Debbie’s Comments (group member since Feb 04, 2014)

Debbie’s comments from the 2014 Hub Reading Challenge group.

I just finished this. I would argue with the YA classification on this one, but less because of the content and more because of the language and how long you have to read before the book becomes un-put-down-able. I just don't see my students having the attention span to wait for the payout. (Kids who give up on something like The Hunger Games because it takes too long for people to start dying are not going to make it through this book!) This is not for middle school readers, but I could see some high school readers getting into it.

I liked this one, too. I thought the supernatural element was handled well and the suspense kept me turning pages.

This was beautiful. I finished it late last night and haven't been able to write a review yet. Hands-down, the best of the challenge so far. I want to give it to everyone I know. This is the kind of book that could save a life.

Like others who have commented, I didn't expect to like this one, but I did. Despite the gross humor, the author tackled some serious issues in a way that didn't feel too heavy-handed. I'll definitely add this one to my classroom library.

This was an adult book first and it seems that something was lost in the transition to YA. The story itself was fascinating, but the storytelling left me kind of, meh.

I also enjoyed this one quite a bit. One of the gems from the challenge so far.

I just finished these and, well, maybe enjoyed isn't exactly the right word, but they were very well done. I felt like I was reading a Shakespeare tragedy where almost everyone is dead at the end. I'll be adding these to my classroom library right away, as they will be very popular with my students. A few of them were trying to get the books out of my hands before I had even finished reading them!

I'm not generally a fan of war stories--I find them too hectic and hard to follow. The first two stories were no exception. But I agree with previous posters that the third story was the book's emotional center. I cried! I am always looking for more animal books to add to my library because my students love them. This is a keeper for sure.

I enjoyed this one, too. I'm a sucker for a good problem novel because they always seem to be a big hit with my students.

I reread this one for the challenge this year and enjoyed it even more than I did on the first read. It's one of those books that is very much influenced by the reader's personal experiences. I suppose every book is part of that conversation between author and reader, but some are more straightforward than others. I love the way these characters pulled me into their lives and got me thinking about my own.

I stayed up very late finishing Scowler (the audiobook) last night and then had bad dreams for the rest of the night. I found it extremely suspenseful and disturbing. I wouldn't give this to every teen reader I meet, but I certainly know some who would gobble this up.

David Levithan did one of the Pep Talks for Nanowrimo last year and I loved his way with words. I have been meaning to read one of his books, so I was glad to see this on the Hub list. I'll read it as soon as the library gets it back on the shelf.

I thought I'd love it because immature humor is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. Though there were some funny moments, most of the plot and the characters felt pretty flat.

I also listened to Dodger this week. I've been meaning to pick up something by Pratchett for years, but never seem to get to him. This standalone novel was a good intro and I will certainly read more of his books.

I loved the mix of fantasy and historical fiction, especially all of the references to books by Charles Dickens.