“The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane,” by Polly Horvath

“The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane,” is an interesting story by Newberry Honor author Polly Horvath.

When a train accident leaves Meline and Jocelyn parentless, the two teenage cousins must go live with their eccentric uncle on his private island.

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Review of "The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane" by Polly Horvath

“Roots and Wings,” by Many Li

“Roots and Wings,” by Many Li is a fascinating novel that explores the themes of culture and the generation gap.

The main character is Grace, a fourteen-year-old girl. When her grandmother Naree dies, Grace and her mother must travel back to the Cambodian community in Florida where Grace's mother and grandmother grew up so that they can give Naree a traditional funeral. Grace is excited by the trip, because it means that she will have a chance to learn more about Cambodian culture. But the most important thing for Grace is to find out who her father was. In Florida, Grace and her mother are welcomed by grandmother's friends, but Grace is still left feeling slightly left out because she doesn't understand the traditional Cambodian customs.

“Roots and Wings” is about Grace's reaction to the Cambodian culture that she was never exposed to before. It is also about her search for her father, and her discovery of the many secrets about her Grandmother and Mother that she never knew before.

I thought that “Roots and Wings” was a very interesting book. It depicts Cambodian customs and thought processes in vivid detail. Although the storyline wasn't exactly thrilling, I enjoyed reading “Roots and Wings” because of its cultural considerations. If you enjoy reading about other cultures then “Roots and Wings” is an excellent read.

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“First Light,” by Rebecca Stead

“First Light,” by Rebecca Stead is a debut novel that left me highly impressed.

The science fiction story has two main characters whose enthralling story will pull the reader through 328 pages of mystery, and action.

For Peter the opportunity to travel to Greenland with his parents is a dream come true. Not only will he get to skip school for six weeks, but now he finally has a chance to share in the adventures that his father experiences day to day in his job as a scientist that studies glaciers and global warming. But once he and his parents arrive in Greenland, Peter starts to get the uncomfortable feeling that perhaps his parents had a hidden agenda in their trip.

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Review of "First Light" by Rebecca Stead

“Frannie in Pieces,” by Delia Ephron

“Frannie in Pieces,” by Delia Ephron is the story of a fifteen year old girl who is suffering from the loss of her father.

When fourteen year old Frannie finds her father's dead body the shocking discovery changes her view of the world. Suddenly she fears death and feels that the world around her is full of danger. The first paragraph of the story introduces Frannie and one of her phobias:

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Review of "Frannie in Pieces" by Delia Ephron

Inkweaver Review is now a DoFollow blog.

I have just modified the Inkweaver Template so that the blog is now DoFollow.

What does this mean? It means that every time you comment and leave your blog or website's URL, it will count toward your site's Google PR and link count.

To learn more about DoFollow read:

http://aroengbinang.blogspot.com/2008/05/dofollow-blog.html

“Frozen Fire,” by Tim Bowler

“Frozen Fire,” by Tim Bowler is one of the most satisfying and thrilling books that I have read in a long time.

The story begins with a mysterious phone call in the middle of the night. “I'm dying,” the voice begins, and at that moment Dusty is drawn into a supernatural mystery that will change her life forever. A strange boy has come to the small town of Beckdale. There are many stories about this boy, but everyone who has seen him or met him agrees that something isn't quite right about him. They say that he has skin, hair and eyes as white as snow. They say that he can read minds, that he knows things that there is no possible way for him to know. But they also say he possess a strange and sometimes deadly force that has killed in the past, and some are convinced that he is the culprit responsible for a series of strange rapings across the country.

Soon Dusty is pulled in two directions. She is attracted toward the boy and the mystery surrounding him, but there are others who want him dead and are hunting him down. With the whole town against her and a deadly group of vigilantes hunting her and the boy down she must choose which side she stands on.

“Frozen Fire” is without a doubt the most thrilling story I've ever read. Throughout the book there is a tense feeling of mystery and the unknown. Tim Bowler's descriptions and dialog are impressively solid, and the brief sentences that he uses have an alluring and rhythmic effect that adds to the story's psychological suspense. As events come to a head, the amazing climax of the story left me literally in awe. I have read thousands of books, and I must say that “Frozen Fire” is among the very best. This is one book that you must read.

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“Dragonhaven,” by Robin McKinley

“Dragonhaven,” by Robin McKinley is a science fiction fantasy about a boy who lives in a dragon refuge.

Jake has grown up at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies, where his father works as a dragon researcher. The Institute is built in Smokehill National Park, one of the last remaining dragon refuges in the world. It is estimated that about 200 dragons still live at the National Park, but no one ever sees them, because they stay away from the Institute and the tourists that flock to Smokehill National Park, eager to see a one of these endangered legendary beast.

Smokehill National Park is surrounded with controversy. Some say that the dragons are dangerous beasts that ought to be exterminated, and definitely not kept alive using tax payer money. Others however argue that dragons usually just eat animals, and that their small numbers indicate that they should be protected.

Jake is familiar to these issues, and he's well aware of the precarious situation that the Institute is in. Ever since its creation the researchers and rangers who work at Smokehill National Park have been under payed and under funded. Little does Jake realize though, but he is soon to be right at the center of the struggle over the dragons.

On Jake's first overnight solo in the wild and dangerous interior of Smokehill National Park he discovers a wounded dragon and the poacher that she just killed. Jake knows that even though it is obvious that the poacher attacked first, the fact that the dragon killed a human is going to bolster the argument that all dragons should be destroyed.

But in the middle of this terrible scene is something that Jake is even more worried about: the dragon is mother that had just given birth, and one of the babies is still alive.

“Dragonhaven” is a very well though out book. The plot is fascinating, and rich with subtle details. However, I feel that Robin McKinley chose a disappointing way to present the tale. The entire book is told using Jakes voice, from a point of view years after the entire event occurred. This in itself is not a bad thing. However, author McKinley made Jake present the story in a rambling, confused manner that takes some of the enjoyment out of the book's plot. Not only does Jake take about 40 pages of mixed rambling to get into the story, but it takes another 40 pages of epilogue for him to wind down after the bulk of the action is over. Throughout these narrative stretches Jake tends to meander from event to event in an almost painfully slow manner. From my first experience, just beginning to read “Dragonhaven” the story did not seem very promising, but it gradually got better as I got farther into the book. Therefore, I would still recommend it as an interesting book, although its presentation was a little disappointing.

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Inkweaver Review is back!

Hello visitors,

I am happy to announce that Inkweaver Review is active again. In the following days you can expect daily posts on all the best and most rewarding reading material on the market, with inside looks at writing style and writer techniques.

Entrecarders:

I apologize to all the visitors who dropped cards on me during my break. I was not able to return those drops at that time, but I will now be launching a major drop and ad campaign to get Inkweaver Review restarted. So look forward to a possible drop from me!

Please come back and visit again!

Nathan K.

“The Calder Game,” by Blue Balliett

“The Calder Game,” by Blue Balliett is a marvelous mystery featuring three young people who must learn to see the hidden secrets in the world around them.

It all starts when Calder Pillay and his father travel to a remote village in England. The village is hundreds of years old, full of history and tradition. But a strange series of events begins when an anonymous donor gives the town a modern sculpture by Alexander Calder, a famous minimalist artist and mobile designer. The modern piece of art is soon installed in the village square, but the sharp contrast between it and the ancient village soon causes an uproar.

Things come to a head, though, when the both the Alexander Calder sculpture and young Calder Pillay disappear on the same night! It appears that someone has stolen the statue, but why did young Calder disappear as well, and how was he involved? Soon Calder's friends Petra and Tommy are on the trail, searching for Calder. Little do they know, but this mystery has more involved than meets the eye.

I really enjoyed reading “The Calder Game.” Blue Balliett's world is very subtle, with fine details that mesh together and influence each other in marvelous ways. The fine details in the plot are echoed in Balliett's immaculate portrayal of her characters. Just as in her previous two best selling mysteries, “The Calder Game” is a carefully designed journey that it definitely worth taking. I recommend it to any reader.

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