The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Summary--This work was set in Berlin, 1942. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But, Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than what meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences (from http://www.amazon.com/The-Striped-Pajamas-John-Boyne/dp/0385751532/ref=pd_cp_mov_0/186-1150241-5306607 )

Con's--I really can think of no con's for this book.

Pro's--I love the style of book that uses an innocent and unbiased child to portray in its fullest gore the injustice and atrocity of a situation most of us have gotten hardened to. That is exactly what this book does. I appreciated the way that Bruno innocently stated things that confused him, leaving out the gruesome details but allowing the more knowledgeable reader to understand what is really happening. This was a very good book with a startling ending! A must read!

There was nothing in it a younger child should not read but I do not think that most, under the age of 13 or 14, would understand the hints.

Ages 13 and up. Five Stars.

House

Summary:
Enter House—where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in.
The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman—or worse—could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.
One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.




  

Cons:  I enjoyed this book, but not nearly as much as I thought I would.  Perhaps it was built up too much for me and then when I read it I found out it wasn't quite what I was expecting. 

Pros:  First off, it was written by two of my favorite authors (who did a great job writing it).  The plot line was exciting and crazy, and the over all meaning was good.  However, if you get creeped out easily I would not recommend this book to you.  Otherwise, read away!

Overall, I would give this book four or five stars.

Recommended for ages 17 and up.

Thr3e

Summary: 
By all accounts seminary student Kevin Parsins is leading a good, if not virtuous, life. But like all people, Kevin has his secrets. And someone wants them revealed.  While driving home from a day at graduate school, Kevin receives a call from a mysterious stranger who calls himself Slater. Slater demands Kevin confess his sin in the next three minutes or the vehicle he is manning will be blown to pieces.  Thus starts a harrowing chain of events. After narrowly escaping his exploding car, Kevin continues to receive phone calls from Slater, each with another riddle, another consequence, and another three minutes to confess his sin.  The problem is Kevin is unsure of what that sin might be. And Slater's cycle won't stop until he figures it out.(from amazon.com)





Cons:  None.  Though, this type of book is one that takes certain tastes to enjoy.  I could easily see someone not liking it.

Pros:  This book was well written and from the first page to the last was filled with twists and turns.  It took me only one day to read because I was so eager for the ending.  And, though I tried, I was unable to predict the final twist that left your head spinning.

I would give this book five stars.

Recommended for ages 17 and up.

The Willoughby's

Summary--The Willoughby's—Timothy; his twin brothers, Barnaby A and Barnaby B; and their little sister, Jane—are old-fashioned children who adore old-fashioned adventures. Unfortunately, the Willoughby parents are not very fond of their children, and the truth is that the siblings are not too keen on their parents either. Little do the Willoughby kids know that their neglectful mother and father are hatching an evil plan to get rid of them! Not to worry—these resourceful adventurers have a few plans of their own. But they have no idea what lies ahead in their quest to rid themselves of their ghastly parents and live happily ever after.

Con's--It seems to me like every author, no matter how good, always has at least one book that falls completely flat. I would say this is Lois Lowry's. The book was not badly written but the story line was absurd and un--enjoyable. First of all you have the warped and very unrealistic parent child relationship and visa-versa. That to me was the worst part. Spoiler Warning!! Then at the very end you have the creepy idea of the children making a ritual of going and looking at their dead parents annually. The whole book seemed warped and unnatural. I think she was trying to make it funny but to me it was just messed up. I wouldn't really recommend this book though I would never say don't read it.

Pro's--This is Lois Lowry we are dealing with here a so the book was very well written. Even though I didn't like the story I will be the first to say that it was well written and the idea was very unique as well.


Ages 10 and up. Three stars.