Derek Rocket

Mother peeks her head into my bedroom,

“McKale, it’s time for dinner.”

I frown intensely and fold my arms

in front of my chest with a huff.

“I’m not McKale,

my name’s Derek Rocket.”

She only smiles with a gentle,

but immensely amused giggle.

“Oh, I’m sorry Derek!

It’s nice to see you again.”

Derek was my imaginary friend.

He would come and go whenever it pleased him,

not much unlike any other

child’s imaginary friend.

But when he did decide to show,

I became him.

I would put on a specific outfit,

clothes stolen from my brothers.

I would talk in a voice deeper

than my usually shrill one.

I would walk with a stride

filled with absolute confidence.

I would blurt swear words,

often being sent into a corner afterwards.

McKale wasn’t there when

Derek came over to play.

But, as time began to pass

with a frightening quickness,

Derek didn’t show.

He stopped coming over to play.

For days and weeks

I’d sit bouncing on my bed,

staring out my window

just waiting for him to arrive.

I’d wait.

And wait.

But there would be

no sign of him anywhere.

“McKale! Look what I found

in your old toy chest!”

Mother strode over to me,

holding out a shabby, red and black, sport jersey.

“Remember Derek?

Whenever you wore this shirt

I would have to call you Derek Rocket.

You’d get so mad if I didn’t!

Maybe, someday,”

Her lips slowly turn up

into a small grin,

giving me a sly wink.

“I’d get to see him again.”

"I prefer ugliness to beauty, because it endures" - Serge Gainsbourg

Ugliness lives, through Holocaust teachings and tomb stones. Sadness lasts eternal, while happiness only a few short steps. Yes, the ugly truth lives until death, but it doesn't live until death. No appreciation is present for the plain, grotesque, and simple. A world of gray, unlike the bright lights of beauty. Beauty is a star. Bright flash and nothing. Existence for the ugly is dull, but grows with non-existence into reality. Anne Frank was a mute until guilt came to be. In debt to beauty. A warm house, a present bulge, does that make awareness perceptive to ugly, or just a murky view through finger smudged lens?

The Quicksilver Faire by Gillian Summer Book Review

Genre: Fantasy

Age: Teen

Pages: 329

Gender: Girls

Publication Year: 2011

Story Plot: 3/5
Description: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Other: 4/5

Total: 21/25
Percent: 84%
Grade: B

  

     Sorry, I haven't posted a review in a very long time. I probably still won't post that often, but here is a review anways. I read this book a few weeks ago so, yeah. And sorry for spelling errors ahead of time.

     The Quicksilver Faire is about Keelie Heartwood who is the main character the Faire Folk Saga. She is a half elf and half human/fairy being. Well, she is going to Canada to go stay with the Northwood elves and go to the Fairy High Court to exterminate a fued. (The fued is about a leak in magic, but really it is just because elves and fairies really hate each other.) When Keelie "messes" up in helping the high court fairy queen, Keelie feels the fate of the world like a heavy weight on her shoulders. Bum Bum Baaaaa.

     Well as you see from my terribly vague plot discription. This book has a very common plot. A average teen or maybe not, has gone on many adventures and has learned a lot and now this very teen must save the world. But don't get me wrong I liked the plot, but it was just very common. But that was not my main problem about the plot, it is was it would of gotten a four. My main problem was that the book series has gotten way bigger. I don't mean in length I mean how many people it affects. Part of the reason I like the first trilogy in this saga was because it affected a small group of people and it made it seem way more likely, even if this book series is a fantasy series. But in this new trilogy, expecially in this book, the events that take place affect a lot more people. I know, that that is supposed to hype you up and make you excited. But it just makes me kind of bored and I don't feel as big as a warm familiar feeling when I read the book. That little writtne rant didn't make any sense, but anyway other than those to problems that plot was as good as any plot can be as a chick lit fantasy novel.

     I don't really have that much to say about the description in this book. It didn't have any fancy detailed language in it. But that is really not what people are looking for when they read a easy read teen chick lit book. Anyway it is from the point of view of a teenager (well, kind of it is in third person but still). Do you expect any fancy descriptions from a highschool mall brat (if you put it in Keelie's words)?

   I thought the characters were well developed. They had four books before them to develop the characters. So you already have Keelie pretty developed. But during this book series they always kept the beach boy elf boyfriend Sean, as just an empty shell made to please or tick off Keelie. But in this book they added a little more to his character and made you wonder about him (though he still seems kind of empty headed). They could of developed the fairy queen more and make her seem more like a good loving queen and sister so there is a more surprised reaction in the end. But thats ok. The authors also spiced up the character as Peascod, which was fun and made him much more interesting to read about. One thing that bothered me is that I'm not really sure if the authors want the trolls to be more like animals or humanoids. Because in the the Shadows of the Redwoods this elf is half well elf and half troll. He was a humanoid. But in The Quicksilver Faire the trolls seemed more like animals that just chewed on stuff. The only really humanoid thing they did was dance around a flag pool. If they aren't human like and more animal like, then that is kind of gross. Because the elf/troll person's mother must of been slightly disturbed.

     I should really join this and the description section together, because I think I pretty much covered this section in that section, so go there.

    The only other thing I have to complain about is that I think they should have kept this series at a trilogy, like it was originaly planned to be. Though I am enjoying this series dispite all of my complaining. I just this new series is somewhat pointless. It is also darker which takes away some of the fun from me, for this was pretty much my only light and happy series I read. The cover is also not very attractive, if I haven't been reading this book series for the last four years I certaintly wouldn't have picked this book up. I have not other problems.

    Even though I might have a few problems with this book, it is still a fun easy read.

   

   

Carrie by Stephen King Book Review

Genre: Drama and Horror

Age: Adult

Pages: 245

Gender: Female (Maybe male)

Publication Year: 1974

Story Plot: 5/5

Description: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing: 4.5/5

Other: 5/5

Total: 23.5/25

Percent: 94%
Grade: A

    The plot as from fantasticfiction.co.uk: A modern classic, Carrie introduced a distinctive new voice in American fiction -- Stephen King. The story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge, remains one of the most barrier-breaking and shocking novels of all time.

Make a date with terror and live the nightmare that is...Carrie.
I think the plot is very interesting. It seemed original and scary. Though as I read it I realised that it was not that frightening, since the first half of the book is very much like a drama, it only turns into real horror for the around the last fifty page. That doesn't ruin the book, it is still very interesting.

   The description in this book is good. Nothing spactacular. I did like what words the author used in describing Carrie compared to the other girls: "Carrie stood among them stodily, a frog among swans."  I just like that comparison at the end. I also loved how Stephen King described her right before she started going crazy when she got her period: "Carrie stood dumbly in the center of a forming circle, water rolling from her skin in beads. She stood like a patient ox, aware that the joke was on her (as always), dumbly embrassed but unsurprised." I don't know why I like it I just do. So the description was good, but not amazing.

   I loved the characters. They were the opposite of flat. I felt so sorry for Carrie. All she wants to be is normal, but her mom makes that impossible. Then when she does get the chance to be normal, it is all ruined. So I don't blame her for going on a rampage. Sue was a good character too, since she was a very realistic character. She had her faults and her strengths. She was very mature since she would be willing to not go to prom just to make up what she did. Most people wouldn't do that. I also think a lot of the other kids in the book are just atrocious. Carrie's momma is just downright creepy. Anyone that would be that into religion that she would think that is a sin to do anything and that she herself can not get pregnant should live in a mental institute. So I think Stephen King did a good job making her creepy.

   The writing was good and different. I loved how he wrote Carries side thoughts out in. It made the book extra creepy. This book didn't really have any parts where the writing just lost you. The book is also nice and fast.

   This book held my interest and it was fun. I really had no problems at all with this book, except for the cover since it is really boring and doesn't catch your attention, also it doesn't have the book title or author's name on it.

   So in all this was a wonderful books with a main character you feel really sorry for.

Montmorency: thief, liar, gentleman? by Eleanor Updale Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Thriller

Age: Young Adult

Pages: 233
Gender: Male

Publication Year: 2003

Plot: 10/10
Description: 8/10

Characters: 10/10

Pacing: 10/10

Writing: 9/10

Interest: 10/10

Other: 10/10

Cover: 5/5

Memorable: +2

Total: 74/75

Percent: 99%

Grade: A

   I must say this book made me happy through and through. This post may not be too detailed because I read this book a long while ago.

  The plot was absolutely wonderful. Here is the plot that was takenback of the book: London, 1875. When a petty thief falls through ad glass roof while fleeing from the police, it chould have been the death of him. Instead, it marks the beginning of a whole new life. The thief is sewn back together by a brilliant young surgeon, and before long he's become the chief exhibit at medical gatherings across the city. It's at one of these learned discussions that he first hears about an amazing addition to the London streets- the sewer- and an idea begins to form. The sewers are the perfect escape route for a series of daring robberies, and the thief is the only one with the ingenuity to pull them off. He takes on two identities- the wealthy, sophisticated gentleman Montmorency and his filthy, corrupt servant, Scarper. But Montmorency must constantly be on guard. His whole life is bulit on lies, and the slightest mistake could betray him.   Sorry that I didn't write the plot myself, it is just that I decided that this is much easier. Well, anyway I think that the plot was very original, even though the location and time is not.

   The description in Montmorency is nothing to call home about. But there wasn't anything bad about it. So I gave it a 8/10. I did like the authors description of his scars though and for sure the descriptions she used to describe his character.

   The characters were great, absolutely great. The characters were very flawed. Montmorency was very interesting because he is a bad person really, since he steals, but when he is not stealing things he seems like a very kind person. So it really is like their is two characters in the same character. So I think that characters diserve a 10/10.

   The pacing of the book was very fast, so I had no trouble getting in to it. Since it was quick it was a very easy read. You could probably finish it in about two hours.

   The writing was good. There was nothing remarkable about it, but it for sure wasn't bad.

   I was really interested in this book, since I love books about criminals and based in Victorian England. So this book just called to me when I saw it at the used bookstore. I would recommend it just for it's creative plot.

   I have nothing else I can comment on in this book.

   The cover is very nice it looks mysterious and interesting. I would also just pick this book up just for the cover.

   This book was memorable for pretty much what I have talked about for this entire thing.

   Sorry, this review has taken me a long while to put up and I have not written much, I just need to get back into the habbit of writing. So hopefully I will have some more reviews up tonight. Also if you have any ideas for a new grading system please comment, since this one is giving me some trouble. :(

The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice Book Review

Genre: Drama, Horror, and Romance

Age: Adult

Pages: 435

Gender: Male and Female

Puplication Year: 1992

Plot: 7/10

Description: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Pacing: 6/10

Writing: 10/10

Interest: 9/10

Other: 9/10

Cover: 1/5

Memorable: +1

Total: 62/75

Percentage: 83%

Grade: B

   This book took me a long time to finish, as most of the other books I read by Anne Rice. It was an ok book, not the best but still worth reading.

   The plot was interesting, but at points ridiculous. The anti hero of the series, Lestat got an offer to switch bodies with this man who had the power to switch bodies for a short period of time. The man gave Lestat many warnings that he was a not very trustworthy man, but Lestat wanted to be human, so against all his friends advice he switched bodies. So in this book you get to read about how Lestat tries to be human, and many other slightly interesting things.

   The characters in all of Anne Rice's books are very well developed. You really get to feel as if you know them. The characters really should get ten, but I have one problem with Lestat. He is just extremely annoying, he always does really stupid things. Then he mopes around feeling sorry for himself and that just makes me extremely irritated so I only gave characters a 9.

   Their is one, singular reason why these books take me so long to finish. The pacing of them. They are always really slow and it is not really a even slow either. In some parts it goes just slow and in some parts it goes really slow. But maybe it is just me who thinks that.

   Anne Rice has a wonderful writing style. I don't know how to explain it, but it is just epic. To if you are looking for a book with excellent writing in it, this is definetly a series for you.

   Since I read some books in this series already, my interest level was pretty high. I recommend this book to people who like vampires but not really in the horror area but more in the drama area.

   There is not really anything else that bothers me with this book except for the nun character in this book. She is supposed to be a nun, but she doesn't believe in God, so why is she a nun? That's my question.

   The cover for the edition of this book I read was just hideous, nothing really else I can say about it.

   This book is memorably, really just because of it's plot that is more on the weird side.

   This book was an ok edition to the vampire chronicles. But it definitly is not as good as the first book.

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Romance

Age: Young Adult

Pages: 383

Gender: Female

Publication Year: 1981

Plot: 8/10

Description: 10/10

Characters: 6/10

Pacing: 9/10

Writing: 10/10

Interest: 8/10

Other:  10/10
Cover: 2/5
Memorable: +0

Total: 63/75
Percent: 84%
Grade: B

   I thought this book was going to be great, it didn't turn out that way. I am not saying it was bad, but there was a few things that bothered me. Mostly the characters, but other then a few things, it was a decent read.

   A Countess Below Stairs was about a Russian countess names Anna. After the Russian Revolution leaves her family in ruines, Anna, her mother, and her brother move into her governess's house in England. After a little while Anna decides to get a job to earn her family money. So she goes to work at Mersham. After a short bit of time she becomes widely accepted among the other servants. The reason why she was hired was because the new master of the house was coming home from WW1 with his fiance who happens to have a pretty nasty attitude. This book is pretty much about her life in this house and at the very end her love life with the Rupert. When I picked it up it sounded like a pretty good plot. So I gave it a 8/10.

   The description in this book was just spectaculor. The best part of the book in fact. One of my favorite descriptions used in this book is this: "Mersham was honey-colored, graceful, light. There was a central block, pillared and porticoed like a golden temple plucked from some halcyon landscape and set down in the hollow of the Wiltshire hills." Isn't that just great? Since this book was such beautiful description in it I gave it a 10/10.

   The characters were my real problem with this book. The main character Anna, is in my opinion, one of the most boring characters in literature. She is just way to perfect. Characters are supposed to have flaws. She has absolutely none, except maybe not being drop dead gorgeous. She was just so unreal. You couldn't relate to her at all. Other then her all the other characters weren't that bad. So I gave characters a 6.

  The pacing was good. But at times, mostly when they were focusing on the side characters it got a little slow.

  The author's writing skills were really good. Everything about it was good. All the author needs to do is work on her characters a little bit.

  My interest level in this story was pretty high, since I love reading books based around the time of WW1.

  I had no other problems with this book.

  I think the cover is just horrible. There is nothing on it that would make me want to pick up this book. It looks like they only spent a few minutes making it.

  The book was not really memoreable at all.

  This book was a pretty good read if you like romances and historical fiction. But if you like a good interesting main character. I would not suggest this book to you.

We Hear the Dead by Dianne K. Salerni Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Romance

Age: Young Adult

Pages: 422

Gender: Female

Publication Year: 2007/2010

Plot: 9/10

Description: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Pacing: 10/10

Writing: 9/10

Interest: 10/10

Other: 10/10

Cover: 4/5

Memorable: +2

Total: 71/75

Percent: 95%

Grade: A

   Sorry for the temporary break. But I'm back with a review about a book I read while I was in England. I must say, I'm impressed with it. It totally drew me in.

   The plot was very interesting. The story is about the Fox sisters, who are said to have created Spiritualism. The story started with Maggie and Kate Fox playing a prank on their family to get their neice (who was way older then them) to leave. Their prank starts becoming very serious and before long the sisters become entwined in it. Eventually, they end up practically making a new religious. The story mostly followed Maggie. For the first half of the book it described how they became stuck in a hoax. In the last half it describes Maggie's love for Dr. Elisha Kane and how she thinks of quiting her Spiritualism business. It is really quite a great plot. (Though I think my description is a little lacking.)

   I don't remember anything quite exceptional about the description, but it was not bad. I remember thinking that they should of described the characters appearences. So I gave it a 8.

   The character were really well done. In other books with real people as main characters, I find that the characters are as flat a cardboard. But not with this. The characters had depth. I loved reading the story from Maggie's eyes. I also liked the few chapters where Kate talked. They were just so insightful. Even though I loved Maggie's character, I think if they made the book from Kate's point of view it might of even been more interesting. The character Dr. Kane was also very good, but sometimes he was quite annoying, his family just seemed to be controling him way to much.
  
   The pacing was great. The story just flowed perfectly, absolutely sucked you in. Nothing else you can say about it.

   The writing was good as well. I don't remember much about it, but I don't remember having any complains about it.

   My interest level was very high. 1800s, spiritualism, those two just go so well together. Since I have already heard of the Fox sisters it was even more interesting. I recommend this for people who like Historical Fiction and romance, but also like their stories to have a dark twist.

  There was nothing else that really bothered me about this book. So I gave the other section a 10.

  The cover is really nice, but I really don't think it fits the book. I think it fits more with a book about a circus, not one about spiritualism. It was also not really accurate, since the real Maggie Fox doesn't really have red hair. The first edition of the cover first this book it really good though.

  The book is semi-memorable. I will remember it since it was a great interpretation of a true story.

   In all this book was an outstanding piece of Young Adult literature and a definite read for people who like young adult books with Spiritualism in it.

Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance

Age 12+

Pages: 518

Gender: Female and Male

Publication Year: 2005

Plot: 9/10

Description: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Pacing: 8/10

Writing: 10/10

Interest: 10/10

Other: 6/10

Cover: 5/5

Memorable: +4

Total: 69/75

Percent: 92%

Grade: A-

    The third edition in the Bloody Jack series thrilled me. It was a perfect mix and history, romance, and adventure. I first started reading the Bloody Jack series about 2 years ago. I absolutely loved the first two, but after I read them I never seemed to have the time to read a series book, but finally I did. I enjoyed it immensely. 

  

    The plot was wonderful. After Jacky leaves Boston she goes to London in search for her love of her life, Jaimy. But when she gets there she sees holding the hands of a beautiful maiden. Jacky immediatly thinks that he is not smitten for her anymore. So she runs off, but right after she runs off she get pressed into the navy. You think the captain would let her go immediatly after he found out she was a girl. But no, he decides to keep her on for vulgar intentions. Soon Jacky figures out that the ship is a mess and she decides she is going to fix that. In this book she has many adventures and the story is utterly satisfying.

   The description in the book is good. I really have few complaints, but I sometimes had a hard time figuring out what was happening on the ship because I don't really know what all those ship words mean, but that is completely my fault. Other then that I love Jacky's descriptions of things.

   I adore the characters in the Bloody Jack series. They are all so unique and interesting. I think the character Jaimy is just charming. But sense he was not in this book for the most, I had to choose another character to adore. So I chose Georgie, he just acted so cute. But the end was just so sad! There is one single reason why I gave characters a 9/10, it is because Jacky, don't get me wrong I love her character, but she just did so many reckless things, yes, her doing reckless things is what makes the story interesting, but it just makes me so worried!

   The pacing was pretty good. There were times when it went a little slower then needed, but in all it was pretty good.

   I love the writing in this book series. Exspecially the first book. I love all the written accents. I jsut love everything about the writing.

   My interest level for this book was very high. Everything in it was interesting. The historical facts, the romance, the whole plot was interesting!

   There was only one other thing that does not fit in the other sections that bothers me. Near the end of the book Jacky says the world crap, this bothers me because this takes place during the early 19th century. And the word crap didn't enter the dictionary until 1846. I know it is not anything horrible, but it still bothered me.

   The cover for this book is just beautiful. I have always been fond of Cliff Nielsen's work.

   I think this book is very memorable. So I gave it a +4.

   This book was just so good. I would recommend it to anyone who liked the Napolean War and to anyone who likes adventure stories.

  

Blogger Hop!

It is time for another Blogger Hop hosted by the wonderful blog Crazy for Books. If you haven't heard of it go and check it out now. Hope you have a nice Friday! Oh yes, I am also going to try to write my two book reviews right after I am done typing this.