Abigail's Book Blog

  Ch. 1 Pg. 1 PANEL 1 Establishing shot/wide shot. We see a cluster of small buildings in the distance, then a wide, grassy field that gradually turns into a hill. On top of the hill is a wooden fence and a small figure climbing over it. Both of these are almost totally in shadow. My name is Rivi Redwing. I’m 12 years old. PANEL 2 Rivi pauses and looks back towards the village, his face wistful, maybe slightly regretful. PANEL 3 He sighs, and the camera is turned towards his face again. PANEL 4 Another wide shot. Rivi is standing with his back to the audience,so we can see his wings clearly for the first time. And today, I am running away. Page 2 PANEL 1 A side view of Rivi, pushing through bushes/brambles. Rivi: I can feel something calling me.  PANEL 2 The camera zooms out, and we see Rivi climbing over a large boulder. Rivi: I’m just not sure what. PANEL 3 We see a fair haired, freckled boy, also with wings. His back is turned to us, but we can see part of his face. He is s...

  “New York City is home to over one million pigeons, though evidence suggests there may be many more. Incredibly effective pests, they spread disease and pestilence across the city, dirtying parks and porches alike. Attempts to remove them from the landscape have only been partially effective, and have met with opposition from some segments of the population.” “Damn right they got opposition,” muttered Raven. His dark eyes regarded the television with a look of indignation. “Those rich bastards are the ones making a mess of the city. Maybe we should remove them from the landscape.” The slate-grey pigeon sitting in his lap cooed, perfectly at home in the folds of Raven’s sweatpants. “See, Woodrow Wilson agrees with me.” “Turn that thing off,” said Wren, looking up from her notebook. “It’s upsetting Gerald Ford. No sir, pen caps are not for pigeons . ” She sat a few feet away and was attempting to write, which was no easy task partly due to the disastrous existence of their kitchen...

Synopsis: Larka and Fell are born into a beautiful yet dangerous world, full of fresh snow and new life but also darkness and starvation. However, the most dangerous threat yet comes not from nature, but from their own kind: as their estranged aunt calls upon the forces of the darkest evil in her quest for revenge, the little family will be torn asunder and tested to their limits. At the center of it all is young Larka, a snow-white wolf with an ancient gift. Will she accept her power, and use it to turn the tides of evil? Or succumb to tragedy and despair? Only the passing of time will tell. General Thoughts: I have to say, I really enjoyed The Sight. It’s one of those ubiquitous books found in every middle school library, and a lot of my friends have fond (if vague) memories of it. The Sight definitely runs in the same vein as Warriors (or, if you were like me, Guardians of Ga’hoole. It also has the feel of an epic- I feel like I’ve gone on a very long journey with these characters, ...

Synopsis: Like every other teenager, Tally Youngblood can’t wait to turn 16. In her world, 16 is a magic number: it is the age at which every undesirable, “ugly” teen undergoes surgery to become their true, “pretty” selves. Remaining an ugly is unthinkable, or so Tally thinks, until she meets fellow ugly Shay, who reveals to her that the business of becoming pretty is not all it is cracked up to be. Tally must decide whether to embrace her childhood dreams or give them up, and face a new reality where appearances no longer matter. General Thoughts: Uglies has always been in my general periphery; my friends and I read Scott Westerfield’s Leviathan back in middle school, and I have vague memories there being quite a buzz about Uglies at the time. I realize I am very late to this particular party, but I have to say I’ve definitely enjoyed the experience. The premise alone is a fascinating one, but I believe it’s what Westerfield does with it that really brings it to life. I was also pleas...

Synopsis: In a legend come true, young Prince Ardwin is cursed to live with a swan’s wing in place of his left arm. Under the watchful eye of his father the king his life is bliss, but when war threatens their kingdom, Ardwin flees to the far reaches of the country. Ultimately, he must make a decision about the path his life will take: should be lose the wing, and risk losing himself? Or keep it, and risk losing everything? General Thoughts: I’m a sucker for stories about animal people, and Birdwing far exceeded my expectations. It maintains it’s fairy-tale like aesthetic while still having an engaging plot, something that’s not always easy to do. This is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, and it’s one that I will probably be thinking about for a long time to come. Birdwing reminds me a lot of Summer and Bird, another fairy-tale like story about swans and ancient curses and children who have to deal with them. Summer and Bird was genuinely one of my favorite books at the...

Summary: 10-year old Amelia Howling is not living the happy life she and her best friend Isabel dreamed up for themselves. As if moving in with her orphaned cousins wasn’t bad enough, the house is huge, drafty, and almost definitely haunted. However, Amelia quickly realizes there’s something more to the house than just weird noises and strange winds. She quickly finds herself in the midst of a grand adventure, the kind she’s only read about: from making a deal with a shadowy figure to sailing with pirates to walking the streets of 18th century London,  Amelia realizes that things might not be so bad at the calendar house after all. However, there’s more to her shadowy new friend than she realizes, and in the end, she must make a decision that will change her future forever. General thoughts:  Reading a book aimed for a younger audience was a nice change from some of the others I’ve read this year which have been geared for teens and young adults. Emma Trevyane does an excellen...