Reviews by Alyssa

Breaking Dawn is, while a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Bella and Edward, not particularly necessary to the series overall.

At the end of Eclipse, we were left with a hope for a promising future with Bella and Edward, and while the fact that she hadn’t been bitten yet was troublesome, who truly could doubt that it would happen? With Breaking Dawn, Meyer brings us back to our favorite characters, but it wasn’t such a happy reunion for me.

I admit, that I enjoyed seeing the reaction of Charlie to Bella’s wedding, and there were many revelations that enriched the story as a whole. But writing an entire novel to fit these things in seemed superfluous. Overall, I found much of the book melodramatic and slightly annoying and I believe that these things could have just as easily been incorporated into a short story or two; and would made it a much more enjoyable read.

What Breaking Dawn lacked, compared to the other novels, was real substance and conflict. While I have never read the Twilight books for their intriguing plots (which are quite predictable at times), they still have included major dilemmas for characters I loved. There was also strong motivation for the choices the characters made, and the actions that they did. In this installment, however, all major conflict was resolved nearly within the first half of the book.

Much of the last half of the book is spent describing preparation for a major event that ultimately amounts to nothing.

All in all, I think that this last book was just a piece of fluff that, while it happily ends the series, was not quite necessary.

A charming coming-of-age story with an interesting plot that contains good twists and will leave the reader wondering what will come next. The author does a good job in describing setting, places, and people. By the end, I found myself itching to go on a trip to Europe. What I feel this book was lacking was depth to the main character's relationships with others. While the absence of such deep relationships further enhances the main character's individual growth and change, it leaves the story itself feeling a little flat and underdeveloped. Overall, this is a good read, especially for those who are interested in what it takes to "find yourself."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a satisfying ending to the thrilling and magical series many of us have come to know and love.

In this book, Harry tries to complete the mission Dumbledore bestowed upon him—which is to find and destroy the horcruxes. While doing this, he has to overcome his doubts about himself and about his hero, Albus Dumbledore. Meanwhile, Voldemort is gaining power and control and takes charge of the wizarding world. As the books that came before it, Deathly Hallows is about courage, friendship, and love.

Many of us will mourn the deaths of favorite characters, but this book draws the Harry Potter series to a satisfactory end. Loose ends are tied, and questions many of us have asked are answered. It is a good read, and very suspenseful. I wasn’t able to put it down until I finished it. It is the end we have all been waiting for—and the last chapter Rowling added is a special treat that I never expected.

Anne of Windy Poplars is the fourth installment of the Anne of Green Gables series. It is mostly set in a city called Summerside. Anne has left Redmond College to begin a job as principal of Summerside High School. She ends up staying in a place called “Windy Poplars” with two widows and an old maid. Throughout the story Anne has to face winning the affections of the Pringle family, solving marital problems between her friends, and helping a little girl named Elizabeth find laughter in the world.
As with the rest of the series, this book is a thrilling read, with sorrows and triumphs. I feel that this book is missing something that the others have (it is probably the absence of Gilbert, who rarely shows up in this book), but it is fun and exciting all the same.
I would recommend this book to all fans of Anne of Green Gables, as well as to those who are simply looking for laughter and magic in their life.

This book is not set in the world of the Black Jewels trilogy, and it is less violent and dark; and the characters are not as deep or engaging as the ones from Black Jewels. Nevertheless, it is a thrilling read.

Pillars of the World has a complex well-thought out plot line that twists and bends, much to the reader’s exultation and surprise. It mostly revolves around Ari, a young witch whose family has died and left her alone in the world. Her friend Neall and her neighbor Ahern help her as much they can; however, Ari’s life takes a turn when she meets a Fae lord. The world of the Fae is disappearing bit by bit, and the Fae continually visit Ari, because they believe that she is the key to finding out why their world is vanishing.

Meanwhile, a man called the “Witch’s Hammer” decides to eradicate the witches and their magic from the land. He tortures the witches until they confess and then kills them.

I would recommend this book to all Anne Bishp fans, as well as Science Fiction/Fantasy fans, because it is well worth reading.

While staying at his Cousin Marek's farm Ivan comes upon a clearing in the Carpathian forest. On top of a pedestal encircled by leaves a girl lay as though she were dead. After a closer look, Ivan realizes that she is only sleeping. However, as Ivan moves closer a monster stirs and sends the ten-year-old boy running. Years later, Ivan becomes an American graduate student and is engaged to a girl named Ruth. Still he can't forget the day in the forest when he saw the sleeping girl. On a research assignment on fairy tales, Ivan goes back to his native land, Russia, and soon finds himself playing the part of the prince in a twisted Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The only scary part is - it's real.
This book is fun to read and Card puts an interesting twist to the Sleeping Beauty story. I liked how realistic the conflicts in the story were. Many authors don't fully think about what sort of problems time-traveling would create, but it is clear that Card did. I recommend this book to anybody who is looking for a good retold fairy tale, or to anybody who likes time-traveling stories.

In this book King Kareed searches for the legendary sword of Bellandra, and wins it from the King of Bellandra. He kidnaps the prince, Landen, and brings him to his daughter as a slave. His daughter, Torina, sets Landen free and they become close friends. Then she starts to see deadly visions in her crystal. It is up to her to save her family and her kingdom.
The characters are flat and not fully developed, and the book is very predictible. This book is definitely not a must-read, there are far better books to spend your time reading.

In this book a fifteen-year-old artist named Samantha Madison saves the president from an assassination attempt. It is a relaxing and enjoyable read that leaves the reader feeling happy and satisfied at the end. Meg Cabot's style of writing is fantastic, and all readers will enjoy it, although the books are aimed at a young adult audience.