If like going to the barbershop to talk and free your mind this realistic fiction is for you. Hand book for Boys is written by Walter Dean Myer s . In this book the main character is a six-teen old boy named Jimmy who is on probation for six months ...
Vote for Larry, by Janet Tashjian
2007-04-20 13:50:00 Book Review by Jim P Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA 3 1/2 STARS Have you ever heard of a seventeen-year-old running for president? Well in Vote for Larry is that a seventeen year old running for president? Larry never wanted to run for president until his old neighbor and her boyfriend kidnapped him. Larry had supposedly committed ... More About: Jane , Janet , Anet
Christopher Paul Curtis
2007-04-20 13:48:00 Book Review by Jess N Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA Chris t opher Paul Curtis ?one word, wow. This has to be one of the best books that I have read. Chris is such a good writer the way he writes and plans to set up his book are amazing. This book to me seemed like I could relate ... More About: Stop
The Rag and Bone Shop, Robert Cormier
2007-04-12 20:14:00 Book Review by Maddy Grade Eight English Bigelow Middle School, MA The writer Robe rt Cormier wrote a mystery called The Rag and Bone Shop . This story involves a girl named Alicia who was found dead under some leaves in the woods. This boy, Jason, who was the last one to be with and see Alicia has the police ... More About: Robert Cormier
Bucking the Sarge, by Christopher Paul Curtis
2007-04-12 20:07:00 Book Review by Denys Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School, MA Bucking the Sarge is about these two boys, named Sparky and Luther. Luther?s mom is very rich. She works as a realtor. Also she owns a retirement home. Luther helps his mom by talking these people around town and getting stuff for them. But then at some point ... More About: Christ , Chris , Stop , Paul , King
The Color of Water, James McBride
2007-04-12 20:03:00 Book Review by Corrine Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School, MA This book is really intense. The Color of Water switches off two peoples exciting lives. The author, James McBride , is one and his mother is the other. I found how they were in the same position. McBride had a white mother growing up as they try to get ... More About: Ride
Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes
2007-04-12 19:59:00 Book Review by Chris R Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School, MA Under the Tuscan Sun is deep with incredible descriptions of provincial Tuscany, but it does not have a deep plot. Fran ce s Mayes has clearly perfected the art of documenting what is country life in Italy, and making the reader have a longing to be there. However, Mayes ... More About: Scan , Frances
Prom, Laura Anderson
More articles from this author:2007-04-12 19:54:00 Book Review by Catherine D Grade 8 English Bigelow Middle School Newton, MA The book Prom , written by Laurie Anderson , is about a girl named Ashley Hannigan that is the ?normal? high school kid. Ashley doesn?t enjoy school, in fact the only reason she goes is because if she misses anymore school she can?t graduate. She has a job ... More About: Aura , Laura 1, 2, 3, 4 |
