Welcome!

Hi! This is a welcome post! I hope you feel welcome. My name is Sarah Kate and I decided to start Book Notes when I was in the Y.A. section of the book store and was feeling slightly overwhelmed. I had no idea which book to read first!

You know that book that you just don’t want to put down and once you finish you read it over and over and over again? Okay so maybe the reading it over and over and over again is just me. But we all have those books that stick in our memory and that is what I am on a search for!

Because I love music, I like to imagine what the soundtrack would be for the books I read. So for each book I review, I'll post a mini-soundtrack. Music and books. Book Notes. Get it?

Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Cover Rating: 6/10
Character Rating: 10/10
Plot Rating :8/10
Overall Rating: 9\10

Katniss Everdeen is a girl who lives in a post apocalyptic world under the harsh rule of the rule of the capitol. Every year when the Hunger Games come around it's just another way that the capitol shows the districts how weak and powerless they are. All Katniss can do is muddle through and hope that luck is on her side and that her family is safe another year. Unfortunately luck is not on her side, and Katniss finds herself in middle of a bloody fight with all odds against her. Though losing means death, winning might mean sacrificing who she is and becoming someone she's not.

I loved this book. But after I read it I started wondering why I loved it so much. Why every time I put it down I wanted to pick it back up. I mean, fights to death aren't usually my thing. I think the reason I liked it so much is that even though the Hunger Games is a major part of the book its not the only part. There are relationships and conflicts that have nothing to do with the games and even a thread of romance. I think the thing that kept me intrigued is that the author made me care about Katniss. I wanted know what was going to happen to her.

I found this book hard to get into because it was a little dark, but it is still a really good book--possibly one of the best books I have ever read.

Playlist: Hunger Games

Review: The Last Thing I Remember

Author: Andrew Klavan

Cover rating: 7/10

Character rating: 5/10

Plot rating: 5/10

Overall rating : 6/10

In this book, the main character Charlie West wakes up in a torture room and all he can remember is the day before when he was just a regular teenager doing regular things and going to a regular school. Sounds great, right? That's what I thought too.

Before you know it Charlie is running from the bad guys and even some of the good guys. A turn of events causes you to not only wonder who the bad guys are and what is happening to Charlie but who Charlie is himself.

I think that is what kind of turned me off about this book. Since Charlie didn't know who the bad guys were or who he really was, there wasn't really any other motivation behind what he was doing other than fear. I like real motivation and determination in characters. This character just didn't do it for me.

That said, this would be a book for people who love non-stop action and cliff hanger endings. It just wasn't my cup of coffee.

Playlist: The Last Thing I Remember

Review: Maximum Ride

Author: James Paterson
Cover rating: 6/10
Character rating: 10/10!
Plot rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 9/10!

Okay, so frankly, when my mom mentioned to me that I might want to read a book about mutant bird kids I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea. Honestly, the only reason I actually did read the book was because I was so bored that I thought I might go nuts! But as soon as I starting reading I was whisked off to Max’s world of soaring through the air and fights to the death. I soon totally forgot the fact that they were mutant freaks. That is of course till they started sneaking through top secret facilities and running through subway tunnels to find out who they were and where they belonged. Along the way Max finds out that it's her job to save the world. So from now on Max and the flock's agenda is not only to find out who they are but also TO SAVE THE WORLD!!!! If that’s not pressure I don’t know what is.

Max and the flock set off to save the world only to have their plans stifled by mad scientists at every turn. Though most fourteen year old girls' problems have to do with shopping and homework assignments, Max’s problems are more along the lines of: How do I explain morals to a mind-controlling six-year-old and hiding from blood thirsty half-wolf-half-mutants. Along with you know, the simple pleasures like food and water.

Even though Max’s problems are totally different from the average teen she is still completely relatable with problems like: falling love with your best friend! Max is a tough, wise cracking, sarcastic, kick butt character who has a soft heart for her flock. Though this book is more on the science-fictiony side, it is still a great adventure!

(Though it is a very awesome adventure to go on I would probably recommend that people under the age of eleven sit this adventure out)

Soundtrack for Maximum Ride