{A Blast from the Past} Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Today's review is about:

THE SUMMARY

FIRE ALONE CAN SAVE OUR CLAN...
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying - and some deaths are more mysterious than others.
In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

MY REVIEW

I got introduced to this series from my silly Dad who wanted to bring me back a present from a recent work trip. So he stumbled into the airport book store (they had those back then), told a nearby employee my interests, and asked if they had a book that I would like. Luckily enough, this lady was awesome, and decided to recommend the Warriors series to him, and he bought the first one. When he brought it home, I devoured every word and hungered for more. Since then, I have devoured around 20 of these books, but this one (Warriors: Into the Wild) is the most loved book that I own other than Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (and by loved, I mean that the spine of the book has evidence of being bent many times from reading).
But enough about my obsession, let's get to the meat and potatoes.
This book is about a kittypet (house cat) named Rusty who has to choose between the comfort and care under his twolegs (owners), or to become a warrior cat and hunt in the forest, maybe even become leader of the nearby Clan. This choice is what I think is what I love most about this book. On the one paw (See what I did there? ;) ), you've got comfort and laziness, on the other adventure and the great unknown.
The fact that Rusty (obviously) chooses the adventure is what I love most about him. True, he chooses it at first for selfish reasons, but over the book you get to see him grow to love and fiercely protect the Clan that he chose as home. That, and he's feisty and doesn't take crap from any cat. He's got a sharp tongue that one...
Not only that, but time and time again he proves in the forest that no matter where a cat came from, be it from a Clan, a house, or a nearby street, they deserve respect and care as much as his Clanmates. He's willing to go into unknown territory to protect any cat that deserves it.
All that I'm going to say about the plot in this book is watch out. There are a small group of cats that you can't trust.
All in all, this book is a must read for cat lovers and adventurers alike of pretty much every age (obviously you have to be able to read XD). :) You will not regret delving into the world of the warrior cats.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

""But kittypets can't be warriors!" Graypaw blurted out. "They don't have warrior blood!"
"Warrior blood," Bluestar echoed with a sigh. "Too much of that has been spilled lately."
She fell silent and Lionheart meowed, "Bluestar is only offering you training, young kit. There is no guarantee you would become a full warrior. It might prove too difficult for you. After all, you are used to a comfortable life."
Rusty was stung by Lionheart's words. "Why offer me the chance, then?"
It was Bluestar who answered. "The fact is, ThunderClan needs more warriors."
"Understand that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly," warned Lionheart. "If you wish to train with us, we will have to take you into our Clan. You must either live with us and respect our ways, or return to your Twolegplace and never come back. You cannot live with a paw in each world.""

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Visit the Warriors website to look at the cats, clans, and videos!:
http://www.warriorcats.com

{A Blast from the Past} Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel:
1. Mystery
2. A beautiful golem
3. Souped-up slingshots
4. Four black cats
5. Amnesia
6. Calamity Poker
7. Angry ponies
8. A shady truant officer
9. Top-13 lists
10. A sandstorm generator
11. Doppelgängers
12. A secret mission
13. Earwigs

"I want YOU
to leave me alone"

MY REVIEW

In true Emily the Strange fashion, I have decided to make a top 13 list instead of my regular routine. So, without further ado, here it is:
1. Black cats
2. A cafe called El Dungeon
3. Golems
4. Cool black rock
5. A traveling magic show
6. Amnesia
7. Easy to read
8. Cool drawings
9. An awesome van
10. Doppelgängers
11. Strange town names
12. Mystery
13. Top 13 lists

But in all seriousness, this book is really fun to read whether you're a little girl in elementary school or a older teen with a love for J.R.R. Tolkien. You will fall in love with the character Earwig, and follow her as she tries to figure out who she is and why she is in a little town called Blackrock.
I am myself a black cat girl, so I loved the cats and the adventures that they led Earwig to, and I also loved all of the "romance" that happened between Raven (the waitress at El Dungeon) and the guys from the traveling magic show.
I'm going to admit something: I envy the kids of today. They have stuff like Monster High, that show that it is okay to be different and like black cats and all of that stuff. When I was growing up, we had Tamagotchi (I think mine's still around my room somewhere) and Barbies to play with, and while the Tamagotchis were fun to play with (and still are), Barbie seemed to teach little girls that loving pink and wearing fancy dresses are the only ways to go in the world. I'm loving all of the different stuff that's coming out, but not to the level of the Bronies.
This book is great for girls (and guys) that are around middle school age and older. :)

"Spring Spring
go away!
I want some rain
so I can Play..."

A LITTLE EXCERPT

OK.
I think I better take some notes, cuz something super strange is happening to me, and I don't know
1. my name
2. anyone else's name
3. where I am
4. how I got here
5. where I live
6. how old I am (am I a kid or just short?)
7. anything I've done since I was born
8. whether I'm a cat person or a dog person
9. whether I actually believe people are either cat people or dog people
10. what might have been written on the eleven pages that were torn out of this notebook
11. why this happened to me
12. how long it's going to last, or
13. what I should do next.

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Visit the official Emily the Strange website to check out more art, buy some merch, and other cool stuff!:
http://www.emilystrange.com

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

"A road's a kind of holy thing...
it brings all kinds of people and
all parts of England together."
Eleven-year-old Adam loved to travel throughout thirteenth-century England with his father, a wandering minstrel, and his dog, Nick. But when Nick is stolen and his father disappears, Adam suddenly finds himself alone. He searches the same roads he traveled with his father, meeting farmers, pilgrims, minstrels, priests, and thieves along the way. Through these encounters, Adam discovers that somewhere in the crowds of people are his father and his dog. But will Adam be able to find them and end his desperate search?

MY REVIEW

I was assigned this book for my Medieval Lit class, and loved it so much that I had to share it with you guys!
The adventures that you go on with Adam are fun and hold your mind until the last page. All the while, you are wondering if everything will turn out all right in the end. The music and minstrel's tales held the book together and really transported you back into the middle ages.
Adam is a very lovable character, with a big head sometimes, but is always out to make people happy, no matter what he himself is feeling at the time. As a reader, you watch him grow up, following him in his quest to find his dog and his father.
The most important thing that this book did for me was it reminded me of what it was like to be a kid. Many times in our lives we want something that we don't have; adulthood and childhood being one of the things we want throughout our long lives. We forget, however, about what it is to be a child, and this book brings us back. We feel the same sort of mystery and adventure as with any book, but rather than making us long for said adventure, it reminds us of the children we once were. And that, my friends, is the greatest gift of all. :)

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"Nick!" shouted Adam. "Nick!"
There he was. There was Nick in that boat, and every minute the strip of water between them was widening. "That's my dog!" he cried. "He took my dog!"
The people on the dock at once gathered around him with exclamations and questions.
"When the ferry comes back, dearie," said a pleasant-faced woman, "you can have my place and I'll wait for the next one."
When the ferry came back! By that time Jankin would be gone, and Nick with him. They were nearly to the other shore now.
Adam took his harp from his shoulder and his bundle; he unfastened his belt and wallet and took off his shoes, and piled them all together. "Watch them for me," he said to the friendly woman.
Then he dived.

Well, that's all for now!

See you in the next one!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to Sumer is Icumen In, a medieval song mentioned in the book!

Warriors Super Edition: Tallstar's Revenge by Erin Hunter

Today's review is about:

THE SUMMARY

THERE WILL BE A WARRIOR WHO MUST SEEK FAR BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CLAN TO DISCOVER WHERE HIS HEART BELONGS...

As a young apprentice, Tallpaw's life is marred by a tragedy that fills his heart with bitterness, and he sets off on a dangerous path in search of revenge.

A map of the territories.

A LITTLE CONTEXT

The books in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter follow the clans that live in the wild and the cats that live in them. Each clan has different abilities; Riverclan's cats are adept swimmers, Windclan's cats blend in with their flat surroundings and are fast, lean, and swift, Thunderclan's cats are excellent stalkers, and Shadowclan's cats are skilled at skulking unseen though the undergrowth. They are guided by Starclan, their ancestors and past warriors. When a cat dies, a person they knew who previously passed visits them and guides them to Starclan. Apprentices become warriors, medicine cats, and leaders only with their blessing.

The cats start first as a 'kit, then a 'paw, and then a warrior or medicine cat (ex: Flamekit, Flamepaw, and then Flamepelt). Leaders are given nine lives and have the name 'star (ex: Flamepelt to Flamestar). They appoint deputies (vice presidents, if you will) and manage the ceremonies that change a cat into an apprentice and warrior, along with keeping the clan together and leading them into battle if necessary.

You can learn more about the clans and the cats by visiting http://www.warriorcats.com/.

Before reading Tallstar's Revenge, I would recommend reading Into the Wild, the first book in the series (shown below) and the rest of that series.

THE REVIEW

I'm going to be honest with you: despite my Erin Hunter and Warriors obsession, I hadn't read one of these books in a long time. I know, I know. The third series really shook me up, and I wasn't sure if I liked the stories anymore.
That was all changed with this book. I was transported back into the clans, this time as a cat named Talltail with a wicked past. Just like in real life, sometimes when it rains, it pours. I'm not going to say what happened to him because you need to experience it for yourself, but it will make you gasp and feel sorry for our black-and-white hero. You understand his bitterness, and share his pain. This is what I liked most; that fact that kept me reading long into the night and it kept my thoughts throughout the day. This book takes you through so many twists and turns, it's hard to put down!
I was introduced to death and revenge, something typical to the Warriors story, but with a new look. Instead of seeing the destruction left in it's wake, we are blind to how far revenge takes him until Talltail realizes it himself.

I loved immersing myself into the world of the Warrior cats again. I had forgotten how beautiful the world was. Definitely read this one. :)

Talltail racing across the moor.

JUST A LITTLE EXCERPT
Shrewpaw sprang into the air. Tallpaw froze for a moment, then, seeing daylight beneath the young tom's belly, he ducked beneath it and bucked like a rabbit. He felt Shrewpaw's weight on his back, and pushed his spine into his denmate's belly. Shrewpaw yelped as Tallpaw tossed him backward. Tallpaw turned on his hind paws. Shrewpaw was writhing on the grass. Tallpaw reared over him and Shrewpaw stared up, his eyes wide with shock.

Well, that's all for now!
See you next Saturday!
~Sea-Solo out!

EXTRA! EXTRA!

To learn more about Erin Hunter, Survivors, and Seekers, go here:
http://www.warriorcats.com/

Other Warriors Super Editions: