Science Fiction & Fantasy Books - Page 5

Ender's Game (The Ender saga)

Orson Scott Card

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2532 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Book 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am a freshman in high school and I thought that Ender's Game was a fantastic book. Ender is a six year old boy that gets taken into space to be trained for war. While it is hard to believe that a six year old is getting trained for war, it is amazing to read about everything these young children can do. The adults and the world leaders actually believe that the children have potential to help the world, instead of just being worthless children. Orson Scott Card describes the different places and events so well that you really get drawn into the book. It makes you feel as if you are there with the characters watching the story unravel itself. Card also brings in many different challenges and he shows how Ender copes with all the difficulties. An example is that Ender had many people that hated him and even wanted to kill him. When these people attacked Ender, he had no choice but to fight back. Even though his enemies were all bigger, stronger, and older than him he was still able to beat them by using his amazing strategist skills. All of the different plot twists makes the book very interesting and you never get bored while you read it. The book also shows how a very hostile alien race, the buggers, was planning to kill all of the humans, and take over Earth had some kind-hearted members that wanted to live in peace with the humans. Ender found a queen from the bugger race that survived and wanted to rebuild the bugger race to live in peace with the humans. This relates to our world today because it shows us that we should not stereotype against a group of people because even though some people are hostile it does not mean that every person with the same ethnicity is hostile.

Editorial Review:

Ender Wiggin is Battle School's latest recruit. His teachers reckon he could become a great leader. And they need one. A vast alien force is headed for Earth, its mission: the annihilation of all human life. Ender could be our only hope. But first he must survive the most brutal military training program in the galaxy...With its explosive storyline, pump-action excitement and hugely engaging central characters, Ender's Game is 2002's absolute must-read for teenaged boys. Forget schools for wizards, this is where the *real* action is.

1984 (Signet Classics)

George Orwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1364 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Warning, A Prediction...A Terrifying Truth 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

First off, this book is incredible. At 13 years old, I didn't understand every aspect of it, but in a whole, everything made perfect, clear sense.
I'm very interested in socialist governments(no, I don't like communist views; I'm a die-hard patriot at 13!), and I consider myself well-informed on up-to-date politics and such. And so, upon reading this book which was recommended to me by one of my teachers, I was horrified at the resemblances that Oceania and the direction our government is headed shared. The foresight of Orwell was shocking, and he kept the book very interesting.
But a good portion of the middle was....awkward. Like, mature-content awkward (most teachers gave me girl-are-you-crazy? looks when they saw I was reading it. Later, I realized why). I almost didn't finish the book, but knowing its importance to my knowledge, I finished it. I definitely do not recommend it to anyone my age....-shudders-
But its imperative that we as Americans read it. Remembering the mistakes of the past (and, in this case, the future) is imperative to keeping our nation a democracy. If we heed most of Orwell's warnings, we will be better equipped to save the future, and in doing so saving the past.

Editorial Review:

Published in 1949, Ninety Eighty-Four is Orwell's terrifing vision of a totalitarian future. Its hero, Winston Smith, is a worker at the Ministry of Truth, where he falsifies records for the party. Secretly subversive, he and his colleague Julia try to free themselves from political slavery but the price of freedom is betrayal. 6 cassettes.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J. K. Rowling

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5176 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

GREAT BOOK 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is my favorite out of the first four. The reason I like the fourth book the best is because it has the most details. For example J.K. Rowling described the dragons that Harry fights against very well. She does it well because she uses examples skin color and various things like that. Another reason I like this book the best is because it has a lot of action. One example of action was when Harry had to fight a giant spider. Another moment of action was when Harry had to fight the dragons. Also there was an example of action when Harry had to fight the merpoeple.The last moment of action was when Harry fought he-who-must-not-be-named. The last reason I liked this book was because of the vocabulary. It was interesting how the cruciatus curse came from the Latin stem cruc. Another vocabulary word I learned was Yule which meant Christmas. Also my favorite vocabulary word was hippogriff. A hippogriff is a half horse half eagle. The reason I chose the word is because it sounded cool. These reasons are why I think it is the best book out of the first four Harry potter books.

Editorial Review:

Fourteen-year-old Harry Potter joins the Weasleys at the Quidditch World Cup, then enters his fourth year at Hogwarts Academy where he is mysteriously entered in an unusual contest that challenges his wizarding skills, friendships and character, amid signs that an old enemy is growing stronger.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

James Patterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 79 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Not good science fiction or even fantasy 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Star Trek notwithstanding, when you get taken to another planet and they all write and speak English without the benefit of any translation device or other plot device, I don't think much of the writer or their opinion of their readers.

Editorial Review:

The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells--the greatest power is the power to create.

Daniel X has that power.

Daniel's secret abilities -- like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to recreate himself in any shape he chooses -- have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of the earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond what anyone's imagining.

From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before of his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.

Now, on his own, he vows to take on his father's mission--and to take vengeance in the process.

Life of Pi

Yann Martel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1842 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

So-so book 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I ventured out of my usual kind of reads for this book because of all the hype. It sounded kinda interesting. When I read the blurbs on it, I was expecting some kind of big epiphany from it. I'm disappointed in it, it was just a weird story that dragged on, and the back and forth in time thing was confusing. I've read other books with that technique that flowed well and were easy to follow. I am giving it three stars because Mr. Martel can obviously write, no shortage of talent there. There is also a decent amount of creativity in his book. The third star is me admitting that I bought this book because of the hype, so I won't punish it because it's not my usual taste. Honestly, the story is not that interesting, a lot of the scenes seemed pointless, and the big message of the book comes across weak and contrived. Like someone shoved it in hoping it would leave you in awe. It doesn't. I really don't get the big hoopla here. Wasn't time well-spent for me.

Editorial Review:

Martel's novel tells the story of Pi--short for Piscine--an unusual boy raised in a zoo in India. Pi's father decides to move the family to live in Canada and sell the animals to the great zoos of America. The ship taking them across the Pacific sinks and Pi finds himself the sole human survivor on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra with a broken leg and Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. LIFE OF PI brings together many themes including religion, zoology, fear, and sheer tenacity. This is a funny, wise, and highly original look at what it means to be human.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Michael Scott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Prophet of Yonwood (Books of Ember)

Jeanne Duprau

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

It’s 50 years before the settlement of the city of Ember, and the world is in crisis. War looms on the horizon as 11-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town’s respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. Her garbled words are taken as prophetic instruction on how to avoid the coming disaster. If only they can be interpreted correctly. . . .

As the people of Yonwood scramble to make sense of the woman’s mysterious utterances, Nickie explores the oddities she finds around town—her great-grandfather’s peculiar journals and papers, a reclusive neighbor who studies the heavens, a strange boy who is fascinated with snakes—all while keeping an eye out for ways to help the world. Is this vision her chance? Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?

In this prequel to the acclaimed The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau investigates how, in a world that seems out of control, hope and comfort can be found in the strangest of places.


From the Hardcover edition.

His Dark Materials Trilogy: "Northern Lights", "Subtle Knife", "Amber Spyglass" (His Dark Materials)

Philip Pullman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1079 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great series 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

His Dark Materials is a really good series of books. I've never been much for fantasy, nor have I read a lot of children's books. Harry Potter looks boring, so I've stayed away. My draw to these books started with a an e-mail forward last Christmas, one of those alarmist e-mails trying to convince me to boycott the movie due to its "atheist themes."...I wanted to see what all the controversy was about, what could rile up the e-mail mob.

Pullman's story is fascinating. Yes, his story does challenge authoritarianism and dogma. He does so in a way that not only entertains, but provokes thoughts, forcing the reader to challenge his beliefs on human nature. The story isn't necessarily anti-God, as much as it deconstructs the mythology we've created around the worship of God. This theme isn't in any way heavy handed...the story is also one of two children growing up and developing their own worldview.

Despite all the symbolism and controversy, these are 3 very good books that were fun to read.

Editorial Review:

Now, for the first time, the HIS DARK MATERIALS Trilogy is available in a trade paperback edition. All three books in the His Dark Materials trilogy-- THE GOLDEN COMPASS, THE SUBTLE KNIFE, and THE AMBER SPYGLASS--are available in a new complete boxed set featuring the trade paperbacks. New material is available in all three books: The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife feature black-and-white chapter-opening art by Philip Pullman himself; The Amber Spyglass features chapter-opening quotes from the likes of Milton, Donne, Blake, Byron and the Bible, which did not appear in hardcover.

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)

Rick Riordan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 111 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson-a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any "normal" friends.

But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia-only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name.the Bermuda Triangle.

Now Percy and his friends-Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson-must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family-one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Brave New World (Perennial Classics)

Aldous Huxley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 729 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Open the book and open your eyes (please comment) 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Brave New World takes place in a utopian London around the year 2540, which started with a good idea, but went way wrong. Humans are produced in large numbers in a high-tech factory without the filth of viviparous reproduction. The babies produced are organized into five castes and are conditioned specifically to do their part in maintaining their society. As the reader progresses farther into the story, they find out what is sacrificed for the stability of the utopian world they occupy, when the reader explores this world through the mind of a man named John, who has not been conditioned to accept this world that suppresses the emotions we value so much today. John comes from a "savage" reservation in New Mexico; where the humans remain that practice our modern day culture. With advances in science allover the world making our lifestyle obsolete, the "savage" lifestyle is repulsive in the eyes of the rest of the brave new world. See how our blind ignorance can lead to catastrophe.

Although an attempt to sum up the novel in only a small amount of words would be in vain, I can offer that this book is a must read for anyone who is capable of thinking beyond ideas provided by way of the text.

This was SUCH a great book. The story Brave New World entertained me more than any other book I have ever read before. It not only was an incredible plot, with amazing creativity, and imagination, but also has shocking conversation that challenge values accepted in our society today, and challenges the minds of all intellectuals willing to relate to the characters, and attempt to draw parallels between Huxley's story, and the story our culture continues to write, as we advance to where Huxley's world began.

To me, a book is worth no more than the thoughts it provokes once I have set it down. By this standard, I am still not done calculating its genius, because I have not yet finished thinking, or talking about themes from the book.

Editorial Review:

But, in the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, Bernard Marx is unhappy. Harbouring an unnatural desire for solitude, feeling only distaste for the endless pleasures of compulsory promiscuity, Bernard has an ill-defined longing to break free. A visit to one of the few remaining Savage Reservations where the old, imperfect life still continues, may be the cure for his distress...