Reviews

Staff Review Dec 24, 2008

"I realize that I'd remembered only the good things...how exotic it was...because with time blocking out the bad, memory is always bound to be a bit naive and stupidly optimistic." Guy Delisle returns to China for the second time to oversee an animation department and while the experience for him is excruciatingly boring (he can go for days without speaking to anyone) his sharing of those three months is simultaneously interesting and laugh-out-loud funny. Having worked in animation for 10 years, his illustrations are brilliant as well.

Staff Review Dec 23, 2008

When I started reading this book I thought it a little too literary for my taste and spent too much time toggling between the book and my dictionary. It is at heart, a philosophical novel, with characters who read Marx and The German Ideology, while others contemplate Japanese suppuku. My opinion changed on exactly page 108 with a misplaced comma. Renee Michel, who is the concierge at an apartment building inhabited by wealthy people, finds this an underhanded attack.

Teen Review

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

By E. Lockhart
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Kate M.
Dec 17, 2008

Are you looking for a good read this holiday season? The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is my new favorite. Frankie follows in her father's footsteps by attending the elite Alabaster boarding school. Her freshman year was relatively uneventful. With the help of her older sister she has managed to make a good group of friends that are slightly nerdy but still somewhat popular. At the begining of her Sophomore year Frankie is pining once more for the handsome Mathew Livingston.

Teen Review

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist the movie!

By Michael Cera
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Kate M.
Nov 5, 2008

Fan's of Nick and Nora won't know what hit them when they watch the movie adaptation of this famous bookby David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. Now, although this movie does not follow the book (practically at all) it is still an excellent movie! I was a big fan of the book before I saw it and although a little piece of me was sad about how much they changed I can also respect that the movie is totally awesome on it's own! Even if you haven't read the book go check this out!

Staff Review Oct 16, 2008

Marcus is intelligent and tech savvy enough to thwart the efforts of his school administrators who keep tabs on his activities. But when terrorists attack San Francisco while Marcus is skipping class with his friends, his whereabouts make him suspect and he is picked up by Homeland Security.

As fear grips the city, Marcus is dismayed at how easily people, including his liberal parents, are willing to sacrifice their personal liberties for a false sense of security. Marcus utilizes his knowledge of technology to embark on an underground campaign against Homeland Security.

Teen Review

Zombie Attack!

By Daniel Waters
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Kate M.
Sep 17, 2008

Have you planned your escape route in case of a zombie attack? I know I have. But there is no need to run from the zombies of Daniel Waters' new book Generation Dead. This is the sweet, heart-warming story of a goth chick, Phoebe and her zombie boyfriend. OK, maybe it isn't all that sweet. The world changed two years ago when teens stopped dying. Well, more accurately, they wouldn't stay dead. A few hours after a teenager dies the are reanimated.

Staff Review

Old School by Tobias Wolff

By Tobias Wolff
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Aug 30, 2008

Tobias Wolff, who teaches creative writing at Stanford, has led an interesting life. His success comes despite a precarious childhood, from which he escaped through a combination of quick wit and good luck. So it’s no surprise that his novel Old School, which draws on his personal experience, is a fascinating exploration of the precarious nature of class and social status.