fiction

1984 by George Orwell (1949)
[8/10]
"Orwell's 1984 impressed me most, not for the quality of the story or characters, but rather, for the sheer number of literary and cultural references that have originated from this text. 'Big Brother' and 'doubleplusungood' only scratch the surface of this book's influence."
Adventures of Captain Underpants, The by Dav Pilkey (1997)
[6/10]
"A fun, comic-book style story that simultaneously entertains and spoofs the comic-book genre, public education, and the undergarment industry."
Akira: Book 1 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2000)
[9/10]
"I often find the story so compelling that I'm turning pages faster than I can take in the artwork, and have to constantly remind myself to take the time to carefully look at every frame."
Akira: Book 2 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2001)
[8/10]
"An excellent progression of the storyline and marvelous artwork."
Akira: Book 3 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2001)
[7/10]
"Otomo continues with the same level of highly detailed artwork."
Akira: Book 4 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2001)
[7/10]
"A lot happens in Book 4 to move the plot forward, but nothing really gets resolved."
Akira: Book 5 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2001)
[7/10]
"In several places, Ôtomo describes the psychic abilities as a form of human evolution. It seems odd that human beings would evolve into a form that ultimately would eliminate human personality and place no value on human life."
Akira: Book 6 by Katsuhiro Otomo (2002)
[8/10]
"Otomo has created an incredible, compelling story that to me defines great manga and provides the epitome of the art form so far."
Amber Spyglass, The by Philip Pullman (2000)
[5/10]
"In this final volume of the triolgy, Pullman seems to have lost some control over his story. When you get to the end of The Amber Spyglass, you can sort of see where he was trying to take you, but he certainly didn't take a direct route. The story also becomes less about the characters we have followed for three books and more about the metaphysical events surrounding them."
Ancient Child, The by N. Scott Momaday (1990)
[6/10]
"In The Ancient Child, Momaday again presents writing of the same caliber that won him the Pulitzer prize. Although Momaday demonstrates beautiful exposition, the text addresses problems relevant only to Native Americans."
Bad Beginning, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (1999)
[6/10]
"The Baudelaire children -- Violet, Klaus, and Sunny -- certainly do get off to a bad beginning. Their home burns down, killing their parents. Fortunately, the children's parents left them an enormous fortune. Unfortunately, their next of kin, Count Olaf, wants to do away with the children to get the money for himself."
Black Cauldron, The by Lloyd Alexander (1965)
[4/10]
"In The Black Cauldron, Alexander tries to show that real men don't seek honor in war; rather, they demonstrate their honor through their character and actions."
Brave Buffalo Fighter: Waditaka Tatanka Kisisohitika by John D. Fitzgerald (1973)
[7/10]
"As you can expect from any Fitzgerald work, you get an excellent picture of the period and setting in which the events take place. You get a detailed portrayal of life in a pioneer wagon train, including the reasons for making the trek in the first place and the risks involved in the journey itself."
Bridges of Madison County, The by Robert James Waller (1992)
[5/10]
"Waller creates some of the best romantic writing I have seen, unfortunately the story line of the book ends long before he ran out of words."
Candy Shop War, The by Brandon Mull (2007)
[6/10]
"Mull has created a fun, compelling story that in spite of some characterization problems provides an adventure that both kids and adults can enjoy."
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey (1999)
[6/10]
"This second adventure provides more funny moments than the first in a more coherent story line."
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets by Dav Pilkey (2003)
[6/10]
"This sixth installment in the Captain Underpants series appeals to young and old. For the young, it has page after page of snot dripping from just about every surface. For the old, it has postmodern characters that break the fourth-wall and talk directly to the author."
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers by Dav Pilkey (2003)
[4/10]
"I hope Mr. Pilkey will stick to single volume-adventures when writing future installments of the Captain Underpants series. The repeated elements and the downplay of other trademark elements makes The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers one of the least interesting of the entire series."
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zomibe Nerds) by Dav Pilkey (1999)
[7/10]
"The funniest and most self-referential of the Captain Underpants series."
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey (2000)
[4/10]
"This fourth installment in the series provides little more than recycled jokes from the previous books centered around one original theme: funny names."
Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman by Dav Pilkey (2001)
[5/10]
"Wedgie Woman has several funny moments, but recycles too much of its humor from the first four books."
Clash of Kings, A by George R. R. Martin (1999)
[6/10]
"Even though A Clash of Kings pales in comparison to A Game of Thrones, don't think that Martin doesn't tell a compelling story. In light of the underdeveloped characters, the plot works overtime to bring the tensions between the kings to an interesting climax, and Martin does set up the characters for an interesting beginning to the third book."
Cradle and All by James Patterson (1980)
[5/10]
"I looked around the Internet and found that Patterson has some very popular and successful books. Rather than trying to find this one (which I bought for five cents at a local library sale), go read one of his bestsellers."
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (1999)
[8/10]
"An excellent character-based novel, with fun technology thrown in. Far better and more satisfying than Snow Crash."
Cuba Libre by Elmore Leonard (1998)
[5/10]
"Leonard provides pretty standard fair: a cowboy, a love interest, an evil secret police captain, a need for revenge, several shootouts, and a few close calls. Good, light reading appropriate for a day at the beach or the down time on your vacation."
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The by Mark Haddon (2003)
[8/10]
"I think that the best fiction opens up our minds to a viewpoint that we otherwise would find foreign or complicated. In The Curious Incident, Haddon provides a view of autism in a engaging way that we want to read for the mystery and enjoy because we like Chris as a person -- something that we might not have understood if we bumped into him on the street and heard him bark like a dog."
Cutting Edge by Jeffrey S. Savage (2001)
[5/10]
"Savage had high aspirations for his first novel, but through inexperience missed some of the opportunities that would have made Cutting Edge a sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat page turner."
Da Vinci Code, The by Dan Brown (2003)
[7/10]
"Dan Brown has created a fast-reading mystery story with some interesting speculation about the nature of the Holy Grail and the origins of the Catholic church."
Dancing Naked by Robert Hodgson Van Wagoner (1999)
[7/10]
"Van Wagoner so successfully portrays both the history of Terry's emotional state and his interaction with the other characters in the present, that he has created a psychological novel that resonates as deeply as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment yet deals with modern issues such as the effects of generational prejudice."
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The by Chris Fuhrman (1994)
[7/10]
"Fuhrman does an excellent job at recalling the emotional states and physical feelings of first love. He also uses the racial tensions of the 1970s to good effect to show that racial politics affected even eight graders' relationships with their schoolmates."
Daniel and Nephi by Chris Heimerdinger (1993)
[6/10]
"In Daniel and Nephi, Chris Heimerdinger presents another story with a scriptural setting. This time, he chooses the main characters Daniel, the prophet from the bible, and Nephi, the author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon."
Day of Reckoning by Myung-Jin Lee, Richard A. Knaak (2002)
[6/10]
"This second volume has much better scene to scene continuity than the first volume, but I still have some problems with the presentation."
Deadly Exchange, A by Sheryl Jane Stafford (2000)
[5/10]
"A Deadly Exchange has good pacing and builds anticipation throughout as Matt and Alex get into increasingly deeper trouble all the way up to the very disappointing end."
Density of Souls, A by Christopher Rice (2000)
[5/10]
"Even though I had some problems with the construction of A Density of Souls, I found the plot reasonably well formed for a first novel. The story keeps you reading because you find the characters interesting although ultimately underdeveloped."
Difference Engine, The by William Gibson, Bruce Sterling (1991)
[7/10]
"An exciting story that also has lots of food for thought."
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (2007)
[6/10]
"Of the three books in the Twilight series so far, I found Eclipse the least interesting. All the physical action takes place off stage, and we spend all our time inside Bella's mixed up head."
Eldest by Christopher Paolini (2005)
[7/10]
"Eldest provides much easier reading than Eragon, but you still encounter some passages so clichéd that you groan out loud. Paolini's skill at storytelling encourages you to move quickly past the problems to find out what happens next."
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2003)
[6/10]
"Paolini's plot has good pacing, interesting highs and lows, and most importantly you like Eragon and care about what happens to him -- in spite of his stupid teenage blundering."
Eve of Apocalypse by Myung-Jin Lee, Richard A. Knaak (2002)
[5/10]
"This first volume in the Ragnarök series tries to pack a lot of information into a small space and tends to lose the reader along the way."
Eye of the World, The by Robert Jordan (1990)
[6/10]
"If you want light entertaining reading, Jordan probably makes a good choice, especially since you get so many pages for your dollar."
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull (2008)
[7/10]
"The slow-moving first half of the book disappointed me, but I still find the Fablehaven books one of the most interesting and well-written adventure series around."
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (2007)
[8/10]
"Kendra and Seth expect to spend their next summer vacation helping out at Fablehaven, a mystical preserve for magical creatures tended by the kids' grandparents. But problems for Kendra and Seth start even before their summer vacation begins."
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (2006)
[6/10]
"Mull has written a fairly decent modern-day fantasy story that possibly could have had a fairly good chance at hitting the bestseller lists if Mull had worked with a national publishing house."
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)
[4/10]
"The story in Fight Club drug on too long without continuing to develop the story beyond escalating the severity of the 'mayhem.'"
Flight to Canada by Ishmael Reed (1976)
[6/10]
"Reed questions the modern myths of freedom for all men -- implying that the civil rights movement is far from finished. He seems to point out that people are the same today as they were in previous eras. In spite of new technologies, we still tolerate slavery and oppression."
Flink by Doug TenNapel (2007)
[5/10]
"While I found the art adequate, I found the themes clichéd and tired."
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1989)
[7/10]
"Often the text gets bogged down by relevant but unnecessarily long historical discourses. Also, Eco writes almost no physical action. His characters make great mental gyrations that only at the end bring about some real danger."
Game of Thrones, A by George R. R. Martin (1996)
[9/10]
"Martin's characters drive this story. I often tire easily in a fantasy story where the characters have high morals and never waver from their course in the book. Martin's characters all have faults, act impulsively on occasion, and exceed their capabilities on others. Truly, I haven't read characters this round in a long time."
General's Daughter, The by Nelson DeMille (1992)
[5/10]
"I found The General's Daughter an enjoyable, light read that lost its appeal 100 pages before the denouement."
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes (1998)
[4/10]
"Clowes does an excellent job at capturing this feeling of inbetweenness some teens experience, but he has created a character sketch that doesn't do more than create a mood."
Ghost of Dibble Hollow, The by May Nickerson Wallace (1965)
[7/10]
"A lighthearted story with enough suspense to keep you reading but written at a level appropriate for young readers."
Golden Compass, The by Philip Pullman (1995)
[7/10]
"Pullman has created a moral fantasy that will sit well on the shelf next to C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and may even have similar staying power."
Golden Queen, The by Dave Wolverton (1994)
[6/10]
Great Brain Does It Again, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1975)
[5/10]
"If you have read the other six volumes in the series, you'll still find enough fun here to keep reading this seventh volume, but you probably won't make this the book that you reread."
Great Brain Is Back, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1995)
[5/10]
"I can only recommend The Great Brain Is Back to absolute fans of the series or people who want to say they have read every book in the series. This eighth volume certainly doesn't stand on its own, but it does let you spend just a little bit longer with these loveable characters."
Great Brain Reforms, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1973)
[6/10]
"Fitzgerald . . . captures the essence of growing up as a boy and the complex relationships with parents, peers, and siblings."
Great Brain at the Academy, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1972)
[6/10]
"The Great Brain at the Academy makes a good contribution to the entire series and sets up the maturation Tom experiences in the later volumes."
Great Brain, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1967)
[8/10]
"I loved The Great Brain as a kid, and I still love its charm and wit. Fitzgerald places interesting characters in a fascinating old-West setting and puts them through fun adventures."
Green Mile, The by Stephen King (1996)
[6/10]
"King tells an intriguing mystery story that pulls you along at a good pace and keeps you guessing right up to the end."
Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem (1994)
[6/10]
"An interesting future that seems some middle point between now and Dick's future in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep (i.e.,"
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1970)
[8/10]
"While the accepted Aristotelian idea of the 'tragic flaw' provides a convenient means to discuss the characters in Hamlet, none of the characters actually demonstrate the 'tragic flaw' as defined by Aristotle."
Hannibal Rising (2006)
[7/10]
"Hannibal Rising describes the events that can turn a privileged little boy from Lithuania into the genius serial killer described in Thomas Harris's other books Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal."
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (2007)
[7/10]
"Rowling has created an interesting universe and a story that surely will never go out of print. I certainly will probably read the entire series several more times in my lifetime, in spite of the numerous problems that a more careful writer would have addressed."
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (2000)
[7/10]
"Goblet of Fire has a much more mature story, including direct confrontation of evil, on-stage death of students, and numerous injuries, that I wonder how Scholastic can continue to market these books to the 9-12 year old market."
History of Violence, A by John Wagner (1997)
[6/10]
"A History of Violence doesn't ask any really deep questions, but it does neatly resolve the issues that the plot raises. "
Hobbit, The: Or, There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien (1966)
[8/10]
"Classic fantasy by which most other fantasy must be measured."
Holes by Louis Sachar (1998)
[7/10]
"Sachar says that it took him over a year to write Holes, and you can tell that he spent a lot of time getting all the story-line interconnections just right."
Horse and His Boy, The by C. S. Lewis (1954)
[6/10]
"The Horse and His Boy tells the only story in The Chronicles of Narnia where the main characters do not come from Earth -- with small cameo roles from Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. I liked the story, but Lewis solves most of the character's problems through coincidence and luck, not through bravery and heroism."
I'll Find You by Clair M. Poulson (2001)
[3/10]
"In the hands of a skilled storyteller, this plot could have forced you to the edge of your seat wondering if Rusty will find Jeri in time to save her from the evil murderer Chum. In the hands of Clair Poulson, you have to make a determined commitment that you will push forward through all the unnecessary verbiage, hoping that you won't fall asleep again."
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1976)
[6/10]
"While Interview with the Vampire has expertly crafted depictions of scene and emotion, this volume doesn't have some of the polish and flare you find in some of the later volumes in the series."
Invasion, The by K. A. Applegate (1996)
[6/10]
"Applegate doesn't try to sugar-coat the dark reality of her story. The kids must face the reality of an alien invasion with their immature understanding of tactics, strategy, and consequences."
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk (1999)
[5/10]
"As the story starts out, you may experience some surprises, but since every page deals with shocking situations, the stimulus quickly wears down and the horrible quickly becomes mundane."
Jaxon Files, The by Tony Markham (1996)
[7/10]
"The Jaxon Files shows a lot of promise for a first novel, especially for a Mormon science fiction novel that takes place in modern day."
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware (2000)
[7/10]
"Ware uses all sorts of symbolism through Jimmy Corrigan. For example, the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893 represents the imaginary world that the Corrigans inhabit. A world thrown together, that looked great for the two weeks of the fair and then collapsed into sudden ruin."
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (1981)
[9/10]
"The movie adaptation of Jumanji creates a sloppy reflection of the artistic precision in Van Allsburg's illustrated story about two children who find a reality-altering game in the park."
Just Wait by Craig Huls (2001)
[4/10]
"Even though Just Wait missed many opportunities to involve me emotionally, I enjoyed reading the story as a light suspense novel."
L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future (1993)
[7/10]
"This is one of the better anthologies in this series."
Last Battle, The by C. S. Lewis (1956)
[5/10]
"In The Last Battle, Lewis pulls almost all the stops and only narrowly couches his Christian allegory in his story. The denouement occurs with about one third of the text remaining. In this remainder, Lewis explores the Narnian afterlife."
Leading Edge, The (1992)
[5/10]
"This collection of short stories and nonfiction is better than usual for the Leading Edge, but still shows its student origins. Overall the editing is substandard, with many punctuation and consistency errors. This, the poor design of the magazine, and the poor reproduction quality all distract from the content."
Left Behind by Tim F. LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins (1996)
[6/10]
"Lahaye and Jenkins do a good job turning a conversion story into a suspense novel. The novel does bog down in the middle as all the characters waiver in their faith and determination, but the last third rolls along at a fast pace. Although the authors freely admit they hope to get the reader to make a commitment to Jesus, the text of Left Behind doesn't come off very preachy."
Light before Day by Christopher Rice (2005)
[6/10]
"Still not great literature and probably won't last like his mother's works, but nevertheless the story pulls you along much better than the previous two novels and gives you a few satisfying thrills."
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1994)
[6/10]
"Esquivel uses cooking as an extended metaphor throughout her story. The recipes and their preparation fit in with the story and have some obvious (and many more understated) meanings."
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The by C. S. Lewis (1950)
[10/10]
"Through overuse and misapplication, the term classic has lost some of its depth, but The Chronicles of Narnia belong with Tolkien's works as classics of the fantasy genre."
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, The by Sherman Alexie (1993)
[6/10]
"Alexie uses graceful images and often poetic prose to describe reservation life."
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)
[8/10]
"Donaldson creates such an interesting adventure that you want to find out what happens next, regardless of how snotty Covenant treats the Land's inhabitants. Donaldson also has a gift for suspenseful, vivid action scenes."
Lori, I Love You, But . . . by Gary Davis (1993)
[2/10]
"One could tell this story in any number of modes. Davis chose comedy. In fact, all of his characters seem to be sharpening their wit for a comedy club audition."
Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card (1992)
[5/10]
"Unlike Ender's Game, Card's Lost Boys demonstrates that a successful short story cannot always make the transition to a novel."
Magician's Nephew, The by C. S. Lewis (1955)
[7/10]
"In The Magician's Nephew, Lewis creates a fun adventure story that all ages can enjoy. You can also read The Magician's Nephew as an allegory of the Christian creation."
Mars Crossing by Geoffrey A. Landis (2000)
[7/10]
"The suspense pulls you forward, and Landis keeps you guessing right up to the very end about who will survive and who will get to return to the Earth."
Matilda by Roald Dahl (1998)
[7/10]
"Unlike many stories that show that anyone can have karmic success, Dahl makes Matilda inordinately smart, thus she succeeds as a result of her natural gifts, not just as a result of persistence or good deeds."
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman (1986)
[7/10]
"The plot moves along quickly and through the interesting metaphors of the animal heads you find yourself drawn into this personal tale of the Holocaust."
Me and My Little Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (1971)
[8/10]
"I find this the most touching of all the Great Brain books. It tells a story of true brotherly love developing between John and Frankie, and the emotions John feels as he changes from hating Frankie to laying his life on the line to rescue the adopted brother he has come to adore."
Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, The by Brady Udall (2001)
[9/10]
"If you met Edgar Mint in real life, you probably could not prevent yourself from saying, 'Oh, poor Edgar.' Edgar's life sucks."
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement (1954)
[6/10]
"A fun, light read, unless you start to question the physics and chemistry."
More Adventures of the Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (1969)
[7/10]
"Fitzgerald continues to chronicle his adventures with his older brother Tom, the Great Brain. This volume gets a little repetitive with the opening and closing chapters both involving the boys sneaking out at night to places forbidden by their parents. In each case, Tom shames other boys into going out late at night to prove his point, either that monsters do exist or that ghosts don't."
Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)
[7/10]
"Many books that rely heavily on computer technology as a major plot element seem dated after only a few years. Gibson wrote Neuromancer in 1984 and the story has surprisingly few anachronisms."
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (2006)
[6/10]
"At the end, you feel like you have just ridden a roller coaster -- a long, slow, boring ride up the hill and a brief thrill as you run the course. The excitement happens so fast, that you really want more and wish that Meyer hadn't spent so much time letting Bella mope about."
Novel, The by James A. Michener (1991)
[6/10]
"Michener provides an interesting and detailed description of the publishing business from the points of view of fictional characters who are pivotal in bringing books to life: the writer, the editor, the critic, and the reader."
Old Gringo, The by Carlos Fuentes (1985)
[8/10]
"There is a power evident in the text, and the search for the meaning is part of the enjoyment."
Papa Married a Mormon by John D. Fitzgerald (1955)
[7/10]
"Fitzgerald relates a touching story about how his father and mother met, married, and started a family in a frontier town of rural Utah."
Practical Demon-Keeping: A Comedy of Horrors by Christopher Moore (1992)
[5/10]
"Christopher Moore's Practical Demon Keeping reads like a movie treatment. You get just enough detail about the characters to understand what they would wear and give them sufficient motivation to make their actions believable, but you never get enough depth about any single character to really make an attachment -- or even really care much about what happens."
Praise to the Man by Larry Barkdull (1997)
[3/10]
"Praise to the Man contains the elements of a powerful story, but distractions and poor expository methods kept me so far from feeling anything for the characters that I never had a chance to get emotionally involved."
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis (1951)
[9/10]
"I found Prince Caspian, one of the most satisfying stories in the series because it follows two separate plot lines that merge into a satisfying conclusion."
Prince Ombra by Roderick MacLeish (1982)
[5/10]
"I think kids and even younger teens will enjoy Prince Ombra, but any examination of the story beyond the surface leaves the reader to deal with a set of unsatisfactory philosophical conclusions necessary for the plot to function."
Quicksilver (2003)
[6/10]
"I think much of the story line gets bogged down with the interesting things Stephenson found in his research. These elements might have a bearing in the second or third volumes, but distracted from the immediate enjoyment of the novel."
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (1981)
[6/10]
"Harris writes excellent suspense scenes. You feel the emotional tension building in the characters as they go about their work -- either good or evil."
Red Water by Judith Freeman (2002)
[6/10]
"Red Water presents an interesting, well written slice of early rural Utah life that did nothing special for me."
Reptile Room, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (1999)
[6/10]
"A nice continuation of a series that could quickly spoil if the narrative style remains so fixedly consistent."
Return of the Great Brain, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1974)
[6/10]
"Although Tom Fitzgerald has supposedly reformed, he continues to use his great brain to wheel and deal -- sometimes to solve a murder, other times to just fatten his pocketbook."
Riptide by Marion Smith (1999)
[4/10]
"Smith creates vivid scenes filled with emotional power, but her scenes repeat the same character and plot development without moving into new territory. You can also see Smith's agenda driving the characters' dialog into contrived paths that never get around to answering the real question: What should we do with a heightened awareness of abuse?"
Road to Wellville, The by T. Coraghessan Boyle (1993)
[7/10]
"Boyle presents the life of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg -- inventor of peanut butter and the corn flake -- at the height of his career and as the director of a famous sanitarium for biological living."
Romancing the Nephites by Becky Paget (1993)
[5/10]
"There's nothing outstanding about this story, but there were no glaring flaws either. A simple story that is well constructed and has appeal to a less demanding audience."
Samuel, Moroni's Young Warrior by Clair M. Poulson (1993)
[3/10]
"The action is fast paced, and Poulson does build suspense well, but I was disappointed by the resolution of almost all the conflicts that I can't really recommend this book to your children, let alone adults."
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1985)
[10/10]
"Sara, Plain and Tall has a compact efficiency that creates a deceptive simplicity. As Nathaniel Hawthorne has said, 'Easy reading is damned hard writing,' and clearly MacLachlan worked hard to perfect her text."
Screwtape Letters, The by C. S. Lewis (1942)
[6/10]
"Lewis uses transcripts of demonic conversations as a satire to examine humane nature."
Seals on the Bus, The by Lenny Hort (2000)
[6/10]
"A humorous take on the popular song 'The Wheels on the Bus.'"
Serpent Catch by Dave Wolverton (1991)
[7/10]
"In this his second novel, Wolverton shows a talent for handling a remarkable number of themes in a complex style surprising for such a 'new' writer. Serpent Catch takes place in a future where paleobiologists have brought dinosaurs back to life from samples of DNA found in fossils."
Silver Chair, The by C. S. Lewis (1953)
[7/10]
"In The Silver Chair, Lewis examines man's relationship to Christ. The characters never really develop. Lewis has the characters change only to show how men can be distracted from their faith, suffer the effects, and then choose to return to the faith."
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)
[7/10]
"Stephenson smoothly conflates religion, linguistics, and programming into his storyline. Obviously, he did a lot of research for Snow Crash and much of that research appears in large blocks of exposition. I found the information interesting, but readers who like steady action will probably dislike the information dumps."
Snow Garden, The by Christopher Rice (2001)
[6/10]
"As Rice's second novel released when he was only twenty-two years old, The Snow Garden gives us the pleasant hope of enjoying his works over a long and prolific writing career."
Stand, The by Stephen King (1991)
[4/10]
"Of course, one must wonder why The Stand needed additional length? Or even to be told at all?"
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace by Patricia C. Wrede (1999)
[6/10]
"I expect movie novelizations to stand alone, but Wrede's novelization of George Lucas's screenplay assumes you already know the Star Wars universe before you begin the book."
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959)
[6/10]
"If you have seen Paul Verhoeven's movie Starship Troopers, you have seen merely Heinlein's story with almost all the philosophy carefully removed. But the combination of story and philosophy make Troopers a classics that will stay in print for years to come."
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1961)
[7/10]
"Often, Heinlein's characters get so carried away discussing philosophical implications that all the action stops for pages and pages at a time."
Subtle Knife, The by Philip Pullman (1997)
[6/10]
"For the middle book in a trilogy, Pullman manages to keep the plot and pacing in The Subtle Knife quite engaging, and he ends the book just about as suddenly and tragically as in The Golden Compass."
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk (1999)
[6/10]
"I found this the most enjoyable of the Palahniuk novels I have read. The plot keeps taking unexpected turns, and Palahniuk avoids overusing his tendency to repeat key phrases throughout the book."
Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon (1987)
[3/10]
"Yawn, the superpowers launch nuclear attacks and the few surviving people must deal with radiation sickness, food shortages, starving wolves, post-nuclear paramilitary forces, and nuclear winter."
Tale of the Body Thief, The by Anne Rice (1992)
[9/10]
"Rice tells an exciting, suspenseful story built around solid characters who exhibit feelings that are human, even for vampires."
Tennis Shoes among the Nephites by Chris Heimerdinger (1989)
[6/10]
"Tennis Shoes among the Nephites tells the tale of two 13-year-old Mormon boys and an 11-year-old Mormon girl who go back in time to have adventures with Book of Mormon characters."
Thin Man, The by Dashiell Hammett (1933)
[6/10]
"From a hardboiled detective story, I expected several shootouts and fist fights, but interestingly, Nick really only interviews numerous suspects and lets the police do most of the dirty work."
Three Musketeers, The by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
[7/10]
"Dumas weaves action and intrigue (and almost no character development) into a classic story that still fascinates."
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1961)
[9/10]
"Clearly, the Pulitzer committee thought enough of Harper Lee's book to give it top honors in 1961, but I think some of the social issues from the 1960s that pushed Mockingbird to the top of the list don't have as much relevance today."
Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett (1994)
[6/10]
"The pages have so much content and flashy color that my four-year-old daughter could not pick out the main components of the story from the side-stories and detailed background."
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005)
[8/10]
"Meyer does an excellent job at building the tension to a nerve-splitting peak, and her exposition about her vampires never gets boring or preachy."
Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse by John D. Fitzgerald (1961)
[6/10]
"You get a pretty clear picture of life in a frontier mining town, and you care about what happens to Will, even though the successes in his life come way too easily."
Veils of Azlaroc, The by Fred Saberhagen (1978)
[5/10]
"In The Veils of Azlaroc, Saberhagen presents an interesting idea with a flimsy plot wrapped around it as an excuse for writing about his idea."
Volcano Lover, The: A Romance by Susan Sontag (1992)
[5/10]
"Good steady writing. Steady in the sense of very little variation -- in tone, pace, or style."
Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The by C. S. Lewis (1952)
[8/10]
"Lewis continues his Christian allegory with examinations of greed, honor, and free choice."
Walk to Remember, A by Nicholas Sparks (1999)
[5/10]
"Some stories tug at your heartstrings. Others, like Nicholas Sparks's A Walk to Remember try so hard to tug at your heart that you can't help but grow annoyed at the attempt."
Was: A Novel by Geoff Ryman (1992)
[7/10]
"Ryman retells the story of Dorothy Gael from L. Frank Baum's Oz stories, but Ryman takes a completely opposite perspective -- that one should escape from 'home', people only find happiness in childhood fantasy, and we spend our entire lives trying to overcome the tragic day when someone crushed our fantasies."
Washington Square by Henry James (1880)
[6/10]
"James deals with a love affair in the wealthy class of late 19th-Century New York City."
Watchmen by Alan Moore (1986)
[5/10]
"Visually, Watchmen bored me. Every page gets divided into a three-by-three grid. Although illustrator Dave Gibbons might occasionally merge two or three of the frames for a larger combined image, he never violates the essential lines of this grid."
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1924)
[7/10]
"Zamyatin implies that once you have given up too much freedom, you might never recover personal freedom, even if some individuals have a vision of life outside the state."
Wide Window, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (2000)
[5/10]
"Lemmony Snicket has followed his formula from the previous books exactly, and has not introduced anything new or interesting."
Wine-dark Sea of Grass, The by Marilyn Brown (2001)
[5/10]
"Marilyn Brown examines how the Mountain Meadows Massacre affected the lives of the Mormon settlers in rural southern Utah."
Wrinkle in Time, A by Madeline L'Engle (1962)
[9/10]
"L'Engle creates a universe where the forces of good and evil have visible components. Through her characters, she examines the choices people make to align themselves with these forces and the tools humans have to combat evil. Unlike much of the fiction produced today, A Wrinkle in Time acknowledges the spiritual side of humanity and our innate ability to know good from evil."
Zathura: A Space Adventure by Chris Van Allsburg (2002)
[5/10]
"If you have read Jumanji, Zathura offers no real surprises. You already know that the game will alter reality, so we don't experience any shock when a meteor really does crash through the roof. But I find Van Allsburg's illustrations in Zathura inferior to his work in Jumanji."

Average score: 6.25